Black on Grey on White

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

Here he is: my champ, the chosen one. "Robert" pencil drawing, 91/2"x9", 2008 Copyright Sheona Hamilton-Grant This full frontal portrait of Robert ,the Scottish Greyhound, has been juried into the most excellent canine art show : Art Show at the Dog Show. He's been framed, in a great custom moulding and is looking very dandy. Today, his journey to America begins. He's being crated in a cosy, thick foam wooden-unbreakable under elephant weight- box . Tomorrow, he meets the Belgian customs, has his picture taken and is put on record as a temporary export . He will then be "delicately" placed into a muckle transport jet and fly across the seas... all the way to Kansas. Once on American soil, he will wave at the customs there who will take his picture and put him on records as a temporary export. After which, "Robert" will be finally exhibited at the 23rd Annual Art Show at the Dog Show . Yeah. This juried canine fine arts compet...

Welcome back to the sequel in the creation of my Greyhound portrait . After a good-night's sleep, I carried on by tackling the connection between girls and dog (see close-up of stage 4). This meant I had to ignore her hand.(- always a good idea to back-off until the frustration dies down). A quick recap on the material used: Mellotex paper Derwent graphite pencil 2B, 3B and 8B Staedler clutch pencil F and 2H Chamois leather Blu-Tack (kneadable eraser) The great thing with this piece is that it seemed to take shape from the very start and flowed easily all the way through. For stage 4 I used my clutch pencil filled with F to render the girls features and skin. Light strokes are then blended with a chamois leather, this is repeated until the right effect is achieved. Her eye was drawn with my 2B Derwent. No blending Close up on stage 4. Here the tongue and the connection between the dog and the girl has to be established.   Her hair was drawn with a 3B. No blending just layering.   S...

I have made good progress with my new project. I am, as usual, up against the clock and have very little time left.  The entries are due on the 19 th . Here are two more steps in the process. My biggest challenge here is to get the hand right...smooth, soft and young yet showing strength -holding on tightly enough to not let go.  If the look and feel of the hand does not work out it will break the whole piece.... I have spent quite a long time on it and I am still not happy... Will sleep on it....  Need a little bit of "shut-eye". Sweat dreams.

Robert is now officially finished. After week "away", I brought him out for a tweak and he has now gone back to safety with a new improved pair of ears ( I do believe lookin much happier for it!).   He's has also been priced and entered into the show:   Helping Paws 2008.   " Robert " Graphite on Paper, 26x23 cm $ 350 (20% donated to DCGR ) Have a great week-end.

This new piece is still untitled but despite being nameless is starting to take shape. There is no way you can make a lot of sense of what has been drawn.  The top of the back of a greyhound is showing as well as the beginning of both a leather collar and thick cotton jacket. I will post a follow-up which will shed a little more light. Promise! This is my second piece for the Canine Art Guild' s " Helping Paws 2008" exhibition. 20% of the sale will be donated to the Dumfriesshire & Cumbria Greyhound Rescue. The medium used up until now are  2B and 8B graphite Derwent pencils.  The 8B was used for the darkest areas. I am drawing on Mellotex paper. I have also been spending time researching into the work and life of a seriously good artist. Should you ever see any work with this signature make sure you take a double look (or triple!)... He was just plain excellent. I will be posting all about him over the next 10 days As always thank you for popping by and have a great...

One week later and, at last,  Robert is looking more like an alert greyhound. I will put him out of sight for a few days and polish him later on next week. This is my first portrait for the CAG's next online show : Helping Paws 2008 Exhibition.   The idea behind the show is to have each artist pledge a percentage of their sales in support of an animal welfare effort.  I would like to help and support the Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue I have fallen for these gorgeous, gentle and loyal canines and have chosen to donate 20% from my sale of this piece to this specific Greyhound Rescue.   Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Rescue is the only greyhound re-homing in the Dumfries & Galloway and Cumbria region. They are a young dynamic charity and have found homes for over 450 greyhounds in 6 years. I am planning on having three ready for the show. "Helping Paws 2008" goes on line on October the 1st 2008 for 4 months.  Tomorrow's Monday: first day of school. After w...

Here are the first two steps (still very rough) of one of the drawings I preparing for the next Canine Art Guild's online exhibition. This is a Robert a gorgeous Greyhound. I love his light round alert eyes. The difficulties with this perspective is getting the length and width of his muzzle right (he still looks very much like a bulldog...!) and the 3D impression (will hopefully work in a few layers time...!). I have also decided to use the stripes and markings in his coat to establish his bone structure: this will also take another few layers... So far I have his eyes (basically) done and feel I can go on into the real detailing of his face. More to come.  Thanks for looking and have a great Sunday.