On the drawing Board

A Work in Progress

Pencil on Mellotex paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2012

January and February are months I always think about drawing horses for some reason and is probably down to the fact that I’m subconsciously thinking about a certain equine exhibition that I promise myself I’ll enter work to every year. And it’s a promise I always end up breaking. I get the drawings done to what I think and hope is exhibition worthy, make note of dates in my diary, download forms, etc, but come the time for entry can never afford the framing and postage costs with other things always seeming to take priority. It’s frustrating! I have so many drawings that I need to/must get mounted and framed if I am to do all the things I want to with them – not going to get very far otherwise am I.

This is a drawing I started back in January and have been working slowly on when time permits. Only problem is I’ve now been working on it for so long that I’m struggling to stay motivated to get it finished. Think I need to put it to one side for a bit while I work on something else and can go back to it at a later date with fresh eyes.

Copyright Laura Hardie 2012

Still here!

Time Out
37cm x 27cm
Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
My thanks to Steph Greaves for the use of her photograph

Has it really been over two months since my last post, think that might be a record for me and could make me a contender for the worst, or laziest, blogger if there was such an award going about! But then this is an art blog and, in my defence, I’ve not been drawing much in that time so had nothing to show - I’m guessing of course that 99.9% of my followers come to see my work and not my ramblings. Instead I’ve been doing a little bit of this and that and hidden myself away from the world of blogging while I busily work on my business plan/goals/aims for next year and generally think about where I want to go, and be, with my art……. and in my personal life. I see lots happening and big changes in 2012 so plenty to think about. I needed to sit back and take stock of (many) things and think the time out has helped - certainly made things clearer. Lots of ideas, plans and things I want to do and achieve over the coming months/year but not going to go into that here on my blog just yet. Hopefully you will see and hear about some of the changes soon enough anyway.

Something else I’ve given some thought to is my blog! I want, no, need, to make changes here too – give it an update of sorts and include new things. Something more than showing just what I’ve been drawing – yes? No? I feel I’m just ‘plodding along’ with my blog and fear losing interest in it so want to do more with it if I can. I have a few ideas I’m playing around with but if there is anything you would like to see me include/do then please let me know – all suggestions welcome.

And, despite my spending very little time at the drawing board, I still managed to include a drawing I started back in April of this year and finished recently. Hope you like it.

The last two!

Inquiring Mind
Coloured Pencil, 23.5cm x 35cm
(With mount: 37.5cm x 48cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Have been looking back over previous posts to see when I started the Dutch Auction and couldn’t believe it was back in May – where does the time go! I started with six drawings and almost five months later, four have gone to good homes and we’re now down to the last two. So if you’ve been following, and are interested, this could be your last chance to get an original drawing at a great price. ‘Focused’ is now down to £100 and ‘Inquiring Mind’, £110. Both drawings are double-mounted ready to frame. If you would like more details on either drawing or are interested in purchasing then please email me.

Focused
Pencil, 25.5cm x 20.5cm
(With mount: 39.5cm x 33.5cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

It's Monday

Focused
Pencil, 25.5cm x 20.5cm
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

I don’t have a new drawing, in progress or finished, to share today although I am working on one of a German Shorthaired Pointer in coloured pencil. I felt I should have something to show though as my post feels naked without an image so I’ve put one of the drawings currently in the Dutch Auction up – it being the reason for this post after all.

Monday means prices on all drawings have dropped £20 and ‘Focused’ (above) is now £260. ‘Intrigue’ is down to £230, ‘Eye Contact’, £205, ‘Morgan’, £170, and ‘Inquiring Mind’, £270. To see these drawings again just scroll down slightly to my earlier post.

Dutch Auction

Ok, back to the Dutch Auction and the ‘bit of news’ I mentioned a couple of posts back. I’ve decided to change things slightly and have a multiple auction where everything in my spring clear-out is up at once rather than doing it one drawing at a time as I have been up to now. How the Auction works other than this will stay the same as before.

All art works are signed, original pencil or coloured pencil drawings (by myself of course:)) that I won’t be using for upcoming Exhibitions or competitions and therefore thought I would offer them by way of a Dutch Auction. There is nothing wrong with them and they are not damaged in any way, and nor do I dislike them, I’m simply making room for new work while giving anyone who likes my work the chance to buy it at a greatly reduced price. Drawings also come double mounted/matted ready for framing.

So that just leaves the drawings themselves. ‘Morgan’ has been in the Auction for a few weeks now and as of Monday this week is down to £190. Joining him is………

Intrigue
Pencil, 25.5cm x 21.5cm
(With mount: 39.5cm x 34.5cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
Starting price: £250

Focused
Pencil, 25.5cm x 20.5cm
(With mount: 39.5cm x 33.5cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
Starting price: £280



Eye Contact
Coloured Pencil, 27cm x 19.5cm
(With mount: 41cm x 32.5cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
Starting price: £225



Inquiring Mind
Coloured Pencil, 23.5cm x 35cm
(With mount: 37.5cm x 48cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
Starting price: £290

Should you be interested in any of the above and would like more information please drop me an email.

Stuart

Stuart
8"x10", Pencil on Fabriano Artistico Paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Drawing time has been compromised slightly thanks to T in the Park – well the run up to it at least. A lot of running around with daughter to get last minute essentials and now looking forward to them all coming back, including child, caked in mud! She enjoys herself so that’s what counts and I will be reminding myself of this when I’m knee deep in muddy clothes and chiselling off caked mud from her wellies.

Stuart is officially finished - he has been approved so no changes to be made and I’ve refrained from tweaking. It’s now back to colour with a coloured pencil portrait and painting to do next.

Stuart

Stuart
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Had a few problems with Blogger and trying to post last week so couldn’t show you the in-progress shots of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier I am currently working on. Not to worry though, I’ll put the three I have taken up today and it just means there is more to look at (hoping that’s a good thing:)) There is still a couple of days work left to do on this one provided I can stop tweaking which, incidentally, I’m terrible for doing.

I have a bit of news for the Dutch Auction which I am currently running and will do a separate post on that but for now I can’t forget ‘Morgan’ which, as of today, is down to £210!

Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Stella

Stella
10"x8" Pencil on Fabriano Artistico paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

And she’s finished! Now just needs to be approved and she can be on the way to her new home. Always feel a bit sad when a drawing goes as I get used to whoever I’m working on looking out at me from the drawing board every day – will have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier followed by a Jack Russell Terrier to do that soon.

With it being Monday I can’t forget the Dutch Auction of ‘Curiosity’ which is now in it’s seventh week already. Where has the time gone! As of today the price has dropped by another £20 down to £80. This really is a great chance to take advantage of my ‘spring clearout’ and get an original, signed pencil drawing at such a low price. It won’t be up for auction much longer and, if it doesn’t sell, will be taken out and will only be available to purchase from my website at the original cost. So if you've perhaps been wondering 'should I, shouldn't I' for the past few weeks take advantage now before it's too late.

I’d like to finish this post by welcoming all the new followers to my blog as I noticed I now have 900! I honestly didn’t believe I’d get anywhere near half that when I started blogging and I'm delighted you like my work enough to come back and see what I’m up to next. A very happy artist indeed:)

Stella update

Stella
A Work in Progress
10"x8" Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Working my way slowly across Stella’s body and you can now see the star-like marking on her chest. Next update should see her finished.

Stella

Stella
A Work in Progress
10"x8" Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Have been busily working away on this drawing as it needs to be finished, approved, mounted and posted by Thursday of next week at the latest. My lovely model is Stella, a Lab/Boxer cross, and she got her name because of the white star-like marking on her chest. Not sure if you can make it out at this stage of the drawing but it is there and should be more clear in the next update.

I took the image below before I worked more on her face and neck and thought I would post it for anybody who is interested in how my drawings come together.

Dutch Auction Week 6

Curiosity
24.5cm a 19cm, Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Pencils are busy and not a lot of time so just a very quick post to say that ‘Curiosity’ is now down to the bargain price of £100. Get it now before it goes!

More drawing

A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

I think fairies must be visiting during the night and rubbing out bits of my latest drawing as I’m continually having to go over areas I’d already done and was happy to call finished. I’d hoped to be showing the finished drawing today too but I’m not quite there yet. It’s been a challenging drawing, not only with having to re-do the bits the fairies deleted, but tonally too and getting them just right. Lots of subtle tones and building up of layers.

Can’t believe it’s week 5 of the Dutch Auction of ‘Curiosity’ already – where has the time gone. This of course means that as of yesterday it is now down to £120!

Start of a new drawing

A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Pencils are out, paperwork is up to date, house is tidy, chores are done, no appointments to attend (well apart from one tomorrow:)) and feeling relatively organised so time to get back to the drawing board. Seems such a long time since I’ve sat down and done a proper days drawing. I’ve been working on this horse here and there for quite a few weeks now but not made a great deal of progress with other things taking priority so I’m hoping that I can get it finished by Sunday. Can’t see it being a problem if I can refrain from going back to areas that are finished – if you only knew the amount of times I’ve gone back to those front legs!

I’m a day late for the Dutch Auction of ‘Curiosity’ and if you have been following this you will know that the price has dropped by another £20 to £140. Normally I would show an image of ‘Curiosity’ at this point but as I have done so in my last three posts felt it a bit much to put it up yet again but you can see it, and details of the Auction, here.

Dutch Auction Week 3

It’s been a good week for getting a lot of things I’ve needed doing done and I feel a lot more organised as a result. Couldn’t fit in any drawing unfortunately, again, but have a drawing and painting sitting there waiting patiently to be worked on.

Curiosity
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Dutch Auction drawing ‘Curiosity’ has dropped in price by a further £20 to £160 today. If you missed my earlier post the auction basically works as follows…..

1. One drawing at a time will be auctioned here on my blog.
2. Every Monday the price will drop by £20 until it is either sold or reaches a predetermined and undisclosed reserve price and taken out of the auction.
3. Purchases will be made on a first-come-first-serve basis. Notifications should be made by way of email (see my contact details on sidebar).
4. Payments are accepted by credit/debit card via PayPal or cheque (UK bank accounts only).
5. Postage is an additional cost and will be determined by your location.

Dutch Auction Week 2

18.5cm x 30cm, Pencil on Mellotex Paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

I still do not appear to have improved with keeping my blog updated, despite my good intentions, as I haven’t posted the final stage of my latest Lab drawing. I actually finished this a few weeks ago, updated my FB page and promptly forgot about doing the same here so my apologies to anyone who has been waiting patiently to see how it turned out. I will admit to being so disorganised just now that I need to sit down and do a bit of prioritising I think – time to start the daily ‘to-do’ lists maybe.

It’s Monday and week two of the Dutch Auction of ‘Curiosity’ which means the price has dropped by £20 down to £180. You can purchase it now by emailing me.

Curiosity
22cm x 19cm, Pencil on Fabriano Artistico paper
36cm x 32cm with mount/matt
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Dutch Auction

Curiosity
22cm x 19cm, pencil on Fabriano Artistico paper
With mount, 36cm x 32 cm
£200
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Loving this spring weather we’ve been having lately and it’s so nice to see some sun and colour for a change – just wish I had a garden to make the most of it. Then of course I would probably spend too long there and not enough time at the drawing board!

With my motivation still causing me problems on the art front (though I think it’s more a case of me facing a creative blank and artist block) I’ve been doing a bit of a spring cleaning instead and decided it was time to have a mini clearout of my older drawings and offer them by way of a Dutch Auction. I’ve seen a few artists do this in the past and really liked the concept. For those of you unfamiliar with a Dutch Auction, it is “a type of auction where the auctioneer begins with a high asking price which is lowered until some participant is willing to accept the auctioneer's price, or a predetermined reserve price (the seller's minimum acceptable price) is reached. The winning participant pays the last announced price. This is also known as a "clock auction" or an open-outcry descending-price auction.” (Wikipedia). If anything, it’s a great way to own an original piece of art at greatly reduced prices.

The Auction will basically work as follows …….

1. One drawing at a time (I have a few:)) will be auctioned here on my blog.
2. Every Monday the price will drop by £20 until it is either sold or reaches a predetermined and undisclosed reserve price and taken out of the auction.
3. Purchases will be made on a first-come-first-serve basis. Notifications should be made by way of email (see my contact details on sidebar).
4. Payments are accepted by credit/debit card via PayPal or cheque (UK bank accounts only).
5. Postage is an additional cost and will be determined by your location.

Straight forward enough but hold off too long for a drawing you really like and you might miss out to someone else!

First up with a starting price of £200 is 'Curiosity', a 22cm x 19cm pencil drawing of a Weimaraner on Fabriano Artistico paper. It will come double mounted/matted ready for framing – size with mount, 36cm x 32cm.

Still here

Labrador, A Work in Progress, Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Yet another long delay between posts, not good but I do have a reasonably good excuse – I’ve not been drawing and so had nothing to show. And I didn’t think you would want to know about my life away from the drawing board – that could have been a long post with nothing to look at! When I say I haven’t been drawing what I probably should say is I am not putting in the hours I normally do and instead working a little bit here and an even littler (grammatically incorrect I know but I like it:)) bit there when the mood takes me – waiting on my motivation to come back as it seems to have gone. Think I need to get out and about with my camera more to give me inspiration.

In the meantime I’m going to continue working away on my latest Lab, see above. Again this is pencil on Mellotex paper, my paper of choice recently, but I’m starting to dislike working on it and need to try out other papers – think it’s maybe just too smooth for my liking and I’m missing the tooth you get with hot pressed watercolour paper. I still have a paper not dissimilar to Mellotex that I want to try. Only small pieces as they were samples sent to me by another artist so maybe a small drawing next.

Before I go I must tell you about my website as I’ve had several emails enquiring where it has gone. I’d been thinking for some time about changing my domain name and have now done so. I think I have updated everywhere I can think of with my new address but incase I have missed somewhere it is now http://www.laurahardie.com. A few changes been made to it too.

Lusitano

Pencil on Mellotex Paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Concentration hasn’t been my strong point recently as I can’t seem to see a drawing through to the end without losing interest and starting something new. This is the third drawing I’ve started and have yet to finish. Saying that I’m still deciding how far I want to go with this piece or if in fact I want to leave it as it is. The more I look at it the more I’m leaning towards the latter. I have two more drawings I need to finish first so still have time to think about it.

The subject of this drawing is a stunning Lusitano horse called Sueste.

Work In Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
My thanks to Sarah Clegg for allowing me to use her photograph

More horses

Work in Progress
Graphite pencil on Mellotex paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

My drawing of two horses ended up beating me in the end and it’s been put to one side for finishing another day – it was the jockeys that finally did it and I blame them entirely! Or more specifically their silks, I’m not a huge fan of drawing clothing and find I have the attention span of a gnat when faced with it. So rather than spend wasted time looking for things to do rather than jockeys I started a new drawing as shown in the image above. A similar theme but with only one horse this time. I’m really enjoying drawing full bodies as opposed to a head study.

I don’t know if it’s something in the air or what but this drawing has been ‘abandoned’ too for the time being while I’ve made a start on yet another drawing. Three drawings on the go at once is almost unheard of from me (rebel that I am:)) I’m more your one drawing at a time kind of girl, but it does keep things interesting - less likely to loose motivation for a piece this way. I do have a deadline and I want to get all three finished by the end of February which at this point in time doesn’t look as if it should be a problem.

Horses

Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

With so much going on in my life just now, I don’t like to plan too far ahead as more often than not something gets in the way of any I make therefore best to say that, all going well, it is my intention to spend the next few months working on various drawings of the horse. Hopefully I will have a drawing or two I am happy with for the SEA Exhibition in August. This is an exhibition I’ve thought about entering work to for the past couple of years but haven’t for one reason or other. Want to make more of an effort this year with exhibitions and shows – no excuses this time!

On my drawing board just now are two horses in a Point-to-Point race and up to this stage I have thoroughly enjoyed working on it. It has been one of those drawings where I have struggled to put the pencil down when other things have needed doing, wanting to finish another part first, then another, and another. But as is nearly always the case when I’ve been working on a drawing for a long time I reach a ‘boredom stage’ nearing the end and can struggle to find the motivation to work on it. I find a short break away from it or working on something else helps to get the motivation back. I’m on the home stretch with this drawing now although lots of fiddly, time-consuming bits still left to do.

Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
My thanks to Sarah Clegg for allowing me to use her photograph