The Old Red Deer Stag - Mixed Media on Black Paper

''The Last Call'

Red Deer Stag, mixed media on black pastlemat.

Each year we spend a couple of days over the New Year period in Scotland and weather permitting on New Years Day itself we pay a visit to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie.
I always take hundreds of photographs and when looking through them for inspiration this image jumped out at me. Judging by the amount of grey and white he had on his head I would imagine he is quite elderly but he was still watching over the hinds.

The Supreme Cat Show - 23rd November 2013

Work in Progress - Jaguar in Graphite Pencil

I know it's been a long, long time since I updated my blog and I'm not promising that I'll write more frequently this year but I do have things to share in 2014.

I'm working on my next techniques in coloured pencil booklet which should be available before the year end. It will be 'How to draw a Brown Hare' in coloured pencil. However it is  basically the same tutorial that appeared in the November issue of Leisure Painter magazine so if you bought the magazine it's probably not worth buying the booklet as you will already have most of the material.

I will have a stand at The Supreme Cat show which is being held tomorrow at the NEC, Birmingham, UK. It will be my last show until next spring so if you're visiting or exhibiting please come and say hello.

Hare Today Gone Tomorrow

'Watching'

Pastel on Velour Paper

I finally finished the hare I'd been working on at Harrogate Spring Flower Show and finalised the limited edition prints.

While working on this image I frequently thought about my dad because one of his little saying was 'hare today, gone tomorrow'. Although he's been dead for over eighteen years I can still hear him saying it.

Having seen the media footage of the aftermath of the Oklahoma hurricane it suddenly struck me how terribly apt the saying was, we are indeed here today and gone tomorrow. It  made me realise just how important it is to live for today, appreciate what I have and not long for tomorrow.

Limited edition giclee prints of 'Watching' are available direct from me, I will update my website later today.
Edition limited to 350, produced on 100% cotton fine art paper.
Image size approximately 13.5 x 9.5 inches, the print is mounted/matted in white, mounted/matted size 16 x 20.

** Now available direct from my website**

If you'd like any further information please email me: gayle.mason@gmail.com

Amur Leopard - Mixed Media

'Vantage Point - Amur Leopard'

16.5 x 11.5 inches

This is the first piece of completed artwork for 2013, an Amur Leopard in mixed media. It is mainly watercolour with some of the details added in coloured pencil on Arches hot pressed watercolour paper.

The leopard on my reference photograph was lying on a shelf so I substituted a rock from another of my reference photographs.

Red Fox - Part 2

I'm working slowly on the foxes in between starting my Christmas preparations. I alternate working on the leaves with the fox to hopefully keep both fresh. My aim is to finish the top left corner next.
I am impressed with how well the pastelmat is taking both paint and pastel.

I decorated my tree on Friday much to the delight of Cody who likes to investigate the bottom branches. We are always careful to put anything edible on the top branches, it's amazing how far collie necks can stretch to investigate chocolate.

Do You Feel More Emotionally Attached to a Painting if You have Seen the Animal in its Environment?

 

.I'm currently working on a grizzly bear, mixed media on Arches hot press watercolour paper

Whilst on holiday in Canada I was lucky enough to see grizzly bears in the wild although not close enough to get good photographs. However a couple of days after seeing them in the wild we visited the British Columbia wildlife park. They had two young grizzly bears, a brother and sister who had arrived at the park when their mother was killed. I took a lot of photographs of the bears interacting and doing their own thing. Eventually I want to paint a large picture of them play fighting.
As I've never painted a bear I decided to start with one bear in a straight forward pose.
I was drawn to this photo both because of the bears expression and the lighting.
I'm not planning on adding a background although I might airbrush some blurry foliage later.

As I'm working on the bear I can remember the details of the day, but more than that I can picture the wild grizzlies in their natural environment. I certainly have a stronger emotional attachment to this painting than some of my others.
I had already seen grizzlies in captivity and one distant view of a wild bear on previous trips to Canada but this was the first time I'd watched one for quite a long time behaving in a totally natural manner which to a greater or lesser extent captive animals don't.
It's leading me to think that not only should I use my own reference material but in order to give something of myself to the work perhaps I should only draw or paint animals or birds I have seen in the wild.
That doesn't mean I'll never paint another tiger or snow leopard but perhaps less often than in the past.

Snow Leopard in Graphite

As well as the graphite pheasants and the watercolour owl I'm working on a large drawing of a Snow Leopard.
The reference is my own photograph that I took several years ago at Marwell Zoo. The design of the cage meant I could stand directly in front of the leopard to capture the whole animal. The lighting is good which you will be able to see better once I get a little more drawing done.

Graphite Jaguar

I'm back home but still jet lagged so have spent time this week on a graphite portrait of a jaguar from my own photograph.
I understand that Black on Black had sold before the private view of the SOFA exhibition which was good news.

Amur Tiger - Part 2

I'm slowly but surely working on my second Amur tiger. There isn't quite so much contrast in real life but at least you can see the progress.
I can't quite work out the fur direction/light on his nose so it's incomplete until inspiration strikes, or I run out of other areas to work on!

Another Amur ( Siberian) Tiger in Pastel

I've started another pastel of an Amur Tiger.
I took the photograph earlier this year at the Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland.
I'm using a mixture of soft pastels and pastel pencils on Fisher paper, the size is approximately 24 x 20 inches.
I'm beginning to dislike the CarbOthello pencils made by Stabilo because I'm having real difficulty sharpening them. No matter how carefully I handle them some of the colours break really easily. White is the main culprit followed by the cream colour which is a shame as I do like the way they work with the Fisher paper.
As far as sharpening is concerned I'm finding the Pitt pastel pencils far easier to work with.

Pastel Tiger Completed

"Bad Fur Day"
20 x 16 inches, pastel on Fisher paper.

Although the tiger was completed without any issues, getting a colour corrected image was incredibly difficult. This was due to both my desktop and laptop computers dying at more or less the same time.

I had an old edition of Photoshop running on the desktop so when that computer ceased to function I wasn't too worried as I have the full CS4 suite running on my Mac Pro Book.

I decided I couldn't justify the expense of buying the windows version for my desktop and I would manage with Photoshop Elements.

So my son went ahead and rebuilt my computer. Within hours of wiping the hard drive my laptop got stuck in an update sequence and of course I couldn't find the system disc to reboot.

So I am currently waiting for new discs to be shipped to me so that my son can (hopefully) repair the laptop.

I needed an accurate image of the tiger because I wanted to submit it on line to a competition.

I couldn't scan because it was far to big for the scanner so I had to photograph it. The light was so poor the resulting image needed correcting which I found incredibly difficult using Elements. I need to add that the version of Elements I had is really, really old, I'm sure the newer versions are far better to use.

I did manage but what would have been a small tweak in Photoshop became a huge task.

Fingers crossed that my laptop is soon operational.

Pastel Tiger Part 4

Almost there, just a little bit more fur and then I'll look at the whole to see if anything needs lightening or darkening.

Pastel Tiger Continued

A little more work done on my tiger. I will add more whiskers later because I will need to do more work on the background once I finish the head.

Pastel Tiger on Fisher Pastel Paper

I decided to work a little bit larger with this tiger so returned to pastels as I work faster with them than any of the other mediums that I use.
This is 20 x 16 inches on Fisher pastel paper. I'm using a mix of soft pastels and pastel pencils. I put down a layer of soft pastel as a base and then work over it with the pencils to add the detail.

If this goes smoothly I'm planning another tiger with a full background that will be around 26 x 20 inches.

Amur Leopard - Part 2

Carrying on with my leopard.
I have no idea why I haven't finished the ear except that I haven't felt the time was right. This is definitely 'my' way of working certainly not recommended in the books that suggest working the whole piece as one. But, it works for me.
I've adapted to the much rougher surface and am pleased with the effect. It does have a tendency to shine with the softer leads so I find it helps to put a layer of 2 or 4H down first before adding the softer darker tones. Working back over the top with the hard leads then further softens and dulls the effect.
I'm not intending adding any more background than the small shadow because I want all the focus on the leopard.
He will have back legs eventually.

Puma Finished

I've finished my puma.

Following the workshop I concentrated on form and darkened the right side.
It's 10 x 8 done in watercolour.

Puma in Watercolour

The eagle has been put to one side while I painted this puma in watercolour.
It's 8 x 10 on a Stathmore paper I brought back from Canada. I just have the chest to finish and add some whiskers.
The paper is really white which is working well for me.

Portrait of a King

"Portrait of a King"

Graphite on mellotex paper.

I made my deadline with a whole night to spare.

I need to deliver this tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed it gets juried in to the exhibition.

Graphite Lion Continued

After printing hundreds of fine art cards ready for Patchings Art Festival I had a break and went back to my lion.
How can you tell I'm struggling with the fur in front of his ear?

Graphite Lion Continued

I've continued working on the lion. I decided to work some of the darker tones in the mane so that I could decide how light the blond fur should be.
My card stand arrived today and I'm very pleased with it. It was easy to assemble, freels strong, rotates smoothly and will hold at least 60 different designs.
It will look far more professional having my cards displayed in a stand rather than spread out on the table.