Black on Grey on White

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...

We've had a pARTy! Meaning a wee bunch of us (artists) have used one reference pic to create a piece of work. Hugo's photo was the centre of attention and supplied to us by friend and artist  Linda Shantz . Linda runs a small  maternity ward  thouroughbred farm in Canada and Hugo is one of the newborns skipping around the yard. The pARTy rules were very simple. Create a piece of work using the reference within 24 hours. My (homemade) rules a little tougher; create a drawing in under 4 hours, keep loose (cross hatching), keep detail  normal, no tweaking, sign, spray. The difficulty being in the time and the lack of tweaking I allowed myself. Klein Hugo is the result. Not only did I want to highlight his cuteness but also underline delicacy by grounding him with strong edgy shadows. These babies are all legs and I loved the way the shadows extended them even more. Good friend and fellow artist (the other force behind this pARTy) Kim Santini has the full Hug...

We saw Zig Zag. Do you remember Zig Zag ? She was my muse for my foal series . Fancy Free, Ciao & Footloose Pencil on Paper Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Four years have passed and the mad frolics of a three day old foal have disappeared into sweet oblivion (if you disregard re-living them through a few of my scribbles.) Four years down the road field my Ladies were greeted by a little gentle dark brown mare with big kind eyes. There is still a spark of mischief to be found (if you look carefully) but incomparable to our crisp spring morning gallivant where legs and tails switched and pointed in all sorts gravity defying positions. (Zig Zag is on the left) We can confirm after sandy nosed nuzzles and soft whispers, Zig Zag is all grown-up and very much a soave and poised lady.

Zig Zag has been awarded second place at the Cows Palace Art Show. So good. So very good. Actually I am chuffed to bits! I have sent five of my big pieces and 3 smaller pieces off to the States for the summer. First stop was San Francisco. I was not sure how the american market would respond to my work. Well I guess now I have a good idea... I am curious to see what the rest of the summer will bring. My work will be going to Menlo next and then to Santa Barbara.... All go at this end. Off up to the drawing board for todays' session. more soon.

Third pencil study of Zig Zag's baby "steps"! Here is "Fancy Free" finished and framed. Ready for its journey to the Figura Gallery i n Windsor. Once again Zig Zag has been captured in full flight...well... on take off! Hope you enjoy!

Here's the follow on to last weeks "Footloose": "Ciao" Here is Zig Zag once again at full speed on a fresh sunny spring morning.   The very interesting thing about drawing foals is the way in which you have to render their little muscles: they are so defined and tense yet underdeveloped.  The other thing is the over-dimensional width and length of their legs...a little surreal. Just can't help smiling when drawing them though. Thanks for popping by, more soon.

Here she is again the young filly Zig Zag frolicking around as a playful three day old. New title of this study: "footloose": it sprung to mind and just stuck....! It's not a massive drawing 17 x20cm (image size), I've had very little time this week (the girls are still on their Easter break and are keeping me on my toes.)  So this is a result of my night shift endeavour. Had fun, loved the mixed expression of determination and surprise in her young eyes. They are just soooooo cute at that age. Lunch time and have the oven on must dash...more soon.

OK so the challenge was put out: draw from a given ref photo in 2 hours and than show the result. I rose to it. This sketch "Sketched Youth" is the result of 1 hour and 20 minutes fast loose drawing. I used sepia and brown charcoal..not the best sight in the world but such a major breakthrough out of my comfort zone. I may even do another one and who knows it might improve. Cheers