Art vs. good weather

Just a small update this time. We had some unexpected snow yesterday and I couldn’t resist taking the dogs out to play, especially since it’s been quite mild the past few days making it very comfortable for getting outside (even if I do still have a cold). 

 Still un-named...

Coloured pencil on Colourfix

I’ve filled in more of the background and punched up some of the colour on the horse and am letting it sit for now. I need to mull over exactly how I’m going to finish up the background and I also need to figure out how to push the values more to make them “pop”.

I have another work that I finished up awhile ago that I’ll share in my next post. So just a small update and if you’ll excuse me now I’d really like to take the dogs out again.

Toodles!

Cough. Ack. Patooie!

Hi folks!

Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been sick the past few days and when my throat wasn't bothering me my body was aching and it felt like there was a troupe of dwarves performing a rendition of 'Riverdance' on my brain.

Good times, good times.


So below is part 3 of the yet un-named equine piece:

Still untitled and I'm open to suggestions...

Coloured pencil on Colourfix

I'm having quite a bit of fun with this one since, as I mentioned previously, it's been awhile since I worked on colourfix and to be able to whip out the yellows, oranges, hot pinks and purples at this time of year is always a treat! It's also been a good long while since I've done an equine piece and this particular one is just the thing I need to get back into it.

Oh, and here's part 4:

Really... suggestions for a title??

My apologies for the slight blurriness of this one but Gizmo, aka- the Thunderbolt Kitten, was milling about the desk and was knocking my pencils off and subsequently attacking them and carrying each one off to its imminent demise. If it were a mouse I wouldn't care but when the pencils go for about $2 a pop you better believe that the only demise they'll be meeting is from the wrath of my pencil sharpener.

So there's the update for now. I've had about 3 tablespoons of Buckley's, played with the dogs out in the snow (or "Snowmageddon" as one Kingston radio station referred to it), ate a piece of cheesecake and am now feeling significantly better and that my sickness is just about over. I'll have another update this weekend and perhaps even a rant over some of the idiotic things I've seen on the roadways as of late. After all, who doesn't love a good rant?

Until next time...   :)

Yay Colourfix!

So today's post contains the first 2 images of the other wip I have on the go. It's an equine piece and the reference picture is one that I've had for quite awhile... I just wasn't sure how to proceed with it.

Yet another un-named piece

11x14, coloured pencil on Colourfix

It's a pretty decent size, 11x14, and I'm using Colourfix for this one because 1- I seem to have an abundance of it hanging about and 2- I was initially thinking that I'd be doing a lot of layering for this one and, wouldn'tcha know it... I was right!

There was a piece I did a few years back, "Windy" (you can search for it with the search thingy on the side), that was a great learning curve for me in terms of incorporating more colour into my work and not being afraid of pushing the limits in terms of layering. There's a bit more of this piece below:

It's also been awhile since I've worked on Colourfix and doing this piece is reminding me how much I enjoy using it for certain works.

There's actually quite bit more that I've done on this piece but I'll hold off on posting more until later in the week. Two reasons: 1- I love keeping people in suspense and 2- I have a gimpy kitten I need to look after who is currently climbing on the desk and causing havoc in general, as kittens have a tendency to do.

So until later this week stay creative (and warm!)

February already!

A Happy New Year (albeit a bit late) and I hope that for everyone 2009 was a great year and that as we embark upon a new decade that 2010 promises to be even better.

I have some good and bad news to share.

Al Mansur Primo
Coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

First, the bad. My 2009 ended on a very unpleasant note when, two days before Christmas, my beloved horse very unexpectedly passed away. Al was truly one of a kind and I suspect it will be a very, very long time before I find another horse that can hold a candle to him. Shortly after he passed I wrote this small tribute to him because, to be honest, it’s hard to read what you’ve typed when you’ve been crying. :(

“When your time ended, my heart broke.

You are irreplaceable and will be forever loved. I miss you immeasurably and you will always be my “best guy”. Thank you for teaching me so many life lessons in your own life and beyond.

Many hugs, snuggles and knickers.”

I still miss him a lot and suspect that I will for quite awhile. That said, each day gets a bit easier and I hope that one day I will find another horse that I can find joy with.


Now I think it’s time for some good news.

"3 Times Tempted"
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

My art website will be updated later this year and since I don’t have a wedding to plan or school to concentrate on I will have more time to dedicate to my art. The Other Half and I had a wonderful honeymoon in Mexico and got oodles of pics, some of which I plan on using for a few pieces I have in mind.

So that's the news for now. I would write more but I have some artwork that's calling me! ;)

Really? 350?

See? I told you I'd be back!

So today's post is Happy 350th post to me.

To be honest I didn't even realize it until I logged in and in the stats for my blog I noticed that my last post was #349. Yay observant me!


Anyhoo, here are a couple of updates for the two previous pieces I had featured here. Both of them have essentially passed what is fondly referred to in the coloured pencil artists world as "the ugly stage".

Freisian Stallion- WIP
8x10, Coloured pencil on Colourfix

True, every piece of art during its creation goes through an "ugly stage". The problem with coloured pencil, as any artist that uses them extensively will tell you, is that the ugly stage can last a long time. A veeeeery loooong time. In fact, it's often during these ugly stages that pieces get abandoned, like those errant single running shoes seen at the side of the highway.

Who gets so mad at their shoes, nay, a single shoe, that they feel the need to chuck it out the window while travelling at top speed in their vehicle? When they stop and have to get out do they regret throwing the shoe out the window? These are the questions that plague me... but I digress.

Silver & Cherries- WIP
11x14, Coloured pencil on Colourfix

So those are the updates for this week. My drooling ACEO isn't complete yet as I have another artistic project that I'm working on for my brother's abode. In typical guy fashion he has nothing on his walls and, as an artist, it pains me to think that there are nudist walls somewhere that are crying out for some decent clothes to wear. "Clothes", in this case, being art.

On that note I must go now and continue the noble quest of creating wall clothing. Toodles!

WIP's up the wazoo!

Sorry for my disappearance into la-la land last week. Schoolwork took up more time than I had anticipated and then the Other Half and I were away this week-end enjoying the odd Summer weather we've been having.

At any rate, I'm back today (and later this week... really!!) with some more art.

WIP's to be specific. If you recall from the last post (you can look below, I'm not re-posting the same image, consarndit!) there was the large piece I was doing of the silver jug and cherries. Here is another update to the piece:

Silver and Cherries- WIP

11x14, Coloured pencil on Colourfix

As per usual, I've done more to this one than I'm showing for today only because 1- I'm on dial-up and there are only so many pics I can upload at any given time before I lose my mind and 2- I have another WIP I'd like to share with you, dear reader. :)

The other WIP would be this equine piece:

Friesian stallion- WIP
8x10, Coloured pencil on Colourfix

Friesian stallion- WIP
8x10, Coloured pencil on Colourfix

Again, I've done more on this one than I'm letting on but you'll just have to contain your excitement to see how it turns out. Think of it like one of those "The Be Continued..." episodes of a show that you're totally hooked on.

I've also got an ACEO on the go that I'll share later. I'd like to finish it up and do an entire WIP post for that one because it features food and I swear the reference looked so good that I may have drooled on it a bit.

Speaking of food, I may as well share that I've been typing the last half of this post with a banana in one of my hands. Yup, that's right, my talents aren't simply limited to art; I can type while weilding a banana as well. Will wonders never cease?

Until later this week (with possibly a drool covered ACEO) keep on art-ing!

October is a busy month (who knew?!)

Hi there, dear reader!

"A Warm Welcome" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Just wanted to pop in to show off some art and to let you know that I will be MIA this week as I have several tasks that need to get finished up and, more importantly, I’m the MC for a good friend’s wedding which is taking place this Friday.

I've got a fair bit to do before the end of the week and, in staying true to form, have grossly underestimated how much time I really needed to get everything done. Good thing I work well under pressure, eh?

"Bowl With Rainier Cherries" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

So, with that in mind I will sign off now. I'll be back next week with more art, more frivolity and with any luck some embarassing wedding stories to relay (and if I'm really lucky, embarassing pictures as well!)

Toodles!

Pastelbord loves me... it loves me not.

Ah the joys of Pastelbord, it’s a nice support, it doesn’t require glass for framing, it comes in a variety of coloured grounds to save artists some of the value work and, really, who wouldn’t feel just a little hoity- toity drawing on something that’s made with ground marble. I mean it just sounds fancy.

That said, the stuff is driving me nuts. My love/ hate relationship with this particular support is going on much longer than I had hoped. Take, for instance, my first few experiences working with Colourfix. At first I really didn’t care for it at all and then after doing a few pieces on it I’ve not only fallen in love with working on it but I daresay I’ve become horribly addicted to working on it (although not for everything). Colourfix grew on me much the way that nice little vine- type plants like Morning Glories grow on trellises. Pastelbord, on the other hand, is growing on me in the same way that mold grows on bread that’s gotten too old.

My biggest qualms with it are that I’m an artist that works in sections rather than from left to right or top to bottom. This means that at any given time I may need to rest my arm or hand over a section of my work and with Pastelbord I find that when I do this I’m lifting off not just a small portion of my work but a whole clump of it in a puffy coloured pencil cloud. It’s ticking me off to say the least. I’m also finding that, unlike Colourfix, I can get quite a few layers down but not oodles of layers. Oh, and by the way, here’s where my Scottsdale rider is so far:

Scottsdale Western Rider
11x14, coloured pencil on Pastelbord
Copyright Rita Woodburne

With all my frustration with Pastelbord you’d think I’d have given up already but alas, not so. Why? Because I’m really, and I mean really, stubborn. That and after having several pieces of glass break en route to art fairs I’m really keen on being able to frame something without glass. I hate that shuffling, scratching, clinking noise that you get when unpacking art that has broken glass.


So here’s my appeal to artists that use Pastelbord on a regular basis:
How do you get around pigment lifting off the surface aside from being really, really careful? Fixative? Mylar/ vellum sheet? Voodoo magic? .... or are you just really, really careful? Also, is there a trick to getting lots and lots of layers down the same way you can with Colourfix?

I feel like I’m missing something here, some kind of trick to working on it and like I mentioned before, I’m stubborn so I’m not about to give up anytime soon.

Happy Labour Day!

Happy September, dear reader!!

As I mentioned in my previous post I intended to be lazy. Quite lazy, in fact, since this is the last real ‘Hurrah’ of Summer before weeping children head back to school and the population in general in my neck of the woods starts getting ready for the on-set of cooler weather. (Must stack firewood, must stack firewood...)


I have spent my ‘laziness’ being rather productive, relatively speaking, in creating art and starting some new pieces, finishing off older ones and coming up with new ides for “works-to-be”. One piece was of a fox kit that I posted earlier in one of its beginning stages as you can see below:

Fox Kit, WIP
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

And here is where that piece is now:

Fox Kit, WIP
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

There’s still some work to be done on it yet, that’s for sure, but I feel pretty good about where it’s going and I suspect that I’ll be able to wrap it up this week.

Another piece I’ve started is this one:

Scottsdale Western rider
11x14, coloured pencil on Pastelbord
Copyright Rita Woodburne

It’s (obviously) in a very rudimentary stage at this point and it’s featuring a rider and her horse from the Scottsdale Arabian Show that took place back in February this year. It was a really nice pose and I had to chuckle to myself because the Arab looked so Quarter horse-y in all the Western gear, the only thing that really gave him away was that he didn’t have that tell-tale QH rump on him. This piece is on pastelbord and since this post is long enough already I’d like to leave my next post to talk about the love/ hate relationship I’ve developed with this surface and make my plea to other artists that are using this surface.


So there you have it. Regular readers will know, Autumn is my favourite time of year, not just because of the colours, which tend to be just scrumptious I might add, but also because this time of year always seems to feel like a “New Year”. So stay tuned because I suspect that with a bit more free time on my hands and the prospect of me returning to my original intents with my art that some interesting things are sure to come.... :D

Art and alien space pods

Nope, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth... at least not yet anyway.

The past couple of weeks have been hectic and as the last of the lazy, hazy (or in our case cool and soggy) days of Summer come to a close I realize how much prepping we still have to do before Winter. After all, the paddocks won't seed themselves and firewood isn't going to cut and stack itself.

The Women's Art Festival went well and the weather held out despite some dark, threatening clouds that rolled in mid-afternoon. Then last week-end the Other Half and I were off camping with friends. Getting any amount of art done has happened at a glacially slow pace, although I do have this to share:

"Enlightened"
5x7, coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

There's a weird glare at the bottom part of the picture which I apologize for, I'll need to get a better pic of it later. I also have a couple of WIP's on the go and I hope to post them this week-end since it's a long week-end and I intend to be as lazy as possible before the Fall rush of chores begins.


Also, because things aren't weird enough for me on a regular basis here on the farm let me share with you with my story of discovery...

So last week Rosebud and I were walking through the woods. It was a nice sunny day and we were enjoying our morning constitutional and as we wandered here there and everywhere I can recall thinking 'It seems quiet... too quiet'. After all, it's the woods, there's usually leaves rustling, birds chirping and crazy squirrels chattering away as we walk past them.
As this thought crossed my mind I remember feeling somewhat anxious, as though something wasn't quite right. So, with that feeling of uneasiness coming over me, Rosebud and I started to head back. We were on the homestretch and as I rounded a corner approaching the surface ponds I saw something that darn near made me require a change of pants. It was this:



Oh yes, a scary mylar balloon. Except this balloon (which measures a good 2 1/2 feet in height I might add) still had enough helium in it that it was standing upright.

So there I was, standing in the woods with my heart pounding and face to face with what I initially thought was some type of alien space pod. Then I realized it was a smiley face mylar balloon and I was even more frightened because, really, who the Hell expects to see a sunshine smiley face balloon staring at them in the middle of the woods. Not me, that's for sure.

After I figured it was safe to approach the balloon and there weren't any booby traps set out to ensnare me I picked up the balloon and took it back to the house with me because I can only imagine how the horses would've reacted had they seen this horse- eating monster in one of their favourite snacking spots.


So there you have it, the fun and weirdness just never ends for an artist living on a farm. I like to think of it as my own little 'The Gods Must Be Crazy' experience. Better a mylar balloon than a Coke bottle, 'cause the balloon makes for a much better story. ;)

Back on the long week-end!

Head for the hills... the zombies are coming!!

I know, I know, I’ve been MIA...but for good reason...

The other day over on her blog, Greywaren Art, Maggie posted her thoughts on the potential of a zombie attack and whether the artist side of us carries over into the wee hours of the night. More correctly (I hope, and please correct me if I'm wrong), are you an artist through and through? Regardless of whether you’re awake or not, selling your art or not, beginning artist or seasoned veteran? Are you being true to yourself?

"Enlightened" WIP
5x7, coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

This was something I’ve been thinking about a lot over the past few months and most especially when I injured my back and was forced to do nothing but lie on my stomach and stare out the window and watch the world go by. I also did a lot of reading on art history and interviews/ articles on contemporary artists as well. Life got in the way of me pushing forward with my art in a gung-ho kinda way and, to be honest... it was probably for the better.

I've pulled an about face and decided to focus a lot less on selling my art and instead have shifted my focus on developing my skills and style. For me to do that I need to set the business side of being an artist aside and I need to just focus on my art and, as I posted in the comment section of Maggie's post, to Hell with the rest of it.
Now, potential collectors don't go tucking your cheque-books away just yet. I'm still selling my art in art fairs and, if the Universe unfolds as it should, by next year it'll also be in galleries but I'm cutting back on commissions drastically. I simply have too many projects of my own that I want to explore and my free time to pursue those projects has become very limited as of late.

So basically what you see here and on my website (which should be updated soon) is what I'm doing and I'm shifting into purely visceral mode with my art. It was what I did when I was younger and didn't have a care for anything else except doing exactly what I want... and when I was doing that I was happy as a clam with legs.
Yes, I'm regressing and taking a child-like approach to my art again and quite franklyI can't wait to see what happens. I'm sure I'll return to an artist/ business person approach to my art eventually but for the forseeable future this is what I need to do... zombie attack or not.

So it rained a bit...

"Dancing in the Dark" (working title at this point)
11x14, coloured pencil on Pastelbord
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Okay, actually, it rained a lot. And thunder... don't forget that as well.

The week-end was a bit of a bust you could say. When you're holding an outdoor art fair at a Provincial Park where people are generally staying in structures that don't have solid walls they're not particularly inclined to buy art.

Lack of sales aside I still had fun and got to see folks that I hasn't seen in awhile, do an interview for a paper covering the show and also got to meet some folks that had seen my work in other venues and proclaimed they were "fans". That's pretty darn neat if you ask me.
The Other Half and I also got to do some camping and get some nice shots of animals and unusual mushrooms. One of them looked like the ones that Smurfs would live in but, alas, I saw no evidence of Smurf habitation in said mushrooms.

After all the excitement of the week-end (and vain attempts at staying dry) I'm very tired and have oodles of laundry to do. We also have to set some things back up, like the canopy, so it can dry out or it'll be growing mushrooms on it... and I sincerely doubt I'll find Smurfs in those mushrooms either.


So stay tuned for later in the week when I get back to van Gogh and Vermeer and why I've decided to study both of these Dutch Masters. Keep on art-ing!

Excitement? Here?

So you came back to find out the exciting news, eh? Well, here it is...


I’m going camping this week-end!!

Okay, no, that really wasn’t it (although I am excited about going camping this week- end, what with me being a tree hugger and all...)


Okay, the real exciting news is that the Other Half and I became engaged as of June 18th.

Really!!! :D


So does this mean I have to start calling him the Significant Other Half? Does this mean I have to change my name? Does this mean I have to start thinking about the potential cost associated with having an open bar at a wedding with people that are predominately Irish?

The answer to the first two are ‘no’ but the answer to the last is a definite ‘yes’.


We’re very excited but intend to enjoy our engagement for well over a year as we haven’t set a date, but do know that we’d like an Autumn wedding. That gives me enough time to train my dog, Rosie, to carry flowers without dropping them and I also have to figure out a way to keep Al, my horse, clean until after wedding pictures have been taken. The cats have indicated that they have no desire to participate in the wedding itself and instead will contribute by keeping the property blessedly free of rodents... and for that I thank them.

She's female, her name's 'Rosebud', I think that's really all
the qualification she needs to be called a "flower girl"... right?

Mr. Al Mansur Primo... if there's a mud puddle to roll in, he'll find it.

So that's the exciting news. Pretty exciting, eh? I thought so.
I'll be back later in the week with an art update and more on Vermeer!

Oh those artsy- fartsy Dutch people

"Beyond Black & White VI" ACEO
Copyright Rita Woodburne

The other day I picked up my art from Greystones in Bon Echo and I must admit that I’m glad to have “the kids” home... my studio walls look full again. It was also nice to travel up there and stoke those fires for getting excited about the Bon Echo show which is coming up in less than 3 weeks!

Since I’ve been on hiatus for the past while I’ve been working more on my van Gogh project and I’ve also incorporated another artist into the mix for my studies. As I mentioned at the beginning of the year in my Plans for 2008 I was hoping to study 2 Masters this year making them 2 separate projects. However, if you’ve been following along in my adventures in art, you’ll know that I decided to extend the van Gogh project throughout the remainder of this year and I’ve also decided that I’m going to study my second Master in conjunction with van Gogh. The other artist I’ve decided to study is Vermeer, yet another Dutchman with a rather colourful family history. Although I’m not going to touch on this until next week or the week after (‘cause there’s a whole lot of information to cover) I just want to give you a heads up and let you know that I haven’t forgotten about my project. Heaven forbid!

If you want to get a head start on reading up about Vermeer here are some links you may find interesting and if you really don’t feel like reading at least you can look at and drool over his art:

Wikipedia's info on Vermeer

Essential Vermeer

WebMuseum info on Vermeer


Until next week, keep on art-ing!

PS- I also have some very exciting news to share with you next week... but you’ll have to wait until then to find out what it is! ;)

More than a pretty picture

"Beyond Black & White V" ACEO
Copyright Rita Woodburne

So my back is getting better by the day and I’m not going to say anymore lest I jinx my recovery (because I really am that superstitious) and thanks again to everyone for their well wishes!

Well, injuries aside, the past little while has been very productive for me in terms of art and some good news to come my way is that “Mystic” sold at the Expressions show and I was mentioned in several articles both in print and online publications regarding the show. (Insert me tooting my own horn here.) I have to admit that while I was happy it sold I was also a little disappointed.

Let me explain.


"Mystic" was a piece that I had completed fairly recently and, quite frankly, I was rather pleased with how it had turned out. I've always relished in the knowledge that I'll be able to spend some time with my work since art, being what it is, doesn't exactly have a rapid rate of turn-over. I get to appreciate it, study it, think about what I may have done differently and, ultimately, get better from spending time with any given piece of art I've done (while also working on other pieces, of course). In this case it was quite different as I had barely framed the darn thing before it was out the door, hung in the gallery and someone had bought it.

I guess that's what I get for wanting to be an artist that shows and sells their work, right?

"Beyond Black & White III" ACEO
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Now I hate to get all sentimental about it but let's face it, I think whether you're in the business of selling your art or not, that it's very possible to become emotionally attached to a piece. I'm happy that "Mystic" meant enough to someone else that they were happy to buy it and hang it on their wall for the world to see but at the same time I can't help but feel that I needed to spend some more time with that piece. What would I have learned from it? I'm not really sure... I'm just glad I got as many pictures of it as I could!

So is it just me or does anyone else feel the same?

Untitled
8x10, coloured pencil on pastelbord

Copyright Rita Woodburne

Hidy-ho there, dear reader.

My apologies for my absence this week but first Blogger decided it didn't like the idea of me posting and then I was swamped with art related tasks such as getting some artist promo material ready for the Lilac Tea, which is only 2 weeks away I might add, and picking out pieces to head up north to be displayed at Bon Echo on top of my growing pile of works-in-progress that are screaming at me to be completed. I'm doing this on top of all the regular day-to-day tasks involved with living on a farm and tending my veggie garden.

Sound hectic? You bet, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. ;)

On a lighter and more exciting note I'm pleased as punch to share that not just one but both of the pieces I entered in the Quinte Arts Council "Expressions" show, you can find out which pieces I entered here, both garnered Honourable Mentions from the jurors. Oh yes, I'm just grinning from ear to ear.


So I do beg your pardon but I need to get back to work. I'll be posting this week and next but it will be sporadic... just thought I'd let you know so you don't think I've dropped off the face of the earth.

You know, because that sort of thing happens so often to artists. ;)

Even More Flowers and a Horse

Hi there, dear reader!

So today's post is going to be an update of my second attempt at the daisies for my ongoing Van Gogh project as well as another older unfinished piece I dug out in an attempt to re-work. But first, the daisies:

Van Gogh project daisies, take 2. WIP
5x7, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Up to this point I've really only filled in the base colour for the stem, petals and underside of the flowers. This is the same thing I did with the first daisy piece but I find now that I'm working on the Colourfix I feel less anxious about making alterations as I go. As I mentioned with the first daisies, Colourfix is much more forgiving than Mi-Teintes when it comes to layering and fixing mistakes.

That said, the only problem I can see at this point with this piece is the background and that expanse of blue sky. Seeing that Colourfix is a sanded surface it's worth noting that from time to time you come across little sections that have a bit more grit to them than other spots. As a result you get chunks of pigment that come off the pencil and aren't as easy to remove. I'm not sure how I feel about a sky that could be described as "chunky". However, I haven't gotten to that stage yet (it's slated for this week-end) so I'll just have to wait until then to see if I can pull it off.


Now the other piece I yanked out was a horse I started last year, sometime around June or thereabouts. I had a sampling of pastelbord at the time and was still getting comfortable with using it. I got the horse outline down and started filling it in and then...I got stuck. My steam for it ran out and I put it in an envelope and forgot about it. I came across it again last week and figured I'd take another stab at it and, of course, I forgot to take a pic of it before I started to re-work it. So this is the point it's at now:

Untitled (for now at least)
8x10, coloured pencil on pastelbord
Copyright Rita Woodburne

It needs colour and value and "oomph" (that's a technical term, I'm sure of it). I'm going to take my sweet, dandy ol' time with this one because I'm not really sure where I was trying to take it in the first place... but that's what happens when you squirrel a piece away for close to a year before looking at it again.

The weather is supposed to be less than accomodating for outdoor activities this week-end so I'm hoping to get some of the many works-in-progress I have on the go wrapped up or close to it. I've told myself I can't start anything new until I get at least 3 of them done so with that in mind, I'm off and art-ing.

Back later in the week with some more on the gardening front!

"Lippizaner Stallion" sketch
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Howdy, dear reader.

Whoops, there goes the country side of me slipping out again.

So a couple of weeks ago I got my edition of Artists Magazine and in it was an article about not just the importance, but also the joy, of sketching. I must admit that while this article wasn't ground-breaking or that it shook my foundations of art to the core it was refreshing to read and, quite frankly, something that at this particular point in my art career an article that I needed to read.

Lately I've found myself particularly enamoured with the idea of sketching and I suspect it has something to do with my desire to get outdoors (as the onset on warm weather is wont to do) and also that I've been working a lot on people portraits lately which is something that always gets me excited artistically. Sketching people when they don't even know you're doing it is, I suspect, a secret joy of artists that venture out armed with sketchbook, pencil and (possibly) eraser in hand.

The above sketch, I must admit, was done from a photo a friend took when at a local show of Lippizaner stallions (I'm extremely jealous I couldn't attend) who were performing feats that most horse people only dream of their horse attempting. Although I would normally say that sketching should primarily be done from life, in this particular instance I was just so drawn to the picture that I couldn't help but try my hand at sketching it.


It took me about 15 minutes (that's right, I wasn't watching UFC) and was done in my sketch-book with graphite. If you get the chance to read the article on sketching in this month's Artists Magazine then that's fantastic. If not then I highly recommend visiting the blog of Katherine Tyrell who is an accomplished coloured pencil artist and avid sketching enthusiast. I absolutely love visiting her blog to see what she's been up to... and to catch a glimpse of her latest sketches, of course! She is a wealth of information and always seems to be current on the latest comings and goings of the pencil-wielding art world (and artists in general).


Sure, this was a shorter post, but a necessary one nonetheless. I guess what I'm trying to say is something that's been uttered many times before: draw, draw... and then draw some more. What's the worst that can happen? You become a better artist?

Heaven forbid! Happy art-ing! ;)

Sleepy-eyed Sketcher

Hi there dear reader!

Today's post isn't going to be terribly long as I'm quite tired today and as a result my brain isn't in full operation. Since I'm working on some commissions, most of which are gifts so I don't dare post them, I figured I'd share with you a page out of my sketchbook:

Western sketches
Copyright Rita Woodburne

These are a couple of sketches for two seperate works I plan on doing. Both were done in pencil and each took about 45 minutes to do. They probably would've taken much less time but I was watching UFC at the time and was working on them in between making sarcastic comments at the television.

So really, that's it for today. I think I need to go back to bed so I'll have enough energy to enjoy the warmer weather we're going to be getting later today.

I'll be back later in the week with more art and gardening!

It's Not Gaudy!

Well howdy there, dear reader.

Glad you came back to find out what I'm up to with my Van Gogh project. As I mentioned in my previous VG post I've been working on a new approach to doing art in my (seemingly) never-ending quest to incorporate more colour into my work.

Last year over on WetCanvas! I posted a piece that I had been working on in which I had used some colours that wouldn't have been part of my palette at the time. You know, colours like Periwinkle, Pale Vermillion, Raspberry and Yellow Chartreuse. I love work that features bright, bold colour but at the time the thought of using them in my own work scared the bejeezus out of me.
I posted my work (and to be honest I can't even recall which one it was) in the hopes of getting some feedback and critiquing. People were more than happy to offer up their thoughts and opinions and it was one comment in particular that prompted me to think that perhaps I was on the right track. The commenter wrote that they liked my use of colour (as in colour not typically considered for the subject matter) because it worked well with the piece and that I had used it in a way that didn't look gaudy.

Sure, some folks may think that sounds kind of blunt or perhaps wouldn't have even given the comment a second thought but I was quite pleased with myself for having received this particular comment. As I mentioned before, I like work that features bright, bold colour but I've also seen some works where I have to ask myself whether the artist wasn't quite in a proper state of mind... if ya know what I mean.

In the big book of Van Gogh that I've been reading (and yes, I've been reading other articles and books on VG) there was a particular letter he wrote to Theo describing the colour and people of Arles in which he states:

"...Although the people here are grossly ignorant about painting in general, in themselves and their way of being they are far more artistic than in the North.
... They know how to add a touch of pink to a black outfit, and have a knack of putting outfits together in white, yellow, pink, or even green and pink, or indeed blue and yellow, so that nothing needs to be changed from an artistic point of view."**

That particular passage, combined with the comment I received last year gave me such a clear idea of what I'm trying to do with this project. I'm trying to attain that knack that VG is speaking of in regards to the people of Southern France but in a way that I can apply said "knack" to my art.


Now I know I said I was working on a daisy picture as my experiment but it's not the piece I have to show you today. Instead I finished up my "snow day" work of the horse and with the above thoughts in mind I figured colour-wise I'd just go for it and see what happens. First is the beginning stages, the second is a close-up of the forelock and the third is the completed piece:

"Mystic", WIP
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

"Mystic", close- up of forelock and head.

Copyright Rita Woodburne

"Mystic"
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
(With my apologies as the colour is slightly washed out in this pic)
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Now I must admit, I'm quite tickled as to how this came out. I managed to keep the softness that's part of my style and I got to use Henna, Lavendar, Limepeel and a slew of other colours that I wouldn't normally have picked up when working on a piece like this... without it looking gaudy!

I pat myself on the back.


Now don't go thinking that I've forgotten about my daisy piece. Far from it, in fact while I was finishing this one up I was working out the daisy piece in my mind and figuring out ways to apply the same ideas and methods to that one. At the moment I can see two main issues that I'm going to encounter in completing the daisies: 1- Aside from the lilac piece, it's been a good long while since I've done a floral. Flowers have lots more fiddly bits than horses and I've chosen an image with a rather different perspective so I've double whammied myself in that regard and 2- I'm working on Mi-Teintes which isn't as forgiving as Colourfix because it doesn't allow for as much layering. With that in mind I'm going to have to be very deliberate in my application of colour and how heavily it's applied.

With those obstacles laid out on the table I'm hoping I can finish it up this week-end and have it posted to you for next week. I do love a challenge.

Until Friday, keep on art-ing! :D


** "Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-portrait in Art and Letters" Edited by H. Anna Suh and published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, New York