Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Pastel painting of cat continued...

In this step  have added the rest of the base color to the body fur and begun adding the tabby pattern. The cat is  sitting on a window sill, which will be added last.

Tabby Cat commission

Oh, how I LOVE my new pastel storage taboret! I feel like my studio is so much more organized and easier to work in. The only drawback is that all the drawers are full...

Switching from different mediums can be challenging but can also offer a refreshing break.
Here's what's on my agenda for this week; a brown tabby cat portrait in pastel that has very recently passed away. The client informs me that she was almost 18 years old which is very old for a house cat. Unlike the thousands of cats living in shelters and on the streets, she was one of the lucky few that was adopted. Please spay/neuter your pets and consider adopting your best friend from your local shelter.


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Cat drawing in need of a title

I am still contemplating whether to call this feline drawing finished and might even change the crop ratio on the image ever so slightly (the cat is too low)....I think I will darken parts of the blurred out area behind the cat as the foreground looks too dark compared to the rest of the boards (might even just lighten the foreground too).

The cat was actually laying down on a wooden dock which explains her fore paw clutching in between the boards. She was seemingly content as she watched me, sprawled out on my belly, taking her photo. I really loved her expression, how relaxed she was and the perspective... which is the main reason for drawing this pose.



Monday, February 27, 2012

The home stretch...

With the foreground and a bit of the back paw left to do, I call this the home stretch!
Click on the image for a larger view.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Today's work in the studio...

I am feeling quite relieved that I was able to accomplish much of the body and front legs of the cat today. I have a client commission in pastel to get to work on but I feel the need to finish the lazy cat before the studio becomes full of colorful dust!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

A bit of progress on the lazy cat

Here's the latest on the cat drawing...the top paw is not quite done yet.

New Artist's Storage Taboret!!

After a short but well-needed break away from home, I have been busy re-organising my studio, namely, my new pastel storage taboret! As promised, here are a few photos of my prized storage accessory.



It measures 16" deep by 30" wide x 30" tall and was built using solid pine and painted using an antiquing process. The six drawers have full extension slides and there are two storage shelves on the bottom for stacking paper, velour and suede boards. We installed locking rubber casters  to help maneuver the unit should it require moving.

Thanks dad for building this for me! Love you.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

More of the cat revealed!

Here is the latest update from the cat drawing. Although it may not appear so, some of the areas of white fur actually have quite a bit of detail which is not discernible at this size/scan. I will reserve that for the final post once the artwork is completed.

Cat continued... coming to life on paper

There still are a few more touch ups to be done to this cat's face but she is definitely starting to look like how I want her to. The original reference photo is rather dark due to the shadow on her black fur so I want to add some definition rather than solid blackness in those areas.

In the next steps, the position of the rest of her body will slowly be revealed... so stay tuned!!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Those Staring Green Eyes...

Well, this is it for today...I wanted to go to sleep feeling good that I colored those greens eyes so I would not put my pencils down until I did just that.  I will be going back and most likely reshaping the eyes some as I am just too tired for that tonight and want to look at her with fresh eyes tomorrow!

I used Rembrandt Polychromos colored pencils which are oil based, rather than the conventional wax based pencils.

Scaredy Cat Drawing Progress

There is no denying that I have reached the "ugly" stage of this drawing...a subject with no eyes is downright scary and this cat is no exception! I have gone against my usual and "safe" method of always drawing the eyes first, perhaps because I feel no pressure whatsoever on this drawing (it is not a commission).  

The mood I am feeling today has to be one of bliss; the joy of creating work just for ME. That got me thinking of a title for this drawing...which might include the word "bliss" to aptly describe the cat's contentment...but who knows what cats are thinking?!?!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Progression of a cat portrait in pencil

Before I close the lights in the studio and call it a day, I decided to scan and show the (little) bit of progress I accomplished today. Tomorrow is another day and I hope to sit down long enough to finish most of her face.

New Animal Portrait in Graphite...bye bye pastels, for now anyways...

I love working with pastels but it is the tremendous surface area  required that I dislike (that and having to clean the dust). I am talking about the surface area required to lay out my numerous pastel chalks, sticks and pencils so that finding the exact color I need can be done at a glance. This also means that my pastels are left laying around collecting dust and taking up precious room. But even worse is the potential for breakage should one roll off the top of a table or chair, or whatever else surface I have them sprawled over.

Logically, I knew one day I would require a storage unit for them; you know, one that has numerous, wide but shallow drawers that allow for easy storage, viewing and sorting of my precious pigments! These taborets as they are sometimes called, can be expensive but I am fortunate to have several family members involved in the woodworking profession. Both my husband and my father are avid woodworkers; my father being retired, was the prime candidate for my next project, and he wholeheartedly agreed!  Once the unit is finished and set up in my studio, I will be posting a follow up with lots of photos, so stay tuned!

Now that my pastels are stored away in their respective containers on the shelf and I have cleaned my studio and work easel of the colored dust, it was safe to take out my virgin white paper and graphite pencils to begin my next project. It may not look like much at the moment, but I take it that some of you will readily guess the silhouette of the featured animal.


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Timber Wolf Painting in Pastel ~ Dreaming of Eden

After today's work in the studio, I have reached that point of not wanting to work on this painting anymore for fear of turning it muddy. I am sure any painting could be worked to death, looking for further improvements, but I have to call this wolf portrait done!

The title I chose is self explanatory...I can't help but feel for the plight of the wolf since no animal has been persecuted so cruelly throughout history and continues to be to this day.

The wolf portrayed in this painting lives at Kisma Preserve , Mount Desert, Maine. He was rescued as a pup from people who were keeping him illegally and unfortunately, due to his age and tameness, could not be released back into the wild.  I had the opportunity to meet and photograph him and his cage mate last August so watch for more wolf paintings to come!


Timber Wolf Painting by Wildlife Artist Colette Theriault
"Dreaming of Eden"
~ Timber Wolf Painting~
Size: approx. 13" x 15"
Medium: pastel