2014 in review and resolutions

One of my last sketches from Oman.

This is how I started the year 2014:

1. I wish to be single-minded with my art by which I mean I will be selfish with my art time and not let people nor events cut into it. The obvious exception is Degas. 
2. I still want to move Degas and I to Barcelona, so will continue to organise my finances, whilst helping my parents.

In order for these to be goals rather than wishes, I have an amount to achieve by October. Also, I am setting aside a minimum 8 hours each weekend for art production. Finally, I want to produce a minimum of 6 ink drawings within the year.

As many of you who regularly follow me know, my year did not go to plan neither personally nor professionally. It was also a year full of highs and lows and I am still struggling for the middle ground.

44th WWSketchCrawl, Portobello Road, London.

I made several trips back and forth between Oman and UK following the hospitalisation then death of my father in January. Then I took 3 months unpaid leave through the summer, to pack up my parents' house, whilst trying to keep my mother happy, and finally moved back to the UK full-time in September. A constant throughout the year has been my guardian angel, Degas, who flew to UK with me in June and loves it here.

What                       Result              Positive thought                           .

Finances?               No                    I do have a lot of air miles though!

Barcelona?              No                  I'm in Europe.

8 hours?                  No    

6 ink drawings?      NO

As you can see above, there are only 3 ink drawings, and 1 ink and watercolour experiment. The ink boat I have just had rescanned and am looking to add some colour to it as it is flat and lacks something, so that's 2 I'm pleased with.

As my resolutions didn't go to plan, what did go well this year?

April, I ran my fourth annual charity event and raised £434.50 both through collecting at the event and an online donation site. All the money went to UNICEF UK's Children of Syria appeal.

Mayor of Colchester looking at my drawing at the opening.

July, My drawing Into the Shadows was juried into the Colchester Art Society's Summer Show.

August, I attended the 5th Urban Sketchers Symposium in Paraty, Brazil. I wrote in my first after-trip post:

"... I am jealous of the sketching others have done in that beautiful country. Whilst I had a fabulous time... I am not very happy with my sketches... obviously workshop sketches are experimentations and are not expected to be great yet... it would be nice." 

I may not have been happy with my sketching, but the wonderful people at the symposium made up for it. I re-met sketcher friends and made new ones. One of my happiest memories is sketching with the Brazilians of the sketching group, Croquis Urbanos Curitiba, on the last day.

With Croquis Urbanos Curitiba.

November, I have been taken on as an art tutor for the charity WEA and had the pleasure of teaching a sector of society I normally would not associate with. I summed up the course in this post, Lessons learnt. I really enjoyed teaching the course, and look forward to teaching more soon.

 So that was my year, now what about 2015?

Art resolutions: 

1. Produce a series of illustrations to be sold as greeting cards.
2. Produce a minimum of 1 fine art piece a month (preferably 2/3 per month).
3. Enter 4 open exhibitions throughout the year.
4. Run 4 art workshops.
5. Participate in a group or solo show.

Marketing & networking resolutions:

1. Post daily on FB page, www.facebook.com/suepownallartist
2. Blog every Saturday or Sunday.
3. Attend 6 networking events.
4. Look at feasability of art fairs.

There are a few other goals I have for my art business, but I won't share them here. Let's see what the year brings.

What about you? Have you reviewed your year or set resolutions? You are welcome to leave a comment or share the link to your post here.

EDiM Part 2

#19 A rope. Ink in A4 sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2014

It's May 31st and the end of another Everyday in May daily challenge. I've completed 26 out of the 31 prompts. I've struggled with some especially as I've wanted to do locational drawings for some of them, but the daytime temperatures here have soared to a massive 50°C (122°F). 

Day 19, above, is one of my favourites. It is incomplete as I had almost finished this old, unloved, rope tug, when Degas decided it was the ONLY toy she had to play with. Right is Degas chewing HER rope.

 

This Chinese cloisonné vase came from a weekend in Beijing. The prompt was something bought on a trip, but I didn't actually buy it, as it was a gift at the factory we visited on the way to The Great Wall by a lovely American lady, who said I couldn't leave without it.

#30 Something bought on a trip ©Sue Pownall 2014

Days: 17, 18, 20, 21 attempts 2 & 3, 23, 25, 26, 27, and 31 ©Sue Pownall 2014

Below is day 29's something in my favourite colour. It is easy to guess my favourite colour just by looking at the work over this month. This blue glass is part of a set I received as a secret santa present and is filled with blue & white sea glass collected  from the beach near my house. I had fun with this using Inktense pencils and watercolour.

#29 Something in my favourite colour ©Sue Pownall 2014

Which of my challenge results do you like best? Why not leave a comment below to tell me?

Preparations for the summer

Ghala Industrial Estate, Muscat

With only 8 sleeps until I leave Oman for the summer, I'm busy sorting out my art equipment to pack. I wanted another yellow and have to thank Liz Steel (www.lizsteel.com) for her great advice. Until I can get to a decent art suppliers, I've raided the Van Gogh watercolour set, which was a gift from last year's Urban Sketchers symposium. I want to test drive some colour choices... I prefer to spend time sketching than mixing colours... plus I've evicted the Winsor & Newton Payne's Grey tube squeezed into an empty halfpan (left of photo) to try the Van Gogh version.

I've had this watercolour box since art college.

Having added new colours, I wanted to paint, so took my sketchbook and paints to the day job. During lunch I sketched from an upstairs window. I didn't realise until I sketched this view, that the cement factory is on a different level. That's the beauty of urban sketching, you really see details.

 I discovered that the Van Gogh Paynes Grey's pigment is less blue than the W&N's. I need to do some more paintings to decide on my final pan, but do like the blueness of W&N.
Which do you prefer? W&N, Van Gogh, or someone else's Payne's Grey? Please tell me in a comment.

Everyday in May 2014: part 1

#8 Something with a mirror image

 As I mentioned in my 1st May post, I'm participating in the Everyday in May (EDiM) daily challenge, which I first did in 2010. As we are halfway through, and I've only skipped 3 challenges so far, I thought I'd post the drawings to date.

Day 8, something with a mirror image, is one of my favourite so far. Degas often sits on the bed and plans mischief with her evil twin. Yesterday's mischief included chewing on the palm tree in the garden. Ink & watercolour from photo reference in A5 sketchbook.

#15 Biscuit

  Day 15, painted today, is another personal favourite. The prompt was "cookie", which in British English is biscuit. The only biscuits in my house are Degas' and I am pleased with the looseness of this pen & watercolour sketch.

Although Degas is a terrible scavenger - dead fish, fish bones, and chicken being her favourites - she takes her time eating her biscuits. She has a terrible habit of getting a mouthful, carrying them to the lounge and dropping them on the mat. I think she prefers to eat in the same room as me, even though she can see me from the kitchen.

Below are my other drawings to date. As you can see, I've have been experimenting with techniques and materials from the very precise to loose with ink, pencils and/or paint.

Days: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 13,14 & 16

A week of sketches

 First, 23rd April and trying to paint the stormy sunset with Degas on the lead on Qantab beach looking west to the mountains.

Next, 24th April, Sultan Qaboos Highway & Ministries District from NTI building in Al Khuwair. It is unfinished, there are buildings missing in the background, as I had to go to a meeting. 

Then that evening, I drew the peel of an Egyptian clementine.

Finally, today 1st May, and the first of the EDiM (Everyday in May) challenges: a window. This is my kitchen window through the kitchen door.

All in my Stillman & Birn, Gamma series, A5 sketchbook. A free gift at last year's USk Symposium.

If you want to join in EDiM, the facebook group is here.
The flickr group is here.

Sketch Muscat for Charity & WWSketchCrawl #43

Nonwaterproof ink & watercolour

Saturday was my fourth annual charity event. It started with an idea from Enrico Casarosa, creator of Worldwide SketchCrawl, who suggested that the 2011 April SketchCrawl should be a benefit drawing marathon for Japan's Tsunami relief. I arranged an event in Doha and on a rainy day, a small group of us gathered to sketch. With sponsorship and donations from participants, we raised US$470.

1 cityscape, 3 versions

After the success of that event, I decided to do something annually choosing a different charity each time. 
In 2012, I organised Sketch Muscat to raise funds for the Omani Cancer Association. I chose a cancer charity partially as a local charity (I'd moved countries) but mainly as I had a friend who was going through treatment for breast cancer and it is partially due to her awareness and quick action (& good medical treatment) that she received an all-clear. That time US$430 was raised.

The crane drove off before I could finish!

Last year, I chose a small local charity, Awladna, to raise funds for their children's road safety campaign. We raised a massive US$530 with which the charity bought children's bicycle helmets. Which leads me to this year and helping more children, but this year the funds are in aid of UNICEF's #ChildrenofSyria appeal. Living in the Middle East this is something that is regional, but I feel we should help to stop children's suffering wherever we live. 

With Alexandra Höpfner of MuscArt at Sketch Muscat for Charity

As this year seems hotter than the last two, I approached the gallery manager of MuscArt to see if I could use their gallery as the venue, which the owner quickly agreed too. It is a great space with duel aspect windows on to the cityscape and we set up still-lifes inside too. I love that my Sketch Muscat events attract children. This was by Khalid, aged 12

and this by 5 year old Dareen.

As well as collecting at the event, I set up a donation site, which remains open until July.
 So far I've raised $276 (£164.50) there, but would appreciate more donations. Please click the link:
  fundraise.unicef.org.uk/MyPage/Sue-Pownalls-annual-fundraiserSketch-Muscat-for-Charity

Here are the event totals:

 The donation site funds go direct to: UNICEF UK 
The money raised at the event will be presented by cheque to UNICEF Middle East and North Africa 's Oman office. 
*****  

 WWSketchCrawl #43: 

As people here are reluctant to visit different locations to sketch, I did a quick sketch at home before I nervously went to see if anyone would turn up for the event. On my return, I got out my sketchbook but Degas demanded attention after being left all day, so I ended up with a 2 point SketchCrawl. I used Van Gogh watercolours (from #uskbcn2013) as my W&N were already packed in my bag. The actual painting is a lot brighter than it seems in this photo.

Garden pARTy

 I issued an invitation to some of my friends to a little art event at my home. Although it was a garden party, as this year is incredibly hot already, we were inside.

   My lovely friend Elena is a choreographer and former ballerina and I asked her if she would model for us. Over the afternoon we sketched a series of short poses 1, 5 and 10 minutes, which really made us focus.

 

 My assistant was very keen to help and checked drawings, equipment, stopped Elena getting bored, (photos on facebook page) and even did some modeling. Unfortunately she couldn't hold a pose for more than 5 seconds.

Quick pose from Elena & Degas (5 seconds)

Quick pose 2 (2 seconds)

I used Inktense pencils in an A4 Daler Ebony sketchbook and Elena is so flexible that some poses she struck seemed impossible, and looked very strange in the drawings, even when accurate.

Elena with disconnected arm.

 *****
My fundraiser in aid of UNICEF's #childrenofsyria appeal is this Saturday!
Full details are here: SketchMuscatforCharity

See you there or you can donate here on my UNICEF Fundraiser page:
Sue-Pownalls-annual-fundraiserSketch-Muscat-for-Charity

A week's sketches

Pencil & watercolour in A5 Stillman & Birn

Some of my friends not only sketch daily, but produce numerous sketches at a sitting. I'm not like that. I find a hundred things to keep me and my sketchbook apart, from the numerous daily walks with Degas, to social media, checking blogs, tv, reading... blah blah blah.  If I do sketch, then scanning is another issue. However, like this morning, when I do scan I don't always like the results and so snap a photo, as I have with the two watercolours. I have found that when my laptop is already in my studio then scanning is easier - so there's my excuse to buy a tablet and leave it there. Now, how to schedule more sketching time??? I've signed up for the Urban Sketchers' Symposium in August, so there's a start.

A5 sketchbook. ink & watercolour

First up in my sketchbook was last Saturday's sketch. Whilst waiting for my friend to arrive, so we could visit the Royal Academy's Sensing Spaces exhibition, I sketched the people enjoying the spring sunshine.

Next, having not seen daffodils for many years (I don't count those in florists) and inspired by Jean Haines' watercolours, I decide to paint some I picked from mum & dad's garden.

Watercolour with no predrawing

Lastly, I sketched the fluffy bone I gave Degas as her present for being good whilst I was away. I gave it to her yesterday, so she unstuffed and desqueeked one end, then I drew it.
*****
How often do you sketch? Why not tell me here.

Chewed stuff 1 - for Jana

In January, I read that Jana of JanasJournal had rescued a 5 month old pup. Since then she's been posting regularly on the things Millie chews, both allowed and not, and I have been sharing Degas stories in my comments. The other day she wrote "(it) would definitely be fun to see Degas’ finds, destructed bits and favorite chews as sketched by you".

So last night, I started to sketch Degas' purple Teddy. She has several as I bought them cheaply in the local supermarket. She always chews off the eyes and noses before either eating an ear or leg. Unfortunately, Degas came and took it away before I finished and had a quick chew at it, which is when I took this photo (I think the flash was on, so bleached it). Later, I went into the incomplete sketch with a waterbrush (top).

More use of inktense pencils, but I'm not sure about this Stillman & Birn sketchbook. I have been hearing and seeing many rave reviews of it, but the grain surprised me yesterday. I am used to sketching on smooth surfaces. Obviously as this is only page 2 of 124, I will have many times to either get used to it and/or find a way to work on this surface.

Previous drawn chewed items include Degas' blue teddy from the December post Catch up: A month of sketches.

This box is from the September post Boxes Beware.

 Finally, a teabag from May, in the post Snow in Oman (check out the post for why there was snow.)

Degas favourite things to chew are the plants in the garden. I haven't drawn any as I usually just evict them from the house, where Degas has brought them in through her dogflap.

Degas' favourite chew things are my plants.

Degas came into my life on April 1st 2013. The year has been fraught at times as she has grown large (and is still growing) and is both boisterous and wilful. I have replaced all my bedding as it's got holed through chewing. Degas continues to steal clothing: last night alone she has chewed through the straps of a T-shirt and has been chased this morning for a dropped item of laundry (although these events are rarer now). Despite training, she chooses when to return to me on walks and tows me down the beach to see her friends.

However, for every little negative she has enriched my life a hundredfold. I return from work to big greetings and cuddles, and regardless of my day all problems are forgotten as we step onto the beach. I may find it hard to work on my drawings as she gets bored and demands attention, but she is also inspiration for sketches from these chewed things to her beautiful face. I have watched her grow from a timid pup on the street, into a beautiful young dog who likes nothing better than running down the beach.

 I am truly blessed she chose to come home with me.

woo hoo it's back giveaway

To celebrate my website being back up I am going to give away TWO limited edition Fine Art Giclée prints complete with Fine Art Trade Guild logo.

1. You need to sign up to my newsletter on the site: suepownallartist.co.uk

2. You have to like my facebook page: facebook.com/suepownallartist

The first print will go to the 1000th liker of my page.

To be fair to those who already like my page, a random number generator will draw the 2nd from existing page likers.

BUT to win you must like my page and be signed up for my newsletter.

Degas is a star!

Fishing shed & boat hoist.

This morning, Degas allowed me to sit for 15 minutes on this non-waterproof ink & watercolour sketch on our village's beach. My first urban(ish) sketch with my young dog. 

Below is the photographic proof :)

 Can you sketch with your pets?