Black on Grey on White

He's magnificent. He's striking. He had to be drawn. Had to get the pencils to "comb" through the tick wavy mane and tail. Render the muscles, the faint traces of sweat... The reference for this new piece was kindly provided by friend and photographer extraordinaire Juliet Harrison. (If you are seeking for inspiration trundle over to her website Juliet Harrison Photography ... a must!) This is a large piece, completed over the summer months, in between servings of ice cream, visits to France and tin men on stilts. A labour of love, an indispensable support maintaining an all important stability and sanity during the happy chaotic summer months. The result is powerful, strong and full of movement. Just right ... Legacy Graphite on Paper. 2009. 34x37 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Inquire for Purchase

Quality Time Pencil on paper, 2008 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved Quality Time has won!!!! 1st place in the Charcoal/Ink/Pencil category and 1st Place in the Human realism category in this years American Arts Awards. A "double wammy". I am hugely chuffed, honoured and ... speechless. So much so not another word will be said and I'll continue strutting around for the rest of the day as proud as a peacock.... OK .... maybe just a very loud whispered yipeeeeee, pencils rock !

This week's work took me off on a tangent, a good tangent but a tangent nevertheless. Realising I needed another entry for the up and coming CAG Helping Paws online show , I got down to business. Love the mystery of the piece the way so much is said yet so much left unsaid... Applied my lessons learned from the master Da Vinci once again in the drapery of the dog's blanket. Beyond is for sale unframed (framing is easily organised ). 20% of the proceeds of the sale will be donated to the DCGR . Dumfries & Cumbria Greyhound Rescue is based in Scotland helping Greyhounds escape their doomed future after their racing careers end. This is worthy cause I am proud to support the best way I can: through my art. Who knows maybe one day I'll be able to adopt one of these thoroughbred canines myself ... Until then I proudly present Beyond ... the dog that never turned round. Beyond 2009 Graphite on Paper.29x19 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved 260 Euros

Saturday, a day of steam, soot and fun. These glorious old-timers live down the road.... just down passed the cows. p.s: website address http://cfv3v.in-site-out.com / If you are ever down this way a great way to take a wee trip down memory lane.

Calle is now finished and the portrait approved by his owner.(Yippee!) So, he's off to the framers before making his end journey to Germany . As with all 2xbridled head portraits, I get my "knickers in a twist" when it comes to all the cheek pieces, throat lashes and nose band. After a while though, managed to straightened out knickers and crossed eyes, followed the lines of logic and completed the bridle. Interestingly enough most of the drawing was done using a 2B (layered). A few parts were done on the nose using an F. Here you can see the blank space waiting for some attention. The head piece and the nose band are rendered. Really left the bridle to the bitter end! Calle Pencil on Paper. 23x27 cm. Sheona Hamilton-Grant. 2009 All rights reserved. Another week-end is just round the corner. Once again loads of quality familly time on the agenda here. Wishing you the very same wherever you are. Cheerio

09-09-09 Visually pleasing. A post today is a must even if it means not posting the finished portrait. Here it is nearing completion. Bridle still to do and all sorts of fun fiddly bits Will tackle all that tomorrow. Off to mow the lawn while the girls play and the sun lasts!

Calle is taking shape. He now has a more defined expression, a fluffy mane and a silky nose. The tricky bridle work is being left to the bitter end... Drawing leather is still not #1 on my drawing list despite tackling the bull by the horns a few years ago and producing a drawing I was quite chuffed with. (Some of you may be familiar with "Leather" .) Any road this is slightly off subject. Below a few more steps in Calle's progress. The steps are pretty straight forward. All completed with a 2B. The darks were drawn with a 6B and established earlier on . Pressure put on the strokes and the number of layers used are the key elements to getting the soft yet detailed end result Step3: detail added to neck and mane. Blaze taking shape. Step4: forelock started as well as more detail around left eye and on the end of the nose . Step 5: work done on nose and lower part of the neck. White space left for the double bridle . The way the pencils are flowing: smoothly and precisely. ...

School's back, dust's off the drawing board, pencils are sharpened and work has begun. Here are the first steps in my new equine portrait. This chap is a lovely dressage gelding. I met him this summer in Germany where he posed very nicely for a few reference pics. He his known affectionately as "Calle" . The usual gear has been pulled out. Hahnemuehle Nostalgie Paper, love the off-white colour and not-so-toothy surface. Works well for portraits. Derwent 6B and I filled my mechanical clutch pencil with koh-i-noor 2B (never tried them and they seem to be good.) Below, steps one and two, here I have established the eye and expression with the 2B as well as establishing the darks with the Derwent 6B. Tomorrow will yield (I have no doubt) further progress. Today's was good, the new found "freedom" and extra hours worked wonders on getting this portrait off to a good start.