Sunday 30 May 2010

An Open Book


Everyday Matters N° 274 -Draw your favourite book.

My favourite book (at the moment) is  lovely and  glossy.   I bought 'Palaces of Sicily' at Palermo's Museum of Modern Art  last month.   It's translated into English from Italian so it can be a bit hard going at times but the photographs are wonderful.   A lot of the villa's and castles in the book are not open to the public so it's interesting to see what some of the places are like inside and the photographs by Melo Minnella certainly do them justice. 
I drew the book open so I could have fun drawing a photograph of a wall fresco, a sort of picture within a picture.
Watercolour pencil and coloured pencils.

Wednesday 26 May 2010

Hammer and Nail

Every Day Matters 273 - draw a selection of tools.
I had a good look round and I found this old hammer that was inherited with the house.  It's very basic, just a lump of wood and the rusty top part held together with a nail, nothing posh here!  I've always fancied drawing some rust.  I love anything old and used,  loads more character than something new.
Sketched in pen and coloured pencil.

Thursday 20 May 2010

A knight in Shining Armour

coloured pencil
 A sketch from my Sicilian sketch book.  This young man was found hanging around on an outside wall of a local villa!   A wall plaque made from marble and stone, according to the history he is an 'ancestor', but nameless, so I called him Ferdinando.   I drew this one from a photo I took just as the sun was getting low, and shadows and patches of light were dancing over the wall.  

Sunday 16 May 2010

Forest Fight For Sunlight

Like a forest fight for sunlight, that takes root in every tree.
They are pulled up by the magnet, believing they're free.
 Everyday matters n° 272 - Draw a line from your favourite song.
There are so many songs that I would like to choose..how many goes at this  can I have?
The above song is 'Carpet Crawlers' by Genesis, most of their songs have a story or a tale to tell, so they are fun to illustrate.   Drawn in charcoal pencils and a bit of pastel (the green!).

Take a look at me now,  there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face.
 
Still with Phil Collins, this line comes from his song 'Against all Odds', one that I have on in the car everyday.
Especially for a friend who  also likes Genesis.  Drawn in coloured pencil  and smudged.

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Watching you, watching me


This is my entry for the The Virtual Paintout , this month was the Czech Republic.  In the Virtual paintout we go onto Google street view and using the little yellow man  find a view to paint or draw.  I chose this scene of a  tram passing in Prague.  It's facinating to see people go past in their daily lives doing the shopping, going to work etc.  I love to 'people watch 'and invent lives for them.  I'm  terribly nosey or just got a  fertile imagination...probably both!

Sunday 9 May 2010

Honey, honey

How doth the little bee
improve each shining hour
And gather honey all the day
from every opening flower
Everyday matters challenge n° 270,  'draw somthing you'd like to preserve'... mine's a honey bee.
Honey bees have been dying off since 2006,  due to climatic conditions and pesticides.  They are important not only for the production of honey (down by 50% in Italy), but also for the cross pollination and reproduction of wild plants and agricultural crops.  I't's not for nothing that bees are used as indicators of enviromental pollution.
My sketch is in Derwent tinted charcoal pencils.... I went to the art shop just for some paper and came out with a set of them, so how did that happen?

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Regal Eagle

15x18cms
Graphitints(dry) and coloured pencil

My entry for this month's Monthly Sketch Project , the photo was kindly provided by Chrissy.
I'd love to get  this close to an eagle, you can see more of Chrissy's photo's on her blog.   I think this is the same fella that she's got posted there, although mine looks more blue...artistic license you know!?

Sunday 2 May 2010

A Greek Temple in the Sun


Near Trapani in Sicily is the 5th century BC Temple at Segesta.  It's in a beautiful setting on a small hill surrounded by trees and it's gold coloured stone literally glows in the sun, a perfect subject for artists and photographers.  My original sketch was in pen and watercolour, but this is the second version in coloured pencil done at home.  
Also near the temple are the remains of a  greek ampitheatre, set on top of a hill in a stunning location.  I would have loved to draw that too but I was suffering from lack of oxygen after the hike to the top!


The views were amazing, you could see for miles, well worth the steep walk up, and well worth the visit too, I'd definately like to go again.