Artist's block!

Today I started the Pet Portrait of Harry, the Brittany Spaniel for the third time. I just wasn't getting his fur colour right at all. I sometimes get a portrait that doesn't seem to go right, no matter what and this one is one of them, for some reason. I get really fed up if a portrait isn't progressing as I would like, then lose all motivation to do any artwork at all. I didn't get a lot done after starting again, but hopefully I will have something to show tomorrow. It will be so much nicer to have a productive day so fingers crossed it all goes well.

I'm still here!

Just thought i'd post to say I'm still alive and I have been working on a graphite pet portrait recently, but it's a surprise for a present, so i'm unable to show it on the blog. I finished it today and have just emailed a copy to the customer for approval.

I have a coloured pencil pet portrait to finish in the next few days as well, which is of a Brittany Spaniel, so I will have some updates of that one I can show you. I am planning on doing some of that tommorrow, and I am also thinking of trying out my new pastel pencils as well, as I still haven't done anything with them yet. I've been doing a lot of overtime at work, and when i'm at home i've had portraits to do, as well as my Sister coming to stay, so i've been really busy. I'm thinking of trying a different subject matter with the pastels - still animals, but possibly some wildlife, rather than domestic animals. I shall update you all tomorrow.

Home alone again!

Took my sister down to the airport in Inverness today and sat down for tea just Steve and I for the first time in nearly a month, as we have had visitors with us since 27th April. It was sad to see Carly go - she was only here 5 days and I felt really quite lost and lonely when i'd said goodbye to her.

Yesterday we went to John O' Groats and while we were there had a look round the relatively new Craft Centre. There's a candle shop, woollen shop, fripperies and a beautiful pottery. There is also an empty unit up there which caught my attention. I keep having images in my head now of my own little gallery with an area for me to work in front of the public and prints and gifts and postcards etc on sale, as well as originals. It's just a dream at the moment, but you know how some things stick in your head - well this has stuck in mine and I think needs further thinking about!

Highland Wildlife Park

As I said on Friday, my sister is with us for a few days, so yesterday, the two of us went out for the day to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig. It's a long way from Wick - took about 3 hours to get therebut it is a really nice little park. It is concentrating at the moment on wildlife that either curently lives in the Scottish Highlands, or did at one time, though in the future it is expanding to include animals that live in mountain terrains from around the world. The highlight for mw was their small pack of wolves. The have a fairly large enclosure built on the side of the hill, with rocks and trees and they have a platform that goes out into the middle of the enclosure , so you can look down on the wolves and take photos without the fencing in the way. Here are a couple I took. These have both been cropped - I really must get myself a camera with a really long zoom!

And where else could you visit a wildlife park and have views like this:

New Blog design

As you have probably noticed, I have changed the design of the blog so the colours are now in-keeping with the main site.

I haven't been doing any artwork today as my Sister has come up to stay with us until Tuesday, so I have collected her from the airport today and we have been sight -seeing. We have been to the Loch Ness Visitor Centre at Drumnadrochit, which is well worth a visit if you're ever in the area. We also drove down Glen Cannich which is a Deer Park, so saw several deer, which was lovely, especially as they were very close to the road and are used to the traffic so didn't run away. Hopefully she got some good photos!

Amended Greyhound Pet Portrait

After looking at the Pet Portrait of Rosie, her owner noticed that her eyes were a little small, so today I have made her eyes slightly larger, and have to agree it does now look better. This is one of the reasons why I find it so useful for the customer to be able to watch the progress of their portrait online and to have a final scan to approve. It means that anything I haven't done quite right can be amended without the need to send the portrait back. As the owner of the particular pet in question, the customer will often spot small things that I have missed and it's often the small things that get the likeness just right. Here is the latest update on Rosie:

Rosie is finished!

I finished the coloured pencil pet portrait of Rosie the Greyhound today. Here she is:

Another Greyhound Update

Another update on Rosie, the Greyhound in coloured pencil. Her head is now finished and i've done her collar and tags. Here she is:

Greyhound work in progress

Today I have done quite a bit more on Rosie, the Greyhound, my current work in progress. Here she is so far:

Coloured pencil Greyhound update

Well now I have finished and posted my graphite Horse portrait, I am going back to the other Pet Portraits on my waiting list. Today I did a little more of Rosie, the Greyhound, who I am drawing in coloured pencil. It's just a small update, but there will be more to see tommorrow. Here it is so far:

Arab horse portrait finished

Today I finished the graphite portrait of the beautiful Arab horse, Jazz. Here it is:

Arab Horse in graphite

I have been doing some more of the Arab Horse portrait today. I'm really enjoying it - most of my commissions are Dog portraits, so to draw a Horse is a nice change. It's nearly completed now - hopefully I should have it finished tommorow. Here is the current Pet Portrait:

Graphite Horse Portrait

I have been working this weekend on an Arab horse Portrait, which is one that needs to be finished quickly for a Birthday present. It's 12" x 16" and is in graphite pencil. Here are some photographs from the work in progress so far.

New art materials

I have been shopping again and treated myself to some new art materials.

I bought two pads of pastel paper - velour paper, which has a lovely, soft, velvety finish to it and is apparently perfect for drawing fur and some Art Spectrum colorfix paper, which has also been recomended on the Pet Portrait forum. It's been primed and the primed surface allows up to ten layers of pastel to be applied, and no primer is required.

I also got a bargain off of ebay - a set of 72 Derwent Pastel Pencils for £30. I got pastel pencils to go with my sticks so I can apply the fine detail to finish off a Pet Portrait.

I'm really looking forward to trying them out and doing some more pastel portraits, but I have to be good and work on my current Pet Portraits.

Pet Portraits in progress

Today I have been working on three different Pet Portraits. I have added the first layer of 'underpainting' on the coloured pencil portrait of Rosie, the Greyhound. Here it so far:

I have also started two new Pet Portraits, one is a horse portrait, that I only received a few days ago and needs to be completed by 14th May! I'm not sure yet if I can put that one on here though, as it's for a Birthday.

The other one is an 8" x 10" graphite portrait of a beautiful little Westie, called Jack. Here is the initial sketch:

New Pet resident

The rattie numbers in our house grew by one today. There has been a male rat at work since January and he's spent the last month alone after his companion was sold, i've been looking at him every day and feeling so sorry for him, but knowing that I couldn't have him due to having only girls at home. But yesterday my boss turned round and said if I knew anyone that wanted him I could take him, so I told him about the rat forum and the re-homing board on there and he was happy for me to take him home and re-home him, so I bought him home today and named him Spike.

He's only meant to be a temporary resident, but Steve seems to have fallen in love already. I've told him if we keep him he has to have a friend and a therefore a larger cage, but who knows!

Pet Portraits work in progress

I have been working on two of the portraits on my waiting list today - Rosie the Greyhound and Harry, the Britanny Spaniel.

I had already started Rosie, however, I was unhappy with the proportions, I had done her eyes too big and her nose too small, so I started again today. It's just the outline, but here's where I am at the moment:

I have started on the colour on Harry, starting on his ears: Here is the Pet Portrait at it's current stage: