Good- bye 2008, Hello 2009!

"Cherry Bowl" ACEO

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

Copyright Rita Woodburne

Hi there, dear reader!

Well, 2008 is coming to a close and the New Year will soon be upon us. I hope so far you've had wonderful celebrations with family and friends and that you're all ready to ring in the New Year tomorrow night. I have lots of plans for the coming year and next week I'm going to be sharing some of those plans with you because, really, if I don't list them for the world to see I may just conveniently "forget" about doing some of them. :)


So, with a party of my own to get ready for tomorrow night I have to go and start getting the house tidied up which, if you could see the amount of firewood bark Cutter has spread around the house, is no small task in and of itself.
I hope you'll come back next week when I plan on posting my 2009 Artsy- Fartsy plan and until then may we all bid farewell to 2008. See you next year!

"Farewell 2008" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

How'd I do?

"Cool Reds" ACEO

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

So today is the day of the end of the year review. We’re having a nasty snowstorm today so I guess I couldn’t have picked a better day to plunk myself down in front of the computer and do this. Below I’ve listed the goals I set out for myself as I divided them between artistic goals and business goals:


Artistic
- Continue my focus on incorporating more colour into my work
- Continue my focus on pushing values
- Have two separate projects involving studying one of the Masters. I’ve already picked out the two I’d like to study and when I’d like to do them so stay tuned for more info!
- Do a really large piece (large for cp and myself anyway), something 16x20 inches or larger
- Concentrate on creating pieces with more dynamic composition
- I had fun in 2007 with using watercolour pencils in some of my pieces and the effects it gave me so I’d like to try and work them into more of my pieces for 2008 so I can become more comfortable with using them. That said, getting my hands on some Neocolours would also be a viable alternative.
- I also had oodles of fun doing still-lifes, presumably because they were a nice break for me from doing animal pieces and commissions. I’d like to make a point of doing more of them in 2008 with the intent to create a series of equine based still-lifes (the series goal may carry over into 2009).
- Improve my photography skills to take better reference pictures and images of my artwork


Business
- Make more contacts within my local art community
- Become more active in the local arts organizations I am a member of which will include attending meetings, gallery sittings, etc.
- Be more organized in my book-keeping (remember, I said it makes me grumpy)
- Be more disciplined in my use of time
- Make my art fair booth more professional looking and start to keep a journal of viewers comments and what other artists are doing in their booths in terms of set-up, display, functionality, etc.
- Set up a daily checklist for myself during the work week with daily goals (a small white-board will be a wise investment)

"Rising Wind" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

I think overall I did pretty good. The things that I didn’t accomplish are doing a larger piece and I really didn’t use my watercolour pencils at all this year because I simply didn’t see the need to with the pieces and supports I’ve been working on. I also haven’t been very good with my book-keeping but, to be honest, that I didn't keep up with that one isn't really a big surprise to me.
I would’ve liked to be more active in the local arts community than I was but I did manage to attend some show openings. I also improved my photography skills but I would’ve liked to spend more time working on that aspect of my plan. I can justify calling it a success because I became more familiar with Photoshop which, of course, helped with editing my pictures to make them of a better quality.


So that’s the review for 2008. I think I can pat myself on the back rather than slap myself on the wrists and I hope that I can avoid buggering up my back again in order to make 2009 a very productive year.

My blog will be quiet all next week as I have lots of pre-Christmas planning and then, of course, the big day itself. I suspect that there will only be one other post before the year is out as the Other Half and I are entertaining friends over New Year’s and we have to get ready for that as well.
So, with that in mind I hope that you have a wonderful Holiday, dear reader, and I’ll check in with you before the year is out. Have a wonderful Holiday celebration and keep on art-ing!

I'll pass on the brussel sprouts.

"After van Gogh "Gauguin's Chair" " ACEO

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

What is it about the Holiday season that brings out the best, worst and most odd in people?

Let me explain.


I think the best of a good number of people comes out this time of year because 1- they’ve managed to live through another year and 2- they’re just jovial with the idea of being able to eat lots of food with butter and not think about the consequences until January 1st of the following year. And by calling it “the following year” it just sounds soooo far away.

The worst of people comes out when looking for a parking spot at the mall at 1:00 in the afternoon on a Saturday. Don’t even get me started on this one because stopping your vehicle and actually taking time out of your life to yell at someone, and possibly causing a heart attack for yourself or the other person, is just pointless to me... and downright stupid even if I do say so myself. And I do. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

After Vermeer- "Woman Holding a Balance" Part 1
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

Then there’s the most odd.

The other day I went grocery shopping (why is it that so many of my mind boggling experiences happen while grocery shopping) and of course I was subject to the obligatory pre-Christmas crowding. Okay, I can take that and because I’m feeling jovial about eating butter- filled cookies I can even take the child in the other aisle that’s screaming like a banshee and the mother that’s doing nothing about it. It’s the Holidays... maybe Mom ate too many butter- filled cookies and simply doesn’t have the energy to deal with the little ankle-biter.

Anyhoo, after getting the things I needed and going through the check-out I was happy I had lived through another year of grocery shopping. I made my way to the truck and on the way I passed a grumpy elderly couple who were bickering over the proper way to pack the trunk with groceries. ‘I hope the Other Half and I don’t end up like that.’ I thought to myself and popped open the trunk.
Just as I was finishing unloading the groceries from the cart into the trunk and after listening to Happy Hannah and Chipper Chuck I heard this:

Chipper Chuck: “Did you remember to buy the brussel sprouts with butter?”
Happy Hannah: “No.”
Chipper Chuck: “Well, why not?”
Happy Hannah (quite a bit louder and bordering on yelling): “Because they give you gas!”

Good thing I wasn’t drinking anything because at that point it would have come out my nose... and all over my neatly packed trunk of groceries.

Apparently tis’ the season of love, brotherhood towards fellow man and brutal honesty.
Speaking of brutal honesty be sure to stay tuned, dear reader, because tomorrow I do my end of year review. I hope you’ll stop by again and see if I did well or did myself in... only tomorrow will tell!

Don't just sing for supper, yodel for it.

Vermeer- Part 3

"After Vermeer- "The Milkmaid" " ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

Welcome back, dear reader!

So there she is, the yodelling milkmaid.

Despite taking on this project at the worst possible time of year I must admit that I'm enjoying it, contorted faces and all. The Vermeer ones are much more time consuming but I'm learning quite a bit from both his work and van Gogh's. I've been able to boil it down simply to this: the van Gogh pieces loosen me up and the Vermeer's make me rein everything back in again. Plus I'm getting to analyze VG's colour use and Vermeer's ability to play with light.


So, for the next 2 pieces I've decided on I picked "Gauguin's Chair" by VG and "Woman Holding a Balance" by Vermeer. I can already hear myself grumbling while doing the Vermeer. :)

While I've held off on starting the Vermeer I have started (and almost finished) the van Gogh. Here's parts 1 & 2:

Van Gogh "Gauguin's Chair"- Part 1
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

Van Gogh- Part 2

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

Truth is, this one is pretty much done. Between cleaning up after Cutter (there's pieces of bark all over the house), trying to get regular chores done, Christmas preparation and the general hooplah that constitutes living on a farm (Oh good! The water trough for the horses is frozen!... and here comes the hay wagon!) I'm surprised I've been able to get anything done with this project. Tis' the season for too many things to do and not enough hours in the day.

Speaking of getting things done, I'll be doing my end of the year wrap up later this week. I'll have a look-see at the plan I set out for myself at the beginning of the year and see where I stand now. Now if you'll excuse me I have dogs and cats running both willy and nilly through the house and in keeping with what I've learned from the Vermeer piece I must "rein them in".

Toodles!

From Holland to Quinte Region

Hi there, dear reader!

So the van Gogh ACEO is done and can be seen below:

'After van Gogh- "Irises"- 1889'

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

The colour is a bit wonky on my monitor compared to what it looks like in "real life" but who knows... maybe that's what it looks like in person! Someone needs to fly me to Holland so I can go to the van Gogh museum and find out. It would all be in the name of art history and studying the Masters, I swear.
This one was oodles of fun to do and I must admit, much more relaxing than the Vermeer which is on the cusp of being done. I suspect I may be doing more van Gogh studies than Vermeer...

"The Calling"

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

On a local art note, my piece "The Calling" (seen above) can be found at the Belleville Art Association Gallery for their end of the year 'Artist's Choice' show. There's a gallery hop taking place today until 8pm and there are 5 galleries in total that are participating. However, if you can't make it out today the gallery will be open on the week-end and during the week so I invite you to stop by and see some of the excellent work that Quinte artists have on display.


That's all for now. I'm going to post the last stages and the final of the Vermeer ACEO soon.

Really. I will.

The Two Dutchmen

So I'm back and, as promised, I have an update with my "end of the year let's see if I can cram more work into my day" ACEO project involving van Gogh and Vermeer. The two pieces I chose for my foray into this mini project were van Gogh's "Irises" and Vermeer's "The Milkmaid".

I chose the van Gogh piece because this was the poster I had hanging in my bedroom for eons when I was a little girl. I loved the image then and I still love it now. The Vermeer piece I chose simply because I love the pure white of the milk that the woman is pouring. Yup. That's really the reason... simple, I know.
I'm just doing little segments of each piece and I've left some things out of each one that are in the original segment that I chose. Just for fun I'm not going to tell you what I left out and we'll see if anyone can figure out what it was that I removed.

Enough babbling, onto the art:

Vermeer- Part 1

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

After doing the initial laydown for each one I took a deep breath and wondered what I had gotten myself into. Oddly enough, despite the intricacy of the van Gogh piece it's been the easier of the two to work on. I suspect that may have something to do with the fact that it's oodles looser than the Vermeer. The other challenge I've run into it that in terms of colour I have no idea if they're like the originals. I'm work from my computer monitor so I'm playing it by ear.

Vermeer- Part 2

Oddly enough, when I started working on both of these I realized I had chosen works with similar colouring. Blues and yellows.
Both artists were taken with that particular colour combination and van Gogh himself had actually seen "The Milkmaid" and, upon seeing it, remarked what a talented artist Vermeer was and that he enjoyed his use of colour. I often wonder what Vermeer would have said about van Gogh's work...

van Gogh- Part 1
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

The van Gogh ACEO will be done by the end of today and then I need to get the Vermeer done so I can start on another 2 pieces. At this point I'm not thrilled with the Vermeer because, quite frankly, I've made it look as though the poor woman is yodelling while pouring the milk. I don't think Vermeer would be impressed.

van Gogh- Part 2

So that's where I'm at so far. I don't know how many of these I'll get done before the month is out but I'm hoping for quite a few. I'm also hoping I can throw in a few other artists to give myself some variety and to get more ideas for projects I'd like to do next year.

Speaking of next year, I'll be doing my end of the year wrap-up next week where I review my 2008 plan and slap myself on the wrists for what I didn't accomplish. Join me in the fun and frivolity, won't you?

The Last Show... I mean it.

"Luscious" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Howdy, dear reader!

So I've started working on some van Gogh and Vermeer ACEO's and all I can say is: Woah. Harder than I thought it would be.

Not that I'm pompous enought to think that I'd be whipping off ACEO studies of Masters works but let's just say I'm encountering more *ahem* "learning opportunities" than I had expected. I'll be doing another post on said learning opportunities later but for now I wanted to bring something else to your attention.

"Liquid Red" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Monday December 8th from 1-3 pm I'll be participating in a 'Christmas Tea' over at the Deseronto Public Library. This is an extension of the 'Art For Literacy' program that we're hoping to get started in Deseronto since we've had success with the Lilac Tea over at the Tyendinaga Twp. Public Library. So, if you're in the area and want to get in the Holiday spirit, see some great art (and buy some to boot) and support the 'Art For Literacy' program just stop by and see what's happening.

Back later this week with my ACEO studies!

Because I don't have enough on my plate

"Happy To See Snow" ACEO

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Happy December, dear reader!

Well, it's the last month of 2008 and I hope you're gearing up for Holiday festivities and giving some thought to what you have left to complete artistically before the year is out. For myself I'm hoping that I can get a lot accomplished this month. Perhaps you'd like to know more...


What I wanted to concentrate on for this last month of the year in conjunction with my van Gogh/ Vermeer project was completing a bunch of ACEO's that are essentially studies of their works or small portions of a given work that interest me.
I came to the decision to do this after reading several books on both artists. Each have works that I absolutely love and both their styles, while quite different, appeal to me equally. Van Gogh has got colour coming out the yin-yang and a lot of his work uses colours that rarely see the light of day in my own palette. Vermeer has the lighting quality in his work that I think is absolutely stunning and is probably going to be a challenge to pull off in coloured pencil (as I found out with the snowman aceo above).

Quick and dirty sketch of a portion
of Vermeer's "Saint Praxedis"

I also have quite a few pages of my sketchbook filled with "studies of...", like the one above. I enjoyed doing them and they didn't take up oodles of my time to get done and with each one I think I learned a little bit more... or at least I'd like to think so. That's why I think ACEO's will be ideal to do because, let's face it, the year is almost done and I can get more ACEO's done than I can larger works which means I'm increasing my opportunity to learn more.

Cherry ACEO WIP
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

So that's what I have planned for this month. I think it's do-able and just for giggles I may do some study ACEO's of other artists just to keep it fresh.

You know... because I don't have enough on my plate. ;)