Real art and the fraud of modern art. (Video)

                                                                                                          

RIP 'Puppy'

Our hunterway X staffie, passed away at the beginning of the year. She was a dear old thing and I still think she's out on the deck sleeping in a patch of sunshine. Here is a drawing I did of her in remembrance.

My big sketchbook, the first few pages

  Here are the first few pages on a new sketchbook of mine which I bought recently. It's a big one, A3 in size and I'm making a sort of project out of it. I intend to mainly draw in it copies of famous art works along with words about the work and the artist. I have always loved sketches and words together, don't you! Like Leonardo's famous manuscripts and such things. 

So this is sort of like a casual course of study to get to know better the works of the masters. There is no better way to know a picture than to copy it. I agree with many artists that copying is an important learning tool which naturally be replaced by one's own style of drawing.

    The drawings on this last page are sketches for a larger finished drawing I am doing for a neighbour, the mother of the beautiful girl. She was only 18 when, tragically, she drowned some years ago. I was honored to be asked to draw her portrait.

Coming on...

This big painting is going very very slowly! I haven't worked on it for days, sort of lost inspiration, but I'll finish it, don't worry. This is what it looks like at present. 

I have been doing lots more drawing than painting lately, I'll show you my sketchbook tomorrow.

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts

Thanks to Underpaintings blog for sharing this.

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012

Follow the link, I'm sorry I don't know how to insert this kind of video onto blogger. But it's worth watching, very inspiring. 

Much ado about nothing

On June 12 an art exhibition in one of London's top art galleries will open, if you live in the area you can, for eight pounds, go and see...

...Not much...

The show is called Invisible: Art about the Unseen, which explains everything.

I'm still here with my horses

    No, I didn't forget I have a blog, I was just waiting for something to blog about. I still don't have anything to say particularly, but I'll think of something as I go along. 

I have been doing more riding than drawing lately--almost. Last weekend I went on a 22km ride. I've been trying to get him fit for a three day ride across New Zealand in June. Probably the worst time to do it--the middle of winter!

 Tigger knows exactly which direction is home!

We rode past the big rock, Tara Tara.

I was going to go for another long ride today, to my sisters place about 25km (15.5 miles) away but when I went to see him yesterday he was lame with a sprained fetlock joint, so its a long rest for him. Hopefully he will be better for out long trek.

But all this shouldn't be related here because this is my art blog. Here is a drawing from about a year ago to compensate. It is of my neighbors little welsh pony done in graphite. One of my better drawings, it sold pretty quick when I put it in the shop.

Art Project Powered by Google

I've been having fun exploring all the famous paintings!

This website is so much fun! I have to share it with you again, there is so much to it, it is almost overwhelming. Imagine walking through art galleries on the other side of the world while sitting on the couch in front of a warm fire.

Art Project powered by Google

In the Conservatory, 1879 Edouard Manet

Wandering Shadows, 1878 Peter Graham

Vincent Van Gough

Another afternoons work

This is all I've done on the big painting since last Tuesday. I haven't done a thing on it until this afternoon. Was away at a friends for a couple days and went and played my fiddle at the ceili (Irish dancing) but of course only unheard behind the band. And then I've been riding Tigger an aweful lot too. I need to get him fit for some long rides!

And my we have sold Simba, the horse I have been training. Which is a bit sad as I've grown to love him.

Big horse painting project

I have had this big canvass hanging about for a long time and am finally having a go at making something out of it. There's a hundred other things I ought to be working on, like a few pictures I have promised people and something to put in the shop. They will be done. Just...later...

What I do when I don't know what I'm going to paint

All that I accomplished yesterday in an afternoon.

Many more hours to go.