27 February 2011

This morning I woke up thinking about a lovely adventure to Graff Brothers Salvage a couple of years ago.  (I found a drawing table there for $12.)  We stopped for a lunch break at Savary Park.  My recalled image was of looking down the hill through the birches and across Saint Marys Bay to Digby Neck.  I wanted to see if I could get it down before it faded.

Yesterday while reorganizing I found a little metal box of graphite chunks and woodless pencils.  So
I used a 9B graphite crayon and my 6B pencil.  I had fun with all that finger-blackening rich deep black crayon.

 

Thinking about Savary Park

26 February 2011

Another evening drawing my neighbour's kittens.  They are active now; one dove off the couch and hauled himself up again, the others just wiggled, crawling over mama and each other.  I did only quickie drawings, starting a new page when their positions changed too much.  They are still only while sleeping - or while nursing until another comes and shoves them aside.

Whereas before Mama Cleo eyed me warily from a safe distance, this time she walked right into my lap (I sat on the floor) and rubbed herself against my arms, purring.  She let me know that I was no threat to her babies any longer and I am honoured by her acceptance. 

 

Warm-up drawing

 

Asleep on Sherri's chest

 

Too much moving!

 

Briefly asleep

 

Mama Cleo

Settling down

One still feeding

I cannot make the caption for the one above in the same font and location as the others.  Obviously all 4 are not now feeding.

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24 February 2011

First Boat on Left at Causeway

From my vantage point up on the Granville Road, I cannot see how the boats at the causeway differ, only that they do.  I'd like to know their idiosyncratic shapes better so I know what it is I'd be approximating when I decide to make a painting of this scene. Yesterday my son-in-law lent me pair of binoculars and so I stopped on the way home to draw what I saw through them.  This turned out to be quite difficult!  

I had to pay very close attention to the relative positions of every part I wanted to draw, because I couldn't easily glance back up to check an angle or a relative position, nor wave my pencil about checking relative sizes, angle to vertical, and so on.  What I learnt is that if I talk to myself, then I can prompt myself verbally as I draw.  I saw things like, "The hoist is at about 1 o'clock," or "The mast is just to the left of the right end of the transom."  Or sometimes, it is, "Oh, the hull is made of two parts and the lower dark part has a different angle from the upper part, and then there is a third part near the bow."  I see slowly.

Until the tide is high late enough in the morning, I won't be able to draw this scene for a while, as the sun set while I was drawing today. 

23 February 2011

 

Fleet at Causeway

Pencil (6-B)

This is a view I see whenever I leave or come home.  I am trying to get a feel for it when I am not driving past it.  It is too wide to see all at once, or to draw big enough to see on 9 x 12" paper.  Driving makes it look so different, too!  Then the view is is scrolling past me - or I scroll past it.  

I want to do a painting of this view, preferably on a grey day when there is snow on the ground.  The wind really whips up the river valley; then my easel won't stay standing.   Since the tide must be high to see the boats, this doesn't give a lot of opportunities.

20 February 2011

Winter fleet at causeway.

Felt pen (.05 mm)

9 February 2011

I took my non-driving friend for a haircut and got one myself. 
While we were both waiting, I drew her reading a magazine.  This lets me know how out of practice I am drawing people!

February 4 - 8, 2011

Cleo's kittens at 13 days, eyes opening, and far more able to wiggle and creep.  Cleo seems to have decided I mean no harm and so it is safe to leave them while I am there, sparing her my intent gaze while drawing.  The last one is a kitten in my hand, held against my sweater (belly); a child handed her to me, and so I drew her.  All kittens are female until proven otherwise.

January 30 - February 3 (catching up)

Sherry's Living Room, Kim's House

Last week ws usurped by storm days, shoveling out from them, making something for our local theatre's Valentine's fundraiser, and getting on with making my studio more usable.  This is the first of 4 drawings done at my neighbour's.

I really went there to see their kittens:  I haven't seen new kittens in about 30 years.