New paintings and regular art updates.
Sunset was Sundays #bandofsketchers prompt. As we arrived at our holiday destination one summer I was amazed to see what appeared to be a tall beam of sunshine above the setting sun. I found out later that it was a sun pillar. I think its a phenomenon where sunlight reflects off ice crystals in the sky? A bit like sun dogs. Can’t find the photo to work off so tried to remember it…
Went for a meal out at Sawadee Thai taste in Stoke tonight. While we were there I decided to sketch us. I had to imagine my self portrait, and they are all a bit scruffy as I just drew on a bit of old card I had in my bag, each sketch took a couple of minutes. Apple is the Thai lady that runs the restaurant.
The food was delicious, we had red curry with sticky rice and some pad Thai noodles. Not expensive and good company.
Thursdays #bandofsketchers prompt was seclusion. I was secluded for about 20 hours when my phone battery started to overheat. I took it to the phone shop but it was closed, but I went back later and got a replacement. The pattern on this is meant to be a design for a phone case. Just taking something positive out of a difficult day x
I did a digital drawing of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plane ages ago and I’ve tried to add a misty, foggy, mysterious effect over the top of the original drawing. Because I drew it in layers, the image in the bottom layer shows the stones and this stayed in place so I could distort the upper two layers of black that I had added and then a blueish grey with a smudging tool. The overall effect is slightly spooky, I could imagine shadowy figures or spooky silhouettes detaching themselves from the stones and moving towards anyone visiting the ancient site. What ghosts of druids reside there?
Spring and flower themed digital doodles using ArtRage oils. Then edited in Photodirector for one of the four images and layout app to create symmetry for all four. Finally I stitched them together in layout and have published the variations on my Instagram account. I could imagine this as a woollen blanket.
Gold felt pen doodle coloured in with more pens then filtered through photodirector. Made up of dashes, squiggles and dots. I do like playing with images. I tend to use the same filters quite frequently. I may try variations on a theme. I added the thorns afterwards. I decided to leave a white background rather than adding another colour to it. Felt pen sketch.
Tuesdays #bandofsketchers prompt was renaissance. Since the statue of David by Michealangelo has been in the news lately I thought I would try and draw his head. I really need to get some new felt pens or fish my watercolour paints out of wherever they are hiding.
How has technology changed your job?
When I first started using technology in art it was at a conference and there was a stand with a digital drawing screen. It was a large flat screen with a stylus attached with a wire. There was a limited pallette and you drew by picking brush sizes and colours. I have always been an artist, but because it was a science based conference no one knew. I started drawing a horse I think and the people on the stand were surprised by what I could do. But I was hooked. As soon as I could get a small drawing tablet I did. I even had a digital drawing I printed off exhibited in a local Open Exhibition because it was not something they had seen before. Since then I’ve got bigger and better tablets, drawing with styluses attached with wires and then wireless ones. Now you can draw on a phone screen with your fingers. I’m glad I went to that conference.
Red admiral? Settled on a poppy flower. Internet image, couldn’t find the author. Hope it was OK to base my drawing on it. Sundays #bandofsketchers prompt was Settled. Felt pens again. I loved getting the bright reds and greens, a really jazzy contrast of complimentary colours.
Orme Art Group is having a Spring Artisan sale. There’s going to be a variety of stalls, from wire weaving, soft furnishing and painting and prints. I hope to be demonstrating minature painting, and selling some of my mini works. I also have a few glass necklaces for sale.
I don’t do craft fairs very often anymore, I went off them when covid was (still is) about and I’ve had to pluck up courage to do it again. I like space around me, not crowds, but this will be with friends so I should be OK.
The Whitfield Centre is a community centre and the people there are very friendly. I hope visitors will be impressed by the variety of work for sale and I hope we get a good attendance.
Mallaband-Brown