Checking in......

And catching up!! Have started work on a pencil drawing of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier but it’s still very much in the early stages despite my good intentions of aiming to have it half finished by today. What started out as being a couple of ‘busy’ days away from the drawing board turned into more and simply means I’ll need to work that bit harder next week – still remain positive that I’ll have it finished in time so not panicking yet. Should definitely have some in-progress shots to show early next week.

One of my busy days was spent at the Royal Highland Show, which I always try and go to each year mainly because it’s now tradition but it’s also a great, if somewhat expensive, day out. I like to call it a mixture of work and pleasure and one year I hope to, no, will have my own stall there. I always go laden with my camera (the work part) looking for suitable reference photos of the animals on show for later use in my drawings. This year they (as in officials) made it difficult as for some reason lots of areas were cordoned off to the public unless you had a white wrist band – not sure how I go about getting one but have made a note to self to find out! So lots of zooming in with my camera was needed and only highlighted the fact that I want/need a better lens. I did manage to get a few good photos of Clydesdale horses that I really liked and can definitely see me using in the future but can’t help thinking how many more I could have had if I had a new lens……... obviously:)

'Morgan'
Coloured Pencil, 32cm x 18.5cm
(With mount: 46cm x 31.5cm)
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

As of last Monday there is a new drawing up for offer in the Dutch Auction with ‘Curiosity’ now sold and currently on its way to the US. It’s a coloured pencil drawing this time of a Morgan horse titled, believe it or not, ‘Morgan’. Drawn on Fabriano Artistico paper the image size is 32cm x 18.5cm and with mount (it comes double mounted/matted) the overall size is 46cm x 31.5cm. Regular readers of my blog will know by now how the Auction works but for anyone new and for those who can’t quite remember it 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.

The starting price for ‘Morgan’ was £250 and as I’m going to be too busy drawing tomorrow to find the time to do anything else, including blogging, will drop the price by £20 a day early to £230.

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.

Finished drawings.......at last!

Home Straight
26.5cm x 34cm
Pencil on Mellotex paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Didn’t quite meet my goal of having all three drawings finished by the end of February, only managing to do two in the end. Not that it was a problem in any way as the last drawing is now complete and I’m happy with how they have turned out which is what matters at the end of the day. But for what it’s worth I blame the Lusitano and my underestimating the time it would take to do as there was a lot more work involved than I thought there would be:))

Odds On
30.5cm x 38cm
Pencil on Mellotex paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
My thanks to Sarah Clegg for the use of her photographs

‘Home Straight’, ‘Odds On’ and ‘On Show’ (the Lusitano) are all now available for sale and details can be found on my website.

Not sure what I’m going to be drawing next – have enjoyed my horses and I’m still thinking equine. But I also feel like experimenting and playing around with mixed media for a bit so anything could happen really.

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

Originals for sale

High Spirits
23.5cm x 25.5cm
Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

It’s been a strange week full of interruptions from one thing or another so have only managed to steal moments here and there at the drawing board - one thing I LOVE about working with pencils is their convenience, being able to pick them up where you left off and put them down just as easily. No worries of paint drying, cleaning palettes and brushes, putting paints away, etc, etc. I’m hoping next week is less busy as I have a painting I really need to make a start on.

Seriously!
29cm x 21cm
Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Regular readers of my blog may recognise the images in today’s post as they are drawings I’ve completed in the past year or so and are amongst others I now have available for sale. I thought I would mention this as I’ve recently updated both my blog (links to pages are at the top of the sidebar to the right) and website to show those currently available. And you never know, there may be somebody out there reading this post who is looking to invest in an original work of art and I have just what they were looking for!

New Start

Graphite Pencil, 24cm x 24cm
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

The start of a New Year - my daughter said to me on the 1st that she feels it is going to be a good one for us and after the last two we’ve had I’m hoping she’s right - we’re definitely due a good year and I, for one, am looking forward to it. So here’s to 2011, may it be a happy, healthy and productive one for us all.

Normally over the Christmas break, in between eating way too much (I would say drinking and partying too but I’m a good girl:)) I give some thought to my art goals and plans for the coming year. In the past I’ve put those up for all to see – the more people that saw my goals, the more real they were, making me more accountable to them and seeing them through. Gives you that extra push, well that was my reasoning, but what you never take into account is life and what it can throw at you. Those life ‘challenges’ can really interfere with all your good intentions no matter how hard you try not to let them. So this year, while I do have a business plan (honest) and know where I want to be heading, I’m going to keep it to myself for the time being. While I feel a lot more positive and determined this year I’m not unrealistic - I’m still going through a very painful divorce and I know that when I get those papers through the post that it will hit me hard as anybody who has gone through a divorce will know. Hoping that keeping myself occupied with my art and trying to achieve my set goals will help take my mind of it. As would a gorgeous, kind, thoughtful, Adonis ……..oh, and a lottery win – one or both would be very nice and a great help I’m sure!

The picture in today’s post is a drawing of a horse I started back in July of last year but gave up working on as I had no motivation left to finish it. Amazing what a break from a piece and looking at it with fresh eyes can do - I’m a lot happier with it now and just need to come up with a suitable title. Any suggestions welcome. I’m now thinking about including more horses to my portfolio in the hope of getting a drawing or two into the SEA Exhibition this year.

I’d like to finish this post by welcoming all the new followers to my blog, over 200 of you – I’m delighted you like it enough to want to come back. It was a wonderful surprise to see Animal Art Adventures had been chosen by the Blogger team as their ‘Blog of Note’ (thank you Blogger team:)) – how exciting to see my blog recognised in this way. I hope you all continue to like my work in 2011 and I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Last portrait for 2010

Tino
10'x8' Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and Santa was good to you. I don't have a big family unfortunately (though some people may say that is a good thing:)) so it was a very quiet, but enjoyable, one for us at the Hardie household this year - just me and my kids! Spending time now relaxing and making the most of what's left of the holidays before I throw myself back into drawing and painting - first portrait of 2011 is going to be a painting so looking forward to that. Thinking a lot too about my goals for next year and what I want to achieve but more about those hopefully in my next post.

I have one more portrait to share with you before the year is out as you can see above. I actually finished this one back at the end of November but couldn't show you at the time as it was to be a surprise present for someone - delighted to say they were very happy with it. Vizslas are another breed that I love drawing but I can struggle with their colouring before I'm completely happy - reds are always difficult to get just right with coloured pencils (or is that only me:)) I did take a couple of in-progress scans while working on it...........

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has followed and supported my work throughout the year and I hope you will continue to enjoy my art here in 2011. Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR - here's hoping it's a prosperous one for us all!

Saluki

Teruh
12'x10' Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Has it really been that long since my last post!?! Top of my goals for 2011, which I will be thinking more about over the Christmas break, has to be better time management and to stop procrastinating so much. In my defence I have had a lot of unnecessary 'things' thrown at me this year, not art related, that has unfortunately (and frustratingly) taken up far to much of my time than I care to think about. As has all this snow we've been having recently - I've had a shovel in my hand more times than I have my pencils I think!

So while I've been a bit quiet here on my blog dealing with 'things', I have been working away at the drawing board when I can and completed a couple of portraits. One is of the Saluki you see at the top of this post, called Teruh. Normally I would have blogged the stages as I worked on it but, as time got the better of me, will show them together here incase they are of interest to anyone.

Farley finished

Farley
12'x10' Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

The portrait of Farley is now finished and has been for over a week but thanks to Blogger having a wobbly I couldn't upload any images at the time. And then of course it slipped my mind later!

I am currently trying out new papers for my coloured pencil drawings as, after years of using Fabriano Artistico hp watercolour paper (and shouting its praises to all who asked), I've decided it is too 'off white' and cream coloured for my liking - I want a paper that is a lot whiter. I probably would have quite happily carried on using the Artistico paper had it not been for my wanting to try Mellotex. Mike Sibley, who needs no introduction and whose work I greatly admire, uses this paper as do more and more pencil artists it seems.

Mellotex did take a bit of getting used to as it was so smooth but what I liked straight away was the whiteness of the paper and the fact that this in turn made getting prints of my drawings so much easier - made my Artistico look yellow in comparison! I encourage any artist who hasn't tried this paper to give it a go - you wont be disappointed. The range of darks you can achieve with this paper is reason alone - lots of lovely blacks:)

Unfortunately it is just too smooth for my coloured pencils hence my search. Farley has been drawn on Fabriano 5 described in Jacksons catalogue as 'a very white paper ideal for botanical work'. Sounded ideal, and still being a hp watercolour paper I knew it would have enough tooth to take all my many layers of pencil. But, for some reason or other, I didn't enjoy working on it and found it hard going. I still got the results I was after only I had to work harder to get them. I'm not an expert on papers but did wonder if the fact it was mould-made using 50% cotton rag as opposed to 100% in the Artistico could make a difference. I'm probably way out and clutching at straws but it is the only difference between the two papers, besides the colour, that I can see and it would be interesting to know. Maybe I got paper from a bad batch, who knows.

I will try it again but for my next portrait, which I'm currently working on, I'm back to the Artistico this time in extra white. No problems to report with this paper so far (still not as white as I'd ideally like but thats being picky) and there are a few more out there I'd like to try. Especially one from a fellow coloured pencil artist that I hadn't come across before and, thanks to him, have small samples of to scribble on and play around with.

I am working hard on my next portrait but unfortunately can't show you how this is progressing (yet) as it is going to be a present for somebody and it could ruin the surprise. I will of course post the stages as soon as I can.