Black on Grey on White

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. ...

Hurricane sprinkled in colour. Simply the best way of breathing in beauty, soaking in power, of falling in love...

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.

Day 4 in the art challenge.  I'll just refer to it as shadow play.  Couple of shots on black and white playing with a strong light source and even stronger contrasts.  Love the effect. Hoping that Lisa's  Shoot Y'all Photography  is up for the challenge. She really has some super images!

Third day in the #artchain and decided to go with a totally new twist: colour and metal.

I don't know about you but I love out-takes. Those great moments captured not quite how they were planned. In our constant battle with perfectionism this side of our art-world tends to be hidden and very often deleted. I still have a few. A few lovely unique canine blunders. They make me smile. Can't be that bad right?

Over on on FB I have been nominated by friend and super photographer Lyne Raff to take part on the 5 day art challenge also referred to as artchain. The objective being to post a couple of images of your art work over a period of 5 days. Loving a challenge, I obliged with three photographs I took a few summers ago. I love birds and totally swoon over birds of prey. They possess not only a perfect beauty but a gripping fascination. p.s: In turn I nominated Linda Shantz who I'm sure will rise to the challenge and enjoy showing some of her excellent work :D

The end of a hectic three weeks is near; within touching distance. A wee lean foward and I'll be able to feel smooth reassuring vibes... Two week-ends of shows/exhibition and a mile stone "Back to School" have been at the forefront of my life. Unforgiving Generals in command of all my moves, thoughts and decisions...  I'll say no more. Drawings hanging in the club house under the watchful eye of wee "Taxi". Last week-end, my pencil drawings made their annual appearance in the   Ostenfelde  club-house for the annual  Ostenfelde Kutschfahrturnier  show.  They were hung alongside the brilliant work of fellow artist  Dirk Gross  for three days of showing. Dirk's work is exceptional. Poles apart from my black and white realism.  His paintings ooze energy, reel the viewer into an novel abstract world. Into a world brimming with new life, normality having crumbled at the way side in the wake of soul searching co...

Merry Christmas#2 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. 2011 All rights reserved A great big "Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays" to everyone. Thank you all for visiting my blog and FaceBook page throughout the year and taking the time to leave your comments. Wishing everyone a great holiday season, and a fandabidosy 2012. See you all again next year!

Bonfire Night Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved . Wind, wind, whirl, whirl, mad, fun, mad, fun, STOP, BREATHE, wind, wind, whirl, whirl, mad, fun, mad, fun.... Still alive and scribbling. Must admit to having been shut away deep in my cave creating all sorts of portraits. Sadly due to the top secret nature of the drawings in progress, I cannot reveal their identity until the New-Year... BUT... I do have some images of mine I can and would love to share. January 2010, I started my photoblog Sheona Ann Photography on Pixyblog. A mish mash of the beauty I see daily. My passion for photography started in my late teens when my Dad lent me his old Zenith "to try" and helped me set up a wee dark room in the corner of the garage. Good old traditional manual photography. Today, the Zenith has been replaced by a Canon and my dark room by Lightroom . I may have moved with the times but my passion is still very much "up-to-date". Off back to the drawing board, nea...

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.

At this end, Extra curricula activities are in full swing just like "Tarzan" (above) and his crew. Studio activities remain very active and strong. However time is sticking it's tongue out (once again). Various blog posts are in the making and have taken a comfy back seat. They will come to light (promise) as soon as, well, time smiles and says.... please?

Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. - Sophocles

Peeking out of my cave studio with a big guilty look on my face and a wee timid wave. The winter weather/ pre-Xmas rush have me totally in their grip and have mercilessly stung me with silence. I have been neglecting you all. Sorry! As the sting is likely to have lasting effects (I'm optimistically estimating two weeks) and due to the nature of my work (top secret presents) I can't show you any progress reports or finished works for a while to come. In an honest try to make amends, I have a mix (seasonal and not so seasonal) of images I would like to share until the act of secrecy has been lifted. "Snowed Under" 2010 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. "That Way" 2010 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. "Zoom" 2010 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. "Right at ya!" 2010 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. "Touch of Red!" 2010 Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Thank you all, once ag...