Black on Grey on White

Done it!  Last commission finished. Christmas cards designed and (nearly) ready to go. Pressies wrapped and, surprisingly, I am looking forward to Christmas like a wee kid....   OK so I don't believe in Santa but who cares...it's such  a great time of year.  Getting the family together to have a laugh is soooooo precious. Pencils are resting until the New Year.   Must get my Résumé and other nitty gritty details organised. Cheers from here and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Time for a wee break in a hectic schedule to introduce all of you who are not familiar with two very talented artists... When inspiration gets a bit low and the motivation needs a good kick up the behind, I tend to skimm the  web looking for help.  Usually I find help in admiring work of other artist, it is always the reminder I need to "keep at it", to keep trying. Ok enough said about me.   Who are these artists I hear you ask? The first to have caught my attention is  Belgian artist Olivier De Nato whom I had the honour of meeting (by chance) at our local art source.  Curiosity made me google him and well....what can I say: poetry, stunning, rich, real. Hyperrealism to perfection. The other artist was one introduced to me through a newsletter named "Informed collector".  Scott Tallman Powers 's work has a delicacy rarely found, a finesse that is soo appealing and well worth taking time to discover. As it so often the case words are just not enough!   Lac...

All well at this end. Second of Advent looming around the corner and commissions seem to be coming along smoothly enough. The pressure is on. I have started a new portrait and this time of a friendly old dog who has just sadly died from cancer. Emotions are running high with his owner. I hope to do him proud and bring a little smile back to his lips. At the end of the day isn't that what commission work is all about. Unusual for me to be posting such a calm and serene blog entry at this time of year...is it age or experience? On that thought back to the drawing board once more.

"Head to Toe" is a pencil drawing of a dapple grey gelding going about his daily exercising. The reference photograph was taken this summer and crying out ever since to be converted to graphite. When riding daily, this was a very normal site for me. A horse on the bit, relaxed and enjoying his work. Now this is something that I truly miss.