Puppy love

   I've spent the last couple of days curled up on the sofa drawing with my faithful friend beside me watching my progress. This is him as a youngster. He is now 14 years old but he still knows how to leave paw prints on my heart with those soulful eyes of his.

' Puppy Love ' Pen and ink (10.5 by 7 inches)

Love, they say, is patient,

Love, they say, is kind,

It sees beyond another’s faults

For love, they say, is blind.

Love will not diminish,

Or rush or fade with years,

But it will gain its strength

From time, from laughter, joy and tears.

Love is God’s own gift to us.

A present from above,

He gives us peace, He gives us joy,

But first He gives us love. (Anon)

Silverback

I still haven't decided on the title for this. I would welcome any ideas. I guess the message I was trying to convey is best said by this except of the poem by Lysa Schuler.

They are beautiful, proud, and can be feared.
But understand, they are a creation revered.

 We protect to keep the remaining alive.

But who knows how long the few will survive?

The drawing is done completely in pointellism and took just over 21 hours in total to complete.

When will I ever learn

I have been taking a quick break from watercolour to play with my pens again. Working in pen really trains you to look for the light and shade and plan because, as a medium, it is even less forgiving than watercolour. I have called this one 'When will I ever learn'

I think we have all felt like the chimp in my drawing for some reason. It might be because of life in general or something more specific... a project, a relationship, or something at work. You are full of hope thinking this time you will succeed, this time it will work, only to realise the hard way that you were wrong.

 When my children were younger we used to spend a lot of time at zoo's animal sanctuaries and wildlife parks because both of them loved watching the animals especially the apes and and monkeys. They have such wonderfully expressive faces with almost human like expressions at times. We used to sit and watch them for ages and I would tell my children a story about what they were thinking and why. This memory was my inspiration for this drawing. I wonder what story I would have created to tell them about this poor young chimp.

Pen and Ink 12.25 by 12 inches

Your Invitation to....

I have been busy getting things framed and exhibition labels made ready for  next month at the Skylight Gallery in Aurora, Ontario. I would love to see you at the Artists reception if you are able to make it.

  The theme for my section of the exhibition is 'Windows into the Soul'. Eyes tell such a story about a person or animal, what they feel and what they can see around them. I love painting and drawing them too. I am sharing the exhibition space with another local artist Patricia Duke  who will be exhibiting work based around the theme of the arctic.

Both Pat and I will be at the reception on Friday April 4th from 7-9pm and will be happy to talk to you about our paintings and drawings. I will also have my art greetings cards, Ted series trading cards and bookmarks for sale at the reception.

Hope to see you there!

Ona

Paws for Thought

 I have been trying to get the pen and ink drawing of Harry my Labrador when he was a small pup finished over the last few days. It has been a good way to take my mind off not feeling well and my operation tomorrow. 

 I love Harry's dreamy expression. I wonder what he was thinking. I have just added a touch of watercolour in his eyes. I felt it gave him a much more far away feel.

Updates and Exciting News!

Hi Everyone, It's been a busy and exciting couple of days for me.

I've finished the labrador drawing. I was going to call it 'Missing you' but as I have been drawing it 'Waiting' seems to fit so much better. What do you think?



I've also begun working on the little goslings in my watercolour painting 'Rations'. They are quite fiddly to do so it's taking me a while but I'm really enjoying it. I've finished the good little gosling of the group. She is sat nicely beside the food and doesn't mind sharing with others. I am now working on the other gosling who is near the food. He is a little more forceful in his endevours to have his share of the rations. I havent taken a photo of the whole painting, but cropped in on the section I am working on so you can see the little goslings themselves. I am trying very hard to convey that cute awwwww factor whilst painting them because I want this to contrast to the more serious message I am trying to convey. I hope it works.



And to my exciting news...I received a letter in the post yesterday saying my painting 'A Bleeding Heart' had been juried into this years Pennsylvania Watercolor Society International 31st Juried exhibition.

This was painted after I researched the legend of the Bleeding Heart flower. I loved the story and immediately went out into my garden, found a bleeding heart flower and used Rebecca's lovely long eye lashes as my reference. For those of you fairly new to this blog or who do not remember the story that goes with this painting here it is again.

You have to imagine that I have a Bleeding heart flower in my hand as I tell you the tale.

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess. Young men from far and near came to try to win her heart. But the princess was very vain and would have nothing to do with any of them. A young prince from a neighboring country fell deeply in love with her. She ignored him like the others, though he tried and tried to win her love. One day the prince found a pair of pretty pink rabbits at the market. At this point, I pull off the two outer pink petals and set each on it side to show the animals. He sent them to the princess thinking,"these will surely melt her heart." But the princess went right on ignoring him. Then the prince sent her a pair of beautiful earrings. Next I separate the two inner white petals and hold them up next to my ears. Still the princess would have nothing to do with him. The young prince was so heartbroken that he took his dagger and drove it into his heart. The remaining centre of the flower in my hand is shaped like an outline of a heart with a line down the centre. I hold the heart up, remove the dagger-like line, and plunge the "knife" through the heart's centre. The princess, realizing too late that she did love the prince, cried out, "My heart shall bleed for my prince forever more!" and her heart bleeds to this day.

Ona

Having fun with pen and ink!

I felt in the mood for doing a pen drawing this weekend so I started this one of a labrador looking under the fence waiting for his owner to come home. I know how many times I've seen our labrador Harry waiting patiently with his head on the floor and how happy he is when his 'pack' returns.

It's still a 'work in progress' but I thought i'd post an update now so you can see. I have added in all the darkest darks and am now working on the midtones.



I have been planning my colour scheme for the painting of the geese and have spent a couple of hours today masking the whites of the goslings feathers but nothing much to show yet. I'll post an update on that one when I have done the background.

Ona