Sketchbook Thread of Frejasphere

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi Annette…

Hey… Nice concepts…I can definitly relate to the last one, from my own personal life experience…He already has that emotion going on in his eyes…Can’t wait to see where you go with it…An expressionistic painting style is fitting for the concept…Raw Emotion.
The top pieces put me in mind of Georga Okeef and her flower paintings,…but daring to do with them, what she dared not do…
Your daughters piece…She’s going to love it when she is about twenty… and see’s that ancient old fashioned technology that she was using…Will probably find it most amusing…LOL:)
Keep up the Great works and concepts Annette…and most of all…Enjoy it…
Take Care
Glenn

[Frejasphere]

Hi Glenn

Thanks for popping in here - and for your comments too I remember studying Georgia O’Keeffe when we were doing Post modernism at art school; she produced some wonderful work - and there are quite a few really good B&W portrait photos of her as well (I just discovered ). Oh and the illustration below the paintings is of my BOY - he sometimes gets mistaken for being a girl, so doesn’t mind - he just loves his hair long (and so does his mum) :).

It’s been a busy week, but I’ve got a small update on my peaceful warrior - Although I’m making this one up as I go, there’s a definite ‘picture’ in my head - and as I can see a sort of scenery surrounding him, I need to add this to the painting… Imagine trying to extend the size of a traditional canvas (that’s how triptychs can evolve I guess ;)).

Just a start on the background…

cheers and take care
a.

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi Annette…

Sorry about the mistake in identity with your son…I’m just getting old I guess :eek: , because I read that he was your son earlier on, but forgot as I wrote what I wrote…By the way,…I like long hair …haven’t cut my own in years…

I like where you are going with your latest…and still think that it’s a GREAT CONCEPT…A much needed in this day and age…counter punch to those who profit from and thus glorify War and Battle:thumbsup:
Looking forward to seeing where this concept of yours leads you to…

Take Care Annette
Glenn

[Jho]

Hi Annette, I finally decided to visit, sorry it took me so long.
I love all the new stuff, really colorful and atmospheric.
People also used to think I was a girl, mostly when they only saw me from behind and before I grew a beard. A (also long haired) friend of mine told me someone once squeezed his butt while riding past on a bicycle and almost fell off his bike when he a moment later turned his head and saw that the girl whose ass he had just grabbed had a long beard

I don’t know if this makes any sense to you if you haven’t ever watched IT Crowd, but I just can’t help grinning every time I hear “vagina monologues” (wait, it’s dialogues this time). In one episode the main character takes some (very old style, stereotypical) businessmen to see a vagina monologues show and they get trown out for misbehaving and one of the businessmen says “Next time you take us to something about talking fannies
it better be about talking fannies.”
Sorry, I didn’t mean to degrade the seriousness of the issue of violence against women or anything like that, it just made me smile out loud a bit when I remembered the scene.

I can identify with the subject a little bit as I have witnessed a birth, and it was a grand moment in my life, even though I wasn’t the one doing all the work. It still renders me speechless when I think about it. My wife lost a lot of blood and it took a long time but in the end the most magical thing happened.
I can definitely see these things might be a bit personal hard to put on canvas but I’m glad you did.

Aw man, I’m just babbling and saying almost nothing about your work, sorry.
I really like the way you use colors, especially in the vagina dialogue pictures, it’s all beautiful reds and blues. I love it how you only used green a little and when it’s used it really stands out. Similarly in the latest piece the golden part of the robe really attracts the attention and for that reason and also because the face of the character is so light and the background is so dark, the eye naturally goes where it’s supposed to. The little river or waterfall in the mountains is awesome, I had to look at the picture for a little bit to notice it, but after I’ve seen it once it grabs my eye every time. The guy’s jaw seems a bit too long, but I think it also gives some more character to him.

[Frejasphere]

Hi Guys

Back for another update - it is a madly busy time of the year, my son is finishing primary school tomorrow (read proud and emotional mum), which has involved lots of presentations over the last 2 weeks. Also for some reason we always get a lot of companies deciding to update their websites just before the holidays… so work gets busy - leaving less time for art…

Glenn
Thank you for popping in here again - please don’t worry about the mistaken identity - Ben is very cool about it (much more than I was at his age). For some reason I can imagine you with long hair, it must filter through somehow… Thanks for your comments on my WIP painting too, there’s still a fair way to go - but I’m hoping to get close to the picture I have in my head… I will be really glad if the message “That it takes strength and power to step away from the destruction of war and conflict” can speak for itself when I’m done

Jho
Glad to see you pop in here - and thank you so much for your comments! I do love rambling! And - I have laughed my head off at many IT Crowd episodes, so I know exactly where you are coming from I was thinking only yesterday how close together many BIG emotions sit… Sadness and Laughter for example… During one of the school presentations one of the teachers choked up and had to stop talking because she was crying (proud and sad to see her year 6 kids move on to high school)… anyway - being emotional I teared up too, but felt on the edge of bursting out laughing at the same time… a bit like the inappropriate hysterical laugh at a funeral. I think that some really serious things in life hit home just as well, if not better, when seen from a humorous angle… I have always had this dreadful habit of associating one thing with a completely random ‘other’ thing, like the way you leaped from Vagina Dialogues to the IT Crowd…, and while the 2 aren’t technically related - the mind-jumping makes perfect sense and in a way lets you absorb the meaning in a more memorable way (if that makes sense) - Gosh now I’m really rambling! Sorry…

Thanks too for your comments on my WIP painting - I do feel I have some work to do on his face, so I’ll keep your comment about his jaw in mind. I do have a habit of ‘elongating’ faces (and skewing eyes) - sometimes it works, but mostly it just annoys me when I look at a drawing or painting later… Really appreciate your feedback!

I found this project online, which you might like… It’s called The Sketchbook Project… you register (between I think $40 - $70, depending on what you select) and then they send you a sketchbook, which you fill with drawings, sketches, ideas, paintings - and send back before the 30th April 2012… Your sketchbook then becomes part of an exhibition and catalogued in the brooklyn Art library. I registered a few weeks ago - and my sketchbook arrived in the mail the other day - so now I definitely have to find time to fill it :arteest: :argh: The book itself is quite small: 13 x 18cm, but I think it will be a fun project. Check it out at the Arthouse Co-op here :).

Update:
I’ve done a little more on the background (I actually made a brush for the soldiers, I want them to be more like a destructive ‘mob’ rather than thinking individuals - so I figured a mass production through the use of a custom ‘soldier’ brush would work…).

Hope you’re all well - and take care!
a

[Frejasphere]

I hope everyone has had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! & wish you all the best for the new year just around the corner

I’ve started the Sketchbook project (which I mentioned earlier), the book arrived in the post just before Christmas - it’s a tad smaller than I was expecting, and the paper is a little thinner than I’d hoped :argh: but it’s still very inspiring (and like they say, you’re free to add your own paper and ‘rebind’ the book in any way you like, as long as it keeps to their set dimensions). I probably will play around with some other paper, but being impatient I wanted to get stuck into the project straight away. The idea of filling a sketchbook is inspiring in itself - and for this project I’ve set myself a loose theme based around “Every Picture tells a Story”.

Here’s what I’ve got for the first page…

And… the Queen of chess wields her power (liquid and pen ink, definitely struggled with the limitations of the paper here…) - the thought behind this one being that the world would be a better place if battles were fought on boards

After scanning this one I worked on it in Photoshop a bit:

And… Do you see what I see? (ink pen, pencil & coloured pencil) - based on the idea that we all see things differently.

I’ve started the next one - while listening to my son read Bram Stoker’s Dracula today… update to follow

Cheers all and take care!
a

[krispee]

Hi Annette
you always have some very thought provoking work here, well done, hope the sketchbook project works out, nothing like a deadline to make you get down and put the work in…
and all the best for the coming year in Oz too…

Kris

[Frejasphere]

Hi all

Thanks for your comments Kris and for popping back in here for a visit You’re right about deadlines being inspiring! All the best to you for the new year too

I finished the Dracula drawing today - so just a quick update as we’re about to watch a movie with the kids :wavey:

Pen & ink - from imagination while listening to Ben read about Dracula

cheers all and take care
a

[Frejasphere]

I’ve done 2 more drawings in the Sketchbook Project - I’m finding that the concept of ‘every picture tells a story’ is literally creating an avalanche of ideas in my head These 2 latest ones are reflections on society today… I am a person that tends to avoid watching too much news (the visual imagery affects me badly) strangely I can cope with scary movies but not with the real stuff… I also find it saddening that so many people today are prepared to go under the knife to change the way they look…

That was the ‘ramble’ on the drawings from me Pen & ink (both) and a bit of coloured pencil thrown in. The paper is a little thin for painted medium.

Worlds Apart - “Famine in Sudan reaches catastrophic proportions… while her only concern is to have to get up to reach the next packet of chips.”

Natural Beauty = Priceless - "$41,154 won’t buy you a happy smile… "

Hope you’re all well & take care
a.

[SpiritDreamer]

Hey Annette.:wavey: …Happy New Year to You and Yours…

You are getting some really nice concepts going on in these last few pieces…I especally enjoyed the last two…Spot on, in the contrast concepts… They cut as sharp and to the point as the scalpal that does the cutting in that last one posted.
On your chess players sceen…It put me in mind of the old Greek Gods myth of the Gods sitting up ontop of Mount Olympus and getting bored every once in awhile…so they end up playing chess with the mortals down below on Earth…One God says to the other God…hey lets break up this boredom, and have a game of war on this chess board…letting all of the mortals do the dirty work for us of course…Because those sitting in high places are far and above getting their own hands dirty,… or bloody for that matter…and some things never change,…those in high places, hidden from view still weild the power over kings, queens , pawns, and all in between.
Might be interesting to have a couple of big hands on ether side of that board in your chess concept…Just thinking out loud here again Annette…
As Always Annette…Take Care…and Keep Inspired and Inspiring…
Glenn

[Frejasphere]

Hi all

Thanks for your comments Glenn, and for visiting :wavey: I do like the idea of the ancient Greek Gods sitting on Olympus and using humans as pawns in their leisurely game of chess… Imagine if one of the pawns actually looked up - saw what was going on, and then walked off the board to a life of freedom and own choices…

I was browsing through one of my art books today and found a small photo of the sculpture Eternal Springtime by August Rodin. I really like it, so I did a pencil sketch - the photo is about passport size & the sketch is on A4 paper using a soft mechanical pencil (3B). My husband came up with this Magritte inspired title while I was drawing: “This is a drawing of a photo of a sculpture of two people”…

cheers all and take care
a.

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi Annette.:wavey:

Nice job on that drawing…

About the pawns walking off of the chess board…Great thought there. But I think that the Gods on Mt Olympus keep/kept a huge fly swatter handy for such ocassions… :banghead:
Take Care Annette
Glenn

[Frejasphere]

Hi all

Oh Glenn you make me laugh! The fly swatter definitely conjures up a hilarious image!
Thanks for popping in

I’ve done another sketch in my book - this one is trying to capture the feeling of being under water - although it’s sort of a cross between observing and being there, if that makes sense… I love swimming - being surrounded by water, cut off from everything else, is blissful - and although it’s all about constant motion, following that black line up and down the pool, is probably my best form of ‘meditation’

cheers all and take care.
a

[Frejasphere]

Hi all…

I finally finished and sent my sketchbook off to the US… it’s been a busy mad time trying to meet that deadline along with finishing paintings for my exhibition… Although posting WIPs is a great way to get fresh objective views on where different pieces are heading - I sometimes need to just put my head down (computer silence) and finish the work before I can even begin to think what to say about it…

So… here are the final pages of my sketchbook:

Going Home - there is something about the ocean I find quite magic…

Anxiety - this is a pencil sketch for a painting

Polarity - another sketch for a painting I was working on

Tranquillity - sketch for third painting in the series…

Myths and Imagination - where inspiration comes from… (pen & ink drawing)

Life Journey - Myths and stories help me visualise forces in life and death

The Duality of Life and Death - graphite and coloured pencil.

Windows of Opportunity - pen, graphite and coloured pencil

Bargaining with the Time Lord - As I run out of time I often dream of striking a bargain with
the elusive lord of time…

Keys to Art - Imagination, Inspiration & Creativity…

Exhibition work is finished too (drying) & I will post images in my next update…

I hope you’re all well - unfortunately I’ve used up all my ‘images’ so I cannot sign off with a smiley face - but it’s definitely there in thought!
a.

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi Annette :wavey:

Luvin all of those concepts…All great ideas for subject paintings…subject being your own feelings in visual form regarding the subject, which is you…

Wishing you the best of luck in the outcome of your showing… :arteest:

As Always…Take Care Annette,…and Keep Inspired and Inspiring…Always…

Glenn

[Frejasphere]

Thanks Glenn for stopping by with your encouraging comments

Hoping all is well your end :wavey:
a

[Frejasphere]

In between other things I’ve been doing some pencil drawings - both using photographs as a reference, both done using my much loved Caran d’Ache fixpencil (3mm 6B), I like the softer (darker) lead, because you can sharpen it to get detail, but you also get nice dark tone without having to push through the paper

cheers all and take care
a.

[SpiritDreamer]

HEY Annette

I like those last two drawings that you posted…they capture alot of emotion , mood, and feeling.
I was just thinking that maybe use a variety of leads,…from the soft 6b as you have done,…for the recessed and shadow areas,…and then a harder lead for the raised surfaces and areas that catch more light…and only leaving a tiny, tiny area untounched by lead where the highlight happens…A gradual transition of gradation from darkest darks to lightest lights kind of system of rendering approach…Takes a little longer, but is well worth it in the end…for these kind of drawings that you are doing with pencil.
Anyway,…just a passing thought on my part that may be useful to you…who knows…

Hope all is well with you and yours over in your neck of the woods. and as always Take Care and Keep Inspired and Inspiring Annette…
Glenn

[Frejasphere]

Thank you Glenn Great to have you pop in and say hi good point with the different leads, variation is always a good way to create more depth and contrast. All is well here, busy (as usual) and cold (winter) - but still good - Hope all is well your end too!

Here’s another drawing - revisiting a face I’ve drawn before… (seems I’m stuck in fantasy land judging by the subjects I’m choosing lately…)

cheers all and take care
a.

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