Number 2 Completed

I’ve just finished the second in a series of “Bread” drawings for my exhibition next March. I have enclosed a snippet. During the week I have also worked on a larger piece which is now for sale on Redbubble:

I was impressed by the posting that Katherine Tyrrell had on her blog “Making a Mark” on October 21 that related to Monet’s paintings of haystacks. Upon seeing Katherine’s example I decided to undertake a one-hour drawing substituting haystacks with bread rolls. I have enclosed a photo of my effort. I shall work on it further when I have the time and inclination and I’ll post a photo.

Richard

When is a drawing “finished”?

One of the hardest tasks an artist can face is knowing when their work is finished or resolved and is ready for display. Taking photos of your work as it progresses provides the best opportunity to stop and review one’s work. I have on occasions gone “too far” with some of my drawings. Coloured pencils  should be  clean and even on the surface and the appropriate detail should be employed. What though are you trying to say with your drawing? If you decide early enough what your drawing is about, you should know when to “stop”.

I have enclosed a photo of the next stage of my current drawing. I still need to do some minor additions.

On October 2, I published the “block-out” stage of a drawing of rocks that I was working on. Here is a photo of the finished work.

Richard

Work In Progress

Today I have been working on a drawing that I commenced on Monday. I have enclosed a photo as a “work in progress” following  the  blocking in of the main colours. Next will come the detail and I hope to have it completed by the end of the week. In this drawing I am looking at a slice of bread as being a landscape in itself. This has resulted in me thinking of other objects that I could treat the same way. The first object to come to mind was the humble tomato and a few others followed, all of whom  will find their way into my visual diary to be drawn in the not-too-distant future. It’s funny how one idea can result in numerous other possibilities, but they must be recorded for a rainy day!

Richard

Marketing

It is a big challenge for an artist to create and market their own work. Exhibitions, galleries and word-of-mouth are all good avenues for sales, but one needs to put a lot of time into this.

Today I didn’t draw as much as I had planned. Instead, I uploaded some of my art on Redbubble. Please take a look:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/artkleko 

I shall attempt more drawing tomorrow!

Richard

A New Week

Monday has dawned and I’m keen to start a new drawing. I have two drawings “under construction” at the moment and it doesn’t concern me that I want to start a third. I like to have several pieces “on the go” as it gives me variety during my working day. I find it difficult to come back to the same drawing day after day. Let’s face it, we don’t want to work all day, every day! I’m fortunate in that I have the time to put in to my art, but I also have my days when I’m not in the drawing mood, or in the mood for a particular drawing.

It’s important to “want to do” what you do. Art that is “fresh” is best! I have times when all I want to do is plan my work, do research, take photos rather than draw. I don’t know why I have days when I don’t want to do any art, but I do know that when I am motivated I really enjoy my work.

The garden is calling out to me, but it will have to wait!

Richard

Visual Diaries

My current visual diary contains lists of ideas that I have recorded under particular themes that I am interested in. Besides my “bread” theme, I have lists related to famous works of art, fishing lures, logs, rocks, chess and odd views of landscapes. Ideas can come to you anytime, anywhere, and you need to record them quickly before they are lost. On days of “artist’s block” such lists are invaluable.

Today I have been working on the second “Bread” drawing for my exhibition in March next year. This drawing involves bread rolls, two of which are particularly interesting. Did you know that bread rolls are cannibalistic? The proof will be in this drawing. If you leave a number of bread rolls together in a container or bag, it might be a good idea to count them first in future! I shall reveal a snippet of this drawing upon its completion.

Richard

Research

Today is my birthday and I’m out to both lunch and tea, but I won’t neglect my art! It’s a glorious day here in Launceston and I’ve been outside taking photographs of bread for future subjects for my bread theme. It is so important to research your topic if you are to accurately portray it. I learnt so much at art School from drawing cones, cubes and spheres in regards to light and shadow. A piece of bread should not only look like a piece of bread, it must “feel” like a piece of bread. In other words, it must be believable. I usually work with natural light and the resulting shadows. I have included a few of the photos I took. I’m not sure which ones I will use or when I will use them, but I have expanded my file of choices.

Richard

Day 2

Today I completed the first of my “Bread” drawings and have embarked on my second. I have also started planning a larger work that will be “bread-centred” but will feature a broader use of landscape features such as a waterfall. I hope to build this as a still-life tomorrow and photograph it. As promised I have included a small part of today’s finished drawing.

Richard

 

The Journey Begins

Today I started work on the first drawing for an exhibition I intend holding in Launceston, in March next year. The theme will be “Bread”, mostly wholemeal with sesame seeds. Why such a specific type of bread you ask? Well, I find the colour and texture relatively easy to draw and the seeds add a nice three-dimensional feel to the subject. Why bread? This theme is a result of an idea I recently explored. Bread is a popular symbol in Christian worship, the Bread of Life, the sacrament of Communion. I also see a link between bread and the landscape from which it came. Some of my work will be “serious”, others will be more humorous. The latter will feature in the exhibition. I will not show any completed work as I want it to be seen “fresh” at the exhibition. I will however, show “snippets” from time to time.

Richard

Hillsides

Yesterday I drew a hillside behind the town of Kempton in southern Tasmania. I deliberately structured the composition to contain one-third portions of land, cloud and sky. As I get older, my work seems to be getting less complicated. I particularly look for as interesting a composition as possible, however “ordinary” the scene may at first look.

I enjoyed the freedom of this drawing and the time (one day) that it took me to complete. I shall try some more when I’m in the mood!

Richard