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!

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.

Focused

'Focused'
25cm x 20cm, Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Summer looks like it has eventually arrived and, as you do, I spent the weekend making the most of the sun and socialising with friends – only problem is I’m now a lovely shade of red and a bit sore so must remember to apply more sun cream in future!

I’m not one to sit patiently at my drawing board when the sun is out unfortunately – I need to be out there enjoying it! This of course means less time drawing but I do spend that time constructively thinking of ways to market my art and about short term and long term goals I need to work towards. As I am currently unable to accept commissions this is the perfect time to research and think about what I want and need to achieve.

Being represented by a gallery was something I intended working towards and thanks to a very good artist friend who pushed me to do something about it that goal is now almost a reality. Not giving too much away until things are finalised, a gallery in England is very interested in my drawings which I’m delighted about. Certainly gives me much needed confidence to approach other galleries in the future.

My latest drawing ‘Focused’ above is of a Weimaraner – I just love drawing this breed so no doubt you will see more appearing in future pieces. There are progress shots of this drawing on my Facebook page for anyone that is interested.

Weim

'Weim'
Pencil, 25x22cm
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

I have been here, there and everywhere recently, both physically and emotionally. Keeping fingers crossed that things will settle down now and I can concentrate more on my art. I started by finishing my 5’x5’ entry to the Canine Art Guild members show and got it in just in time. I’m looking forward to seeing all the entries when they go online which I believe will be 1st April.

I also finished my pencil Weim drawing (above) and I’m so glad I have as I can now move onto something new without feeling guilty about it lying there half finished – I’m funny that way:) I will now sit on this over the next few days to see if anything needs changed or tweaked and if I can come up with a suitable title for it.

Not quite sure what I’m going to be doing next – really want to do some painting but somehow I think my pencils will win………..again!

Feeling uninspired

Weim
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Why is it when I’m busy on a commission, I want to draw this or paint that but when I have the time to work on my own drawings I am no longer inspired and nothing interests me enough to pick up my pencils? Just like when I have no money to spend I see lots of clothes or art materials with my name on them but when I have money I can’t see anything. Take last week for example, I really wanted to draw a horse but could I find ‘the’ reference photo to work from – no. I spent way too long looking though and still didn’t find it.

I think part of my problem is that I ideally want to start working from photos that I have taken, especially now that exhibitions, shows and competitions are virtually insisting on this, but I’m a novice when it comes to photography and I don’t really have a lot to choose from what I do have.

One of my goals for this year is to ‘learn more about my camera and improve my photography skills’ and this is exactly what I’m going to do, starting from now. To help me I have just signed up for a free DSLR Skills Course – if you're like me and are interested you can find details here – and hopefully by the end of the 6 months I’ll be happily snapping away with my camera and producing photos I’m happy with. If so I should have more than enough reference material to keep me busy, happy and motivated.

I did start a pencil drawing of a Weimaraner, as you can see above, but I’m struggling a bit with enthusiasm to get it finished. Could be a lot to do with the way I am feeling generally about my own work just now, but he wont be binned (I’ve invested too many hours on him to do that and I do like him). He’ll simply be put to one side to finish another time. I like having a pencil drawing on the go that I can do small bits here and there when the mood takes me.

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.

Weimaraner

'Weim'
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

I had a bit of a break last week (well from the drawing board at least hence my lack of posts) even though I had every intention of working on my next Cocker Spaniel. I should maybe point out that it wasn’t laziness on my part but down to the fact that I don’t as yet have a reference photo to work from. It wasn’t a problem though as there are always things to keep me busy and it gave me a chance to catch up on a lot of chores that needed doing.

I did find time to pick up my pencils and make a start on one of the Weimaraners I’ve been promising to do for long enough. I just loved the expression on his face – so full of attitude and mischief – and hope that I’ve captured that. It was certainly my aim. Still a long way to go with this drawing and I’ll be working on it between commissions so it might be a while before you see it finished.

I’ve also become one of the millions who are now on Facebook and I invite you to join me there and become a Friend (link is on sidebar). Only problem is I’m spending way too long on there now but what a great way to meet new people and other artists and see their artwork. If I take longer to finish a piece I’ll definitely be blaming Facebook:)