Apples, and did that machine just do what I think it did?

"Cortland Drama" ACEO...travelling to Applefest in Brighton!
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Look! I finished another apple ACEO! It would seem that apples have been a source of great learning and frustration for me this past week. I know, some people lament over war, death, the economy, homelessness, crime rates... and then there's me who's biggest dilema is how to get a good photo of a Paula Red apple. Or which of the 10 shades of red would be appropriate for capturing the light from under a Cortland.
Apple induced insantity... the most dangerous kind, I can assure you.

Anyhoo, today's post is going to be a shortie because I still have two more apple ACEO's to do (I know, I'm a glutton for punishment) and I have two larger pieces that I'd really like to have done for the show this week-end. It also occured to me this morning that next month I'll really need to hustle and get some more works done, as well as commissions, because I have another show in November and I'm also going to be a feature artist at the Quinte Arts Council Gallery for November and December. Do you think I have enough pieces to pull this off? Probably not.


Along somewhat related lines, the other day I had to go to the bank and get some money for various sundries. Beginning professional artists, as you may or may not know, don't have a whole lot of money to spend which makes any type of purchase a not-so-joyous event. So as I was saying, the other day I went to the bank to get some money. After I put my info into the ATM I took a deep breath and entered the amount I wanted to take out. I hit 'OK' and as the money came out of the machine I'm almost positive I heard the ATM laughing at me. I could be wrong...but I doubt it.

On that note, here's to hoping for a successful week-end and I'll be back next week!

Is Anyone Home?

Greetings and salutations, dear reader.
My apologies for my absence yesterday but I have yet another art show coming up this week-end and the week is jam packed with preparation. The event that has caused this art show to come to fruition, pun intended, is the Brighton Applefest. How "country" I know, but this is a huge event for Quinte region and, dare I say it, for apple growers across this great province of Ontario. I spent last week-end celebrating and psyching myself up by not burning an apple pie (folks that know my history with baking pie will realize that this is a big deal). It was delicious.
So, yesterday was spent figuring out how I'm going to set up my display and there are a few pieces I'm hoping to have done in time for the show this week-end. It's a good thing it's not an apple themed show because... well, I'm primarily an equestrian artist although I suppose I could've done a pic of a horse eating an apple. That said, I have been doing up some little apple still-life ACEO's:

Copyright Rita Woodburne

WIP- Copyright Rita Woodburne

I'm hoping to have a handful of these done for the show but if I feel that I don't have enough I'll just wind up listing them on my eBay next week.

These little guys have also piqued my interest in still-life again. It seems that I went through this same phase last year (something to do with all the fresh produce maybe?) but this time around I have a better idea what I'm doing. That said, if anyone knows of any good still-life reference material I'd love to read it because, quite frankly, I suck at setting up still-lifes...the references for these are from other people. I'd really like to try my hand at getting better at these because I have yet another idea for a series I'd like to do, but unless I get my compositional act together I'll be up pencil shavings creek without a paddle.

So that's what's happening in my part of the artistic universe. I'll just be doing another post on Thursday because I do so enjoy sharing my pre-show babblings with people and I suspect I'll be experiencing some type of apple- induced insanity by then. So, until Thursday, keep on art-ing!

The End... at least until next Spring

"Ol' Blue Eyes" ACEO can be bid on here.

Copyright Rita Woodburne

It’s Friday and as of Sunday it will officially be Autumn. On that note I regret to say that this will be my last gardening post...at least until next Spring! :D

I enjoyed doing these posts and I’m looking forward to next year’s gardening season. I still had pests to deal with and, as such, will be taking steps this year to eliminate them from my garden and next year some things will be changing crop -wise...but that’s for next year.
This year the crops were good but I should’ve watered them more. Weeding was a task, and I give my eternal thanks to my Grandmother who came over a few times and whipped the garden into shape (I can see her shaking her finger at me now :p).

From small beginnings:


...to battling with bugs:



...and harvesting mutant vegetables:


...it's been a productive and interesting gardening season to say the least. So, with that the gardening posts end and I hope it was fun (and tasty) for those that followed along.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of gardening debris to take care of. Have a super week-end!!

Following the road to Autumn...

Incorporating "oomph"

I had a nice, pretty post all planned out for today and then...I forgot what I was going to talk about. So instead I've decided to touch base again on the colour project I foisted upon myself at the beginning of Summer. To quickly recap, it was basically started to help myself loosen up and, more importantly, to help me infuse some more dramatic use of colour into my current working style.

So how's it coming? Actually, it's coming along quite nicely, thank you for asking. I've decided to share with you one of my attempts at putting more "oomph" into my regular works. Below is an ACEO I recently completed incorporating some of what I've learned so far:

"Proudly Painted" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

I didn't alter my style dramatically but I did manage to incorporate more colour into this that I would have normally. Also, for the background I really put it all out there and I figured I'd either flop with it or be happy with the results. In this case I'm really happy with the results. I realize that this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but I'm pretty darn pleased with myself.
If I were to change something about it I would have actually added more colour, that is to say more vibrant colour, to the horse. I might have also dulled down the background a bit, maybe with a wash of grey.

I've done some more of the looser pieces but I'll save those for another post. I think this project is working out for me so far and as I progress through more and more looser pieces I find myself becoming more focused with my "tighter" pieces. I'm being much more deliberate with my application of colour, paying attention to and pushing values and weeding out the stuff that really doesn't need to be in the piece to make it work.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I've still got miles to go but I'm getting there bit by bit and man, what a ride!

Unwinding a bit

"Wicker n' Cherries" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

To start off this week, the last full week of actual Summer, I’ve decided to keep it simple and indulge in some silliness. So, without further ado, I bring you another installment of:

Revelations From the Drawing Board

- Elderly women should never colour co-ordinate their entire outfit to match their artificial hair colour (you know of which colour I speak... “Smurf Blue”)

- Why is it that the signs that say “Watch for Children” don’t also tell you to stop for them?

- I’ve mentioned this one before. Guys, I don’t care how good your physique is, for the love of decency stop wearing spandex bike shorts! Blech!!

- If you just let someone talk continuously about themselves without interruption they’ll tell you a lot more embarrassing things about themselves than you think...like why they stuck crayons up their nose as a child and had to go to the hospital to have them removed.

- Keep a notebook and pen by your bedside because that important thing you forgot to tell someone/ do during the day you will invariably remember at 2:30 in the morning and without the notebook you’ll just forget again.

- When someone shouts “Heads-up!” it’s usually not a good idea to actually raise your head.

And finally...

- Unless you enjoy getting weird looks from complete strangers it’s probably best that you refer to your dogs as your “little minions” or “pack of flying monkeys” in the privacy of your own home.

Another reminder of the season to come!

Orange tastes pretty good too!

"Best Foot Forward" ACEO can be bid on here.

Copyright Rita Woodburne

Gardening and food again, does the end of a week get much better than that?

So today I thought I’d share with you a recipe that just smacks of Autumn weather. The air is getting distinctly cool and crisp and the leaves are changing to colours that would make any artist, such as myself, just drool. It’s this kind of weather that makes outdoor activities all that more enjoyable and nothing can warm you up faster after a day of frolicking (does anyone really frolic anymore?) out in the cool Autumn air like soup. More specifically a tasty carrot bisque! Not only does it suit the weather, the colour even matches the season!

Mmmm, early morning Autumn colour...

Curried Carrot Bisque

2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled and chopped potato
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp curry powder
5 cups chicken stock (bouillon cubes are fine)
½ cup heavy cream (milk or 18% coffee cream is fine)

Heat butter over medium heat in heavy/soup pot. Saute carrots, onion and potato for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder. Saute 2 minutes more. Add chicken stock, simmer until vegetables are tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Remove from heat and mash mixture with a potato masher. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Place back on heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

While I enjoy the texture of a “chunkier” soup, if you prefer a smoother soup after removing from the heat (and before adding the cream) you can puree the soup and then return it to the pot. Also, if you’re not a fan of curry you can simply omit it from the recipe (nutmeg makes a nice substitute). I don't usually use curry as I find it too spicy, but I can assure you that in this soup it works very nicely and isn't too overpowering for those concerned that it might be too zingy. By the way this soup is awesome, and very filling, when served with a warm loaf of French or Italian bread with butter. (excuse me while I wipe the drool off myself...)


Let’s also speak to the issue of garden cleaning. For those of you that grew squash and/ or corn and perhaps have some “leftovers” in the garden that aren’t edible, don’t be hasty in throwing them away or composting them...just yet. Dried corn stalks make nifty Autumn decorations as well as squash and if you happen to have both, so much the better! Just grab a bunch of cornstalks, maybe 3-4, and tie them together with some nice Autumn coloured ribbon and prop them up by the main door of your house. You can artfully arrange some squash at the base or grab some potted Mums and use them for the base to disguise your corn roots. Trust me, your neighbours will be jealous at your ability to turn dead vegetables into a decoration.

I know, I know, how terribly "Martha Stewart" of me. I'd show you a pic of my own arrangement but it's actually on the "to-do" list for this week-end so if I remember I'll be sure to post a picture of it next week, m'kay?

So that's it for this week. I suspect next week will be filled with a good dose of silliness because I was sooo busy this Summer, what with art-ing and stuff, that I had nary a moment for any real tom-foolery. That's for next week so enjoy your week-end!

Convenience is all that matters

"Over There" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Welcome back, dear reader! Today I was going to do a serious post on the nature of artistic growth and instead I need to opt for some silliness.
As regular readers may know, I avidly listen to my local radio station, not just to stay abreast of current Quinte region and country events, but also to listen to a good mix of contemporary and oldies music.

Then there’s the local morning show.

Much like other morning shows the hosts are upbeat and there are lots of contests, humorous banter and the like. One of these contests is called Impossible Trivia, which I have also mentioned here on my blog. The questions and their subsequent answers range from not-so-impossible to you-can’t-be-serious kind of impossible. Every once and awhile I hear one that conjures up the most amusing visuals in my mind that I can’t help but share in the hopes of brightening someone’s day. Today’s Impossible Trivia question was this:

“What do 60% of parents say would make their lives easier if this was a drive-through?”

The answer was not a convenience store, a toy store, dry-cleaning facility, book store, shoe store, sports equipment store or any of the other suggestions made by the folks who were thinking along the basic shopping lines. The answer to this pressing questions was:

A daycare. Yup, you read that right, a daycare.

I can only imagine parents driving up to a window, screaming and weeping children being bundled up and shoved through a small sliding window to a cheery person on the other side asking if you’d “...like Tylenol with that or would you like to Super Size your child’s stay with us and get an additional 2-3 hours of peace and quiet?”
What really made me chuckle was when they asked the fellow who got the answer right if that would make his life easier, he responded by saying: “I don’t know, do we have to slow down as we get to the window?”

They never did answer...

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So yesterday the Universe was conspiring against me in every way, shape and form. I had wanted to post my WIP of Bill's newest ACEO but Blogger wouldn't let me (their down-time aside), I tried to access my art e-mails but couldn't and then my computer kept konking out on me every time I tried to load certain programs. Our eldest dog was gimpy yesterday because of the rain, Sushi threw-up on the carpet and I discovered that there's a raccoon in the barn that's been eating the cat food... oh, did I mention I discovered said raccoon because it had pooped all over the storage bin for the horse's grain? It was a happy day. Sometime around 4:00 I gave up and ate several cookies, why fight it?

Anyway, so things seem to be going off without a hitch today and as such I will finally do my ACEO WIP.

The subject for this ACEO is Bill whom regular readers will know is my dog trapped in a cat’s body. I’ve done numerous ACEO’s of him and the irony of that is that I had never really taken an interest in drawing cats before. I started with him because I had decided that I wanted to participate in a Big Cat Challenge over in the coloured pencil forum at WetCanvas. What better way to practice for big cats than by tackling a little one first?

Here’s the start of it. I’ve done a very basic line drawing (which will be erased/ covered up as I go) and I’ve already put in a bit of the colouring, namely some of his markings (the darkest areas, done with Black) as well as his eyes.


Below you can see a close up of his eyes and what I've done with them so far. They're pretty close to being done and, generally, I try and get the eyes of the subject almost complete right from the get-go. I find that this usually helps me set the tone for the piece and the eyes, when dealing with any portrait type of picture, are really what folks focus on.
The eyes were done with Limepeel and Pale Sage, with White for the catchlights. If you're interested I blocked in his nose with Peach.


In the second part I've gone and put in more of this markings, using Bronze, Chestnut and Cool Grey 90%. I've also started ,arking in the lightest parts using French Grey 10% as well as some White. On his muzzle I've used White at the parts closest to his nose and extending outward towards his whiskers I've used Cream.
On his nose I've blocked in some colour using Yellow Ochre and Goldenrod.


At this point I decided that I needed to figure out what I was going to do for the background because that was going to determine more of the colouring (ie- lighter or darker) for Bill himself. I decided on a dark background and that I would place him on some type of flat surface since in the ref he was in fact lying down.
To do this, and so I could continue working on Bill himself, I simply did a very thin line around Bill's ears using Black.


Onto part three...I should note that anytime I get wishy-washy over a background things can go from bad to worse in no time. I was feeling that way about this one. I lightly blocked in the remainder of the upper background with Black then I decided to leave it lest I go crazy with some bizzare colour application.
For Bill himself I started blocking in more of his body colouring using Bronze as well as a light application of Sandbar Brown. I also put in more of his markings using Cool Grey 90% and then accenting them with Artichoke. On his chest area I've used Yellow Ochre again as well as a bit of Chestnut and gone over his lighter markings with French Grey 10%.


Like I said, when it comes to me and backgrounds things can easily go from bad to worse.
I wish, dear reader, that I could provide you with a logical explanation or the thought process involved in what follows...but I can't. I started with Black Cherry then switched to Indigo and then just covered it all with Black.
As for the flat surface that Bill was supposed to be on, well, that changed colours more times than Britney Spears changes her wigs. Ultimately it came out looking good but what exactly it was that I did, aside from simply applying a bunch of random cool colours, is beyond me. That said, my little background breakdown worked out okay for me and I'm pleased with how it turned out 'cause it could've been a lot worse!



And the final product...

"Possibly Pensive" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

If I were to do it again, I would've opted for a warmer base for Bill but this works too. Bill himself was worked over more with some Chestnut and Henna as well as some Mineral Orange for the warmer bits on his chest. Around his muzzle I applied some Jasmine and I re-darkened his markings with Warm Grey 90% and touched up some of the lighter areas with White.

There's Bill's ACEO. Hopefully some artist out there in Blogger-land got something from this...like how to have a background meltdown and then recover. :p

Mmmm, root vegetables...

"Mustang 2: Bald- Faced Beauty" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for another gardening post. This week I’ll again throw out the reminder that for those of you living in warmer climes than us folks here in zone 5b you still have time to plant another crop of peas if you haven’t done so already. Another veggie that you can plant is parsnips. Parsnips will over-winter in the ground extremely well and if you live in a more tempered climate you can enjoy parsnip-y goodness year round.

For those that do live in this zone and closely surrounding zones you may have noticed that the leaves have already started turning colour. As my Grandmother predicted, Autumn will come early. Always listen to elder people when it comes to gardening and the weather, they know what they’re talking about...especially if they refer to home as “the Old Country”.
The early arrival of Fall means that some crops will most likely ripen early and, depending on whether or not you had decent rain and/ or watered diligently, the veggies themselves may be smaller than average. For pumpkins you’ll also need to start turning them to make sure they ripen evenly and don’t take on a lop-sided appearance...very important for Halloween purposes! An easy way to protect the pumpkins from ground rot and ensure even ripening is to simply place a board under the pumpkin (a piece of chipboard or plywood will work fine) and every 3-4 days go out and turn the pumpkin about 1/4 turn, taking care not to snap it from the vine. This will give you nice even colouring and round shape.
It’s also worth mentioning that tidying up the garden should be high on the list of gardening priorities. This means removing any dead plants and weeding as well as adding compost to the soil for next year. If you want to keep nutrients in the soil, or maybe need to amend the nutrients in your soil, you might also want to consider planting a cover crop for your garden.


So my veggie recipe for this week (sans chocolate) is for Russian Cabbage Borscht because if you’re like me and have an Eastern European background you probably also have an insatiable love of root vegetables...like beets and potatoes! Borscht uses plenty of both and in my version I add a bit more beets than required because I like them and also have a habit of growing too many. Soup anyone?


Russian Cabbage Borscht

2 tbsp. Butter (margarine is fine too)
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 ½ cups potato, cubed
2 cups beets, cubed (the original recipe only calls for one cup so feel free to amend it to your tastes)
1 large carrot, sliced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups chopped cabbage
4 cups water (I also add about 2 pkts of chicken Bovril)
1 tbsp sugar or honey
salt and pepper to taste

- Place potatoes, beets and water in pot and cook until everything is tender. Remove beets and potatoes from water and save the water.

- In large soup pot cook onions with melted butter until onions are translucent. Then add celery, carrots and cabbage and then add the water from the beets. Cook covered until all the vegetables are tender, approx 15- 20 minutes. Add potatoes, beets and seasonings.

- Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

You’re done!

This soup freezes extremely well so I usually double the recipe. The original recipe also calls for the addition of ½ tsp of caraway seeds but I’m not a big caraway fan so I leave them out. If you like a richer flavour you can also add 1 cup of tomato puree when you add in the carrots, etc.
This soup is awesome with a big blob of sour cream on top and served with a slice of Italian bread and as the weather gets colder this is one of those soups that is very filling and comforting.

So that’s it for this week as far as art, gardening, and cooking goes. Next week I’ll be doing a WIP of an ACEO and I will be returning to a normal posting schedule so be sure to check back on Monday. Until then have an awesome week-end!

Getting Focused

"Sushi Round the Corner" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

"Snuggled Up" ACEO can be bid on here.
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Okay, so I know I promised a return to all things “normal”...but what exactly is “normal” anyway? Oh, yeah...me posting about three times a week, that’s normal. This week I’ll brush off as a fluke because the Other Half and I got back from the Kawartha Art Festival a bit later than we had hoped and, quite frankly, I needed the extra time to recoup.

First and foremost, I just wanted to thank all those that did come out and say ‘Hi’ and enjoy the spectacular weather and great art that was on display. It was an awesome week-end and getting to schmooze with other experienced artists is always one of the many bonuses I get from doing art festivals/ exhibits.

Another benefit I’ve gotten this year from doing art festivals is that I’m developing a proper plan for next year as to where I’d like to take my art and what I need to be working on. Getting “out there” and meeting other artists as well as everyone from the casual buyer to the die-hard collector has given me the opportunity to listen to what others think about my artwork. Having the Other Half man my booth while I sneak off to a corner humming the Mission Impossible theme music and eavesdropping on his conversations with people visiting the booth kinda helps with that as well.
All silliness aside though, I made a point of spending this year focussing on talking to buyers/ clients, picking the brains of experienced artists (who are making a living at this wacky thing called 'art') and trying to find out what I really love to do in art. So far I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made and the bonus is that there’s still 4 months left in 2007 so who knows what will happen between now and the end of December!

September, for me, has always been a reflective month as Summer comes to an end and the impending confinement to the house draws that much closer. Late Fall and into Winter is a quiet time overall which allows me to focus more on art and with that in mind I like to take that time to re-assess my goals and also to create new ones...you know, because I don’t have enough on my plate as it is.

As a last note for this brief post I should mention that I’ve already started booking commissions for Christmas and if you’d like to get your hand in before space runs out just drop me a line here and we can work out the nitty-gritties. I’ll probably be reminding folks about this for the next month and a half (until the deadline runs out at least) so bear with me, if you will.

I’ll be back on Friday with a gardening post and a new recipe involving a whole whack of summer’s bounty...but no chocolate this time! :)