Saturday 30 November 2013

ROM visit

On Friday Nov, 29th I went to the Royal Ontario Museum with my first semester Illustration class from Seneca college. We drew dinosaur bones and other animals. They produced some really nice work, I look forward to continuing with them next semester. I'll see if I can post some of their work on here.
The ROM is such an invaluable source for artists, any artist who wants to excel at their craft should go as often as they can. Their artistic ability will increase immensely.
Sabertooth tiger
 (pencil and white conte on pastel paper)

Stag moose approx. 12000 yrs old
(pencil and white conte on pastel paper)
Christmas is coming so I had to attempt to sketch a reindeer.
Didn't turn out as I had hoped but better than I had at first thanks to my friend and mentor Werner Zimmermann. To see amazing art check out his blog Man4art. Well worth it.
Beautiful animal, I'll have to go back before Christmas and try again.




Tuesday 26 November 2013

Finally!

   I've never been a fan of modern technology, even though I'm still rather young,  computers and such never held any interest. Even things like power boats and fast cars. I always preferred the more traditional methods, canoes, pen and paper over email, I do have a car but it's just something to get me places I can't walk to in decent time.
  Especially as an artist I've always been a traditionalist. I think I just prefer to be able to hold art, smell it, feel it as opposed to just looking at it on a computer screen or a print out. Even though I dislike using computers for art I have found it useful to do quick samples when deadlines are crazy.
  One aspect of art I never grasped was the business end. I was always told, "You have to get out there." I had no clue what that meant. Still don't but I think I'm getting the hang of it. And from some prodding by students combined with my own frustration of 'not being out there', I've taken to creating this blog. So bear with me, it could be a while before it's as smooth as others on here.
  But in any case I hope you enjoy it and give me feedback. Who knows maybe I'll get pretty good at this computer stuff. I tell my daughter and my students to never stop learning. So with some hesitation I'm attempting to continue in practicing what I preach, even if it isn't considered traditional to me, as far as the internet goes I guess it is.

T.S.
   These are pen sketches I did about 12 yrs ago. Typical of me I didn't have my sketchbook handy so used a napkin. 
  Always a fan of our history these are ideas I had while reading about the 1812 war between Canada and the U.S.....I wonder where that napkin went?


Below is a small rough oil painting on wood of a trench raid during WWI. Not sure why I opened with these, maybe because Remembrance Day was just a couple of weeks ago.