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.

Pots, animals and smoke.

Pots. Pen & ink. A5 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Yesterday, with friends I went to visit a Qatari farm. Naturally, I had my sketch book with me and whilst people chatted around me I drew a couple of the pots.

Qatari farm with desert scenery behind.©Sue Pownall 2011

Look at me! I am so pretty. ©Sue Pownall 2011

My best profile. ©Sue Pownall 2011

Earlier in the week, I was early to meet friends at Kempinski's bar, so whilst I sat in an alcove I sketched a man sitting on a bar stool smoking. As you can see, he finished smoking before I finished drawing that arm and he didn't smoke another until after my friends arrived.

Smoking in Kempinski's. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

FEATURED ARTIST!!!!!

www.art-is-fun.com

Artist Thaneeya McArdle created the website art is fun in order to share her enthusiasm for art, while spreading useful and valuable knowledge. I have had the privilege of being chosen by her to be a featured artist because of my pen and ink work. You can view the page by clicking this link:

Pen and Ink Artwork by Sue Pownall: Realistic Ink Drawings from Around the World


Please also check out Thaneeya's fabulous artwork on her site: www.thaneeya.com

A struggle

A Saiq window. Pen & ink 260x 260 mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011

This piece, which I finally finished Saturday, was the piece I started at the beginning of the year and boy have I struggled with it. For such a simple subject matter it has given me a huge headache. I guess because I knew exactly how I wanted it to be.

I must give a BIG THANK YOU to Cathy Holtom of Down a dusty lane as she provided me with some fabulous reference photos for the rope. The little bit of rope tired to the window bar, such a little detail in the whole drawing, has been the reason the drawing stalled. After receiving the photos from Cathy I amalgamated two of them a drew in the rope in pencil, then got scared, and stopped work on it. It then remained tacked on the wall for a long time. Earlier this week, I inked it in and drawing resumed albeit slowly. On top of this mental drawing block, the paper, which is a little old, but has worked fine with the last few A3 drawings, has begun to degrade. This degradation has led to clogging nibs and ink spots. Good job the subject could take them.

Finally, a question: Does it count as urban decay if it has always looked like that?

IF Sweater

Sweater II. W&N Calligraphy ink on drawing paper. 290 x 210mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011

After giving myself a headache with the joint concentration of finishing a pen and ink drawing and using new glasses, which are too strong, I thought I would have some fun. I have an idea for a drawing, which needs some blue ink, so after buying the blue I wanted plus some yellow, I sat down to draw my discarded jumper (UK for sweater). For the first version I drew directly on watercolour paper with an ink pen. Then I used a brush to slosh the coloured inks on mixing on the paper. I wasn't sure I liked how the paper soaked up the ink, so I did version 2 without any pre-drawing on smooth drawing paper.

Sweater I. W&N Calligraphy ink on watercolour paper. 290 x 210mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011

 In case you can't recognise it as a sweater, here is a photo.

I'm not sure which version I prefer, so I posted them both. What do you think?

Out of the handbag

Mariam in presentation. Pen &  ink A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011    

I keep an A6 sketchbook permanently in my handbag and pull it out at odd moments. As I am trying to reduce my internet time in order to gain some drawing time I have not been posting as each one is completed. Here are a selection of recent pictures from work:

Jamie moderating. Pen & ink, A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Boring presentation. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Khalid writing. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

Hamad's presentation. Pen & ink. A6 Sketchbook.©Sue Pownall 2011

18th Green

18th Green. Pen & watercolour incomplete sketch A5.©Sue Pownall 2011

Yesterday, I went to the Qatar Masters golf tournament. I am not really interested in golf, but it was a good opportunity to get outside and see some greenery; perfect weather at the moment around 25c.

This sketch was done quickly from the Al Jazeera hospitality suite and I added the watercolour at home later.

IF Surrender

Surrender. Watercolour 240 x 320 mm. ©Sue Pownall 2011

Sometimes we have to surrender ourselves to the reality of life, that responsibilities occasionally stop us doing exactly what we would like to, when we want to. This IF prompt came on Friday whilst I was in the turmoil of trying to decide if I could take a job, which is nearer to where I want to be, mentally & spiritually, but had to resign myself to the fact that the next move/change would have to wait awhile yet.

Usually as a realist, I struggle with a theme like this, with my head filling with obvious images such as soldiers with their hands up surrendering to the other side etc., but this image was there instantly including how to illustrate it. Whilst I am surrendering to the inevitability of life's constraints which are out of my control, which feels like sinking beneath the sea, I can release my creative side to produce this loose, inaccurate colour painting as I break loose of my normal precise line drawings. Freedom.