The Art Center at Westmount

It's been a long time since I posted an entry here, longer than I realized.  It's not for lack of subject matter but probably the opposite; too much material!

In October of 2014 I was part of a group that started a cooperative Art Center in a local mall here in my city. The intention was to offer a place where artists can rent a wall space at a reasonable cost on a short term basis to display and, hopefully sell some of their work. It was geared to all artists of all levels and did not require the artist to pay any percentage of sales to the Center. The only 'requirement' was that each artist had to spend a few hours a week while displaying their work, in a volunteer capacity.

It has been a resounding success!  After a brief closure just after Christmas to do some much needed maintenance and decorating, we reopened mid-January. We have a large community of local artists who use the space regularly for display, studio space and providing art lessons for the community. The customers and staff of the mall, as well as a large group of regular mall walkers and the patients of the second floor kidney dialysis unit, 2 medical clinics and several other non retail businesses have told us repeatedly how much they appreciate having this little 'gallery' to browse through on a regular basis. The artwork changes up on a regular basis and there is always something new to see.

Needless to say I have been busy with  regular volunteer hours at the Center,  keeping my own display up to date and staying on top of the additional business this exposure has given my graphite portrait work.  I have been teaching several students on a one on one basis and I have also been encouraged by the community of artists within the Center to expand my skills. I have done several paintings in acrylics that have been received well; I've even sold 4 of them!

Low Tide - acrylic 30'"x 40"

Two Pears / A Pair of Apples - set of 2 -12" x 12" acrylics done for  a square foot show

A Trio of Apples 16 "x 20" acrylics done for a fund raiser for the Art Center

The Adventure Continues

Recently I've had the privilege of becoming a resident artist at a local Art Gallery here in my home town.   www.artgalleryoflambeth.com

This is a new experience for me; well, most everything I run into in the art world is a new experience, lol, and the journey continues to be a lot of fun!

For those who are not so familiar with what it means to be a resident artist, here's some info. As a resident of the gallery I have an agreed upon space in which to display my work and anything else pertaining to my craft; gift cards, business cards, promo material and such. The gallery will also work for me to promote and sell my work in the building as well as on their website and in newsletters. It also gets me into any juried (judged) shows run by the gallery throughout the year. Of course, the gallery take a commission on all sales but this gallery is, from what I've researched, very reasonable.

Shortly after I joined the gallery in early June their 'Summer Sizzler Art Show and Sale' started and will run until the middle of next month. Now, as a fairly new artist, I am of the opinion that most everyone else is better than I, and remain amazed that people express their pleasure at viewing my work and that they want it in their homes. I entered three pieces into the show and I am thrilled to have my piece 'It's Still Life'  voted 'Best in Show' by the adjudicator.

'It's Still Life' graphite on bristol 8 x 10                                                                                                         photo ref. F. A. Nichols

An International Fine Art Award - Beauty In His Eyes

I recently won an international fine art award for my graphite pencil work 'Beauty In His Eyes' and so I thought I would repost  an excerpt from the blog entry I did shortly after doing the drawing, showing the WIP from start to finish.



In November ('12) I completed a rather large portrait (16 x 20) that I think really showcases the use of lights and darks in pencil work. The image of this elderly gentleman really caught hold of my emotions when I saw it,  and I knew I had to capture him with pencil. I took pictures along the way so that the viewer can see the steps to completion. In this portrait I also made use of a powdered graphite, a new product for me. With the use of a fixative on it as well, one can layer it on to produce wonderful darks, something I have struggled with in the past.

I like to start with the eyes on a portrait; it just is weird to have a face with no eyes:) After outlining a basic sketch of the eye area, I have used just 3b and 5b pencils and an eraser, along with a small blending stomp to create the iris and the shadows and highlights in the eye lid and white of the eye. This old fellow has deeply textured skin and I used my pencils and putty eraser copiously through the whole portrait to create the life lines on his face.

(clicking on a picture will bring all these views into one lightbox format for closer viewing


Here you see the second eye added and the beginning of the hand rested against the side of the face.

Dark hairs ( the eyebrows, here) are applied using a sharp dark pencil and fine white hair is done with a stick eraser applied over previously laid down graphite. Working time to this point is about 12 hours.

Hands are a challenge, especially with the amount of detail that age brings on and these are no exception! Again copious use of an eraser creates the definition in the lines and folds of the hand, adding highlights and shadows. About 20 hours.

The beginnings of the beard shown here; laying down a layer of graphite in the shadow areas of the beard and then erasing out the fine white hairs and adding in the darker hairs with a sharp, dark pencil will create the look of a thick white beard.

Nearing completion, at about 30 hours, I used the powdered graphite to produce the dark background. In the past I have used my 6b and 8b pencils to do this but always end up with a smudgy look. The powder goes on with a brush and if you put on a layer and then spray it with workable fixative, you can go back and add another layer of graphite. I will definitely use this product again:) I've also started on his knitted cap; I will apply the powdered graphite for this too, and use an eraser to lift out the highlights in the ribbing of the cap.

Here is the finished portrait; total time 36+ hours.

Beauty In His Eyes -  graphite on smooth bristol 16 x 20






The reference I used for this is a free stock photo from morguefile.com

A Time of Reflection

We recently celebrated Easter in our home and church. It is one of my favourite holidays and holds great meaning for me.

(For those with an artistic bent and interested in the technical aspects of this work, these images are 8x10 and are done in F, 2B and 4B graphite pencil. I usually work on smooth paper and concentrate on the realism and intricate detail of my work.  For this project, however I used grey textured paper which contributes to the grainy look of these images, and adds, I think, to the emotive feel of these images)

My effort to portray some of the traditional ‘Stations of the Cross” started with an image of Jesus in great anguish as he anticipated the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain of the night to come. As I pondered again the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection, I was brought back to the reason for his sacrifice; to remove our sin. We are the reason he bled and died. He stretched out his innocent hands on that cross. He died as punishment for our guilt.

As I prepared to do this series of sketches, images of hands came to mind. Hands that deceived, tortured, ridiculed and condemned. Hands that grabbed Him, curled into fists to strike Him, gripped the nail and pierced Him. Hands that tortured and murder our precious Lord Jesus. Hands that reached to carry the cross, hands soaked in grieving tears, hands that wrapped his lifeless body. Disciples’ hands, politicians’ hands, soldiers’ hands, guilty hands

…my hands

…your hands.

Hands that Agonize

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 22:42

 Hands that Betray

“Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” “ Luke 22:47,48

Hands that Accuse

“…and they began to accuse him, saying ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.’ “ Luke 23:2

Hands that Denounce and Ridicule

“And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying ‘Hail King of the Jews!’ and struck him with their hands”

John 19:2,3

Hands That Deny Guilt

“So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing…he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying ’I am innocent of this mans blood…’ “ Matthew 27:24

Hands that Crucify

 “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him.” Luke 23:33

Hands that Grieve

“Then Jesus, calliing out in a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ And having said this he breathed his last.” Luke 23:46

                           

Hands that Bury

“ And Joseph,…taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb ….and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.” Mark 15:46

But this terrible, wonderful story doesn’t end here. Prophets foretold for hundreds and hundreds of years of a Saviour coming to redeem us from our sinful ways, to save us from the justified wrath of God the Almighty and our Creator. If the story ended here there would have been little value in the the life of Jesus, the Son of God, here on earth. On the third day after his crucifixion Jesus threw off Death and rose from his grave, ultimately to be seen by over 500 people of that day before leaving this earth with a promise of His return one day. His death and resurrection has paid the price for our sins and means that we believers will ultimately live with him forever.

Hands that Have Paid the Price

‘You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here….so then the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:6

This great redemptive story impacts me again and again. I hope my effort at portraying some of the images of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ speaks to you in some way today.

Beauty in the Eyes

Christmas is upon us and it has been a busy time at the market studio. I have completed several commissions for gifts and have had a little time to think about the direction I want to follow as an artist in 2013.
I will be expanding my studio space in January, the opportunity to take over the whole space that has currently been shared is too good to miss, so stay tuned for more news on that:)
March will bring the World Figure Skating Championships to the city where I live and I am excited for the opportunity for exposure,  there will be people here from all over the world. My studio space, located in a market area, is directly across the road from the complex where this event is to be held and  there is a constant flow of foot traffic through it.

In November I completed a rather large portrait (16 x 20) that I think really showcases the use of lights and darks in pencil work. The image of this elderly gentleman really caught hold of my emotions when I saw it,  and I knew I had to capture him with pencil. I took pictures along the way so that the viewer can see the steps to completion. In this portrait I also made use of a powdered graphite, a new product for me. With the use of a fixative on it as well, one can layer it on to produce wonderful darks, something I have struggled with in the past.

I like to start with the eyes on a portrait; it just is weird to have a face with no eyes:) After outlining a basic sketch of the eye area, I have used just 3b and 5b pencils and an eraser, along with a small blending stomp to create the iris and the shadows and highlights in the eye lid and white of the eye. This old fellow has deeply textured skin and I used my pencils and putty eraser copiously through the whole portrait to create the life lines on his face.

(clicking on a picture will bring all these views into one lightbox format for closer viewing)

Here you see the second eye added and the beginning of the hand rested against the side of the face.

Dark hairs ( the eyebrows, here) are applied using a sharp dark pencil and fine white hair is done with a stick eraser applied over previously laid down graphite. Working time to this point is about 12 hours.

Hands are a challenge, especially with the amount of detail that age brings on and these are no exception! Again copious use of an eraser creates the definition in the lines and folds of the hand, adding highlights and shadows. About 20 hours.

The beginnings of the beard shown here; laying down a layer of graphite in the shadow areas of the beard and then erasing out the fine white hairs and adding in the darker hairs with a sharp, dark pencil will create the look of a thick white beard.

Nearing completion at about 30 hours, I used the powdered graphite to produce the dark background. In the past I have used my 6b and 8b pencils to do this but always end up with a smudgy look. The powder goes on with a brush and if you put on a layer and then spray it with workable fixative, you can go back and add another layer of graphite. I will definitely use this product again:) I've also started on his knitted cap; I will apply the powdered graphite for this too, and use an eraser to lift out the highlights in the ribbing of the cap.

Here is the finished portrait; total time 36 hours.

The reference I used for this is a free stock photo from morguefile.com

Its been a busy summer....

Where has the summer gone? I realize that I have not posted since June...have been a bit busy I think:)  Several of my immediate family members moved this summer, one starting university out of town, another a new teaching job (Yay!) in another city,  senior parents moving into a retirement home and one grown child coming home to roost temporarily has occupied me with helping to pack, unpack and physically move multiple possessions.

My days at the new studio have been opportunistic and I have met and chatted with many summer visitors to the market. The opportunity came along to move into a larger unit at the end of August and I have enjoyed having a bit more space to work in.

I have worked on a few pieces over the summer...several entries destined for the fall fair in our town. I was given the use of a wonderful photo of a cheetah taken by a photographer friend, Paul, and thought it would make a great  subject for a black and white drawing.

Here is my finished piece, a fun challenge with a lot of detail in wood and fur;

     "Afternoon Nap" graphite on bristol 18 x 22

As the Fair entry requirements allow 3 entries I also entered "Pretty Lady in a Hat";  I loved working on those sunglasses:) and "Angelic" - my impression of my 2 yr old grandson, Liam.

"Pretty Lady in a Hat" graphite on bristol 16 x 20

 'Angelic' graphite on bristol 9 x 9

I also found the time to do a pair of draught horses; what a great time I had getting all the tack detail sorted out...there were times that I didn't even know what I was drawing...a great exercise for the right brain in only drawing what you see!

     "In Tandem" graphite on bristol 11 x 14

Oh and btw, I came home with first prize from the Western Fair for "Angelic" :)

Emma; 'Good morning!'

I have recently been enjoying my new 'studio' space at the downtown London Covent Garden market...it has been great to be in that bright happy environment; I even was able to sit outside and draw last saturday amongst the other saturday vendors. One of the pieces I worked on this week is this one of a friend of my son's...a lovely young lady with wonderful expression. Hope you enjoy it!