I gots learned... by a still life.

So I'm finally over my sickness and have more energy to get stuff done; namely work on art and other various activities around the house one of which includes doing away with the hideous border wallpaper in the kitchen.

The Other Half and I are also getting ready to head off to Florida in a few weeks and we're trying to make sure that we have everything that we need since I am notorious for forgetting important items. In relation to that, one of the tasks I got done this week was book our car rental and I think it's fair to say that the Other Half is now more excited about that than the actual trip itself since I have supposedly rented us a Dodge Avenger. What I failed to mention to him was the fine print that said: 'Or vehicle of a similar class'... whatever that means.

I haven't done any more work on my equine piece but here's another one that I completed just before Christmas that I'm particularly pleased with:

"Simple Pleasures"

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes

Copyright Rita Woodburne

I have this vessel out on display at home and I've always loved it. Love the colour, love the shape, love the glossiness... basically I just love everything about it. This is the first time I used it in a composition and I can say with certainly that I'll use it again. Even though the composition for this is really very simple it made me appreciate the difficulty in getting things 'just right' in terms of placement and lighting. That said, I enjoyed the process since I learned something. Yes, I am trainable.

So, I also have a few other projects on the go and one Top Secret project that will remain in that state until further notice. If I'm feeling cheeky I'll be sure to drop hints every now and then just to drive folks mad with wonder.

Stay tuned!  :)

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! ;)

You know you're an artist when...

"Green Grapes and Blue Satin" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

You know you’re an artist when:

- You giggle uncontrollably after receiving a book about Rembrandt with a portrait of him on the cover (and folks, he’s no Johnny Depp, so there’s really no reason to giggle).
- You refer to well stocked art stores as “Mecca”.
- You’re hanging out with friends and the topic turns to ‘tertiary colours’.
- You spend 20 minutes in the produce section of the grocery store inspecting each and every apple to find the best possible model.
- You can explain to people, in painstaking depth (more pain for them, not you), the importance of good lighting for taking reference photos.
- If you know when the scientific element “cadmium” should come in front of the name of a basic colour like red.
- You look at works from the Baroque era that feature nudes and think you’d look better if you put on a few pounds.

After Vermeer-" Girl with a Pearl Earring" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Yes, this is when you know you’re an artist. Gotta love it! ;)

FINALLY!!

Yes, we finally got a sprinkling of snow. All I have to say is : "It's about flippin' time!"

Granted, these pics were taken quite early in the morning and the majority of this snow has since melted, but it was nice to finally see some of the white stuff on the ground. After all, it's December 1st and Christmas is slowly creeping up on us and I know I certainly wasn't the only one that was waiting on a bit of snow to add a little more to the Christmas spirit.

Heck, even the dogs were in a giddy mood:


Granted, much like people driving in the first snow of the season, they wiped out on more than one occasion but all in all they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Thankfully I did not share in their excitement of face-planting in the first dusting of snow.

Rejuvenated with a new sense of Christmas-yness (English teachers everywhere are cringing right now) I must be off to create a themed ACEO or two... which I will be more than happy to share later this week.

Until then, keep on art-ing!

Back on track...

"Autumn's Warm Welcome" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne
SOLD

Hi folks, I know it's been a very long time since I posted and I do apologize. I've been insanely busy and I think that my life may stay on a similar course until about mid- December.

That said, I am at least slightly more organized now than I was 2 months ago and I'm almost done school (yay me!) so I should have more time to post and work on art. I have to admit that I let quite a few things slide by the way-side this year but I'm going to shamelessly blame that on getting married... I had no flippin' idea that it would take up so much of my time and energy. :/

So where it stands at this point is that I'm not going to commit myself to any particular posting schedule for the blog but you can be sure that I will be posting more frequently now that I have my ducks in a row, eggs counted, chickens hatched or whatever other nonsensical analogy you can apply to this situation.

"Apple-solutely Delicious" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne
SOLD

Thanks to those folks that emailed me while I was on hiatus to chit-chat about life in general and art. Oh, and to harass me into posting again. :)

For those of you that are interested, I've decided to fall into the Facebook fray so you can find me there too, although the posts are much shorter (as I'm learning is the quid pro quo for Facebook) and I have yet to share my artwork there. I'm still a newbie though so we'll see what happens...

Stay tuned for more art. I'm getting much heavier into still-lifes and I've been working on a wicked cool piece for my brother that I can't wait to share... but since he's getting it for Xmas you'll have to wait until after that to see it. ;)

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!

Done with dimples... for now at least.

"Lusciously Lit Lemons" ACEO

Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

And there it is, my first miniature piece featuring some dimpled fruit!

Like I mentioned yesterday, considering this is the first time I've tackled lemons I'm content with how it turned out. Sure, I cheated a bit because half the darn thing is in shadow but I like to think of it as a baby- step towards including other interestingly textured produce into my artwork.

Having said that, the next WIP I have on the go is of a horse. So unless I include a carrot in the composition (highly unlikely) the only other piece I'm currently working on is another one that was left in limbo before my hiatus. It can be seen below:

Silver and Cherries WIP
Coloured pencil on Colourfix

I've actually gotten a bit more done on it than this but I'd really like to get this one wrapped up soon 1- because it's a large piece (for me) at 11x14 and would be the first large still life piece that I've completed and 2- it's been on my drawing table since the Winter and it's getting to the point where I'm almost certain that it's laughing at me every time I walk past it. Almost as if to say "Mwahaha! You'll never complete me and as such I shall inhibit your growth as an Artist for all eternity!"

Okay, so maybe that last bit was a bit over-dramatic but every once and awhile... I'm sure I can hear it snickering at me.


So, I've got a busy art, school and gardening day ahead of me and with a list of tasks lined up in front of me I feel I should get the rest of my day underway. You know, so my list of "things to do" isn't laughing at me as well.

Until later this week, keep on art-ing!

The Second Last Show...Really!

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

Welcome back, dear reader!

Today's post is going to be short. I've committed to doing another show on Dec. 8th at the Deseronto Public Library as an extension/ expansion of the 'Art For Literacy' program and I have another show, Home for the Holidays, at the Empire Theatre in Belleville this coming Sunday that I have to get ready for.

I want to thank everyone that came out this past week-end to the Melrose Show not just for stopping by to say 'Hi' but also for supporting the library. The raffle items did very well and lots of money was raised so it was a great success.

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

I don't want to promise anything but I'm hoping that on Friday or Saturday I'll be able to do another post relating to my van Gogh/ Vermeer project and the joys of living with a pack rat.

With that in mind I should return to working on my art and getting ready for the show this Sunday. Here's to hoping I can get myself organized and another post lined up for later this week so until that happens, keep on art-ing! :D

Melrose Show and Sale

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

Hi there, dear reader!

Just another reminder about the show I'm participating in this week-end at the Melrose Recreation Complex. The show is running both Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm and there's going to be a variety of artists and artisans with their work on display. There's plenty of parking, a raffle taking place and it's a great venue to get started on Holiday shopping.

If you're in the area be sure to stop by and say 'Hi' and, of course, feel free to do a bit of shopping because in doing so you'll be supporting local artists and artisans as well as the Tyendinaga Twp Library.


On that note I'm off to finish getting my things together and until next week keep on art-ing! :D

I'm Wonky

That’s a word, right? “Wonky”? If not then I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone that is more grammatically enlightened than myself.

"Plentiful" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne
The image is clearer but the light is blown out, why is this ACEO mocking me?

If I may be so bold, I’d like to officially declare once and for all that I hate Daylight Savings Time and, in this case, the lack thereof. On Saturday night before heading off to bed we had to set the clocks back an hour because the calender told us to... and the newspapers... and every other form of media the Other Half and I were exposed to this past week-end.

Setting the clocks back isn’t as bad as setting them forward but the result is that sleeping schedules are thrown slightly out of whack and, worst of all, I’m really not sure when to eat. Well, I should say that I know when to eat but at the times that I’d normally eat my body is telling me that I’m waaaaay off. It’s very frustrating and I know that for the next 2 weeks until I get used to the time change I’ll probably be spending a good deal of time talking to myself essentially wondering out loud why I don’t just move to Saskatchewan and save myself the trouble.

"Reserved Intensity" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

On a completely unrelated note does anyone else find it ironic and somewhat cruel that there's a candy store located just steps away from the Weight Watchers office/ store in the city closest to me? Maybe it's supposed to be a test of will power... yeah, that must be it.

Of Art and Aneurysms

Well hello there, dear reader.

Grapes and Pears ACEO WIP
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

So my artistic saga continues and I'll be honest in saying that when I started this whole van Gogh/ Vermeer project I didn't really have a highly specific outcome in mind. I just knew that I admired the work of both and that I hoped when all was said and done that I'd be a better artist for it. When I started I also had no idea that at this point I'd be having a hissy fit over trying to get the best lighting to take a picture of a rose and little glass bluebird.

"Symbols of the Season"
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

I love doing still lifes now (something else that has come as a big surprise) but trying to set up my own compositions is causing that little vein on the temple of my head to pop out and I'm getting kind of snarly over the whole affair. My biggest qualms are coming from lighting issues and that my camera is "out of date" despite being only 3 years old.

I've searched high and low on the Internet for tips, tricks and any other general information I feel will be useful. I've managed to rig up a box that I use for setting up my still lifes and it allows me to change background fabrics, fiddle around with the depth of objects as well as the height of objects. However, the lighting is *ahem* lacking something to be desired... as in: it's crap.
So I ask, dear reader, do you have any tips on lighting for still lifes? Is there a better time of day to be taking ref pics? Is an overcast day better than a sunny day? Anything, anything at all... I'll try it. I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.

So there's my plea for help. I'm going to go work on some more art now, maybe a horse or wildlife piece because they're not causing my blood pressure to rise exponentially.


Also, be sure to have a Happy Halloween tomorrow filled with all kinds of sugary, spooky goodness. I'll see you in November! :D

I'm up and running

Well, no embarrassing stories to tell and while I suspect that there may be a few embarrassing pics floating around I have yet to find them. I was rather busy on wedding day but I know there were many people armed with cameras and once I find out who has the most embarrassing pics you better believe I'll be more than happy to post them... unless I'm in them, of course. :)

"Signs of Autumn" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

I have some excellent news to share and that is that my website is up and running again (thanks Mike!) and can be found at www.ritawoodburne.ca. My e-mail address has also changed to rita@ritawoodburne.ca so if you have e-mailed me in the past 2 weeks or so and haven't heard back please re-send the e-mail to the address above and I'll get back to you ASAP. I'm not ignoring you... honest.
The reason for the name change (from .com to .ca), and the reason the first site went down, was that it had been taken over by a squatter. Said squatter wanted/ wants $250 to get the domain name back which tells me that they are blissfully unaware of just how much of an income artists actually make. My brother has been in conversation with said squatter and I told him to pass along the message that if the squatter would like to purchase some art, $250 or more, I will be more than happy to buy the domain name back.

Lesson learned. Don't let your domain name renewal lapse.


The funny (and not in a 'ha-ha' way) thing about all of this is that ultimately this frustration and aggravation all goes back to Bell. It's a long story but if you've been following this blog for any length of time you'll know that Bell has become the never- ending thorn in my side. *sigh*

Oh well, all has been resolved and I once again have a website. I've also been churning out a few more ACEO's and I'm finding I'm really getting into still-lifes... but that's for another post. So stay tuned, dear reader, for another art update shortly!

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!

One thing after another...

"Basket of Temptation" ACEO
Coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Howdy there, dear reader!

Well, I was going to do a post yesterday but unfortunately because Bell is run by complete morons (and I'm on dial up) that didn't happen. I'd like to turn this post into a rant but I'm not going to because "hump day" is coming to an end and the week-end will soon be in sight... and it's Thanksgiving week-end here in the Great White North to boot! I can just taste the turkey, stuffing and pie already....

Speaking of Great White North, we had our killing frost yesterday and now whatever was left in the garden is looking limp and pitiful. I'm kind of kicking myself because there were some coleous plants I wanted to bring inside to over winter but I was too late, I mean they call it a "killing frost" for a reason. Oh well, what can you do?


I've got lots of art laid out in front of me that needs to get done and I'd really like to get more done before daylight disappears and I'm stuck with icky lighting from bulbs. As an aside, if you're trying to access my website it's down. As in, it's gone. I'm not really sure what happened but my brother, who normally tends to the technical nitty-gritties of the website, is looking into it. When it's back up and running I'll let you know, dear reader.

So until later this week keep on art-ing, I know I will be!