New month - new art journal

Hi everyone,

It has been quiet on the blog front but I have been busy. As Spring is starting to bloom and the evenings are becoming lighter, I have started a new art journal and painted several new canvases this month.

R and I also decided to start an Instagram account called #andyandrachael where we try to post daily photographs of projects and things that inspire us. Please feel free to check it out if you are interested. We would love to see you there...

Here are a few photographs of the journal so far:

As you all know, nature is a big source of inspiration of mine and this has crept inside the journal

I was really inspired when I revisited the paintings I created on Flora Bowley's ecourse Bloom True last year and this double page spread reflects that inspiration.

                       

This source of inspiration continued further last weekend when I added to some new canvases  It felt brilliant to be working on canvas again and to watch how they are developing (as well as getting messy!). Lucky for me, my wife is very supportive when I am in the painting zone!!! 

Hope that Spring is inspiring you too.

Andy

It's all in Black and White

Hi Everyone,

What a week it has been. There was family to catch up with, and lots to do around the house. While sorting out our studio, I found a little treasure that I would like to share with you.

It is a small sketchbook that I created ten years ago at the start of my teaching career. Back then, I took the train to work and I would spend that time drawing and sketching. It is interesting to look back and see the symbols I created and to now think of how they may have influenced my more modern sketches.

Looking at these I can see a fossil influence, especially in this section of the first sketch. 

The first image shows an Ammonite and the second has an Ortheceras influence 

All of these were done with Biro to give a good gradient with tones. It is amazing how the tones and colours can vary when using just a black Biro. It all depends on the manufacturer. I have a collection of about ten Biros from different companies and each one is different.

The above sketches then developed into these drawings.

Looking at some of my more modern sketches, I have noticed that the same symbols are starting to creep in. I have even observed that they have started to show up in my paintings too.

I am also busily painting and will share these with you soon. I am at the stage of adding layers of colour and applying the details.

I have loved having an Arty Summer and hope that it will continue now that the 'Man Cave' is completed.

Enjoy these last few days of summer.

Andy

Scavenger Hunt C

Hi everyone

It has been a busy week with lots of toing and froing. I am glad of a few days at home and have been working on another post for Rinda's 2013 Scavenger Hunt. I have tried something new with layouts. What do you think? I found the layout on pixelscrapper.com designed by Brooke Gazarek. It's a great site to visit.

Today's theme: Out and About

As you know, if you are a regular reader of this blog, we visited family in West Sussex over the summer holiday. While we were there, we had a few outings, including one to Russell's Garden Centre, which is a favourite of ours.

And GunWharf Quays in Portsmouth where we saw a ship shaped bench that has a wonderful history. 

These candles were spotted in John Lewis, which is new homeware store in Chichester and where we love to window shop. Wish there was a store near us in Kent (John Lewis take note!). 

While travelling through Chichester, we saw something rather unexpected on the top of Beaver Tool Hire. They always do something unusual, like a Darth Vader for the Starwars 25th Anniversary, or Santa stuck in a chimney for Christmas. I tried my best to get a photograph through the car window, but what you don't see is the baby jumping up and down in the pram. You can just see it's tiny hand in the top right picture. I love the wheel-barrow display too. 

We have also spent some days exploring our local area, visiting several beaches and other wildlife attractions that are to be found around the Thanet and Dover district in Kent. 

As we don't have a pet and the wildlife around us always seems to be awake, 

I was wondering what I could photograph for my napping subject.  This father and son were captured fast asleep while we were taking a walk along Deal's coastline. 

The next set of photographs were taken at Wingham Wildlife Park, which is not far from where we live. We are lucky to have a few animal parks around us, which I love to visit, that have animals of all sizes. This love stems from childhood visits and watching and observing nature. I hope to go back again but remember my sketchbook next time!

And lastly, the photographs below are of the Fire Engines' Warehouse, which is connected to Manston Airport, which is not far from where we live. I added on the children's ride as I couldn't resist the temptation to have a go on it myself. My wife says that I am a big kid at heart, which she loves about me at times and makes her laugh!

Hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed scavenging and hunting over the last month. I can't wait to post again soon. I have some towers and castles to show you spotted at a recent wedding reception. 

Until the next time, have a good week. 

Andy

Art that Sells - weeks 4 and 5

Hi Everybody

I hope that this posting finds you all well. It has been great to have the time to create so many blog posts. The summer holidays are racing by.

As promised, here are the two final assignments of the Lilla Rogers Make Art That Sells e-course. 

In week 4, we were asked to produce a piece of wall art. It  had to have very specific colours and the starter activity was to gather collections that demonstrated those colour combinations. This was a fun activity.

Over the course of that week, I produced my canvas using these colours. This was a definite challenge for me. I have to admit using these colours together was not a natural thing for me, though I did warm to them in the end. I also used stamping techniques on the canvas to create texture. This was also a first for me but I was pleased with the end results.

The only thing that I would change about this painting is the text. I don't usually use text on an image, as I like people to look at my paintings and make up their own minds about its subject matter. On review, I am going to remove the text and I will post the results at a later date. It was really interesting to look into the wall art market, and to think about the type and styles of work that people will buy to place in frames and hang.

As a side line to the painting, I created three collages. Originally they were going to be part of the painting and although I didn't use them in the end, I do like them and may make some more for another project. With art, nothing is ever wasted!

In week 5, the last week of the course, we were asked to create a 'lush' design that could be used on a range of gifts. The starter activity was to create images of our personal collections. I think I have mentioned before on this blog that I have a big passion for fossils, minerals and natural forms, so I produced drawings and photographs from my collection.

At this stage, I wasn't quite sure how to interpret a 'lush' design but I then came up with the idea of inserting my fossil drawings into images of bottles I have also collected and this created a busy, colourful design. To do this, I had to use Photoshop and Illustrator, the effect is certainly very different than my normal use of drawing and paint.

Here's a section of my final design. 

It was great to do something different and fascinating to read the enormous amount of information provided by Lilla. 

In respect of the course I found it very challenging, as several of the assignments were outside of my normal area of expertise, but I enjoyed being stretched out of my comfort zone. I am now able to view art in a much larger picture seeing it applied to the variety of goods for which Lilla Rogers is an agent. If any of you want to make art to sell, I cannot recommend this course enough. Each area of the market place is thoroughly covered by examples, interviews and contacts. Mind-blowing information from which I have gained so much. Thanks to Lilla and Beth for this amazing course.

I hope that you have found this interesting. I will post again soon with the latest developments from the Man Cave.

Andy

Whats new in my cabinet?

Hello everyone,

I have been working on my 'Cabinet of Curiosities' and here are some more of my recent images. I am really enjoying expanding on the story of evolution in my sketchbook. It makes me think straight away as to how it relates to my ever growing collection of objects and the time it takes to nurture it.

This is only a small selection of my objects!

Sharks teeth!

These are some of my bugs (insects) mixed media images:

The above two drawings started life as mono prints, then collage and a Sharpee pen added.

I could not resist painting this bug. Trying to get his colour just right was a bit of a headache but layering the colours works perfectly.

Please check the Sketchbook Challenge website out. It is very interesting to see everyone's take on the theme and the varying art materials used. Time for me to place my artwork on the Flicker page and join in the group activity. Look forward to seeing you there. Are you joining in?

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week.

Andy

Cabinet of Curiosities

Hello fellow bloggers,

Since seeing this link on Rinda's blog - a brilliant and inspiring website - I have been inspired to join in my first ever on-line challenge. I love the thought of not knowing what each monthly challenge will be and what ideas I can generate to meet those challenges. It is an opportunity I don't want to miss. 

As you may well know from past blog posts, I have a great fascination with Natural History and when I saw that the sketchbook challenge was a 'Cabinet of Curiosities' how could I resist?

I used the same theme to inspire my work at University, the idea that an explorer travelled to the far reaching places of the world, brought back curios and assorted natural paraphernalia and placed it together as a collection. This is a brilliant concept and still inspires me. Cabinets were the precursor to museums; imagine what the world would be like without them!

I have a large collection of different natural objects placed around my home and I began to wonder... how would I display them in a cabinet?

Here is a list that I have come up with:
Fossils
Insects
Minerals
Shark teeth
Skulls
Dried plants and crystals
Shells and stones
Tree branches and feathers etc.

Great explorers also sprang to mind, like Charles Darwin and David Attenborough, and my favourite, and the first museum I ever visited as a boy, The Natural History Museum in London. (I will need a large Cabinet to fit all mine in!)

I was also reminded of a school project that I did with Year 8, two years ago. Here are a few images from the sketchbook I created to show them examples of a timeline.

The students produced a fossil timeline using collage, print and different painting techniques.

All of this has sparked off my excitement to create a 'Cabinet of Curiosities' and I hope to be able to document this over the next couple of weeks, before the end of October. I have always been intrigued by the story of evolution and the tree of life. Here are some of the pages I have done so far.

"Life will find a way" Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park

Looking forward to joining in with the Sketchbook Challenge at the end of this month and seeing everyone's creative Cabinets.  

The large canvases for Flora's class have had to take a back-seat this week due to illness. I lost my voice (imagine that for a teacher!) but I am now on the mend after a rare visit to the Doctors. I am hoping for a creative weekend ahead and will post them soon.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  

Andy

Shape, Texture and Colour

How did that happen? It is over a week since I last posted about Ode to Nature and during that time the course has ended. Being back at school has been all consuming. Lesson plans, timetables, a new Head of School bringing fresh ideas and changes this year.

I did find time after school to manage some sketching and drawing. I have been drawn to my small collection of Dogfish egg cases that are commonly known as Mermaids Purses. 

I used a Berol fine-liner pen and water to create a smokey effect here.

It has been all about shape, texture and colour.

One of my favourite group of cases was originally laid by one fish, and within that group is a myriad of different tones which I have tried to capture in the guache painting above. I used a Sharpie pen for the lines. 

The dogfish, attaches her eggs to an object on the ocean floor so that they won't wash away, and here she used the seaweed as an anchor. I am fortunate that the seaweed I have drawn is still attached to my Mermaids Purses.

I also have a large collection of sharks teeth amongst other things and I have now started to draw them. 

Although the course has now ended, I will still be placing some of my sketches on the Group Flickr page. I have enjoyed the whole process of creating a sketch book and a field journal and sharing my work with like-minded people.