Saturday, September 25, 2010

Composite creatures

Strangely enough, I used to make drawings, pictures, images of animals combined with humans.  Recently, I've been drawing cats.  Tonight, one of them turned kind of human and here she is:


She looks a little bewildered,  Please don't mind the blue stuff around the edge. That's just tape protecting the paper.

I think I might be doing new stuff.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Knew I'd have to play with stuff

Here's a bit of playing with a drawing.  I can see it needs more work around the neck.  We'll see how she goes.
It's frustrating that I can't get these photos to show the right red.

Nah. Frankly this looks crap.  Much better in reality.  Ah well. The restrictions and challenges of ....

Tonight's challenge

Haven't done much (apart from play with the last drawing) for the last few days.  Just know I'm going to end up with black fingernails tonight.

Looking forward to it.

Monday, September 20, 2010

And an attempt at ....

Cill, before there is colour introduced.


Having fun with the process.

But she looks a bit like Marlon Brando in The Godfather.

New Blue Cat

Here she is with a little embellishment.


and flare from the sealant.  Oh well.

She's one of the four going to Canberra in October.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Drawing done with cat interfering

Her's the attempt at Cill


If she'd stop knocking my hands, it would probably be far more representative.

Weird creature.

More job attempts

Only did one drawing this week.  It was so awful, I squished it and chucked it in the recycle bin.  Looked like something by the people who do South Park.

Had an appointment to talk to someone about my CV and WHY THE HELL CAN'T I GET A JOB!  Haven't had much good advice about this so far.  Apparently I am overqualified.  For gawd's sake! I wouldn't apply for the jobs if I didn't want them.  My quals are irrelevant. 

Have set up the drawing board and am going to work on this shot next:


Love the way it makes her head look huge.  She's a pretty brainy cat.

Still making bags and looking into doing market stall stuff.  They don't seem to have a selection process.  Just turn up with a table and $15!  Will do so in a couple of weeks.

First cat drawing went to her new home in Bathurst this week.


I hope she and her new family are very happy together.

Am now being entertained by Dusty attempting to scratch her way through the cat drawings on the screen.  Wonder what that's all about.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Self Employment

I've been looking for a job recently, without much success.  I've had a vague plan for ages of making things and selling them at one of the local markets.

To this end, I've finally got around to making a few bags.  I was recently sent a batch of upholstery fabric samples and these are good and sturdy and seem to work well.

Here's the result so far:


I'd also like to print on some plain bags.  I'm working on designs based on some of my drawings, and yes, there will be cats.  Other subjects will include the local Tasmanian wildlife and landscape.  I live quite close to Mt Roland
 
 Image borrowed from www.sheffieldcradleinfo.com.au

and it's a pretty spectacular backdrop for everything.  It would work well as it has a great silhouette. Will post more as they develop.

In the lead up to Christmas and also the tourist season, I think these might be a bit of a winner.  I can but try.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Scary Cat in a scary environment.....

Here's another, very rough and ready and nowhere near finished.

And here are some other bits and pieces.  Drawings based on ikat weaving and dying techniques combined with traditional weaves from a variety of sources.

I called the series Danish, Swedish, Uzbek Ikat.  Danish, because I'm half a Dane.  Swedish, because some of the imagery, particularly the crosses, came from traditional Swedish weave patterns.  The Uzbek was because the whole series was inspired by Uzbek Ikat and the colours found in their silk weaves.

Love working in pastels.  I'm currently mostly working on the cats. (I spend a lot of time at home and they are constant companions.)  I'm really working on facial expressions.  I want an audience to be able to read a little bit of the character of the animals.