Life Drawing Class – Day One

Groovy Little Number

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	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

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

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

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

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

Your Mother says you're ugly

Journal Pages

No Such Thing As Rubbish

Just Leave Me

It's All About Me

The Eyes Have It

Acknowledgement

Lest We Forget

EDM 38 Museum Sketching - week long

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.

Meltdown

When my beloved Dad passed away, I had a wee meltdown but art helped me to recover.

EDM 37 Keys

Two car keys, one remote car locker, one Blood Donor tag, two door keys, one WeightWatchers Goal Award (to remind me that I did actually once reach my goal weight), one WeightWatchers Gold Star (because I must be a Star) and of course the D, that's me, Di-namic. Bit messy, keep up the watercolour lessons me thinks.

EDM 36 Draw In Public

It was a perfect day today to go and sketch in public. We packed a couple of snacks,a drink and our chairs and headed to Kohimarama Beach. This composition took a couple of hours and made me realise how quick you need to be because people fidget and move every second. My "scene"changed innumberable times, but I hope I captured the essence of the day.

EDM 35 A Bicycle Or Part Of One

I've been reading about different line & wash techniques so decided to try charcoal & watercolour. Spent less than 10 minutes on the RH sketch. Took the bike to the park and spent a little more time trying to capture this section of it in the LH sketch, but acutally, I prefer the scribbly sketch.

EDM 34 Fall Leaf

New Year's Day 2009 ... As it's not Fall in New Zealand at this time of year, this was the best I could do - I found it some time ago and pressed it. It has very interesting markings. I am pretty sure it's a NZ native tree, but not sure which one.

EDM 33 An Eye

Bella is Italian for 'beautiful' and my girl Bella is just that. Just a pencil sketch, but I enjoyed it. That fur can go on and on forever can't it?

EDM 32 Something Metallica

Hillary and I went to Auckland Museum and chose a Spitfire plane in the War Memorial section to draw for our "Something Metallica". It wasn't a huge plane, but in a small space, it was difficult to get right. So difficult that I decided to choose this old money box instead, and vow to go back and have another try at sketching the plane.

EDM 31 Something You Collect

I have a love of handmade wooden things, especially dolls and old toys. This is my collection of French Wooden dolls.

EDM 30 A Chair

This is THE MOST COMFORTABLE chair in which to think, read, drink coffee, natter, sketch, be. Sketched with a Staedtler Triplus Fineliner in about half an hour. Another "no fuss" approach to this task. I am enjoying the fact that quantity brings with it courage in drawing. 'Just Do It' is my new guideline.

EDM 29 Something Architectural

Have been grappling with perspective for the last 3 weeks at art classes. Love this local church and am pleased with my "no fuss"approach to this sketch.

EDM 28 An Appliance

I chose a shaver for my appliance, because they don't get much use here in November - in support of Prostrate Cancer Awareness, the men grow moustaches so it's called "MOvember ". This was my first attempt at using a fine black ballpoint pen and not too shabby a result I thought.

EDM 27 A Book or Books

I guess this pile of books sums up quite a few of my interests. For sure, I never get tired of their contents.

EDM 26 Anything You Like

This cute little pin cushion was give to me years ago by a fellow calligrapher and sits on my desk. It reminds me that we all need to hold hands to make the world go round.