Life Drawing

life drawing has dropped off round here lately due to a seeming lack of interest and I'm travelling a little further to get  some much needed practice. I went into the city to attend some free sessions put on by a model friend who was helping aspiring models to 'give it a go'
this is a pencil sketch of a first time model

and a couple of Conte sketches from yesterday's regular Friday session at Glenbrook

Angelique

one of the two portraits I attempted of Angelique at Saturday's group portrait session.

Oil 16 x 20

Body & Soul

The Blue Mountains Creative Arts Centre Life Drawing group is having its annual life drawing exhibition  'Body & Soul' at Glenbrook this weekend.


this is one of the flyers with some of  my drawings featured

Piggery Lane Studios Exhibition 2014

At the Piggery Lane Studios we decided to have an annual Art Exhibition and to be open on weekends over a month period, 13/09 - 12/10  to link in with other events that are on around UWS Richmond.

The opening on the 13th coincided with the Secret Garden Spring Fair on the campus grounds.  I sat in there  in the morning and sketched some 10 minute portraits... all children!

We had the official opening in the evening, music was provided by artist/actor/musician 'Jimmy Parbuckle'

  and  Greg Hansell gave a talk about the value of independent art groups and galleries

some photos of my studio area is it looks at present.

 and on October 11th, Earthcare, which occupies the same block as us will be having it's Spring Fair and the
  Piggery is open until on weekends until 12th October.

We are also grateful for the fine article that the Sydney Weekend Notes has been running for us

Springwood Art Show

I took these paintings to Faulconbridge in the pouring rain yesterday for this weekend's  Springwood Art Show   ... I think they have done a great job with their new display stands!

Open Studio

this weekend my studio in  the  Piggery Lane Studios was open as a part of the Hawkesbury Artists and Artisans Trail

 

Rae

today's 16 x 20 Oil Portrait of Rae at Richmond Art Supplies

Yarramundi plein airs

plein air paintings this week at Yarramundi

Portrait and figure study

from the Saturday group at the Arts Workshop
Oil 20  16 

oil 16 12

Donna

July portrait of Donna

June Portrait

June portrait of Owen at the Community Arts Workshop

Portrait Demonstration at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery

Peter Kay is a local artist and is 'Father Christmas' every year at the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney.
He kindly sat for me in his Father Christmas outfit for this  portrait demonstration in the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery. This was one of the organized events as a part of this year's inaugural  Hawkesbury Art Fair... and it is  hoped the Fair may become an annual item on the calendar in future years.

and the painting with a little more work done, still waiting to be finished

Demonstration

May portrait demonstration of Warwick for the Baulkham Hills Art Society, about 1 hour

April portrait of Graham at the Community Arts Workshop

Katie

this week's20 x 16  oil portrait was of Katie,

and   from the Sunday life drawing group a 24 x18 oil sketch, and A2 pencil sketch

double portrait

I would really like to find out how to use watercolour, so I have started playing with it  and have begun adding a watercolour portrait in with the oils I've been doing... this morning's portraits, a 20 x 16 oil, 60 minutes, and an A3 watercolour, 50 minutes.

and  a couple of life studies from this week, some 2 minute graphite sketches and a 20 minute  A2 Conte

Saturday's  80 minute oil portrait, 20 x 16... an awkward angle as I couldn't really see any eyes behind the dark glasses

and  a 40 minute oil figure study from Sunday A2

Joel

today's oil portrait of Joel 20 x 16, 80 minutes

recent plein air paintings

I have been getting out once a week with some of the local artists  for a shot at plein air painting... here are some from the last few weeks.

plein air Yarramundi

its been two or three months since getting to one of the local plein air field days, and the first one this year organized for last Thursday was in the afternoon, which I couldn't get to due to grand-parenting duties... it was due to be about 40 degrees anyway... so I paid Yarramundi a quick visit in the morning.
Since my last visit the banks had become quite overgrown with summer growth,  and I had to walk along the stony edges which I found fairly difficult... and finished up with blood coming from both arms from the falls... and a few scratchmarks on the painting too!

paintings in progress

some paintings that I'm currently working on