Snow Leopard

Been away from my blog for a while... not sure if anyone noticed!  Thought I might share the painting process of a work I finished today.

I will probably tweak it a little bit as I live with it for a time.

Lino block, ceramics and photoshop!

A new semester has arrived and we are already well into it!  I really love lino block printing and am trying to do a complicated reduction print.  It is hard to keep in mind the sequence of colours that will be printed and carve accordingly.

This image is inspired by damask patterning, Chinese flowers and  the Victorian urge to explore and collect specimens.  Somehow the Victorians managed to imbue a quite macabre pursuit with elegance and civilization.

The below photos show my carving efforts at college today!  I am testing out techniques to work on a much larger ceramic piece.  Inspired by dress and costume.

This test tile is sgraffito, white slip over terracotta.

And this evening, for something completely different, I am learning photoshop. This is my first piece, transforming three photos.  Simply fun!

Holidays!

I have been away during the mid-year break, to Port Macquarie, in the middle of the east coast of Australia....

Pelican Bay, Port Macquarie

Town Beach, Port Macquarie

Strangler Fig

Tacking Point

Lighthouse Beach

Tacking Point Lighthouse

Drove up to the idyllic farmland of the Comboyne Plateau.....

Met some lovely animals at Billabong Zoo...

Koala... actually the first one I have ever patted!

Wallaby

Swamp Wallaby

Wonderful sundown

Where I stayed for some weeks...

This is historic Roto House (I didn't stay here, although it would have been lovely!)

Typical straight through hallway

Dining room

Back to art college tomorrow... can't wait!

Catskin Illustration

After researching traditional Russian folk costume, and looking at 19th century illustrations of same, I was inspired to detail a design on the king's coat.  I like it much better now.  Just have to do Catskin's fur coat and bowl and I will be finished.  Just in time.. this painting is for a college assessment next week!

Progress on Fairytale painting

Beginning to block in the colour... still rather cartoon-like.  Makes me worry if it will turn out right!  I do love the blue of the eyes but I will have to tone them down a bit, and I have yet to paint the hair properly.

Illustration for Catskin

This little painting has progressed a bit further!  Still not sure how to finish the king's coat... time to do a bit of research I think!

More Fairy tale

This morning I very gently worked on the second painting for one of my assignments. The background is acrylic and is completed. This is the first coat of oil paint on the lady. The old masters used to do a grisaille layer in monochrome - either grey or brown. This was the under painting. It gives the finished product a lot of depth. I actually found it easy as I was only thinking about tone.