Summer 2017
It's been a very busy year so far, hence the silence! I was ill over Christmas with a flu bug which was a right pain and made me fall behind with work and I'm still believe it or not trying to catch up. Since my last blog it has been all commissioned work from dogs, cows, cats to a map! Early this year I applied to many Christmas Fairs (I always find it hard to get my head around applying so soon after Christmas!). Countryside Alliance are using one of my drawings for their new postcard range which is exciting, and once I finish my current commissions I shall be doing new work for galleries over the next coming months, which means trips to farms to get new material!! Speaking of which please get in contact if you know of a farm where I could photograph animals up close in particular guinea fowls, fun looking breeds of chickens, pigs and the usual farm animals - I love them all and always looking for new subject matter!!
However now that lots of commissions have been given I can talk about some of what I've been up to them without fear of spoiling the surprise:
Towards the end of last year I drew Tayto, a sweet labradoodle. As you can see the composition is different to my normal more formal portraits. Instead I drew him as he lay contentedly in his garden in his own thoughts. Living only five minutes away from me he has been my closest commission to date so I also get to see him every so often in the park which is great.
For my last commission before Christmas I got to draw Mrs Doyle the Irish Moil which I absolutely loved doing. Not only are cows my favourite animals and so much fun to draw but it is my biggest drawing yet. She was collected just before Christmas for a wedding anniversary present.
After this, I drew the adorable Amber. I love the way she naturally crosses her paws like this! I had to be very creative when it came to taking photos of Amber. She LOVES her toys and so whilst photographing her I sat on her squeaky toy to make her ears prick up!! Serious multitasking!
And then I was asked to do something totally different, to draw a map of Azeroth from Warcraft. I got out my watercolours and bought calligraphy pens. I always enjoy doing something different in a different medium. I have always felt it's rather good to change things up a bit. A real challenge with this commission was trying to find a reasonable price to send it to Italy!
Over Christmas I took a photo of Norman and Jasper, my boyfriends nephew and just thought I had to draw it as a pencil sketch. Norman loves Jasper and follows him everywhere!
I painted Puffin as a birthday present. Ink on gold leaf. I've had huge problems with my golf leaf paintings recently. It turns out Windsor and Newton have changed their formula in their gloss varnish from non-removable to removable which means it makes the ink run!! I have tracked down the last two cans in the country of the old stuff so my future gold leaf paintings are now numbered!!
Double trouble - Harry and Haggis were commissioned as a wedding anniversary present so I drove over to Richmond to meet and photograph them. They weren't trouble at all, great little characters, and such good names!!
I was very excited to be commissioned to draw Millie as she is my first drawing of a pomeranian! Only 7 months when I met her I was smuggled in to her house to photograph her as it was a surprise present. Being so young can be tricky to take photos but she was an excellent model. I also really enjoyed drawing the grey wool rug that she lay on.
Lastly, I was commissioned to draw Astrid from a couple in Madrid and they produced an excellent photo for me to work from. The markings on her were so fun to draw and the way that the detail in her face is very much in focus compared to her body was very much something I wanted to capture. Sadly Astrid died as I was drawing her. Hopefully this drawing will serve to provide a loving memory of her. I felt very honoured that the owners came over to London to meet me and collect the drawing in person.
So what's next...
I have several commissions to complete including two beautiful donkeys, a horse, a chocolate labrador, a yellow lab, a gold leaf and a couple of sketches before I embark on the new drawings for galleries and Christmas fairs. I'm also in the process of having new greetings cards printed including these commissions. I won't leave it so long before my next blog! Have a fantastic summer if I don't get to write before! Long may the warm weather last!!
