Quick Sketch

A Great day (Exhibition)

Not the quick sketch you’re used to but these are the sketches that begin the process to some of my drawings. The one on white paper is my first attempt. The drawing to the right of the photo is my latest. I still need to do a bit more work to perfect the legs, but I’m getting there.

Watercolour

It was exhibition month with 3 exhibitions I was entered into and had the success of selling 2 which were on display…

Where the Grass is Greener (Exhibition)

Going back to my “pony girl” days where I would endlessly draw horses and annoy everyone in my family with my obsession. It was a great experience to be able to draw these beautiful creatures again.

Thank you to Shoot-Ya-Pooch Pet Photography for the original photo.

Boxing at the Beach (Exhibition)

You guessed it, it’s back to my other love of dogs. What’s great about this is that I’m able to make a scene and tell a story with these portraits and bring some action and movement into what people already say comes alive on paper.

Thank you to Shoot-Ya-Pooch Pet Photography for the original photo.

White Pencil on Black Paper

Golly (A2)

Not sure how Golly’s mum heard about me but here is Golly from Northern Territory who is half way to being completed. I’m actually a bit further along on this one but I didn’t get a chance to take a final photo. Golly’s mum also runs a doggie daycare in the top end and wants this portrait of her boy Golly decorating the walls of the business.

Black Pencil on White Paper

Monty (A4)

I’m proud to say that Monty is now finished and was delivered to mum who commissioned it for her husbands birthday so he can remember his boy forever.

Hanrob portraits

More VIP client portraits have been completed but I can’t show you just yet till I get the ok that they have been delivered.

On the Side

They say a change is as good as a holiday…

Hey Gorgeous Hair Studio (signage)

No one likes to pain a house and I’m not any different so when I was asked to paint someones logo on their shop wall, I said “as long as I don’t have to paint the rest of the wall… you’re on!”

I really enjoyed getting out of the studio and doing something a little different. And it does help when you have a super steady hand that can handle curving and straight letters.

You can get a great hair style at:

Hey Gorgeous Hair Studio
73a King St, Warners Bay NSW 2282, Australia
(02) 4948 2370

…and while you’re there see some of my handy work!

Ram City Memory Upgrades (Caricatures)

This is something I was a little bit hesitant to do having never done it before. Especially when female staff are saying feel free to make me look like Elle McPherson. But I’ve been told that the staff love their portraits and now it’s time to add the colour.

For all your computer memory needs for both Mac and PC visit

http://www.ramcity.com.au/

Quick Sketches

I’ve made it official that at least 50% of all my quick sketches will be donated to charity. So if you are part of a group that saves animals or just does good for anyone contact me to be part of your fund raiser.

This month with my quick sketches and gold coin entries into win a free watercolour of your pet, I managed to raise $112 for Greyhound Adoption Program and $182 for Margie the blind poodle who Hunter Animal Rescue has now raised $3000 for an operation to restore her sight.

Watercolour

The cats are starting to take over with two more cat portraits completed of…

Suki (A4)

Tuvok (A4)

This is a portrait that was commissioned by Nerelee who wanted her friend Casey to have an extra special 21st birthday.

A Curious Meeting (A4)

I actually started this one again… I’m starting to make a habit of that… But now it’s finished and I’ll be putting it into the Newcastle Art Society Belmont Exhibition at the Belmont Citi Shopping Centre, Belmont NSW.

Gresford 

Hey this isn’t an animal! NO it’s my first attempt at a landscape.

In between belly laughs with fellow artists on our camping trip to Gresford, this is one of the art works I came up with.

Black Pencil on White paper

A much loved Boarder Collie (A4)

Earlier this year, this little man went to the rainbow bridge. Much loved and very missed, I can’t imagine a better way to remember such an important member of the family.

Hanrob portraits

More VIP client portraits have been completed but I can’t show you just yet till I get the ok that they have been delivered. Stay tuned, in this batch, one of the VIPs is famous.

Full Colour Pencil

Snoopy (A4)

Bring out the trumpets and the fan fare!!! Snoopy is finally finished… YEAH!!!!

I was a little bit nervous doing this one, but as always I took a deep breath and made sure I got it right.

Quick Sketches

Again the quick sketches have been popular, especially at the Hunter Animal Rescue trivia night where I completed 20 sketches in 3 hours raising a total of $400 for the rescue. Everyone was so happy with their portraits and I was even sent messages that some were being framed cause the owners thought they were so good.

Oscar (the face of Oscar’s Law)

You can imagine my surprise (and Joy) when I found out I drew Oscar, at the Greyhound Rescue trivia night. Oscar is the face of a movement to ban puppy farms for good and I’m so pleased to say that he has been saved again this year. This is a truly amazing story and a real reason why you should do your homework when buying a puppy… see the parents and the conditions where the dogs are raised, ask lots of questions and don’t buy puppy’s from pet stores or from internet/newspaper classifieds.

See Oscar’s story here and spread the word. It’s a must!  

Watercolour

I am really loving these watercolours as you can see here with…

Jaydee (A2)

CJ (A3)

Leo (A4) 

And of course like I said in my previous update I have re-painted Leo the cat’s portrait. I’m happier with the colour and this time I’ve added more detail into his features… Because you know I can’t resist adding more detail.

A Curious Meeting (A4)

After being told my by fellow artists in my Thursday Wangi Art Group to get a move on and prepare something for our many future exhibitions, I’ve decided to dedicated my Thursday’s to creating portraits for exhibitions and sale. Of course they will be of my favourite subject matter… Doggies!

I would also like to thank my great friend and talented pet photographer Jenny from Shoot-Ya-Pooch Pet Photography for allowing me to use one of the candid shoots she took of Doc “the delinquent Dane” and this little boxer.

Black Pencil on White paper

More portraits have been delivered to the VIP clients of Hanrob, with all of them getting a great surprise and now enjoying the life long memory of their beloved pets on their walls.

Jess and Shakey (A4)

Nalu (A4)

Sally & Sam (A4)

Snuffy (A4)

Tiger & Marshmellow (A4)

Full Colour Pencil

Snoopy (A4)

Even writing down the monthly art shopping list doesn’t stop me from getting it wrong and buying the wrong pencil colour. This has put a temporary spanner in the works for completing Snoopy’s portrait and will be waiting till later this month when I make the hike back to the art shop and buy the right colour.

Quick Sketches

After spending Saturday night at the Greyhound Rescue trivia doing quick sketches off people’s mobile phones and donating most of the proceeds to the rescue. By the end of the night I had raised a nice little sum of $280 which I know will be put to good use. That night I could only do the sketches in pencil so I wouldn’t “gas” everyone with the sealer spray needed for pastel portraits.

The next day at the Manly Dogs Day Out I had a surprise for everyone and drew my quick sketches for a one time only…never to be repeated… full colour pastel quick sketches for only $30 each.

Pastel and Pencil

Jaydee (A2 and A4 tests)

I’ve also been busy creating test samples of Jaydee’s portrait in pastel.

This is the first time I’ve worked in pastel on a dark coloured dog and I want to test out how this is going to look before delivering the final portrait. You can see I’ve created a couple of smaller tests but then when it came to Jaydee’s big portrait I’ve got him out of proportion and his looking like a younger pup which means I’m back to the drawing board.

But I still wasn’t happy with how the black finishes on the left hand side so I decided to try Jaydee’s portrait on black card.

Leo (A4)

Not having much luck with the pastels cause little Leo here is looking a bit like a feral cat instead of the delicate cuddly puddy that he is.

Watercolour

Leo (A4)

This is why after going to a watercolour workshop I decided to convert my pastel portraits to watercolours. So far I’ve redrawn Leo’s portrait, but I plan on doing this one again cause I don’t think his coat colour is right. I’d also like to take this one a little further and add more detail to his portrait.

Coco (A4)

And here is Coco who was a surprise birthday present for a very special son… happy birthday James. This is the level of detail I want to put into my watercolour portraits and I love the control I have in the brush strokes too.

White Pencil on Black paper

Jessie (A4)

Here is a portrait of little Jessie who has been through a bit of a rough patch on the medical front. I hear she’s a lot better now.

Black Pencil on White paper

I have been working on more Hanrob Pet Hotel portraits which I can’t show you at the moment, but here are the portraits that have been delivered over the last month.

 Charlyk & Chikita (A4)

Ronald and Nelson (A4)

Sheba and Zoe (A4)

 Tom and Daisy (A4)

Full Colour Pencil

Snoopy (A4)

After already starting Snoopy’s portrait for a second time, I’m now taking my time with this one but I know I will be finished soon and Snoopy will be framed and hung next to his old mate Toby who is now waiting for him and mum and dad at the rainbow bridge.

Quick Sketches

I was off again doing quick sketches at the PetQuarters grand opening last month. I never realised how many Great Danes there were out and about cause I drew two of them and here they are…

Someone had a favourite photo on their mobile phone… and who doesn’t… so you don’t even need you pup with you if you want o get a quick sketch of your pooch.

And another Dane named Doc…

We can’t forget the little kittens too…

There were many others I drew on the day and everyone had a ball.

Pastel and Pencil

Ivana (A3)

Here is the lucky winner of the Greyhound Rescue silent auction held at their trivia night a few months ago. The lucky winner Tara won the bid and received this portrait of her much loved cat at 50% off the usual price. WOW! Better yet… all the money went to saving these fast little runners and has hopefully helped one more find its forever home.

Black Pencil on White paper

While I have been working on my big order from Hanrob Pet Hotels, they have been making their portrait deliveries over the last month. Here are a couple more that have been delivered.

JJ, Bella and Jess (A3)

George (A4)

It was a great surprise when a VIP client from Hanrob Pet Hotels called me personally to tell me how much she loved her portrait of her pug George and how amazed she was that I had captured his expression perfectly. She told me how much they loved George who is now 9 years old and how much they loved the portrait I created for them. I think one of the most beautiful things she said was that her and her husband talked about when they are 70 years old and sitting on the couch, they can look up at his portrait and remember him just the way he was.

The Italian Greyhounds – Romy and Elmo (A3)

These two were ordered by Travis, a great husband in Melbourne who wanted to give his wife a unique gift for her 40th birthday. He resisted the urge to unpack the portrait early (which was wrapped in miles of bubble wrap) and waited till the day of her birthday. Later he wrote to me…

We literally are sitting in bed still looking at it together… Needless to say…. she totally… LOVES IT! LOVES IT! LOVES IT! LOVES IT!…  Seriously, it is outstanding!  While I had faith it was going to be good, I was not expecting the level of detail, depth and “polish” you have given us.  We can’t even believe you captured the tiniest little dot in Romy’s ear!  And those beautiful eyes; they could melt the coldest heart! … It is easily one of the best gifts I have given her…ever! … What you do is a magical thing… Two more fans for life!

Full Colour

Olive and Chillie (A4)

I actually finished this portrait last year for Chris, the co-owner of At Perry Lane Cafe in Paddington. I had planned on delivering this one personally when I went back to the cafe to do my drawings but as it happens, time has been racing away from me and I didn’t want to leave him without his portrait any longer. I will be making my way back to At Perry Lane Cafe very soon.

Piglet (A4)

Last year a mum named Pat won a $200 gift certificate at the Calais Estate Doggie Day Out and decided to put it towards a full colour portrait of Piglet who is waiting for her mum (Pat’s daughter Amanda) at the rainbow bridge. You have to agree… she has a cute name. I wonder if it’s because of her pink little eye.

Snoopy (A4)

This is one that I have actually started again cause I wasn’t happy with the way it was going the first time. This is Emma’s second colour portrait she has ordered, the last one was of her dearly departed Toby. Snoopy is a shy, sweet little boy and I think this portrait is really going to capture that.