Happy 42nd Anniversary to the love of my life.
Pen and Ink
I am Orlando
Last year I was Charlie and then Paris, today I am Orlando, and once again find myself needing to express my solidarity and sympathy through the best way I know how with all those mourning today in Orlando, in the United States and around the world and particularly with all those in the LGBT community.
From Yardwork to Artwork: The Photinia Story Part Three
branch lines I 6.6.16
After the success of From Yardwork to Artwork: The Photinia Story Part One and Part Two, today Part Three will feature the photinia branches themselves that I have discovered make such versatile drawing tools.
One branch in particular has become a favourite as it takes on so many roles as you will see in the video later in the post. The wonderful marks it can make depend on so many factors. They can be either broad or fine depending on the angle at which it is being held it, and opaque or transparent depending on the pressure exerted. Plus the extra bonus is the frottage that the underlying wood of the drawing board produces within the lines themselves.
I think I’ll let the bough take a bow.
Why not find your own branch, buy some drawing ink and paper, and make your own branch lines. Let me know how it goes.
branch lines II 6.6.16
branch lines III 7.6.16
over my shoulder IV – the making of branch lines III
If you would like to see more over my shoulder videos here are the links:
The texture of the lines reminded me of figure drawings of mine from over thirty years ago, which I have now taken out from a drawer in the studio and pinned to the studio wall. Here’s a sneak preview of what’s coming next.
Finally, I’m linking today’s post to this week’s Discover Challenge: Origin Story for two reasons.
First, The Photinia Story Parts One, Two, and Three are all about the origin of an image and the story behind how it is created.Second, and the main reason with Father’s Day so close at hand, is to dedicate this post to the memory of my late father who set me on the path of making art from a very early age. He was an amateur artist himself and this painting of his hangs proudly in my office at home. It is a constant reminder of the true gentle man that he was.
Thanks Dad
Machu Picchu Revisited
Machu Picchu 1.6.16
Every day is an adventure in the studio and today was no exception. With a sparkling new Arches pad, together with Krista’s prompt to choose our own adventure for this week’s Discover Challenge, Machu Picchu seemed to be the obvious subject to revisit.
Those of you who follow my blog will know that the greatest adventure of our lives was the six day trek my wife and I took in 2013 to Machu Picchu. I started the blog in May that year before we left so that family and friends could be part of the adventure, albeit virtually.
Over the past three years I have posted many photos from the trip, including a gallery in response to Krista’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward last year, but with her prompt today and my pristine new Arches pad, I think June may become Machu Picchu month in the studio.
Stay tuned…
trail mix
admiralty arch
Discover Challenge: Memory
For this week’s Discover Challenge Krista asks us to “get inspired by illustrated journalling”.
From time to time in my blog I have dipped into one of my prize possessions, an illustrated journal I kept throughout our travels in Italy and Greece during 1999 and 2000.
I thought for the challenge I would use four of its pages as examples of pen, ink and water-colour notations that I made each evening to record certain moments and scenes that I had found particularly memorable that day:
The laundry hanging out of the window of the youth hostel at Castello Wuillerman where we stayed in Finale Ligure…
Some of Giotto’s exquisite fresco figures in the magnificent Scrovegni Chapel in Padua…
The intricate patterns of the mosaic floors of Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, which you may remember inspired a painting on Day 163 last year…
The birds and flowers on the entrance ticket for the Akrotiri Archeological Museum on the Isle of Santorini…
If you are interested in seeing other postings from the journal just search “journal” in the search box at the foot of the page.
camelliaspectives
For this week’s Discover Challenge: Perspective Ben states “We each inhabit a specific vantage point from which we blog” and asks What’s yours? As those of you who follow my blog will know my vantage point is always both visual and written, so in response to Ben’s question I thought I would express my camelliaddiction once again today with pen, ink, watercolor and photography, with one final image that is clearly very much about perspective.
camellia studies 31.3.16
Snapshots and Solidarity
Discover Challenge: Snapshots: Tell a broad story using a series of short, focused scenes.
For this week’s Discover Challenge Michelle invites those of us who are visual artists to “share a series of photos or sketches that focus on different details of a larger scene and to “Take us on a journey, one small scene at a time.” These few sketches were made one innocent warm summer’s day watching a majestic heron slowly wading through the shallow waters of the shore line of English Bay, Vancouver. Today however, a day that is anything but innocent, my thoughts are very much with the people of Belgium.
JeSuisBelge et JeSuisBruxelles aujourd’hui.
mind games
state of mind 29.2.16
Studio 365: Day 351
Somewhere in a basement not that far away… revisited 17.12.15
The Force was definitely awakened in the studio today. The original was posted in response to a Weekly Photo Challenge in July 2014 after rediscovering a Star Wars treasure trove tucked away in our basement for over thirty years.
thechangingpalette 