IF Toy

Bear on a chair. Pen & ink. A5 sketchbook ©Sue Pownall 2010

I'm reposting a drawing from last summer for this week's Illustration Friday as it is one of my favourite drawings I have done.

In a rut

Light sticks ©Sue Pownall 2011

I am currently in a rut. I know what I want to draw and have 2 drawings with their pencil outlines started and tacked to the wall, but do not have the motivation to continue either of them. I'm blaming being sick this last week, although I'm feeling 90% better now. As a motivator, and because the weather is perfect at the moment, I took a late afternoon walk along the length of the Corniche, which I haven't done before. My sketchbook remained in my bag, but I took lots of photos. Here are some of them:

Contemplation ©Sue Pownall 2011

Fishing reflections ©Sue Pownall 2011

Dusk on the Corniche ©Sue Pownall 2011

Think ©Sue Pownall 2011

Realise ©Sue Pownall 2011

"D" ©Sue Pownall 2011

©Sue Pownall 2011

Water reflections red ©Sue Pownall 2011

Water reflections blue ©Sue Pownall 2011

©Sue Pownall 2011

CBD ©Sue Pownall 2011

Icebergs

Storm over Beirut I. watercolour. 320x240mm.©Sue Pownall 2011

Things have been going well recently from my fabulous featured artist spot on art is fun, to my inclusion in the Blog Art Exhibition (see below), and an upcoming interview for a Qatari magazine, which wishes to feature me and my art. Luckily, I have a friend who grounds me. Thursday, I worked on the study above and left it after putting in the sky and the first tones of the sea, leaving rocks unpainted. Friday, said friend pops round and asks "What's this... icebergs?".

That aside, I don't normally need to do studies for the pen & ink work I do as I can see the finished drawing in my head and know how to execute it (although of course it goes through revision as I work on it). However, painting is another matter. I knew I wanted to paint this scene and I have at least two more versions floating around my head. This one has not come out as I intended due to several factors, wrong weight paper being one - I know a poor workwoman blames her tools, but mainly due to my lack of practice and a preference for acrylics, which are unfortunately in Italy. I do like the painterly style, but... I apologise for the poor quality of the copy, I have been ill and didn't want to walk down to the copyshop to scan it.

My part in the Blog Art Exhibition started Friday over on Trade your Talent. It is another focus on my Africa work and sketches, so I guess I need to go back soon as it has been so lucky for me. I'd like to thank Martin of Kalafull for having the faith in my work to invite me to participate in the Muscat exhibition, which led to the finished pieces. Please pop over and check out the exhibition. Thanks Susanna for organising it.

Finally, if you want to receive regular updates on my art, why not like my facebook page? It's here.

Trade Your Talent's blog exhibition spring 2011

This is a great exhibition opportunity being hosted by Trade Your Talent.  It’s worth checking out if you’d like to have your work seen by an international audience, so just click the link to view the exhibition information. I'm in, so keep an eye out for my work there soon.

Thanks to Susan Sorrell Hill of Dream & Vision for sharing this information.

Is sketching an addiction?

Sketching in Le Rouge, Beirut a photo by travelingsuep on Flickr.

In Le Rouge, my friends chatted and I sketched the Lebanese customers whilst we waited for our food.. Got to love paper place mats!

An experiment

After the rain. Calligraphy ink and Pen & ink. 400 x 200mm.©Sue Pownall 2011

WIP Reflection for After the rain.

Having lived in Doha for a while now, I felt I needed to do something more than sketches from here, so back in February I started fiddling with this drawing. It is an experiment based on the idea for the blue ink, which I haven't attempted yet. Initially I was going to ink the sky blue to balance the water but the problem is we don't, generally, have clouds here in Doha and I wanted a vignette effect. I did the reflection first as it was the most scary part. I've been staring at it untouched for nearly 2 weeks now and although I haven't signed it I am counting it as finished - for now.

What do you think, is it finished? Do you think the mix of styles works?

Finally, I want to apologise to everyone who's work I follow regularly, and to
those I pop into for not visiting your blogs recently. I am now limiting my internet time in order to focus on producing finished artwork and to promote myself. For example, I now have a facebook page specifically for finished artwork, which is updated regularly. I will try and visit everyone at least once a week, and please forgive me this neglect. Thank you for your understanding.

Mood

Mood I. Watercolour 240x 320 mm.©Sue Pownall 2011

Beauty & the frizz.

Pedicurist I, Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Qatar is tough on beauty! As the water is desalinated hair rapidly takes on the quality of a brillopad (scouring pad), especially if, like me, you have curly hair. Add to that the constant dust,AC, and heat and you have a recipe for beauty disaster. Being in a new country and shy of hairdressers, who always cut too much off, I haven't had a hair cut here since I left UK in September. Furthermore, I don't have a car and would have to rely on taxis to take me to the out-of-the way salons which were recommended to me as a counter to the "omg how much?" hotel salons. However, yesterday I could not stand the frizz any longer and went around the corner to the local Filipino salon, where, naturally all the length of my hair was removed along with some of the frizz.

Pedicurist II, Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Whilst waiting for my turn, I sketched two of the Filipino pedicurists working on their clients. All the beauticians wear masks as a left over from the H1N1 scare of the other year. Due to this, I found these portraits interesting to draw and was disappointed when I was called for my haircut.