A drawing in progress of a rabbit using coloured pencils and pastel pencils

Well here I am finally going to show you one of my first drawings in 2016. Keep in mind that it isn't finished yet. I like looking at artists unfinished works or planning drawings or sketches for paintings. It is through these drawings that we see the creative process in action, so to speak. I hope all the creative people who are viewing this blog, have a wonderfully productive 2016. And for those who don't regard themselves as creative, I wish you a year full of fun moments discovering artists whose work you like to view.

Below is my drawing in progress of a white rabbit. It needs a general tidy up and it is at the stage where my hope is to bring it together and to life. I have to be careful now, that I don't ruin it. I need to do its toes first, and then to judge what the next step should be. Probably a little blending in parts. I will photograph him again when he is finished and show you in another blog. I hope you like him/her.

Unfinished rabbit drawing using using white and coloured pencil and pastel pencils.

I am sorry that I haven't written or put photos of my artwork on my blog for awhile. I have been holidaying at Coffs Harbour, spending time with my family and doing lots of drawing using new materials and refining my technical skills with some traditional oil painting. I haven't downloaded the photos yet, but I will soon and get busy blogging at least once a week again. I will get back to it in a couple of days, and show some of my new work I have been doing, even some that is unfinished.

Christmas and cartooning in Australia

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. I hope you did also. We are enjoying wonderful summer weather, but Christmas wasn't as warm as it usually is here in Australia. Members of my family made these creations, which made the Christmas extra special. I love to see that there are many arty creative people in the family. I have been enjoying learning to draw Japanese manga and anime cartoon characters with a young fellow in the family.

We went to the Cartoon Bunker in Coffs Harbour today, where we learnt more about the history of cartooning in Australia, and we saw many original hand drawn cartoons.

Happy 2016 to you all. I am looking forward to doing a lot more art this year. To start off this new years resolution off, I am going to do some intensive nature drawing everyday for a week in January. I will pop some photos of the drawings later this month.

A watercolour sketch from the kitchen, of a Japanese Maple, my parents gave me.

I enjoyed doing this sketch from my kitchen table looking out the back window. It was done quickly to record the wonderful colours on a Japanese Maple that my parents gave us.   It is a simple freely painted sketch, but I still enjoy it as it takes me back to a happy times in our first home with a young family in Tamworth NSW.

Small Japanese Maple watercolour sketch

More on Mural spray painting experience

My first experience of spray painting - finished! Not perfect, but I was pleased with the results. Apparently the edges should be sharp, but I liked the fuzzy edges in parts. He seems like he is in the sun and haze.

I was in very good company as my work stands with the work of  Crisp and Miko'.
 The children put their beautiful art on the wall a couple of weeks later.

This is inside the wonderful project called  Casa Taller Las Moyas that provides 

educational activities for children. It was an honour to meet the people who run this project.

This is the view looking out from the project. The view I had whilst painting!

My first spray painted mural or street art

I very much enjoyed learning to do spray painting or street art from the well know street artist Crisp This was a collaborative effort with artists Crisp and Miko in Bogota Colombia. We had been invited to do some paint a mural of some ethnic Colombians, on the wall of project that assists children in a poor area in the mountains. I chose to do a Kogi Indian, as I had just seen some whilst hiking in the Caribbean. Crisp and Miko went back there a few weeks later and helped the children to do their own art on the wall also.

 Crisp taught me the process of making a stencil which involved choosing the photo, editing it and then making it into a tonal picture on the computer. I found this very was interesting. Then there was the tedious task of cutting the stencil out with a sharp knife and importantly leaving bridges, so the whole thing didn't fall apart. I had to be very careful not to accidentally cutting the bridges after cutting for hours and it was a test of concentration! Lucky I didn't have many layers of card to cut through like some of the experienced artists have.

Then of course there was learning to use a spray can in a way that gave the right effect. No drips, a nice clean line, shaking the can and moving it fast. What a challenge! I felt a great sense of accomplishment when the 1.5 meter Indian was finished. I will find a photo of the finished work for the next blog.

I would love to hear your ideas about street art. More to come in the next installment.

Work in progress. The black layer was done and now fixing the stencil for the next colour.

'Bellingen Home' Traditional style Watercolour 2013

'Bellingen Home' Watercolour (28cm x 19cm) 2013

This older style home at Bellingen NSW appealed to me as it had so much character and seemed to have a story to tell of families who had lived in it and still do. It seemed typical of many country old Australian weatherboard buildings of it's day. My watercolour sketch was done on site, sitting under a tree, to get shelter from the oppressive summer heat. The style harkens back to the style of painting I did 30 years ago, and it was comforting to do it. A bit like  chicken soup for the artistic soul! A traditional old style of painting for an old style home. The photo is a little darker than the painting.

It is certainly a contrast to the more abstracted acrylic and oil paintings I have been doing over the last couple of years.