Black on Grey on White

Here's the utterly gorgeous Dama. A very fluffy Icelandic Pony. Leading my scribble friends through the intricacies and complexities of her thick mane and coat was a new and very zen adventure. There are portraits, despite their innate complexity and numerous subtleties that just instinctively fall into place. Dama's large portrait was one of them. Dama Pencil on paper 44x37 cm Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

The happy dances have subsided and the mad wide grins relaxed enough to get a few coherent words down. Three of my drawings ( The Hug , Chinese Whispers & Unstuck ) have been juried in to the inaugural PAS international exhibition.  Woot!!!!! PAS 14 is to be held in Quebec Canada for 6 weeks throughout the summer. This is exciting news. Pencil artists are on the rise and thanks to the internet and social media sites starting to get increased attention. Shows of this caliber will show the public the scope and beauty of pencil art .  Show just how phenomenal and exceptional our medium is. The work of 59 talented artists hanging together in one place is bound to be quite inspirational . Must get cracking on designing a crate with extra passenger space. Just like my drawings I've never been to Canada.... The Hug Pencil on Paper 40x53 cm Chinese Whispers Pencil on Paper 30x59 cm Unstuck Pencil on Paper 48 x 42 ...

Honour and humility come in multiple forms. One of them is being invited to be a part of something new , being invited to be a part something of great quality, being asked to be part of something you know is going to be big ! The   Equis Art Gallery , owned by the very talented Fine Art Photographer and Director of the ex Arte Equinus International equine art competition Juliet Harrison ,  is in the run-up to its GRAND opening on Mai the 24-26 and judging by the wee-behind-the-scene-peeks I've been able to enjoy, I can confirm this gallery is going to be a force to be reckoned with . Focusing on representing equine artists who excel in working in non-traditional  mediums and styles, the Equis  art gallery  offers art collectors a varied selection of equine artwork that  step  well beyond  the realms of the "traditional" into the contemporary and new . Equis Art Gallery 7516 North Broadway Red Hook, New Y...

Over 200 photographs, many blurred due to nosy-foal intervention , led to this final drawing. This moment really did happen . It's not a "photoshop special". The four babies stood together , safe in their own proximity, attention and curiosity divided between a waving branch and a very strange sounding photographer. Drawing this piece has been a bundle of fun , from start to finish.  By the end of the very first line I knew it would all fall into place. Working out of my comfort zone and approaching it with a different goal in mind, the overall effect is looser, not as tight and detailed as I have been drawing. Being a study of a moment , of a scene that was not staged but left to fate, s pontaneity and movement had to take centre stage. Detail really welcome only as a (VIP) backseat passenger. The choice of paper helps tremendously in staying looser. For "Get together", I went with  Hahnemülle Nostalgie  and smooth flowing strokes of 6B, 2B and...

a work in progress that lead to my new drawing "Buckled". "Buckled" Pencil on Paper 35x26 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Pencils: 2b, 2h and a 6b Paper: Mellotex Size: 37 x 26 cm (pretty much lifesize)

This year, the focus is on daring to spice things up, dramatically. "Cornered", in my mind for over 4 years, as seen the light and I love it. My scribble friends have delivered. They have dared to push compositional boundaries, over-use negative space, confront the viewer with a new phenomenon, highlight a slice of the bigger picture. Successfully cornering reality. "Cornered" Pencil on Paper, 17x21 cm 950 Euros Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

Last week I was sure it had seen the last pencil stroke, this week I  stand by my initial decision and have signed my latest drawing "Weymouth". Part of the daring mistakes challenge. Looking for inspiration deep within. Thinking unconventional. Digging deep. Going in close. Staying personal. Cropping, mercilessly . Highlighting, contrasts. Drama, angst and power. Really liking the result. "Weymouth" Pencil on Paper. 17x30 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

It's January, the month of new beginnings . Fresh starts. Things are going well in the studio and that's just it: they are ticking along smoothly. Time for a " spice up" . To boost my mojo . To re-asses. On the plan this month: Step out of my comfort zone .  Notch up my pencils to a new level. Dare to make mistakes Try a new technic , a new approach, new pencils. Slow down and feed my inspiration the good old fashioned way: curled up on the sofa books and magazines in hand; : AWAY from the computer from the fast lane of image overflow! Visit the art museum. The space, the light, the art are pure eye candy and a wonderful way to feed my artist soul. Make mistakes but make a start: pick up my pencils fearlessly Watch this space it should be interesting…. "Four Power" Sheona Hamilton-Grant. 2014. All rights reserved.

Beauty, attitude, energy and black & white. Welcoming 2014 with open arms and sharpened pencils. Wishing each and everyone of you a fantastic New-Year filled to the brim with family, friends and the beauty of life.           "Napoleon" 25x30 cm Sold Pencil on Paper Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. p.s: This is Napoleon, a very smart, beautiful and affectionate Australian Shepherd. His gorgeous alert face (have to admit to being fascinated with his eyes, especially the left one and the white mark in the corner …) with all  the subtle contrasts and detail:a  joy to draw.