Framing pictures

Pigtails

It's never hard to know which pictures to frame. When everything goes well a picture simply declares itself as wonderful, exciting and valuable! However what gives a picture this special quality is still a mystery to me... I think I always try my best but so many of my attempts just don't spark into life. Putting a pleasing drawing into a frame turns it into an object that someone will want to live with. Framing helps me to see my own efforts as real achievements and I'm usually over-enthusiastic about the results! I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome of this watercolour drawing. It took me about 4 hours to frame, much longer than it took me to paint! Right now I think it'll be the star of the show...

Big charcoals

The sprawl

I'm still on my quest to draw a big, lively charcoal for the big frame I'm trying to fill for the exhibition. Drawing can be an elusive process and when you have a goal in mind it can spoil the results. For me it works best if I can get lost in the pleasure of looking at a beautiful body. As soon as I start thinking about the end result I draw like a fool! After several attempts this one isn't too bad but I will be trying again. Still got a few days left! "As Nature Intended" opens on the 12th November at King's Lynn Arts Centre. I'll be  running a life drawing class there on the 18th from 7 to 9pm, so come along and enjoy a bit of scribbling!

Work in progress...

Finally my little people have dried so in a few hours I'll be taking them to the kiln. I'm a bit worried about the lady with holes in (see picture); it's a risky technique that I'm always really pleased with if it works....however they don't always make it out of the kiln looking as I want them to. One of my kneeling figures in the past looked like it had deflated a bit! So fingers crossed the firing goes well!

Drinking and Drawing

White wine

I've got quite fond of drinking while drawing since my stay in France! When Two and I get together in the evening for a bit of drawing, we like to open a bottle of wine and free the artistic spirit... Trouble is she always draws first as she gets tired, so by the time it's my turn the confidence is high but the eye unreliable! However the last time we met up I did this little watercolour that I'm very proud of. I've been trying to fill a hand-made pad with such paintings in time for the exhibition but it's only half full at the moment. Time is running out!

One last picture

Kneeling

I've been sorting out my pictures for the exhibition in King's Lynn Arts Centre starting on the 12th November and I think I have more than enough to put on a good show. However it won't be as planned the work of just the two of us! We haven't done enough to fill up the Red Barn gallery so I've invited a photographer and a sculptor to join us in our show of nudes. I've asked them to submit posts and introduce themselves so I won't say anymore for now. I have a lovely big frame to fill and a big lively charcoal drawing would look great in it. I've done a few but haven't decided on which drawing to use. Here's one that's in the running. I like the strong expression and lively mark making. let me know if it appeals to you!