Pip and Squeak - Well oiled for Christmas

So pleased to have finished the oil painting of dogs to be given as a present for Christmas. The dogs are such characters, the little one especially.  
If was fairly impossible to keep them together so I had to do studies of them separately and make up a composition. It was difficult because they are such different sizes but the little one has the bigger personality. 

Usually the little one wears her ears flat but the owner liked them worn like a funny bat creature. I must say it does look better for the composition.

Drawing~Proteus Creation Space

I really must get into the habit of blogging more regularly. 
At present I am engrossed in getting work together for my forthcoming exhibition in February at 54 The Gallery in London. 
Today I took a break and drew at Proteus Creation Space in Basingstoke which was having a Christmas Event . 
Proteus is a theatre company which was formally based at Queen Mary's College where I once taught. Now they have taken over Fairfields Art Centre and are making it into an exciting and vibrant centre.

Best of Farnham

Great night  on Thursday 27 November at the Best of Farnham business evening which was held at Mahaan's Indian  Restaurant. The meal was delicious and the company, formed of  local business people, was interesting and convivial. 

I was invited by Martin Davidge-Stinger  to make sketches of the speaker  Penny Power . It  was rather nerve wracking, but buoyed by adrenalin and encouragement  from Martin, I had ago and produced two pencil sketches during the  the meal. Later we gave these drawings and an earlier painted sketch to Penny. 

The speaker  Penny Power @pennypower was very warm and  approachable . She had been successful with founding  Academy which was  a forerunner to Linkedin and Facebook.  Now she  is trying to get some interesting youth apprenticeship initiatives  formed and had been discussing her ideas with Lord Young earlier in the House. 
I was impressed by her positive energy and her practical 'win win' common sense ideas which we really need to implement and support. 

Portrait Painting - Farnborough Festival.

The weather was absolutely 'challenging' ! Wind, rain, cold! Nevertheless the brave folk of Farnborough continued undaunted and although their clothes may have been sodden their spirit wasn't.

Lots of people requested portraits and because of the general enthusiasm I continued throughout the day and managed to paint seven pictures which I was pleased with.

My first teaching job was at Cove Secondary, which was near by, and I met and painted a mother of a child I used to teach there. It seems he turned out very successfully despite my efforts and still has 'memories ' of my casting him as an Owl in a school play. It was hilarious recollecting the various personalities and incidents which took place. 

Almost Maled it.

Yet another male nude. I have been  going  to life drawing for years in the belief that it is  good practise and a great opportunity to keep my drawing skills sharp. The problem is I have a tonnage of drawings. Going through some of them the other day I was shocked by how many I had done. Time for a cull I think. This is my latest sketch from last week in watercolour.  The pose is not too inspiring. The chair and bin really do not add a very glamorous note.

Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital day

I had to go to the John Radcliffe Hospital with my husband for an emergency visit. He was afraid his sight was deteriorating. He is already registered severely blind as an indirect result of a disease called pseudoxanthinelasticum  or PXE for short.
We are lucky and privileged to have such a great hospital to go to but unfortunately the wait to see the specialists can be lengthy.   I always take my sketch book and draw people waiting. Luckily he got the all clear this time but it is a great worry. The stress must be considerably worse in a country which does not have a care system like ours. I do wish the government would value it as much as the public do and stop trying -I think- to Americanise it.

I have been so busy chatting about work rather than actually getting down to any tangible art.

There are so many networking groups that I could spend my whole time socialising.On the plus side, less physical effort has rested my feet injuries and walking is much easier.

Yesterday I discussed the idea of doing workshops and demonstrations  in the  vast Hobby Craft Store in Basingstoke. B'stoke is not known as a cultural epicentre so there's a challenge.

Pleased with a recent little watercolour sketch quickie I've posted on twitter but can not for the 'Love of God ' upload here. The frustration has caused me to bite my lip. Arggh 

                                 

HURRAH! Finally unloaded pic thanks to chap at Apple Store B'stoke. 💋 

CLOSE UP - CAROLE

Portrait of Carole

Still haven't finished the last portrait so thought I would post this one on the blog. 
I cast it in ciment fondu which is a fine  type of cement sculptors use. A good surface can be achieved with polish. 
The base is granite. 

GET AHEAD - Sculpture Portrait Courses

Several people asked if I would teach them portrait sculpture.
A friend suggested I could use her wonderful old converted 'posh' piggeries which look like they come from an enchanting old fairy tale.
Weekend or weekday workshops seemed a good idea and I can be flexible to accommodate the most popular time for people.
A model and materials will be included.
It should be great fun and the location is beautiful.

'Cheeky Monkey' Portrait - Anäiss

This is a painting I did in Alton Park during a 'Cheeky Monkey' Family Fun Day

a couple of weeks ago. 

Highly Sprung

 Pencil study 

Old Olympian

Need to get cracking and get find more of my portrait drawings amongst the tons of life drawings I've drawn.  This is a drawing of someone who had swam in the Olympics many moons ago. Chris still has the strong hands and shoulders of a swimmer. 

SIREN SISTER

This  five foot four inch statue of a mermaid  caused some controversy despite her innocent and serene demeanour. 
Everyone seems to know what these mythical creatures look like and were very keen to tell me. 

In England and America they are depicted with fish tails,elsewhere, they have legs with fins like the Copenhagen mermaid. 

I made the lower half of the body fuller so that it looked more womanly.  A Dutchman sharply observed that 'even mermaids in England are overweight.' 
Mermaids or sirens were blamed for luring sailors to their death at sea. In land they were depicted on signs for places of ill repute to lure men. 
'Silly boys' 

HEAD STRONG

Firstly, I sculpted this life size portrait in clay.  I then made a plaster mould which I filled with black slate resin. Finally I polished and mounted the cast head on a granite base which i got from local stone mason Steve Knight of
Gra-Knight in Medstead . 

CONTEMPLATION

This is life size portrait bust which I cast in plaster and mounted on a stone plinth.  I am coming to the conclusion that sculpture looks better, in most cases, without a mount which can become such a palaver to sort out. 

Opening a Plaster Mould

GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY 

Work in Progress

This is what I am working on at the present.  
Possibly I will have the head looking over her shoulder like ' The Girl With Pearl Earring ' by Vermeer . 
I have quite a way to go so I will decide 
later. 

'- Sleep - perchance to dream '

Watercolour Life Study 

Easter Bunny

Foundry Bronze  - life size of a Rabbit, shown on this blog at a different angle.




 Just started tweeting

🌸Happy Easter🌸
  _______

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Easter  from Susan,

Ruination on a Ruin.  
 Foundry Bronze -Stone Base

Ernie Clifton sculpture

ERNIE CLIFTON  Bronze Resin on Slate Base 

This is a portrait of a well known Bentworth  village character who alas is no longer with us.  It was a joy to know Ernie and to have him sit and natter to me whilst I made this portrait. I intend to make more character heads for the Hampshire Studio Open later in the year . Initially I sculpted the head in clay and then cast it in bronze resin. That is resin which has bronze powder added to it.  The base is black slate . 

Here is a portrait I used for a poster. The painting an oil on canvas. I am concentrating on portraits at the present.

Portrait Poster.