No art today!

I had very little time for drawing yesterday and consequently I have no progress on my 'Ducky' for you. I was frantically busy all day, walking dogs - taking dog training class - shopping - walking dogs! Then when I finally had some time in the evening I ws getting ready for todays craft fair. It's only my second attempt to sell the cards I make, mainly from my art and photographs but a few crafty ones too. This time I am also taking along some mounted prints of three of my pictures, see below. I bought some lovely art silk and art matt paper to print on and they do look beautiful, especially the one of Taivas. By this evening I will either be happy and chirpy or gloomy and doomy, depending on how the day has gone. LOL

Ghillie in all his glory.

Here I am on a very wet Sunday morning, later on it will be me that's wet as I plan to take the flatties into the forest. Poor dogs, I've not been feeling well enough recently to give them a long run so I've promised myself that I'll make the effort today.

Taivas has just made an attempt to wake to neighbours nice and early by hurtling round and round the garden saying "grrr grrr" as she goes. That is the nearest I can get to putting the funny noise she makes on paper - it isn't a growl or a bark but somewhere in between. One of her endearing little ways! LOL

On to the art and the main point of the day - my completed 'Ghillie'. I must say, I am pretty pleased with it. It isn't perfect but I'm improving with each piece which is the important thing. 'Ghillie' is now on his way to be with his owner in the USA, I felt quite sad as I carefully put him in his protective envelope - he's the first piece I've done that has left my possession.

I've uploaded it at a higher resolution than than the other stages so you should be able to click on him to see a larger version.

Sorry folks, I've tried three times to get an image that will enlarge and it's just not working and I haven't a clue why.

Ghillie again!

This morning I feel more like a zombie than a human being! I was out on the town last night (well actually out on the village but that doesn't have quite the same ring to it), and despite the fact that I never drink alcohol - little known fact number eight - I am feeling fragile. That's more to do with lack of sleep, I'm a girl who needs my eight hours, on five I don't function well at all!

Did have a good time though, eight of us to the local bistro - delicious food.

Here's the next stage of Ghillie, it's not a great deal further on but tomorrow will be the finished piece so that's something to look forward to. LOL

Stinky Miss Taivas and Ghillie stage three

I'm up earlier than usual this morning, today I want to start my next art piece as well as finishing designing and printing cards for next week's craft fair.
I had a lovely walk in the forest yesterday, with my lapphund and my friend and her two flatties. You can see photos on my flickr pages or at her blog which there is a link to on the right - she is 'Forest Walks'. We saw deer (so did Taivas, oops!) and also a few foals. The most amusing part of the walk was that Taivas (my lapphund), who is quite a fastidious little dog, fell into a bog. She was carefully picking her way around the drier places to get back to me when - PLOP - in she went. Both of us were laughing so much we didn't get a photo. Goodness she did stink! Home for a hose down which did not amuse her either.
Now here is the latest on Ghillie and the point that I always start to have doubts as to whether the drawing will be any good. I still find rendering fur very difficult, also getting the shading right to give the depth. I keep telling myself "patience and practice". I am always in a hurry to get a piece finished - I must learn to slow down!

More about me and more Ghillie

As you know I'm an amateur artist living in Hampshire, UK. I live there with hubby Clive and our four crazy dogs! Actually only three are crazy (my dogs), one is quite sensible (his dog) LOL Mine are two flatcoated retrievers and a finnish lapphund, his a labrador. Two are now oldies, nearing their twelfth birthday and sadly we know we won't have our labrador for much longer. She has a tumour in her hip which has eaten away at the bone. For now she is still enjoying life, lying in the sunshine in the garden during the recent spate of warm weather we have had.

Over the years I've participated in many of the dog 'sports', but now I just show my youngest - she went to Crufts this year, which was fun.

Back to art and the fabulous Ghillie. Here he is at stage two, with his nose completed too. As I'm doing the rest of him I go back and add little touches to eyes and nose but nothing that makes any major difference. How I wish I had begun drawing years ago - I would be so much better by now!

Ghillie - the beginning

Today I thought I'd show you how a piece of my art begins - it's nearly always with the eyes, just occasionally I'll do the nose first. These have to be right or the finished piece just won't be any good. So here are Ghillie's eyes, looking very strange staring out of the paper! Ghillie is a liver coloured flatcoated retriever who's owner has very kindly allowed me to work from her photograph of her handsome dog. Incidentally, the eyes took me approximately two hours each. Layer upon layer of very light colour. I'm sure there must be a quicker way but this is what I've found (with my limited experience) gives me the best result. More of Ghillie tomorrow.