Selasa, 05 November 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


The Clydesdale

Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:59 AM PST


Giant George
27cm x 36cm
Coloured Pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013

It. Is. So. Cold!! Definitely starting to feel the colder weather now. I've had to stop working for the day as finding it hard to draw with half frozen fingers but typing my blog post I can do.

A subject I am loving to draw just now is the Clydesdale horse - I have a huge soft spot for these gentle giants and always look forward to seeing them at the Royal Highland Show each year, where I get most of my reference photos. I finished two coloured pencil drawings recently of Clydesdales, both of which I am happy to say have sold - one is currently making its way to the USA as I type.


The Gentleman
28cm x 33cm
Coloured Pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013

And on my drawing board just now …………. another Clydesdale :)

Jumat, 25 Oktober 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


Should I stay or should I go.......

Posted: 25 Oct 2013 03:06 PM PDT


Gentle Giant
26cm x 39cm, Pan Pastel on Pastelmat
Original SOLD
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013
Please do not use without permission

Have been thinking a lot recently on whether to keep my blog going or not - I'm terrible at keeping it updated for a start and wonder if, because of that, I actually still have people looking in and seeing what I'm up to on here. Do I still have readers out there? I'm sure there are ways I can check stats to give me such information but, being the technophobe that I am, wouldn't know where to start on that. Note to self, I really must try and embrace technology more instead of shying away from it. Been told on numerous occasions, for one example of many, that I should be tweeting on Twitter but always assume it will be complicated and frustrating to get my head around so avoid it. Anyway I digress.

I blame Facebook. Totally. Since having my page on there I've spent my time keeping that updated with new work and information and neglected my blog. I've also sadly neglected reading other blogs as I follow so many artists now on Facebook. It definitely appears to be the way most artists communicate with the world outside their studio. Staying on the subject of Facebook, if you haven't yet seen my page and would like to follow my work there, I have a link to it on the sidebar to the right. Would be nice to see you there.

But then there is a big part of me that doesn't want to scrap my blog. I've had it for seven years now and it's nice to have that record of all my goings on both at the drawing board and away from it. It's a bit like a diary in that way. So for that reason alone I'm going to keep it going – for now anyway.

Was just reading over my last post and see that I mentioned working in Pan Pastels and that I had started a drawing with them. Well, it's finished and I can now share it with you, see above. I'm really pleased with the result considering it's my first. I'm familiar with pastels and have used them on numerous occasions but never the Pan Pastels and it was the huge, fat sponge tool applicators that took a lot of getting used to for me. I say 'huge' and 'fat' because compared to the fine points of my pencils that's exactly what they were and felt like. I thought there was no way I was going to get any sort of detail using them but the more I worked and played with them the more I learned and liked (also had the help of a couple of pastel pencils for the finer details but that's allowed:)) Was really enjoying myself at the end and I'm looking forward to using them a lot more in my work.

I've also finished a couple of Clydesdale Horses using coloured pencil and will share those in my next post.

Senin, 16 September 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


Finished foals

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:46 PM PDT


Foalmates
32cm x 24cm, Pencil on Mellotex
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013

Feeling restless on the art front! I have an urge to paint but can't decide on watercolour, acrylics or oils. I also want to do some pastel work using Pan Pastels - have actually given into this urge and started something with them which I'll share soon. Then there is inks, collage and mixed media I'd love to play around with if I could find the time. Definitely feeling inspired and in need of a change I think. Still love my pencils but my drawings take sooo long to finish and it would be nice to have something quicker to work on in between. So watch this space.

Finished the foals and if you saw my last post may notice that I cropped the original composition - thought it worked better. 'Foalmates', as it is now called, is for sale, please email if interested. 

Jumat, 16 Agustus 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


Cassie and two babies

Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT

Cassie
10''x 8'', Pencil on Mellotex
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013

So here I am playing catch-up with my blog yet again, will I ever change I hear you ask! Must admit I've been spending quite a bit of time away from the drawing board with my camera getting lots of reference photos that I can hopefully work from over the winter months. And it's mainly horses and more horses if I'm honest, as I seem to be drawn (please excuse the pun) to them more and more these days. Just LOVE drawing them so have been trying to get to as many shows and fairs as I can. The Edinburgh Festival is also on just now which is great for photo opportunities – not going to miss it this year.

But it's not all been about my camera, I have been busy drawing too. I finished Cassie, the Cocker Spaniel (above) for a long lost relative. We met for the first time a few months ago and I have since met other family members which has been really nice. More so because I have such a small family and always wished it was bigger. Now it is. And, I just have to mention, he lives 5 minutes or so from Ingliston Equestrian centre – yes, I have been already with my camera :)


A drawing I have in progress is this one of two foals. My plan was to have it finished by the end of July so I could enter it, along with two other drawings, into the SEA Exhibition. As it turned out, I couldn't get it finished in time and my other 'entries' sold which was great news for me but does mean I won't be entering work this year. Definitely next year though. Oh and I have another drawing that's still to be finished but will share that in another post.



My thanks to Ashleigh Campopiano for allowing me to use her photo.

Rabu, 17 Juli 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


Keeping busy

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 08:50 AM PDT


12''x 10'', Pencil on Mellotex paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013

July has snuck up on me somehow (in fact, where has this year gone!) and I now find myself just weeks away from entry deadlines to an exhibition I want to submit work to with nothing to enter! Didn't help I stupidly managed to get the dates wrong as I was convinced I had to the middle/end of August. So now I am literally stuck to my drawing board, commissions put to one side, working all hours in the hope I can produce something show worthy in the little time I have. Means I have been missing all this (rare) lovely sun we've been getting too ….. ok, so I may have succumbed a couple of times but I did make up for it later.

The 'secret' commission mentioned in my previous post made it safely to Italy, so I can now share it with you. Was good to have a horse commission to work on as I want to build my equine portfolio and concentrate more in this area in the future if I can. That's the plan anyway.

Kamis, 27 Juni 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


Beau

Posted: 27 Jun 2013 07:47 AM PDT


Beau
10''x 10'', pencil on Mellotex paper
Original sold

What a past week it has been!! Lots of good, nice, happy things happening and then some not so good. But not going to dwell on the not so good for now thank you very much – it can sod off and karma can deal with it.

Finished the 'secret' commission I've been working on and I can hopefully share it here next week. Needs to make its way to Italy first – still get excited when I think of my drawings making their way to homes around the world. So now I am trawling my way through hundreds of photos taken at the Royal Highland Show last week, which incidentally was fantastic as ever and a great two days was had, to decide which is going to make it onto paper first. It's not often I'm spoilt for reference choice. 

'Beau' was drawn from photos taken at last years show and it was my intention to do a limited run of prints from this but being the pernickety, perfectionist I am when it comes to my art they just didn't match up enough to the original drawing in my eyes and so no prints ……. except that is for 5 artist proofs I still have. I didn't have the heart to throw them out and felt they were too good, again in my eyes, to bin so I have signed, mounted and wrapped them ready to sell at a one off price of £25 plus p&p. Image size is 10''x 10'' and mounted, 14''x 14''. I've also mentioned this over on my FB page so I'd be quick if interested, sold three already!

Minggu, 09 Juni 2013

Animal Art Adventures

Animal Art Adventures


Still working but ........

Posted: 09 Jun 2013 10:28 AM PDT


22cm x 33.5cm, pencil on Mellotex paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2013
My thanks to Francesca Morrison for allowing me to use her photo

I'd be a terrible boss so I would, or a great one depending on how you look at it, first bit of sun and I'd have everyone out enjoying it. Which is exactly what I've been doing lately, my reasoning being that this could be it, this could be our summer so best make the most of it. And it is so good to have some sun at last, thought it was never coming. Thankfully the nights are long and it's getting dark late so I can make up my drawing time in the evenings. My camera is often out with me during the day so really I am still working in a way, she says convincingly.

I'm working on a commission just now that I can't share just yet, end of June hopefully. But I did finish the horse from a couple of posts back and can show this. I'm really happy with how this drawing turned out and had intended entering it into a show later in the year but, I'm delighted to say, it has been sold. And I couldn't be happier with where it is going. Still need to come up with a title though, something else to think about in the sun tomorrow perhaps ;)