Modern day master

 

This is the work of one of my favourite artists David Jon Kassan. I believe he is a modern master and his work just gets better and better. I first saw his work a few years ago and started to watch out for new  pieces; he travels a lot and teaches and I hope one day to meet him. One of his pieces was selected this year for the BP portrait award, and in my opinion should have won. His work is sensitive and full of emotion, and his relationship and response to the sitters is in every pencil mark and brush stroke. His work will stand the test if time and will still be communicating with an audience long after pickled sharks have rotted and disintegrated. Just goes to show there is no substitute for hard work, dedication and a desire to constantly be the the best you can. To see more of this extraordinary artist go to www.davidkassan.com

Thoughts of Autumn

I was struck by the beautiful autumn light today; my favourite time of year. The trees are starting to get their multicoloured leaves and I am inspired to want to capture the fleeting moments before the winter sets in. The two drawings above were done some time ago when I wanted to explore the texture of dried leaves.

Learning from the best

When I began this blog I wanted to include the work of Artists who inspire me and who I think have influenced my work along the way. Therefore, I will start with the most famous of them all, the great Leonardo Da Vinci. His work is still influential and he is probably the most famous artist in the World. Leonardo was truly brilliant, but in some ways too brilliant. His head was so full of ideas that he finished relatively few paintings. He was eternally interested in the World and his sketches and note books are a joy.

When Leonardo lived art was considered a skill to be learned from a great master. Apprentices would work in studios learning their craft in the same way stone masons and carpenters were taught. This doesn't diminish the talent of the great artists, but what sets them apart is that they used the skills they developed to communicate their feelings, which is what I believe makes great art. Even Leonardos sketches are full of emotion; so if you get the opportunity take a closer look at his work, it is incredible.

Sketching People

I don't often draw people, mostly because of lack opportunity. Many people feel uncomfortable being under close observation and I like the spontaneity of capturing someone who is unaware they are being observed. This is a quick sketch of my lovely new great niece Maia Daisy. She is a really good baby and a moment of quiet contentment made me want to capture my response to it.

Weekend Quote

'Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men come to be builders for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the harp. In the same way, by doing just acts we come to be just; by doing self controlled acts, we come to be self controlled; and by doing brave acts, we come to be brave'
Aristotle

....................To be an artist, draw everyday!

A passion for horses 2

I started this blog with a picture of a horse I completed last year. I love drawing so often use coloured pencils, however, I wanted to experiment with graphite combined with coloured pencil. I really enjoyed working this way and will be developing this more over the next few months.

Sketching from life

Sketching daily from life is really important for anyone serious about developing their skills. I still work from photos which I have taken, but try to push myself to tackle difficult subjects from life on a regular basis. Even the mundane can be interesting and sketching really helps to look afresh.

It has taken me along time to realise that to really develop as an artist I have to suspend naming the subject I'm drawing in my head. Labels get in the way of the creative process; as soon as I tell myself I'm drawing an eye, window, building etc, the drawing loses the freshness that holds everything together. I now work really hard to focus on light, shadow and tone. I still have a long way to go but now find I'm more willing to tackle difficult subjects or those which I would not normally have been attracted to draw.

One of the most enduring subjects I draw, (mostly for opportunity), is my little dogs. They are great models and they never cease to develop new sleeping positions! Sadly one of my dogs recently died, but I have many sketches which I now treasure as they really help the memories live on for me.

My love of sketching

I spend a lot of time observing the World around me and thinking how I can communicate my thoughts on paper. This is something all artists think about and most keep a sketchbook handy to record quick scribbles, thoughts, notes and more considered drawings. I always have a sketchbook with me, but often lack time or opportunity to use it as much as I would like. Holidays are great for allowing time to reflect and I have found looking back at my holiday sketchbooks I can remember vividly the scene; even the weather, people etc in a way I never can from a photo.

I have included a few drawings made on location in Norway and The Canary Islands on this post. There is a growing Worldwide trend of 'urban sketchers'; these are people who make the ordinary extraordinary by looking afresh at their everyday environments and making something special. Check out the link to see more www.urbansketchers.org

Scratchboard

Scratchboard is something we probably all remember from childhood; the little kits with pre drawn images and the surface scratched away to reveal silver foil. Whilst you can still get the kits, there is a growing group of talented artists in North America who have pushed the boundaries with this technique. As a result you can now buy plain clay boards covered with black India ink and work on your own images. I was really keen to try this, so tracked down a company in the US who supplied the boards. This is one of my first attempts.

The boards are really good quality, very heavy and allow for both deep and light cuts. You can cover mistakes by using India ink to paint over, although I wouldn't recommend this as it leaves a slight sheen on the board. The images can also be coloured with ink or acrylic. You also need to get your head around drawing in reverse, so just putting in the light areas. This technique suits my love of detail and is great fun, so would recommend anyone with a love of drawing giving it a go. I hope it catches on more in the UK not least so I can purchase the boards here rather than paying carrier and import charges!

If you want to know more check out the work of Sally Maxwell or Cathy Sheeter by following the links on this post.    www.sallymaxwell.com/       www.cathysheeter.com/

A passion for horses

This is a coloured pencil drawing which I completed last year. Once I start on a theme, I become slightly obsessive about it. I have spent a lot of time observing horses and have taken hundreds of reference photos; thank goodness for digital cameras!