Colin

'Colin'
8"x10" Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

And he’s finished. Colin is definitely one of those portraits where I could have kept going adding bits here and there where said ‘bits’ wouldn’t actually improve the portrait in any way or more than likely even be noticed by anyone but me. At this stage of a drawing I almost have to force myself to stop for fear of over doing it and it ending up overworked or, worse still, my colours turning grey and ‘muddy’ looking. So no more pencil work will be taking place....... unless of course there are ammendments to be made.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Believe it or not I’ve been working all week on my current portrait of Colin, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, although it might not look like it from the progress shots. Being a predominantly white dog there are lots of subtle colours in there that are lost when scanned. I had hoped to have him 95% finished by today but there is still much to do - white dogs, I am finding, take a lot longer to do somehow.

'Colin'
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Misty

Misty
12'x10' Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

I think I must be getting old as I can’t seem to do more than one and a half hours of drawing at a time lately without getting aches of some sort (just now it is my back) and I have to get up and move around a bit to ‘loosen’ up. I suppose being hunched over my drawing board for hours doesn’t help – that and the fact I could really do with a more comfortable chair to sit in.

Misty is now finished and sitting where I can look at her over the next couple of days to see if anything screams ‘fix me’. If not, and she is approved, it’s a trip to my framers for a mount before posting. In the meantime I have made a start on my next portrait which is that little bit different from the traditional head study as you can see from the reference on the right.

Spaniel update

Misty
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Another of my ‘quick posts’ where I don’t say much (do I ever) but to give you an update of where I am with Misty. As you can see there is just her neck area left to do.

Back to work

Starting the year off with another Cocker Spaniel. This is Misty and apparently she is always carrying something in her mouth so what better way to portray her than with one of her balls – as her owner told me ‘it sums her up nicely’. For me though it’s her soulful eyes – I could see me playing ball all day long with her if she gave me a look like this.

Misty
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Outside it is snowing again – I know we are not suffering nearly as much as in other areas of the UK, but having lived with it for over three weeks now I’ve had enough and just want it all to go away. I need some sun I think:)

A New Year

I for one am pleased that 2009 is now behind me and I’m very much looking forward to the year ahead and what it brings. Like many other artists at this time I like to give a lot of thought to my goals for the year and what I want to achieve. This year my two main goals are to stop procrastinating and to manage my time better so that it is a more productive year for me with more artwork to show at the end of it. I am the worlds best at saying ‘I am going to do this and that’ and it never quite materialising – well not this year!

Last year wasn’t productive for me with one thing or another so I'm ‘carrying forward’ the goals I made back then and making them this years goals – I’ve made a few tweaks here and there.

• Spend more time on marketing. Update my marketing materials such as business cards, postcards etc.
• Print, market and sell prints of my work.
• Start a newsletter.
• Experiment more with my pencils, try new supports, techniques and mixing them with other media.
• Work more with paint – aim to complete at least one painting a month.
• Put together a portfolio of work with the aim of approaching galleries next year.
• Submit work into at least two exhibitions.
• Learn more about my camera and improve my photography skills - start photography course.

I’ve kept my goals ‘do-able’ for the time being, no point making the list long and daunting. There are more things I want to do and may well add to this list as the year progresses and time allows – this way there is no pressure:)

'Seriously!'
11.5"x8" Graphite pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

I had a very quiet Christmas watching too much TV and eating lots of chocolate as predicted. I did manage to work here and there on the Weimaraner I started back at the end of November however, and he is now finished.

Next up on the drawing board is another Cocker Spaniel.