Dio

A Time To Reflect …..

2012-02-06T14:41:00.001+13:00

But a small tribute to my Mother, Emma Caroline Johnson 18/8/1921 – 28/1/2012

Go in peace Mum, we love you

Christmas Day 2011 - the now famous Paper Roses

2012-02-01T12:18:00.004+13:00

It started quite innocently ... I found this clip of someone making roses out of toilet paper and I thought it might be fun to amuse ourselves on Christmas day. My friend Sharon and her 2 daughters Amber & Kirby giggled and thought I'd lost the plot. We had a lot of fun making white toilet paper roses and then started making them out of leftover gfitwrap. Since then, they have become the talking point of Christmas, the vase (the toilet roll) and the roses have been packed away, to be brought out next Christmas and some more added. A new tradition!

Making Fabric Roses - Technique

2012-02-01T12:17:00.001+13:00

con.cat.e.nate 019 - 024

2012-01-27T15:53:00.003+13:00

019 Sammy NB Sammy doesn’t have a tail, due to another kittenhood accident 10 mins, Pocket water brush & Art Graf (w/colour graphite)	020 Bella 10 mins, Pocket water brush & Art Graf (w/colour graphite)	021 Sammy She has a blue nose; maybe it was tattooed as a kitten. Harder than I thought and took too long Dry Watercolour pencils
022 Sammy 4 minutes, Lamy Vista and blue ink	023 Sammy Hard to tell what’s what in this position 8 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil	024 Bella 9.05 minutes Grey Staedtler Triplus Fineliner running out of ink

con.cat.e.nate 013 - 018

2012-01-20T17:56:00.001+13:00

013 Bella Still sleeping on my car 15 Minutes, pocket water brush & Schmincke watercolours	014 Bella If only I were that flexible! 20 mins, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil	015 Bella 15 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B & 7B pencils
016 Sammy 6 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil	017 Sammy 8 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil	018 Bella She surely is pear shaped 9 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil

con.cat.e.nate 007 - 012

2012-01-13T19:52:00.002+13:00

007 Bella 12 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil. Can’t believe it took that long to only get this far.	008 Sammy Sammy lounging in the morning sun. 10 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil	009 Bella I love Bella in this pose. Alas, she only held it for a few seconds after I turned up. Procolor II 0.2 pen, pastel ground.
010 Bella A bit longer than 10 minutes & with coloured pencils	011 Bella 8 minutes, Bic propelling pencil	012 Sammy She has a split tongue from a kittenhood accident. Probably 15 – 20 minutes, but I was enjoying it. Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil

EDM 88 Something breezy, that blows in the wind

2012-01-12T12:41:00.001+13:00

What could be better than our good old New Zealand flag for this sketch…

con.cat.e.nate update #2

2012-01-11T09:51:00.001+13:00

So far I am enjoying this project for various reasons i.e.

it's a daily discipline of sketching, even if it only last seconds
it is creating an intimate knowledge of my animals
it will hopefully help to improve drawing skills (debatable)

However, it's also taking over the blog, so I have decided to post once a week, my 6 little sketches all in one go. It will cut down on posting time as well as look better visually, and concurs with the theme more - concatenation.

con.cat.e.nate update #1

2012-01-07T16:35:00.003+13:00

hmmmmm …… '’ A BIT OF A FAUX PAS” as they say ….
It wasn’t until I turned the page to do my sketch for 7th January, that I realised that Saturdays and Sundays have been lumped together on one page on this “page-per-day” calendar I am using. Oops. I thought about it for a while. Could I do two little sketches on the one page and still post one for each day? No, that wasn’t going to work because my page only measures 125mm x 113mm as it is, so it’s too small to fit 2 sketches. Even though this has definitely put a spanner in the works and messes up the Sketch A Day goal, I decided to go with the flow and only do one sketch on the weekend and maybe spend more time on it.

con.cat.e.nate 001 - 006

2012-01-06T20:49:00.003+13:00

001 Sammy In her favourite position. 5 minutes, Lamy Vista, blue ink on a pastel ground.	002 Sammy 9 minutes, pocket water brush and Schmincke Neutral Grey watercolour	003 Sammy 9 or 10 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil
004 Bella A lesson learned – I need to get a lot faster at this, or take a photo first – she moved after just a few seconds! Noodler’s pen & Lexington Gray ink.	005 Bella Asleep on top of my car, a favoured sunny spot. 8 minutes, dry watercolour pencils	006 Bella 8 minutes, Staedtler Lumograph 2B pencil

con·cat·e·nate – a New Year Project

2011-12-31T23:56:00.001+13:00

Two days ago (i.e. 2 days before the start of a New Year, and seemingly a good time to start a new “thing”), I was reading Myrna Wacknov’s blog about her project called Drawn To The Mirror in which she sketched herself every day for 365 days. The sketches were done on a page-per-day calendar with quilt pattern images as a background. It got me thinking. Yesterday I was walking past the local stationery shop and there, on sale, was a simple, lined, page-per-day desk calendar that screamed “buy me”, so I did. I have decided to give this sketch-a-day for 365 days a go. I have two cats and they will be the only subjects involved during this time. I have always been impressed by Roz Stendahl who sketched her beloved dog Dottie for 5 years in a series called “Daily Dots” and she has also inspired me to try this for 1 year with 2 cats. Sammy (a girl) is now about 17 years old and she is a reliable model because she doesn’t stray and sleeps most of the day. Bella is 10 years old, still full of beans and not easy to locate during the day so the sketches will be of whichever is available. My main points of focus will be: 1) keep it very simple 2) try different media as desired 3) keep it to less than 10 minutes and preferably less than 5 minutes 4) a sketch a day 5) enjoy the process
It will either be a Daily Wonder that I will love, or over and done in 7 days – A One Week Wonder!
Many years ago when I learned to use Excel, I also learned a new word: Concatenate. It’s a formula in Excel that is extremely useful and I have used it many times and it has since been a favourite word. I like the sound of it as well as it’s purpose. It seemed appropriate for this project because this will be about uniting in a series, and also because each sketch will be a cat.
and so, con.cat.e.nate is the name of this project - [kon-kat-n-eyt] to link together; unite in a series or chain.
Here goes …..

EDM 87 Lunch

2011-12-20T17:19:00.000+13:00

EDM 86 A Road Sign

2011-12-19T16:19:00.000+13:00

This is on the Thames Coast Road , Coromandel Peninsula

EDM 85 A Store In My Neighbourhood

2011-12-10T14:18:00.000+13:00

EDM 84 Bread

2011-12-05T13:17:00.000+13:00

Vogel’s is New Zealand’s famous bread, yearned for by many Kiwis living round the world …..

EDM 83 A Nearby Body of Water – lake, ocean, pond or river

2011-12-02T19:18:00.001+13:00

I live in the North Island of New Zealand and as such, this is not “nearby”. It’s in the South Island and I visited it in February 2011. I guess I consider that anywhere in New Zealand is “nearby”. This is Lake Dunstan, Cromwell, near the Clyde Dam, a spectacular spot.

A Weekend At Waipu Cove

2011-11-29T15:47:00.001+13:00

with good weather, good wine, good food and good friends …..

EDM 82 Draw Your Art Space

2011-11-20T19:31:00.001+13:00

Here’s a slice of my art space. It would take too long to draw all the stuff in my space. I think it would be a good project for Andrea Joseph, but not for me.

EDM 81 A Street Lamp

2011-11-15T09:28:00.000+13:00

Mission Bay, Auckland

A Palette for Palette’s sake

2011-11-09T17:18:00.002+13:00

Now that I’m back home and probably won’t be going on any big overseas trips in the near future, I have reunited my travel palette half pans back into my large palette of Schmincke watercolours. I know most "artists" limit themselves to 12 colours, but life's too short, why not enjoy those fabulous colours that you just can't mix.

EDM 80 Something That Makes You Happy

2011-11-05T15:51:00.001+13:00

EDM 79 An ear, or two, or three

2011-10-16T18:14:00.001+13:00

EDM 78 A souvenir from somewhere you’ve been

2011-10-13T18:03:00.002+13:00

I bought this at Les Beaux de Provence, France, in April 2010. To me, it’s France.

EDM 77 Something cold or cool. Chill, people

2011-10-11T19:49:00.003+13:00

EDM 76 Exotic foliage

2011-07-01T18:19:00.002+12:00

Lauren's First Bound Book

2011-06-26T11:02:00.004+12:00

I have introduced my friend Lauren to book making. She decided she wanted to make the covers with fabric scraps randomly stitched onto a calico backing and featuring many of the decorative stitches her sewing machine offers. I showed her how to do some basic beading, and away she went in a flurry of creation. And voila! Lauren’s first book, an A4 coptic bound sketchbook to be used for botanical illustrations.

EDM 75 Favourite Recipe

2011-04-11T12:17:00.001+12:00

EDM 74 Clouds

2011-03-25T14:46:00.001+13:00

Book Binding Experiment

2011-03-12T17:05:00.002+13:00

I made this 140mm x 140mm leather journal at a recent workshop. The leather cover was not firm enough for my liking so I unbound it. I strengthened the pink leopard fabric by ironing Applifix to it and then a layer of pelmet vilene. The buttons were sewn to the spine and the plaited elastic band was sewn to a piece of flat binding then glued along the back cover. Next, the stiffened fabric was glued to the leather using EVA. The experimental bit was the rebinding of the sections back in to the cover, and the red headbands – very much a Design-As-You-Go process that I couldn’t put down on paper if I tried. Quite happy with the result though. And the closure was my idea.

Pages from one of my journals …

2011-03-01T16:54:00.000+13:00

Salvation

Hello Dolly

On My C.V.

EDM 73 Mailbox

2011-02-16T20:22:00.003+13:00

The brief for this was to draw a Mail Box and say what was the most important piece of snail mail you’ve ever received, but with snail mail ever on the decrease, I say that any mail is good mail. Yeah, I still love walking to the Mail Box and collecting whatever is in it.

ABC Mini Book Swap - “Birds”

2011-02-13T14:39:00.003+13:00

This book measures 5cm x 5cm (2” x 2”) and was made as part of the March 2011 Swap

Side 1: Coloured

Side 2: Black & White

Left Hand Journal Pgs 33 -36

2011-01-27T21:04:00.003+13:00

EDM 72 Go Somewhere New

2011-01-02T17:08:00.002+13:00

EDM 71 Favourite Sport

2010-12-30T14:36:00.002+13:00

EDM 70 Fear

2010-12-28T18:50:00.002+13:00

Left Hand Journal Pgs 29 - 32

2010-12-21T20:01:00.002+13:00

More entries in the Left Hand Journal and my ongoing efforts to improve dexterity.

Succulent v Succulent

2010-12-11T18:27:00.002+13:00

Botanical Painting class exercise – first ever attempt at painting a succulent. The photo is taken from a slightly different angle to that which I painted from. I think this is as good as it gets for this particular one, but I can see where it needs more depth, so perhaps I will have another try at it.

Yum – the Art Classroom soap drainer

2010-12-11T15:37:00.003+13:00

EDM 69 Drink

2010-12-06T17:39:00.002+13:00

EDM 68 Computer

2010-11-21T20:13:00.002+13:00

Well, it’s been 10 months since I last posted an EDM sketch. A long time coming; bit of a mental block with this subject, but voila!

Apples Progressing

2010-11-17T20:17:00.004+13:00

Linz said “you can’t tell which is the real one”. So funny. Missed his vocation.

A Botanical Class exercise, not finished, but coming along don’t you think? The desk light was off when this was taken, so the highlight looks to be in a different place, but it’s getting light from somewhere else.

Left Hand Journal Pgs 23 - 28

2010-08-15T20:02:00.002+12:00

Continuing on my journey of using my left hand. It makes me adopt a carefree attitude and it’s very liberating.

ABC Mini Book Swap “Spells & Potions” – August 2010

2010-08-03T10:29:00.002+12:00

Rob Hunt, a new member of the Associaton of Book Crafts, organised a Mini Book Swap with the theme of Spells & Potions. I have never made books this small, but I decided to take part as a means of getting my creative juices flowing after a long break from activity in my studio. This little book is only 2 inches square so I found it quite difficult to manage but it was an enjoyable process and outcome.

Travel Palette - Schmincke

2010-02-28T18:11:00.004+13:00

This Schmincke Travel Palette was designed to take 12 half pans of paint. I managed to fit in 24! It was a struggle to even limit myself to this number, but I have learnt some valuable things about pigments and mixes during my tests for the final choice.

I’ve read what every man and his dog has to say about choosing a palette, but in the end it comes down to two things: keep the pigments simple so you can mix just about everything you need; and put in a couple of colours that you love, just because they make you happy.
I mainly looked for the purest pigments, good mixing ability, with a good range of warms & cool colours, plus some good earth tones. The yellow choices were easy; the blues caused me concern and much deliberation; the reds created the most difficulty with lots of mixing trials.
My only indulgences are Naples Yellow Reddish because it’s great for skin and I can’t be bothered mixing it, and Ultramarine Violet – just because I like it. I left my favourite Rose Madder out, and hope that Carmine Red will help me out when I need a beautiful soft pink.

Choosing A Travel Palette

2010-02-23T20:46:00.003+13:00

Woe is me ... how does anyone ever choose?

Leather Sketch Journals

2010-02-23T19:49:00.010+13:00

I've just finished making these two journals to take travelling with me. They are made from beautifully soft upholstery leather, lined with stiffened fabric, page size 160mmW x210mmH. The paper is my fave for this type of book - Canson 'Montval' - its 185g Acid Free watercolour paper. It handles water very well with little or no buckling and doesn't bleed back. Great for sketching, watercolours, collage - everything you can throw at it. And it's very cost effective. The books were a challenge to make, but now that they're done, I am proud of them and am beginning to like working with leather after all.

Canson Montval 185g CP	Stretch Band Closures	Long Stitch Binding,linen thread
Folios of Book #1	Back Storage Pocket	Folios of Book #2
Book #2	Back Storage Pocket	Blanket Stitched edges

Making A Leather Notebook

2010-02-17T20:53:00.018+13:00

I decided to make a leather covered travel notebook as a precursor to making a sketchbook travel journal. I have never worked with leather as a book cover, so I wanted to try it out. I also wanted to experiment with closures, pockets and binding methods. On the spur of the moment, I decided to take photographs as I went – I used my little handbag Lumix camera, and didn’t think to check the settings first. Unfortunately, some of the photos are blurred but I am merely sharing my record of the exercise.

A bit of planning	Measuring the spine	Which possum skin?	Testing a closure
Cutting layout	End cover fabric	Attaching the closure	Checking the fit
Flap stitched in place	Planning the stitching	Piercing the spine	Attaching the folios
Glueing loose ties	Flat out	From the side	Voila!

#4 Lammermoor Drive - experiment

2010-02-10T20:55:00.003+13:00

10 Feb 10 – Hillary, Dale and I headed out for some neighbourhood sketching. For me, this is a trial doing loose line & wash style quick sketches. These were Staedtler Triplus liners and I’m liking the way they bleed when water is added. Defo require more testing and experimentation. Quite a different approach for me. That ‘orrible orange blob is Ziller Ink spilled from an experiment on the previous page.

Perseverance

2010-01-27T16:40:00.005+13:00

Watercolour is definitely not my strength medium.

But, I persevere.

It knows how to reduce me to tears before my brush is even in the proximity of the paper.

Still, I persevere.

I’m going on a 3 month Europe holiday and I need to use watercolour in my sketchbook.

Today’s effort at a scene from one of my “France” magazines.

Perseverance.

EDM 67 Something MUM

2010-01-19T18:43:00.005+13:00

My Mum’s name is Emma. She is 90 and lives in a Rest Home. These are things that came to mind when I thought about her … the bluey-green piece of fabric and the lace came from favourite dresses. Mum lived through the Depression and nothing was ever thrown out unless it disintegrated – she kept old zips, a jar full of buttons cut from old clothes, and all manner of things that “might be useful one day”. She always tried to look her best, and wearing pearls was one of her favourite things. She still wears all of her jewellery every day, and you never see her without nail polish and lipstick! Well done Mum!

A Bit Of A Play On The Previous Hydrant Theme ….

2009-12-12T15:05:00.001+13:00

EDM 66 Fire Hydrant

2009-12-12T14:57:00.001+13:00

We don’t have ornate upright fire hydrants in New Zealand, we have heavy metal plates set into the pavement. When the firemen need to use water in the street, they lift the plate up, remove one of these hydrants out of the back of the Fire Appliance, and connect it. Nifty.

EDM 65 Someone’s Nose

2009-11-16T19:19:00.003+13:00

the brief was to do a nose –
your own,
a friend’s,
a pet’s,
a stranger’s
*****
how about someone very famous then ….

EDM 64 Sink

2009-11-13T14:37:00.001+13:00

At first I thought …. hmmm - a sink – how boring. Then my mind drifted to all those song lyrics using “sink”, or those great old sayings like “Loose Lips Sink Ships”, and so the challenge began …

EDM 63 Items Found On A Nature Walk

2009-11-09T21:37:00.001+13:00

Went on a nature walk with Aniela, my six year old neighbour, to Tahuna Torea. Didn’t find anything rivetingly exciting. I dumped all the collected items on my studio desk and when I returned a few days later, was greeted with masses of dead insect like things spread out in every direction. They had lots of legs in odd places, and ranged from very tiny to about 13mm long. Encrusted in an exquisitely coloured pearlescent peach suit of armour, I think perhaps they are/were sea lice that crawled out of something I picked up, and perished in the sunshine on top of my desk. Ick.

EDM 62 A Previous Challenge Done In A Medium Not Usually Used

2009-10-20T20:50:00.001+13:00

This was also Challenge # 39 – a toothbrush. I have a tin of dirty stuff – a putty eraser, charcoal sticks, and a square black stick that I think is pastel. It’s way too messy for my liking so that’s why it’s usually hidden away in a tin, not used. I think the sombreness (is that a word??) of this image reflects how I felt about using this medium. Yick. (is that a word?)

EDM 61 A Grouping of Similar Objects

2009-10-15T08:41:00.001+13:00

My friend and I were sitting having a coffee at a very funky place in the city called ‘Smith’. I looked up, and these gorgeously ornate old bird cages were swaying in the wind above our heads. Delightful. Done with a .35 technical pen loaded with walnut ink.

EDM 60 An Automobile, or Part Thereof

2009-10-13T11:41:00.003+13:00

My drawing of this Type 37 Bugatti was inspired by the movie I watched recently about the life of Isadora Duncan.
Her notorious death is not exactly a pet topic for Bugatti historians. As legend has it, she desired to buy one but could not afford it. She met a young auto mechanic who sold Bugatti cars and she asked him if he would join her for a test drive in what was either the Bugatti Type 35 or 37. According to oral tradition, her last words were: “Farewell, my friends, I am off to glory!” As the car drove off, she threw a long silk scarf around her neck, which entangled in one of the car’s open-spoked wheels. The heavy embroidered silk pulled instantly taut and snapped the dancer’s neck. This misfortune took place in Nice on September 14, 1927.

EDM 59 A Sign of Spring

2009-10-12T11:47:00.001+13:00

From a recent holiday in Vanuatu – Spring there means that these Island Lillies are starting to flower.

Left Hand Journal pgs 17 - 22

2009-09-15T10:35:00.003+12:00

EDM 58 Hat

2009-09-05T16:47:00.001+12:00

Favourite Summer hat with favourite leopard scarf

Left Hand Journal pgs 11 – 16

2009-08-21T18:39:00.002+12:00

Section 3 using only left hand – a little more spontaneous

Left Hand Journal – pgs 5 - 10

2009-08-20T09:10:00.001+12:00

Section 2 of the journal created using ONLY the left (non-dominant) hand

EDM 57 A Frame, the Picture in it, and why it’s Special

2009-08-16T15:50:00.001+12:00

Click to enlarge image and you’ll find out why it’s special

Left Hand Journal pgs 1-4

2009-08-13T17:03:00.001+12:00

I decided to make a Journal and fill it with entries created entirely using my left hand. The object of the exercise is to firstly – HAVE FUN; to loosen up and not be such a perfectionist; to not care about how things look, but to enjoy them for their woppiness. To slow down; take time to enjoy the process, and one of the outcomes may even be that I will be able to write respectably with my left hand with a lot more practise.Note: the first picture is of the fabric cover.

EDM 56 Self Portrait

2009-08-13T10:14:00.001+12:00

Me and my girl Bella… she looks older, I look younger.. a good outcome me thinks.

EDM 55 Door Knob, plain or fancy

2009-08-03T20:40:00.001+12:00

Watercolour rendition … still struggling.

EDM 54 Something You Love

2009-07-11T09:37:00.001+12:00

The most fabulous of teapots.
I bought it in Sydney a few years ago and I love it to pieces. It’s my very favourite thing … when people say “if there was a fire and you could only take one thing with you, what would it be?” … well, it would be this, for sure.

EDM 53 Mouth

2009-06-30T10:42:00.002+12:00

My text encompasses my thoughts on this topic I guess.

EDM 52 A Dog & Your Relationship With It

2009-06-27T15:10:00.002+12:00

We have the neighbours from hell. Their dog is a Swedish Sheepdog (Vallhund) named Ralphie. He looks a bit like a German Shepherd with it’s legs sawn off. Since they got him as a puppy, only 3 months after we bought this house, they have let him bark and bark and bark and blame everyone else who dared to complain. I am an animal lover, but my relationship with this dog is one of contempt. He barks at us every time we set foot outside. He barks at every dog and everyone who uses the reserve behind us. He barks outside our bedroom window at 5.00 am on a Sunday morning. I figure he’s lucky to be alive. Poor Ralphie, it’s not his fault that everyone despises him.

EDM 51 Your TV and Favourite Show Playing

2009-06-25T16:23:00.003+12:00

Favourite Show: Animal Planet! At least it's better than all those dodgy reality TV shows that are slowly driving us crazy. There is always something interesting to learn about animals. On today's show, I saw a Spirit Bear - didn't know there was such a thing. It was beautiful.

EDM 50 Your Entryway

2009-06-24T15:16:00.006+12:00

This challenge was about your own entryway, and journalling how you feel about it. For me, it is suffice to say that there is never a warmer fuzzy than the sight of my own front door and the knowledge of what lays behind it.

EDM 49 Refrigerator – Interior, Exterior, or Both

2009-06-16T21:07:00.002+12:00

My fridge
Inside, Outside, Both
Challenging
Interesting
I think the perspective is right?
Pencil only, selection of lights and darks.

EDM 48 A New Year's Resolution

2009-06-08T14:24:00.002+12:00

I don't make New Year resolutions any more, but if I had, it would've been to keep drawing and not give up hope that one day it will all fall into place and be second nature.

EDM 47 A Challenge Not Tried In The Past Year

2009-05-31T19:20:00.001+12:00

I have attempted all the challenges up till now, so I had to choose something I had already done. The last hand was a human one, and today, my wooden jointed hand model was in front of me on my desk …. so be it.
Not my best effort, but an effort none the less.

More Life Drawing Practise – 5 minutes sketches

2009-05-20T17:18:00.001+12:00

EDM 46 Something Holiday Themed - Christmas

2009-05-14T16:50:00.001+12:00

I wasn’t looking forward to this topic because I was hung up on “Christmas”, and I’m not a Christmas person. In retrospect, I should have chosen a beach scene, because Christmas time is generally the hottest time of the year in New Zealand, and it’s when everyone goes on holiday. Anyway, I enjoyed executing this using 23 watercolour pencils. I am showing it as a progressive sketch, only because I stopped here and there to scan this, as I find that the scanner shows me things I don’t see with my naked eye – like what needs to be lighter and what needs to be darker. He’s cute huh!

Life Drawing Class – Day One

2009-05-07T13:43:00.001+12:00

Groovy Little Number

2009-04-29T11:30:00.001+12:00

I needed a Week-To-View Diary and being the experimenter that I am, I created this groovy little book for the purpose of housing the diary pages. The cover is made from recycled materials and the very groovy accompanying pencil was given to me by my friend Ailie, and it has the most gorgeous faceted jewel attached to the top of it. I love it.

EDM 45 Medicine Cabinet

2009-04-15T18:41:00.005+12:00

Had fun with this exercise but got a sore derriere sitting on the low stool while I drew the innids of one of the bathroom cupboards. Must get faster at these.

Panmure Basin Sketching & Painting

2009-04-14T17:39:00.004+12:00

Hillary, Dale and I went to the Waipuna Road East boat ramp and sat in glorious sunshine on a supposedly Autumn day to sketch as much in an hour as we could. Some geese thought we’d come to feed them so they hurried out of the water and rushed up to mooch through our stuff to see if we had food. We didn’t, so they grunted and waddled all the way back to the water, alas disappointed.

EDM 44 (b) Animal

2009-04-13T18:38:00.003+12:00

Well, it seems I found time to do an animal after all. I executed this charming cat study in watercolour from a book about watercolour technique.

It's my second attempt at the same subject as a process of making mistakes and learning by them. I'm quite pleased with this one.

EDM 44 (a) Animal

2009-04-12T17:26:00.009+12:00

Just finished this cutest of cute teddies and went to check what the EDM list description said, only to discover I was supposed to be drawing an animal - a live one I presume. Haven't got time to start this all over again so, Ted will have to suffice.

EDM 43 Something China or Ceramic

2009-04-05T17:08:00.008+12:00

This vase is a favourite because I made it way back when I was doing ceramics. The roses and leaves were made from plasticised slip and were not easy, but fun. Sadly a couple of bits have broken off during various house moves, but I still love it. Still learning watercolour, still struggling, roses not great, but I did try.

Mosaic Pot Triumph

2009-03-20T14:21:00.006+13:00

I have finally finished mosaicing and grouting this terracotta pot I bought at least 5 years ago. It's a biggie, measuring 700mm high and 480mm wide at the top. I collected blue and white china all this time, and was donated Willow pattern plates and Villeroy & Bosch pieces along the way. It took a long time to sort and break the pieces, put it all together, then 3 days to grout it. I consider it to be one of my major achievements. Today it was finally installed in the front foyer of my home and I feel very satisfied to have completed it.

Painting Class – Still Life Drawing Practise

2009-03-14T21:18:00.000+13:00



	Art Class drawing practise for this week was still life – take three objects, try to show mood, use cross hatching, change arrangements.	Couldn’t quite get the perspective right in the first 2 drawings, but I liked exploring the negative space. I love the way the objects in the last four drawings compliment each other in shape.

EDM 42 Something You Are Thankful For

2009-03-10T15:05:00.006+13:00

There are many things that I am thankful for in my life; sunshine, music, the sea, the senses, laughter, friends, art amongst them. Our family is not very functional, and there have been times when I wondered if I actually belonged to one. I am therefore truly thankful to have been blessed with such a lovely brother as Darren.

EDM 41 Landmark In Your City

2009-02-20T19:25:00.005+13:00

At 328 metres, Sky Tower is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand & the 12th tallest member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It offers breathtaking views for up to 80 kilometres in every direction, and has become an Auckland icon, being visible from just about everywhere.
I took a photo from Kohimarama Rd and set myself a big challenge to execute this using only 12 Tombow pens, therefore limited colour range. I wasn't sure if I could show distance as well as strong foreground as Tombows are felt pens after all. They react beautifully with water and I found the exercise quite pleasing, albeit lengthy!

EDM 40 Folds

2009-02-04T10:46:00.013+13:00

My notes alongside the drawing say it all. This was done using dry watercolour pencils. A big learning curve - or is that fold?

EDM 39 Toothbrush

2009-02-03T20:11:00.004+13:00

Thought this would be the proverbial 'piece of cake' ... but no. After several attempts at getting that twisty bit right I called it a day.

EDM 38 Dia De Los Muertos, Halloween, All Saints, All Souls

2009-02-02T21:03:00.004+13:00

Your Mother says you're ugly

Journal Pages

2009-01-27T22:10:00.000+13:00

No Such Thing As Rubbish

2009-01-27T17:27:00.002+13:00

Just Leave Me

2009-01-27T17:25:00.001+13:00

It's All About Me

2009-01-27T15:36:00.002+13:00

The Eyes Have It

2009-01-27T13:47:00.002+13:00

Acknowledgement

2009-01-27T13:46:00.002+13:00

Lest We Forget

2009-01-27T13:44:00.002+13:00

EDM 38 Museum Sketching - week long

2009-01-27T13:14:00.015+13:00

Hillary and I spent another day at the Auckland Museum. The ceramic vases & plates are part of a collection from the late 1800's from manufacturers such as Doulton. We completed the other 3 sketches later from photos Hillary took. Love the people in the lunch queue - probably wouldn't be impressed if they knew they were now on the web.