In recent months I have been working on some small studies. The above landscape is almost 2 inches high and 5 inches wide. The work is done in coloured pencil on coloured pastel paper.
This piece was done on white Stonehenge paper and it too is small, 2 3/4 inches wide and 3 inches high. The easel is a small desk top one.
This is a mini ( 6" x 3") done on coloured paper that is a cousin to my much larger Blue Blooded. I am really enjoying working on these small studies. I can explore the world of shapes, line, and colour quickly. I shall share more next time...
I have been doing a bit of looking back at 2012. I find it helpful to see where I have spent my time and what I have accomplished. And at this time of year, aren't we all looking ahead and making plans for our brand new year?
I did something unusual this fall. I had a guest artist teach a workshop in my studio. The picture above is from a Zentangle workshop, taught by Brenda Shaver Shahin (Brenda is standing next to the easel). For more info on Zentangles, visit www.zentangle.com. The class was packed full of eager students and we all had a terrific time mastering some basic tangles. After Brenda was finished her part of the workshop, I did my bit teaching the students how one might add colour to their Zentangle art. As I am usually up in front of the class, I don't normally have many pictures, if any, of the workshops I teach. As I was one of the students during the first part of the workshop, I was able to snap some photos.
Here is what we created during the workshop!
A big thank you goes out to everyone who came and took classes and workshops this year. Also, I would like to thank everyone who made it out to my studio during the studio tour last month. I met such nice people!
Looking way back into the year, back to July, I was delighted to see the Van Gogh exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada. Part of the exhibit included the art of that time, that influenced Van Gogh. I was spellbound by the incredible nature photography done in silverpoint. I came home determined to find time to work more in pen and ink. You see the silverpoint images done in black and white reminded me of work done in pen and ink. :-)
.jpg)
On the farm front, it was a rough year. We had a terrible drought in our area over the summer months. We watched trees and plants die, crops fail and my large vegetable garden yielded a small fraction of the veggies that it should have - despite me spending hours every week watering and watering. We had a fox family determined to wipe out our chickens. We only lost two thank goodness but the daily fox sightings were unnerving. We had injured animals and sick animals and extreme dry heat for weeks and weeks. Needless to say, I am enjoying the cold and the snow!
There were some high points in 2012 as well. My sister and I sold the family farm, ending a responsibility for a property which neither of us lived near. After four years of effort, this was a heady relief. As noted here in a previous post, I had three pieces accepted into the first national Coloured Pencil Society of Canada exhibition and it was wonderful to be part of such a prestigious event. My recent studio tour was a great success both with regards to the turn out as well as sales. It was my best tour in a few years. Like every year, 2012 gave some nasty surprises and many blessings.
Well back to my new 2013 calendar and day planner...time to see what I would like to have unfold in the next twelve months. I'll bet I am not the only one planning and dreaming... :-) Happy New Year everyone.
.jpg)