Black on Grey on White

It's been a crazy classic sunny summer complete with banjo playing tin men, static herons, green butterflies silky white roses. Today's walked raised the all important question . Are the colours fading, beautifully, but nevertheless fading...? The chill in the wind confirmed autumns presence...sadly. Had a great summer working in colour, discovering new harmonies . School starts in 36 hours. I'll be back in my "scribble" world. Back to working with drama, with contrast, with soul. Back to my beloved black on grey on white...

Jess knows all about the risks and perils of getting too close to the "ladies" when they have their art tools out...well at least I thought so. You may recall around this time last year she was touched by the blues courtesy of two little budding artists. Today I can't help thinking she was in thick of things. A Pink Panther rebirth? p.s: the pink substance is chalk and coming off nicely...

Unusual things happen in the summer (must be the direct effect of extra light and heat!). Today was no exception. We became tourists and went for a wee train-ride around Chimay . My Eos was happy to have its lens cap off and picked out sights I had never seen. Gorgeous iron work. Intricate brick work Very elegant facades The French je ne sais quoi! You do not see with the lens of the eye. You seen through that, and by means of that, but you see with the soul of the eye. ~John Ruskin ~

Bet you were all thinking I was still gallivanting around la France hunting down pics of shutters. No, been a busy bee. Spent a great few hours with friendly grey Marble Arch. Actually we had such a ball I've signed the portrait. Yeah! "Marble Arch" Pencil on Paper, 20x30 cm Copyright:Sheona Hamilton-Grant Sold His roman nose was a tad difficult: "over do it" and he looked deformed, "under enhanced" and he looked too much like a dainty thoroughbred. Needless to say a "few" minutes were spent tweaking here and there, there and here, here and there ... Slowly working down to the nose and nostrils. Strangely enough I am still working with a Derwent 2B. I thought I might moved on to a B or F but there seemed no need to. This stage shows progress being made on the lower part of the face and the mouth. To render the skin around this area I used a Derwent 3B for the added darkness which I then worked over with a dry Derwent 2H. Like the effect. One ...

Little colourful interlude to the WIP on Marble Arch . Today was a day of colour, lines and ... shutters. We were in France and my Eos was on grand form. There is a little "je ne sais quoi" about French architecture: subtle yet ornate. A classy use of wonderful colours. A multitude of long narrow windows framed by thin elongated shutters. Window ledges displaying, nonchalantly, intricate and delicate iron railings. Massive stone blocks adding depth to plane facades... Lines, shapes, textures and contrasts in every street corner, under each gutter, outside every single front door... Tout simplement fantastique !!!

Marble Arch now has slightly more defined face, a soupcon of an ear and a sprinkling of a mouth. The progress is slow (laying all of the blame at summers door...) but quite good. A 2B Derwent pencil has been used with various strokes: some harder some softer but all short and crisp. Slowly approaching the problem area: his roman nose. The good news: still love greys!