Black on Grey on White

Seriously all it takes is a casual lean against the wall or being simply displayed with a couple of design books (and a watering can ?), artwork doesn't need to be in colour  hanging on a wall to look good. Who knew? You can set the tone with a few alternative display ideas and voila! ... framed drawings can really kick %*§!!! With a few tricks and magic wand waving, I have been able to prove my wee theory with two of my drawings "Buckled" and "Cornado" . Can you picture them in your home?   "Cornado" for sale  Equis Art Gallery "Buckled" for sale Equis Art Gallery  P.S: Take advantage of the 20% discount (whole of March) on my work represented at the  Equis Art Gallery. 

During the whole of March, I will be the  Equis Art Gallery's  featured artist.  The only gallery of it’s kind  and Gem of the mid-Hudson Valley – the  EQUIS ART GALLERY  – is a purveyor of sophisticated artwork work where a white horse is not just white, a black horse is not just black and a beautiful horse is not just pretty! So very humbling and exciting . Getting ready for the occasion and off to join in in the festivities are two more drawings: Going Right and Racing Ready Racing Ready pencil on paper 37 x 41 cm reference: Linda Shantz Going Right pencil on paper 43 x 56 cm reference: Juliet Harrison

Shoving 2016 off to the side and bringing 2017 into the limelight. Energy, creativity, growth and prosperity the lights of choice. Ready to make 2017 memorable. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

One of the best parts of being an artist (that works from photos) is collecting new reference material. It's serious business. One that I have been doing for quite a while... Still mystified as to why this wee gang firmly believed I needed extra help :) The day was a success and some cool perspectives and composition ideas are in the making.  Watch this space ...

Time and inspiration. They've collided and are creating a noise  vision! They are making a mess on paper and it's ending-up looking like ... a horse!? Wee note to all fellow artists,  when they (time and inspiration) come calling at the exact same time. Knock on the creativity door with a synchronised bang! Peek through the same window holding hands. Let them in. Go with it! Rejoyce! They are not playing any kind of joke. There is no blue moon. They are, simply (amazingly), in the same room at the same time. It's an amazing feeling. A feeling of speed and lightheadedness. A feeling of good solid fun. Not finished, but here to prove my thoughts: the first few steps in the still-to-be-titled-big-portrait-of-beautiful-stallion. More to come :D 'cause I believe miracles can last (well long enough to get this drawing signed!)     

My "Bunte Monochrom" opening last Saturday went really well. The doors to the beautiful Bridgehouse were opened and the magic began. Million thank-yous to all for coming and making it such a great success.

of my comfort zone. I went big and warped the rules of composition as much as possible. I craved for a new angle.  An angle that would emphasise all the strength and power of this amazing horse but also an angle that would defy compositional rules and regulations. Pinned to the edge was one of my hardest challenges yet.  The knowledge of my subject (we've met over seven times on the drawing board) and the energy he ignites in me kept me smiling and my pencils fervantly scribbling. The rest was hard, very hard. The proportions were hard, the dynamics were hard,  cracking rules to create drama was hard. Operating for weeks out of a zone of familiarity, uncomfortably hard. Stepping back, pencils paused, and calling it done: hard.  Letting it out of the safety of the studio into the world to face reactions: super hard! One thing though that is in no way hard:  endorsing the claim ...  pencils rock ! Pinned to th...

went from a buzzing brain to a totally up-side studio back to normality and then over the edge to uncluttered heaven....in the space of 7 days! Opening the studio to the outside world was a definite whirlwind of new undefined proportion. The flip side to the stress is mega: got to meet a great bunch of people,  have new drawing underway and I'm still (amazingly) operating in a clutter-less heaven.

and goes into over-drive the studio's look's suffer. Creativity reaches full flow, to-do lists are shrunk,  multitasking king of the mound! Despite the fog one thing is crystal clear : these are happy days.

Did you know that black and white art looks amazing hung on a turquoise back drop? Neither did I ... until last week. Yep, last Friday saw the opening of a fabulous exiting interior decor boutique in downtown Warendorf. Bridgehouse Collections opened it's doors to an enthusiastic crowd. A crowd which gathered in anticipated delight at discovering the vision of founders Michael Ripploh and Fran Goodsell. The  resounding "oh's"' &"aaaah's" as the boutique was unveiled said it all. Much to my honour (and delight) a lovely selection of my work has been hung (for sale) in this new gem of a boutique and looks simply amazing (black and white hung on a turquoise wall is truly genius!) If you are ever in the area or simply keen on discovering ways of delighting friends and family with special gifts, be sure to keep Bridgehouse Collections on your radar! Bridgehouse Collections Emsstraße 22 48231 Ware...

and need to take my time when drawing, the number of original drawings that come off my board yearly only just make it into double figures. Each created diligently and lovingly over dozens and dozens of hours. This leads to frustration (yep!) compensated by either filling the studio loudly with alternative rock, way too many cups of coffee and on a really mad day extremely strange dance moves. When I say pencils rock they really do but in a slow kinda Zen way ;) This must be why I've discovered iphotography (which I now use as quick fix for my frustration) Daily walks take me on compositional adventures. I don't sketch: I shoot! Daily and feed Instagram . In total opposite to the slow brewing and care needed for one of my pencil drawings, this quick and very snappy medium brings a freedom to my creativity and compositional vision. Blink and the light is gone. Hesitate and the moment is a has been. It's thrilling.