Black on Grey on White

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.

Born into a world that did not want him, this wee chap’s fate changed. He can now be found frolicking around the daily life of his new warm and loving forever home.  His cuteness and adorability reaping smiles, hourly. A joy to be around, a joy to draw. Meet Nemo ... Nemo Pencil on Paper, 32x27 cm Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved

The "Christmas Secrecy Act" is lifted (and has been for the last few weeks...wee bit behind again whoops!) Christmas commissions #1 is the handsome Gizmo. A great big chocolate lab with a lovely nature. A beautiful subject to render, my pencils had no problems getting dug in with gusto and enjoying all the details from his vivid eyes all the way down to the small wave in his coat. "Gizmo" 44x25 cm Pencil on Paper Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved

Some wee dogs are so much bigger than the mother nature intended. They ooze personality and their character is boundless . Finntjebelongs to that clan. She's the size of "thruppence a-penny" but only for the initial minute after which her presence takes over and size becomes "so last season!" (yep there's a tween in the house and it's having quite an impact on my outlook on life ;D) I am very happy to have more wonderful pics of her and will no doubt find her back on my drawing board. Finntje Pencil on Paper SOLD Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Back to mummy duties... I believe they involve the use of beautiful smelling green liquids, colour sorting and programming a digitalized screen...

So here you have it! My latest commissioned portrait. Not just one but two, deux, zwei, dos, två... I was asked to portray a double bundle of cuteness! Milo and Howard, two adorable Welsh Corgi's, now have their own special mark in time. Everything, from their low-set yet sturdy built, big eyes, alert ears, fluffy "cheeks", bold and friendly aura, made my pencils day. As a result: an energetic and accurate pencil drawing smothered in detail. Simply said: I'm smitten! Milo & Howard Pencil on Paper Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

(Picture shaking head) In my perfect disorganisation I've managed to leave this aristocratic grey mares' story under wraps - unintentionally . Readers of my newsletter have been introduced but many of you have not... Apologies This is Kalaglowa, also referred to as Kali. A thoroughbred with no speed and a tricky character. Traits that pretty much mapped out an uncertain future. One day (like in all fairytales) Kalli was seen by someone who instantly wanted to connect with the young hectic grey mare. Kali's future changed. Kali was taken in, loved and  cared for ...  unconditionally. Sadly she passed away last year, her health having let her down. Her owners unconditional love did not follow her over the rainbow bridge but took a wee turn and came into my studio. Kalli's presence was to live on, immortalised in a portrait. Both the grey mare and my scribble friends connected and spent a few weeks in each others company, retracing her life and more importantly...

In the Picture Pencil on Paper 24x32 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Life is puzzling. Just like a puzzle it is entertaining, infuriating & engaging. Made up of a thousand moments it captures our hearts, feeds our imaginations and defines our memories. The missing piece a reminder of things to come or of what has been and gone? A big thank you goes out to Seattle based lifestyle dog photographer extraordinaire Erin Vey for allowing me to use her photograph as a reference. If you have a moment you should check out her wonderful canine world www.erinvey.com where her stunning awe-inspiring photographs await.

I've buckled down, sharpened the pencils and focused my attention back on this wee chap s big puppy eyes. Approximately half way through, still a load of tweaking needed to be done on the pups face and body but first I want to get the surrounding elements finished. The radiating lines in the jumper play an important part in the movement of the piece and they have to become more fluid and believable (they are looking so clumsy and clumpy!). Up-date will follow this week, until then here's a view of the current state of affairs! Work in Progress. Pencil on Paper. Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

Emily Pencil on Paper Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Chocolate stains, happy grins and sticky tape have featured heavily, as I emerge apron strings loosened and scissors lost, from our "birthday week". Every year, from the 5th of March through to the 10th, 6 important family birthdays are celebrated in style, wrapped in loud laughs and decorated with acrobatic happy dances. As all you fellow Mummies can well imagine, work in the studio has been festively slowed down. No worries tough, here is a portrait I "prepared" earlier and want to share. Meet Emily. A gorgeous 6 year old Poodle Pointer with piercing kind eyes. A gem of a dog, well mannered and high on life, Emily sat and stared me out while I triggered a few reference shots and discovered the depth of her eyes and softness of her nose. Next week, when I reconnect with my scribble friends and the last of the colourful tacky balloons has popped, focus will once again be on rendering big cani...

Made it! Unpacked the boxes, made a comfy space, re-tuned the hi-fi. As a result have actually got a flow going which in turn allowed me to complete my first commission in our new home. As many of you know we have moved and it shook us all to the core (unforeseen events, mistakes and situations added to the already existing stress that comes attached to any international move). Two weeks ago the prospect of getting to create and scribble were looking very grim. Today, that is history. Pencils are up and running. Motivation and energy levels are following. All sorts of wee hitches are still present and adding their own kind of excitement. They are however not worth wasting too much time over as I am sure they will be sorted some time soon. So, it is with great pleasure that I would like to introduce Bismark a fluffy canine with a great gentlemanly charcacter. (please forgive the over dark contrasted scan...one of the wee hitches that still needs to be sorted!) "Bismark" Pencil...

Detail of portrait study Yeah! At last I can show you one of the drawings that kept me scribbling for most of May. Long days and long nights were on the menu as I scrounged hours,minutes and seconds wherever I could find them. Big thank-you to my friend and fellow artist Linda Shantz for her precious musical tips. She introduced me to Biffy Clyro (the best Scottisch band of the moment) & Mumford & Sons . These guys got me through the hours and dead-line stress with a good rythm in my stroke :D The result is "Ida". Ida is just gorgeous: a blue Weimaraner with the most amazing light eyes I have ever seen. The colour and texture of her coat were brilliant to draw, I guess simply because it is so out of the ordinary.(Miles away from curls and long hair ) Smooth shades of grey that transcend into darker values subtly but quite radically. Ida Pencil on Paper. 38x55cm Sheona hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Sold Ida's portrait is now hanging in Germany up North w...

Un-obliviously (nice new word don't you think?) I choked my right arm. Let me translate: Blind to the weight and size of my files I fed my computer way too much ...to saturation...to crash down. Result: a disaster and a massive wake up call! All work is now backed-up on DVD's and allowing one of my most important tools to breath again. Big fresh breaths of IT air. In the chaos and "restructuring" I realised I never showed you a portrait of the late "Bracken". Bracken was a rescue and a canine that found a 5 star life with a great couple. After a tough start, he discovered what it is to be the beneficiary of a good life, of a life filled with canine luxuries and surrounded by love. "Bracken" Pencil on Paper 19x21 cm SOLD

Paula Pencil on Paper. 16x18 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Sold Somewhere between the paperwork, housework and computer work, I found time to pay my drawing board a wee visit. Paula is my newest commission and is off tomorrow to Germany (a surprise "bday" present). No worries about the secret: the birthday person doesn't know of my existence. For this portrait I pulled out my well loved - well known Hahnemuehle paper and 2b mechanical pencil. The studio rocked to the Muse, Snowplay and Nickelback while my pencils enjoyed a well needed work out. Next drawing will be all about canines again, this time big and grey. Think I'll get Biffy Clyro to rock the studio walls...

Taxi Graphite on Paper. 28x21 cm SOLD Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Taxi is little and full of fun and bounce. She settles down once and a while and when she does these are the wee eyes that peek up at you full of innocence and sincerity. This portrait was done in December and a delivered over mince pies and Xmas cheer. Will be taking the next few days off to spend Carnaval with my familly. The idea of being amoungst mad crazy costumes is strangely very alluring. So it's one great big Helau from me (German festive cry at this time of year). Back soon with streamers and confetti in my hair !!!!

Finn Pencil on Paper, 18x14 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. SOLD This is Finnegan. Finn is an Australian Cattle Dog mix. Finni (as he is affectionately referred to) lives in Michigan with Kimberly Santini and her family. I met Finn (cyberly) a few years ago and knew so little about him. Finni is one heck of a character. His Mum's words draw a great picture: "He's a dear guy with a strong affinity for frisbee, snowflake and raindrop herding, and good neck rubs. Evan learned to read with him - they still snuggle together every night reading comic books or listening to music (Finni likes Green Day and Lady Gaga). He takes squirrel patrol duties very seriously and also excels at yard work (picking up sticks and other debris alongside the kids). He sings along with "Happy Birthday" and the Michigan State Fight Song . He's a great snuggler with the boys, moving from bed to bed during the night (he'd probably sleep with Annie, too, if he could...

"Paula" Pencil on Paper, Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. I would love you to meet Paula. Her portrait was wrapped and placed under a big festive German Christmas tree. Paula is a wee “pup” with curls from here to kingdom come. She's a real cutie, as her collar indicates pocket size would be an apt description. Pass the collar and look into her eyes and you will see she is as kind as she is wise. Paula lives with a brown boxer, a giant Poodle and a yard full of dressage horses. Let me tell you she is very much against the word doll and gives big a definition of her very own...

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

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!

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!