Black on Grey on White

Big, strong, playful and sadly missed! My pencils were given the mission of portraying immortalising Aloïs in action... "deep water stick fetching" Aloïs pencil on paper, 60x44cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant.  All rights reserved. SOLD Drawing this commission was a fantastic experience. I love the forward movement the slight tilt, shift to the left. Both implying life and the past, both so symbolic and fundamental in a tribute portrait. Aloïs is no longer but has left without a doubt the biggest paw print on his family's heart.

Success. Months of pain have been dealt with! All the demons faced heads on, pencils in hand. Scribbling through physical pain, soothing the emotional turmoil, relayering confidence. A new drawing: Long Rein, the result. Inspiration and a new gritty feeling, the outcome. Will be interesting to see if 2017 will see another new drawing. Watch this space: pencils are sharpened. Long Rein pencil on paper 2017 Sheona Hamilton-Grant all rights reserved.

Curious to have a peek at some of the best pencil artwork out there? Excellent ;) The Pencil Art Society' s new 2017 online exhibition has just gone live and showcases a wide spectrum of pencil art. A nice range of work is on display: from monotone to colour, through still live to surrealistic animal art as well as beautiful black and white portraiture. One identical element, that of quality craftsmanship and execution runs through the entirety of the selected of artwork.  Stoked to be amoung such talent.   Well done to all the winners!!!! "Jumping" 2016 Graphite on Paper 50x37 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant

As many of you know, the last few month have seen an increase in my photography work and a decrease in my drawings. Due to health reasons my scribble friends are resting. Black and white images are however still being created to enjoy and share and reason behind them as powerful as ever. Lock me in a room alone or hand me a camera, and there’s a mutation.  A serious change in my perception of depth, to be exact in the complexity and profundity of my train of thought;  all becomes somewhat intense. To be blunt:  I detest shallow, fear the superficial and run at olympian speed from cosmetic chic. Authenticity is the only genuine belief guiding my vision. This is where Black and white comes in. I see a monotone world where light is everything, where superficiality can find no roots, where emotions are raw. There’s no hiding, paddling in shallow waters, playing to the tune of superficial commercial stereotyped beauty. Black and white images engulf you. ...

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. 

Mention "big black fluffy Newfoundlands" you can be sure you are referring to cuteness overload :D This, a big mixed media (graphite and charcoal) drawing of mother and son Newfoundland pooches, was created in stages.  The most important stage: deciphering shapes through bundles of deep black fur.  Once the noses, ears and eyes were pin pointed and sketched in: the real scribbling began.   The final stage involved a layer of Nitram charcoal to create more oomph and depth. William & Nikita graphite/charcoal on paper 41x50cm SOLD Loved discovering and developing a new approach to my work and the best... the unequaled feeling of success! Next up on the board: equine with a somewhat shorter coat ;)

and has been an inspiring muse for my latest equine portrait. That's right: no capital city but a beautiful bay mare. Scribbling has begun in earnest again this year and Canberra is the first off the drawing board. Isn't she gorgeous? Up next: also dark and also super cute ;) Canberra pencil on paper 25x15 cm SOLD

This wee bird is proud (I can totally relate) and relieved (food on the table tonight). Pride should be (sporadically) experienced, savoured, shown-off. Pride is a good (in healthy amounts) it is proof of self-respect. Pride is the main content of this post. Yep! feeling very pleased with my second bird study . A few new boxes have been ticked: Better rendering of the lay of their feathers understanding the tilt of the head learning the insectivore subtleties of their diet cornering their temperament  depth (and the best box of all) hesitation dissipated: each stroke knew where to go Bird study #2 "Early Bird" Pencil on Paper 23x19 cm P.S: Postponing my artistic discovery of the bird world for a while, new (featherless) commission on the board. Before I start,  great big thank you to  Donna Ridgeway  for the use of the her fab swallow photographs.

I was curious (and still am!)  Curious to see how my brain (and pencils) would deal with drawing something so small, so delicate, so elusive. How it would feel to get lost in feathers as opposed to hair. How it would feel to render something you are only able to touch with your eyes and heart. The great news is: these amazing sophisticated little creatures have offered to show me a whole new world... and I have agreed ;) Watch this space! Bird study #1 Pencil on Paper 19x26 cm

but all to do with art, pencils and horses. Time and inspiration collided and this black and white image came to life.   Inspiration stuck around until the signature made it onto the paper. I love this drawing. Not sure if it's the subtle twist on a classic portrait (rider tightening girth), the look in his eye or all the unfinished edges. What do you think? A la Carte NRW pencil on paper 49x31 cm

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!)     

It was time to reassess just what (art-wise) I could achieve in one-ish sitting. Seriously, each non commissioned drawing takes me between 80-120 hours (maybe more). Translated: weeks of work. The one question that I have not wanted  been to scared to answer  face but wich I have been asking for a while now, has been tackled and ... answered. Am I able to produce a wee bit quality in one day? Can I "perform" without all the time and detail and work and rework and endless thought? Can I get to the important nitty gritty and feel pleased with the result? Can I quieten the nagging "you -can-you-only-draw-slowly-and un-sponteneously" voice? Yes, yes, yes and YES! Here's the proof: Snaffles. Upping the anti (no comfort zone for me!), I used new paper (Fabriano), a new medium (Nitram Charcoal) and a new time frame (one day i.e: 6 hours drawing time). Drank two coffees, pumped up the volume and got cracking... Super chuffed with the result! Snaffles ...

Sometimes (well actually most of the time!) my mind will ponder and "sit-on" an image, a concept for years, waiting until the time is right. Nothing different with this drawing. I shot the references back in 2011... After 5 years of pondering, my pencils have been on active duty for the last 2 weeks, working hard to get this big-new-in-between-commissions-drawing of Cornado NRW (super good German Warmblood show-jumping stallion) out of my head, on and off the board and into the world. The hard work and the strange facial expressions have paid off! All of us here in the studio are relaxed and grinning with the sweet sense of a job well done. Think I'll go and start another one ;) Grey 40x34 cm graphite on paper

One thing I knew: it had to be big, bold and dramatic. The concept and image had been floating banging around in my mind for a couple of years (constantly drawing even without pencils in hand!) Daring to crop harshly and spend the better part of a month scribbling a high risk composition was, until a few months ago, way too far out of my comfort zone. With age and maturity there seems to be serious rebirth in my "go get ya!" streak. It's rubbed off on my scribble friends and three weeks ago we got to work. The result: "Focus", an image full of power, beauty & silky smooth equine brilliance. Hope you all like it too ;) "Focus" pencil on paper 39x50 cm Available Sheona Hamilton-Grant © all rights reserved.

A classic head portrait. Sound boring? Yep, but not if you push the contrast, the size and sprinkle it all over with relevant details. This guy is gorgeous and was dressed up to the nines for our photoshoot. You can really tell: he looks a million dollars. "Jack Sparrow" Pencil on Paper 36x40 cm SOLD

After a very enjoyable encounter and "get to know you" drawing sessions, Wilma is off the drawing board and leaving the studio. Drawing those big honest eyes, getting right into the thick of her facial structures has been an amazing experience. My scribble friends had their work cut out deciphering which way to turn, where to emphasise, what to highlight and what to adjust.  However, I have it on good authority that the challenge was well received by all and they are now lined-up at the board impatiently waiting to get dug into the next one... Wilma graphite on paper 26x23cm p.s: If you would like a more in-depth view into the process, three progress timelapse videos can be viewed on my Youtube channel   :)

After 8 weeks of giving them all the cold shoulder, I warmed up my scribble friends and got tucked into a new compositionally unusual dog portrait. The reason threefold: I hadn't drawn a dog for ages wanted a break from the traditional head portrait Couldn't resist those wee eyes. The result threefold: pencil shavings on the floor once again back in the groove new drawing on the board What's Up 21 x 29 cm Pencil on Paper Available  Up next a horse, a beautiful bay stallion. Back soon ....

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.

Yikes, more than 17 months have passed since I last drew a dog! Reason enough to give this new canine portrait special attention. Meet Paul. Paul is cool. Paul is tall, black, goofy and ... camera shy. Looking away, relaxed, eyes focusing in the distance, anticipating his next move is how I met him, got to know him and had to render him. Paul Pencil on Paper 24 x 28 cm Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved  Step1 Eye drawn, lay of fur and darkest darks established Step2 Further work on eye, lay of fur and outline of mouth Step3 Adding on layers of darks to establish shape of nose and detail in  mouth. Step4 Adding more layers of fur and work on nose, mouth and teeth.

Going right is what you get when a powerful combination of precision, speed and strength fuse. This stunning equine athlete had to be drawn, highlighted, brought to paper. The harmony between horse, jockey and gravity eternalised. Pencils sculpted and moulded the graphite into shape. An amazing experience! Going Right Pencil on Paper 43x56 cm Reference courtesy of Juliette harrison Available p.s ( a very loud p.s!) Once again a million thank-yous go out to Juliette Harrison for the fabulous reference photograph which is at the source of "Going Right". Make sure to check out her black and white world . It's beautiful!