Tawana

So, it was in the early morning of 1992, and I had been at the Chilliwack Mall doing an early morning shop. I’d left the mall, and was heading for my car in the parking lot. Looking forward, I stopped dead in my tracks, when in front of me, sitting in the open back of what used to be called a station wagon, was a huge spotted cat! I was shocked, a little intimidated and just a little hesitant to continue any closer.

The fellow that was with the cat saw the hesitation, and motioned me to come over. Still a bit leery, I slowly approached. The fellow introduced himself and his feline companion. It was Dr. Al Oeming, and with him was Tawana, his pet cheetah.

Dr. Oeming was from the Alberta Game Farm, and was touring around with ‘Tawana’, to raise money to purchase another cheetah for the game farm.

After he had convinced me that Tawana was perfectly tame, I dared to pet her. She instantly reacted with a deep purr. I was now totally smitten with her. I would have to share this experience with my kids.

So later that day, we went back to the mall as a family, and enjoyed some time with this amazing creature. I think the kids were as delighted with her as I was.

In memory of the beautiful Tawana, I did a colored pencil sketch and later, an oil painting from the pictures taken on that special day.

This was another of the many pictures taken that day of Tawana at the Chilliwack Mall. This profile became the one I chose for my colored pencil sketch.

The finished product, a 14″ x 11″ image of Tawana done with Prisma colored pencils. I decided to present her in a surrounding more natural than in a mall setting.

This picture was taken during one of Tawana’s “rest” periods (giving her a break from the numerous amount of people hoping to pose with her). This profile became the basis of the oil painting I did of her.

Before starting this project, I did a lot of research to best present Tawana in her native surroundings. And also to have the profile look natural. This was the start…

Some projects are simple, some more complex, but after many hours on this one, it will be a memory I will never lose.

The completed 18″ x 24″ oil painting is below.

“Tawana”

Just an aside, cheetahs are an endangered species, and Dr. Oeming was well ahead of his time in promoting and practicing conservation methods. With his passing in 2014, conservationism lost a true pioneer. If you are curious, this Biography of his passing, details his most interesting life, or you can do a search of your own. I only wish I had contacted him to let him know how that chance encounter influenced me, not that he needed another pat on the back.

‘He always lived life on his own terms’

Al Oeming always made time for a cuddle with Tawana, his pet cheetah.

In the month before his death, Al Oeming banded great grey owls, fawned over his horses and Rhode Island Red chickens, cleared snowy trails with his beloved 1968 John Deere tractor, pumped iron in the basement and climbed a board a stair stepper three nights a week.

Even with a pacemaker and another cardiac procedure looming, one of Alberta’s greatest adventurers and entrepreneurs refused to slow down.

“He was not the type of person to take it easy,” says his son, Thelon, a playwright in Toronto. “He always lived life on his own terms, and I think he went out that way.”

A zoologist, naturalist and filmmaker, Al Oeming died after undergoing an angioplasty in Edmonton on March 17. A barrel-chested pro wrestler who bench-pressed 505 pounds in his 20’s, Oeming could still lift 140 pounds at the time of his death three weeks shy of his 89th birthday.

Who says you can’t make friends with a porcupine? Al Oeming did, as shown in this photo from 1960

“He was just driven,” his son, Todd, 55, says during a tour of the family’s sprawling property in Strathcona County. “He never took a back seat to anybody.”

Known best as the proprietor of the Alberta Game Farm, Oeming traveled from the Arctic to Africa on expeditions to capture animals displayed at his 560-hectare zoo 25 kilometers east of Edmonton. Opened Aug. 1, 1959, the park boasted the world’s largest private wildlife collection at the time and welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors before it shut down, then operating as Polar Park, in 1998.

An occasional guest on his friend Marlin Perkins’ popular television program Wild Kingdom, at one time Oeming had 166 species on exhibit at the game farm, including a bottle-fed grizzly bear named Big Dan, a Siberian tiger named Hector that walked on a leash, a cheetah that rode in the back of his station wagon and gorillas that routinely used treetops as a ladder to escape their compound and roam the countryside in Strathcona County.

“I told dad that he should a write a book about his life, but he was always too busy writing the next chapter,” says Todd Oeming, who worked on the farm before embarking on a career selling commercial real estate.

Born April 9, 1925, in Edmonton to parents who immigrated from Germany, Oeming enlisted in the Canadian navy in 1943 and served as a gunner in the South Pacific during the Second World War. Discharged in 1946, he became a professional wrestler in the U.S. with his boyhood pal Stu Hart, with whom he later owned the Northwestern Wrestling Alliance, the predecessor to Stampede Wrestling.

Returning to Edmonton in 1949, Oeming wrestled under the pseudonym Nature Boy and studied ornithology at the University of Alberta. Climbing into the ring against the likes of Gorgeous George, Killer Kowalski, Haystacks Calhoun and Al and Tiny Mills, he staged sold-out shows at the old Edmonton fairgrounds that often ended in donnybrooks with the spectators involved.

After completing his master’s degree at the U of A under renowned zoologist William Rowan, Oeming sold half of his share in the wrestling circuit and used the proceeds to fund the game farm on Highway 14.

In 1964, chairman Mao Zedong invited him to China to study breeding programs for rare and exotic species; later, Oeming bred the first muskoxen born in captivity, a pair of calves the City of Edmonton presented as a gift to the Moscow Zoo.

Over the years, a handful of feature films were made by or about him, and a miniseries about him called Man of the North aired in 1980 on CBC.

“He was … not of this era,” Thelon Oeming, 34, says of his father, who was married twice and divorced once. “He was in love with another world.”

A master promoter, Oeming traveled the country in winter with his cheetah, Tawana, in the back of a station wagon. Pulling into small towns, he would call police to report a maniac with a cheetah on the loose — and then call the local radio station and grant an interview. “He was doing guerrilla marketing at a time guerrilla marketing wasn’t common,” Thelon says. “He was a great salesman.”

Over the years, thousands of schoolchildren in Edmonton got to meet Tawana during classroom visits, and his animals regularly appeared on local TV. Once, Oeming sent Todd to a television studio with Hector riding in the back of a van. Eventually, the 135-kilogram tiger pushed its way to the front and squeezed its head out the driver’s side window.

“I’ll never forget the look on people’s faces as we drove past,” Todd says.

Dr. Al Oeming with part of his carriage collection (Photo: Edmonton Sun Mar.31, 2014)

In recent years, Oeming had become an auctioneer and accumulated a collection of hundreds of carriages and thousands of sleigh bells.

Oeming’s wrestling mat still sits in the basement of his house off Range Road 223 a short drive from his former game farm. His books on draft horses and horse-drawn vehicles are scattered in an office that overlooks the feeder where Oeming watched grosbeaks, blue jays and pileated and hoary woodpeckers. At night, he fell asleep, dreaming of the howls from packs of coyotes and timber-wolves and the roaring of lions.

On the night he died, Todd Oeming held his father’s hand and kissed him on the forehead in his room at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. Sometime this summer, Oeming’s family will gather at the former game park and spread his ashes in a spruce bog.

“The phone has been ringing every five minutes since the night he died,” Todd Oeming says. “Some people are sobbing and others want to tell me stories.

“I listen for them, and for dad, too. It is almost like he has never left this house.”

The Making of “Venice Inktense”

For this project I was working in reverse from the way I usually do things. Normally, I would do a picture and then worry about framing it, but with this one I had already acquired a frame with a profile I really liked, glass and all.

This meant that the project would have to be on paper. The only paper I could find large enough for the project was the paper used for my print, “A Time To Remember“. It is a “hot press” paper (meaning it is extremely smooth and has virtually no “tooth” to it). As I still had a number of pieces in my possession, I decided to try it out.

While this kind of paper is required when doing off-set limited edition prints, it is a very challenging paper to use with artists materials, because it has very little “grip” for the pigments to hang on to.

A number of years ago I had purchased a box of ink pigment pencils (Inktense by Derwent) thinking they could have some interesting uses. Well, now they would be put to the test! First, I had to figure out how they would react to the smooth paper. And then how much abuse this smooth paper would allow. As it turned out, the paper is pretty tough stuff!

The colours on the Inktense pencils themselves, do not look the same as when the ink has been wet down. So I downloaded a chart with the 72 colours I would be using. To be certain (as chart colours may not be totally accurate) I made my own corresponding samples with the colours, dry and wet. This would be my reference chart for picking the right colors. I could use the colour dry or wet, but always had to remember that if a dry color ever got wet, it would change.

The other thing I had to always keep in mind was that the white inktense pigment does not work to give a pure white colour, but only to change another color, (such as adding white to red to give a pink color.) Therefore, anything white in the picture had to remain pure white paper, untouched by any pigment. (Which was a challenge in itself.)

First of course, I draw my picture on regular paper and work out all the kinks. This is something I do for every art project no matter what medium I will be working with. Then I transfer it using graphite paper. In this project, I probably transferred too much detail. Though it is tough, the hot press paper doesn’t take well to erasing…so…the ink is going to have to be dark enough to cover all the transfer lines.

As you can see by the pictures below, the ink goes on extremely light…and all areas need to be blocked in with their base colours before I start applying the layers of ink.

“Colour Wash Start”
“Colour Wash 2”
“Colour Wash 3”

Through research, trial, and error (mostly trial and error), I discovered there are many different ways to apply the ink pigment. Initially I was using the dry pencil to “colour” it in, and then wetting it with a wet paint brush.

Another method I used was to wet a paint brush and take the ink pigment from the tips of the inktense pencils.

Another method that worked well for me was making an ink solution using the pigment and water in a water colour palette, then painting it on like a water colour paint. This allows you to mix colours other than what are supplied in the set.

After working with the pencils for most of the project , I purchased a small set of Inktense Blocks. Using a water color palette, this allowed me to shave pieces of ink pigment and make a fluid solution, rather than obtaining the pigment from the end of a pencil.

I used all the methods above to get the effect I wanted for this picture. It took many, many, MANY, layers of ink pigment to achieve the rich colours that I desired.

I really pushed the limit to see what could achieve from these Inktense pigments. It was a very lengthy and challenging project. I leave you with samples along the path, start to finish…

“Venice Inktense”

On a personal note…my audio companions for this project were: Joe Bonamassa (Live from the Royal Albert Hall), Gino Vannelli (Wilderness Road) and(More of a Good Thing) …Ciao.

“Venice Gondola Ride”

This was a very personal project for me as it is from a snapshot of my daughter and her partner when they visited Venice. Being very fond of the picture (and of Venice!), and in my enthusiasm to put this moment to canvas, I overlooked my cardinal rule, “NEVER WORK FROM AN INFERIOR PICTURE!”

The picture was taken by the Gondolier, with a cell phone, and it was not set for the highest resolution. My mind was determined that this picture needed to find its way to my canvas and I didn’t realize the poor quality until after I had been “committed” to it. So for me, there was no turning back.

Throughout the process of painting this picture, I used over two dozen other snaps taken on the gondola ride, that would help me get an accurate vision of the surrounding area, coloring, lighting, etc.

The unfortunate thing about camera “snaps” is that if great care isn’t taken with angles, etc., it’s easy to get a distortion in the background, thus throwing off the perspective. As the gondolier was focusing on the two people in the boat, and probably very little else, the background and surrounding wall were out of proper perspective. So, my first challenge was to correct this, and it proved to be a rather lengthy and labour intensive exercise!

…Once the drawing was completed, it needed to be transferred to the canvas using graphite paper…

(Completed transfer of drawing onto the canvas.)

(Close up of portion of completed transfer to canvas.)

…After the transfer is complete, the drawing lines are then gone over with acrylic paint to “fix” them…This is important so that if I have to take paint off to correct something later, I will not lose my original drawing…

…A light acrylic wash is then put on to get rid of the stark white canvas, enabling tonal values to be judged more easily…

“Color adjustment photos (to right of canvas)”

Color Adjustment

At this point I have to figure out the color scheme of my picture. The coloring of the original photo was too dark and orange toned to be natural.

I did what image adjustments of the photo that I could on the computer, and had 3 different color schemes printed out, but in the end, most of the coloring, especially for skin tones, was taken from other snapshots (selfies) that were taken on the ride.

I used the colors as they appeared directly from the computer screen, which looked more natural, rather than the printed versions, as the printed pictures seemed to mess up the colors. (Perhaps software to sync the computer screen colors to the printer would be a good investment!)

The next step is to start blocking in the colors with oils, starting with the darkest colors and progressing through the lightest…

As this is also “day 1” with oils, and blocking in is part of the oil painting process, I will forego the tedious details and present a gallery depicting the progress of the painting and identify the image in terms of days since starting to use oils.

I would also like to point out that I am using “dream canvas” (which is made from a patented, nylon coated fabric), and I need to always be cognizant of how much paint I am using, as the “tooth” of canvas is very fine .

(Click on image for a slightly larger view)

It took 97 days from the time I picked up my brushes and loaded my palette with oils, to completion. Because I had broken my cardinal rule, it took an additional 4 months to prepare, to get from conception to the transfer of the drawing onto the canvas.

It was a labor of love, and probably one of my most challenging endeavors…Worth it?…Absolutely…Would I do it again?…Not without the proper photo…. The completed “Venice Gondola Ride”

Venice Gondola Ride Finished and Framed

Just an aside…my audio companions for this project were: Joe Bonamassa (An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House; Live at Carnegie Hall – An Acoustic Evening; and Live from the Royal Albert Hall), Gino Vannelli (Live in LA), and, for occasional variety, the local radio station. And no, I do not get royalties for mentioning them…Ciao.

“First Prayer in Congress” 

This was a commissioned piece which was documented for the benefit of the client, who resided many thousands of miles away, and wished to follow the progress unfold.  This is an option which I offer in any major piece of work.

The original painting was done by T.H. Matteson  in 1848 depicting the historical event of Sept 7, 1774 at Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Apparently the original painting was destroyed in a fire, with the only evidence of its existence being a black and white lithograph. There have since been several attempts to add color to this lithograph with varying degrees of success for a pleasing outcome.

My patron desired that a new painting be done in the full richness of colors and style, that T.H.Matteson would have used.  He supplied me with the best version of black and white lithograph he could acquire along with a few other resource materials that could be useful regarding the picture as well as the artists style. From there I researched the subject matter and artist until I was satisfied that I had a good knowledge of what I was about to undertake, and the style, and color palette the artist preferred to use. (This is generally consistent throughout an artists career). I also resourced other painted pictures of some of the more prominent people to get a good grasp of what they looked like.  The men in the painting are all known political figures of the time, such as George Washington, etc.

 

So here is the process I use… …The Making of a Painting…

THE DRAWING MAKES OR BREAKS A PICTURE
1) I always draw out my picture on paper first and work out all the details. This really is the most crucial part of the picture. If there is a flaw in this initial accuracy you will not end up with the professional picture you desire. This cannot be over emphasized.  THE DRAWING MAKES OR BREAKS A PICTURE! This IS the most important step in a realistic painting.
 
2) When I feel t it is perfectly accurate I will then transfer this to the canvas.  I use transfer paper for this job.  This is a lesson in patience and perseverance.  In this particular piece of work the transfer would take a good length of time because of the detail.   Once I’m securing the picture from any movement, the job must be completed without break.  If my picture were to slip for even the minutest fraction then I would have to start over.  It also helps to use a colored transfer pencil so you can keep track of which lines have already been covered.  Needless to say by the end of the session your hand and arms are pretty much done for the day!
 
Securing the lines
3) Once the transfer is complete the next step for me is to make sure I won’t lose the lines when I start painting. If for any reason I need to remove any paint I want my original drawing underneath.  So to secure the drawing I go over every line in an ochre or umber color using acrylic paint.  Using the permanence of acrylic here will make sure that I NEVER lose the lines even if I have to use turp to adjust some oils later. It also dries very quickly so you can continue with the picture.
Underpainting wash
 
4) The next step is to do the under painting . This is a “wash ”which will set a “tone” for the overall picture) and block in my chosen color palette. This is done with thinned down oil paints.
Adding deepest values

5) Next I start adding the deepest values. These would be the darkest aspects of the picture (including clothing, furnishings, etc.)

 
 
 
Progressing with Shadows
6) I can now start with the richer color palette I’ve chosen for the objects in the picture and start to define more form. As the color to this picture will be totally up to me as no one really knows what the true colors were in the original picture, I will be working out some of  the details of this as I go along, always keeping in mind other paintings done by the original artist.
 
Floor and shadows on the floor

7) I’ve now started to work on the floor and Shadows on the floor, working my way down to the bottom of the canvas.  More color is added to podium, fringe of curtains and more definition to stockings and shoes. Type within this text.

8) In this picture the wall got some attention, I’ve adjusted the color of the far table but most importantly is the painting of the faces.  This is very detailed and time consuming for me, and I will spend a lot of time with this area, getting it “just” the way I want  “them” to look!  There are 36 figures in the picture with 29 needing facial features!  I have also spent time here  defining Reverend Jacob Duche’s robe

9) I will keep working on faces, adjusting colors and adding highlights until I feel satisfied.The highlights to the curtains and tablecloth are now in which changes the overall look and the shadow of the inner wall has been added. Details to clothing has also been done.I worked on this picture for approximately two months and had many gruelling eight hour days. This is a long time to hold a small paint brush in your hand to do detailed work. But it’s this kind of detailed  work that I love. It defines who I am.

“First Prayer In Congress”
It was my pleasure to be asked to bring alive once more, in painting, this  historical event. The finished painting is in private collection in Texas. Beautiful prints were made and I’m fortunate to have one as a reminder of the work that I love to do and the satisfaction that it brings me.
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* Just thought I’d mention, my musical companion for the two months it took me to paint this picture was Rod Stewart’s “The Great American Song Book” ~

… I love everything about this town! …

… Torquay is situated in what is called the “English Riviera” and could easily be one of those destination points that you keep returning to!… This is also known as “Agatha Christie country” for those intrigued
by her many books on crime and by the subsequent TV shows that followed … My walk to town  took me past the Torquay harbour (bottom left) and sight of the quaint charm of this seaside town emerged (bottom right) …

…This is a “picture perfect” town, with it’s  marina (below left) … and  backdrop of gleaming  white buildings (below right) … such a relaxing joy to walk the marina and the surrounding area…

… Shadowing the marina (below left) is the lovely Torquay Pavilion with its Victorian architecture … this unique shopping Pavilion was once the hub of “social” venues for music and concerts, and some time ago, Dame Agatha Christie regularly attended concerts here (lower right) …

… The interior of the Pavilion is every bit as interesting inside as out… The upper floor eating area (below left) offers a great artistic “ambience”… I thoroughly enjoyed my tea and scone with strawberries & clotted cream  in this setting … all the while taking in the detailed  pillars, mouldings and stained and frosted glass windows (lower right) …

… Through the glass doors (lower left) was a roof top patio to take in the fresh sea air, if one desired … and more Victorian details are repeated on the lower floor retail space … a great setting for artisans to display their work (lower right)…It’s rather interesting to me that this was all once Agatha Christie’s “playground”…. hmmm … much food for thought!..(if you’re an Agatha Christie fan!)

… The view of the pavillion (below left) from Princess Park (named after Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter Princess Louise), with a closer look at some of the pavillion details (below right)…

… This ornate fountain in Princess Park (lower left) was an absolute delight for me, as it’s base featured some extremely ornate and guilded ‘classical dolphins (lower right) … I’ve always been attracted to these and have incorporated them into a wall mural I did in a private residence back in Canada … These gardens were also a setting for a scene in “Hercule Poirot” as well as being a feature of both the Agatha Christie Mile and the Agatha Christie Literary Trail.

… During my  Exploration of Torquay I couldn’t help but capture a couple of quaint churches (one finds many, many churches and cathedrals in England) … Below left is St. Luke’s perched on its small hillside and below right is St. John the Apostles, which can be seen from many vantage points in Torquay … exploring  old churches would be a major part and passion of my “England” experience….

… Everywhere you looked … there were great architectural buildings …. This clock tower (below left) stands in the town square, and (below right) once housed the Devon and Exeter Savings Bank but is now known as Banx Coffee Bar, just a delightful old building …

…A visit into the heart of town was in order to find a few “special” bits to take home.  It is here I found a most marvellous drawing set with graphites and charcoals in a lovely wooden case. One of my most prized “finds” and a pleasure to use in my work…

… And of course I had to visit Torre Abby which is Torquay’s oldest building, dating back to 1196… unfortunately it was under reconstruction and I could not get inside (below left and right)…

… (below left) A delightful night view of Torquay overlooking the seawall walk … lit up with thousands of coloured lights… and alas, lower right, I await the train for the next leg of my journey …

… Even the platform (below left) at the train station in Torquay exudes that old Victorian charm, with its painted wrought iron gussets, hanging plants, and well preserved buildings … Here I sit, below right, putting in time … wondering what palette waits to greet me around the next corner to bring inspiration to my artists eye …

… Hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings, and will join me in upcoming posts as I travelled through England …

This thatch-roofed village…

… is a must see … just 1/2 mile from Torquay, Cockington village is a prim and proper picturesque Old English village, just beckoning to be put on canvas …
The site was founded some 2500 years ago during the Iron Age. It later became a fishing-farming village … and is also mentioned in the Doomsday Book … going forward …  It has also been said that Dame Agatha Christie use to ride horses through the country lanes of Cockington Village … but enough history for now … a few pics to confirm it’s beckoning nature …

… The cottage (below left) is nestled into a bit of a hillside, and blends the presence of man into nature … all the cottages in Cockington have thatched roofs and many or perhaps most (below right) are now some sort business catering to the tourism industry …a sign of the times… perhaps a bit of a shame for this little village …

… But I guess without the tourism, it would not be preserved for all to visit and enjoy … the Rose Garden Tea and Gift Shoppe (below left) … and the interesting curved roof of this small dwelling (below right) make unique looking shoppes today … one has to wonder who might have lived in these structures in years gone by …?

… Again (below left), the sculptured thatch peak and white stucco reminded me of  Anne Hatheway’s cottage  and (below right), the rough timbered  styling of this peculiar cottage really can set the imagination wandering … I could just picture the activities of a Hobbit family … (this one really beckons my paint brush!)….

… the Weavers Cottage Tea Shoppe is set up in this 18th century cottage … it’s entrance pictured (below left) invites you into an outdoor courtyard for a bit of privacy … and next to it an entrance way to the ‘Drum Inn’ (below right) …

… The view across the back lawn of the Drum Inn (below left) … everything prim and proper and trimmed to perfection … up those stairs to the terrace where I enjoyed a lovely lunch, and customary Guiness … the unique little bar (below right) was reserved for special gatherings but it’s quaintness was inviting …

… As one stroll’s around the 460 acres of Cockington Country Park there is so much to explore … everything from the Manor House (below left & right) …

… to the cricket field and Cockington Court Cricket Pavillion (lower left) … to the Cockington Court Craft Centre (below right) …

… and once inside, can browse the rows of craft shops …

…  It was once an actual court built over the remains of a medieval court … and it was here that Agatha Christie would participate in amateur dramatics, but is now filled with various arts and crafts studios, as indicated on the sign (below left) … A wooden statue stands to the side, an artistic creation inviting the curious to the points beyond (below right) …

… It is through the Cockington Court Craft Center that one enters the gardens … During my visit to the flower gardens, the roses (below left a& right) were in full bloom and the colour whetted ones creative palate …

… with all this colour, peace and tranquillity (below left & right), I had to sit amongst it all for a bit and take in the garden … smell the fragrance  … a visual delight for one who has spent years painting roses … Each time I view this picture it takes me back to this wonderful tranquillity.

… Delightful blooms (below)… the rose to the right is perhaps one of my favourites, … this rose has found its way into a painting or two …

… Even the sundial (lower left) is created with artistic flair, and in keeping with the rose garden theme has a stylish realism to its weather worn brass origin … and lower right, another overview of the rose garden …

… And a quick mention of the organic garden (entrance way pictured lower left) and me checking out the composting area (lower right) … I’ve grown an organic garden throughout my life, so this was of personal interest to me … behind me are rows of an assortment of herbs, and plastic covered cloches can be seen in the background … all the bedding plants are also started in this area … it is interesting to note that organic gardening is very big in England, perhaps due in large to its biggest proponent, Prince Charles…?

… Further along the stroll through the park, one comes upon the ‘Church of Saint George & Saint Mary’ (below left) … this church (circa 1069)  is picturesque in it’s setting atop a knoll … and the interior! …

… the interior is breathtaking, as are many of Englands small village churches …. with wonderfully ornate pillars and arches, lovely gothic windows with stained glass uppers (below left) … and (below right) the ultra finely carved wood finish of the knave … quite a sight to behold …

…Below left, the stained glass window behind the alter … and below right, the balancing left wing of the church …

… At lower left, my walk about continued to the hillside of the church and an exterior view of the ornate windows … I was intrigued by the effects of the shadows and light cast by the trees in the mid afternoon sun …  and lower right, the aged appearance of the rock wall and ancient door, combined with the sunlight and foliage shadow gave this an almost pastel appearance …

… At the rear of the church, a small courtyard and stairs that beckon one to “come forth … ascend … a new adventure awaits you” … and at the top of the stairs one turns to their left (lower right) and a pathway flanked by wild flowers and green foliage invites you to follow … enjoy …

… I leave you with my memories of Cockington, and hope you will join me in an upcoming post on my time in Torquay …

… As I have stated before, this long and slender piece of graphite, sometimes wearing a wooden coat – sometimes in its naked form, and I … well …we have had a serious relationship going on for quite some time …

…There is no art instrument that can compare with this little workaholic! … It will transform the invisible “idea world” into visual reality … It works tirelessly with its companion the eraser to work … and rework details, until all is as my mind imagines it … It’s tireless work is also essential for the mastery which needs to be learned for drawing the human figure …

 

… The examples above and below illustrate the preliminary graphite detail and the eventual resulting painting …

… In my early years the drawing of the human figure and in particular “portraiture” would take up hours and hours of my time.  Getting the right proportions and shading would become an obsession.  Perfection is what was sought (a never ending quest!). From well known portraits of the “masters”, or people of fame that I “admired” , to “Vargas” nudes and the sculptures of Michelangelo … all were fair game for the study of this craft. The two illustrations directly below were done on manila paper …

Some of my first drawings were with an HB pencil (below) … I was around 10 years old when I drew these pictures of my favorite rock star… these would have been done on any paper – pilfered from a school classroom or my older sisters stash … Who knows???

… The two below, done on manilla paper, were handed in as “extra work” for my art classes in school (I had trouble doing the “boring” assignments, but handed in scores of extra work) … amazing that these four have managed to survive my many wanderings without being misplaced …

… The graphite pencil isn’t really a very fussy piece of equipment … it will work on all sorts of surfaces and although it may have to work harder on some … it still manages to get the job done, whatever its “masters” whim may be! …

… From the cheapest Manila paper, for rough sketches (as mentioned above), to acid free archival quality, cotton art paper (below left), and even quintessence, a high quality acid free satin finish printing stock, (below right) if you’re adventuresome … There are innumerable selections, qualities and surface textures to choose from and each will produce a different outcome …

… The two illustrations below are on regular surface, 80 lb., archival quality acid free drawing paper …

… And even though this is straying a bit … all of these graphite drawings become a study within themselves, and a wonderful resource of details that may lead to an oil rendition …

Graphite pencils can be used in different ways to achieve the effects you desire.


1) You can use different hardness or softness of the graphite pencil lead to capture the desired light and dark values you are intending to produce or
2) You can use what are called “stumps” and “tortillions” on the soft leads to blend the desired values…or
3) a combinations of the two (which is the method I use)


… If it’s an animal “portrait” I am doing, I mostly use the method 1), with a full range of pencils from softest to hardest … One must also take care and ensure that the graphite remains sharp enough to produce the fine details … The following four illustrations are examples of this detailing …

… There are endless possibilities when it comes to the graphite pencil and its talents – limited only by the depths of your imagination …


…During my stay in London, I camped out at a hotel near Kew, which is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in south west London … Even structures that were once functional
seemed to carry an artistic touch, such as the Standpipe Tower (below left) at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum …


Being based here during my London stay, I quite often wound down the day with a stroll on the Kew bridge over the River Thames (above right, looking towards down town London), into a part of Kew where nicely quaint and manicured dwellings would capture light and cast shadows that intrigued me, and ponds (below) where I could picture setting up an easel and painting at my leisure …


… Kew is best known in tourist circles for its world famous garden along with it’s glass ‘Palm House’. Apart from its appealing architectural format, the Palm House is made up of hand blown glass panes (below left) an artistry unto itself … And of course the picturesque Kew Palace, the smallest of the British Royal Palaces (below right) … perfectly ‘Palladial’ … serenity balanced, if you can imagine …


…Ah yes, but perhaps the “happy” reason for my walk is ‘The Crown and Rose Pub’ (below left). So handily near by for sustenance at the end of the day… just a quaint little setting with its ivy scampering up the side of the building and simple Tudor architecture (beckoning to be a backdrop in a future painting?)… a walk down the pub’s side alley (below right) and one enters a quiet space…  


…It’s quaintness and peaceful patio was a place to rest and revitalize before the next journey … such a private rear court yard (below left) to enjoy in good company… including the Guinness! (below right) …


…If the weather hadn’t been so lovely I would have situated myself inside the Rose and Crown. The quaint and cozy atmosphere and old country charm is so typical of the pubs I encountered in England. Not enough can be said about these “public” houses. They are in such stark contrast to what one would encounter back home. The details of  the pub will make great reference material for future painting projects!.


Although busy London streets are not my “cup of tea” to miss a visit to Harrods Department store would have been a sacrilege … Harrods is a visual spectacle unto itself with it’s stately dome (seen at a fair distance below left) and brims with self confidence with it’s self portrait etched in glass (below right) … This store occupies a 5-acre  site and has over one million square feet of retail space, with over 330 departments making it the biggest department store, not only in London, but in Europe!…


…Never have I been in a shopping place that has this much opulence … from the hand painted sculptured ceilings (below left) with their endless display of chandeliers, illuminating every inch of space for the ultimate shopping experience … to the numerous sculptures that are adorned throughout the five floor extravaganza, such as the marble sphinx (below right) … I found all of this to be a banquet for the artistic eye! 


…Every display is crafted with much care and artistic flare … so richly coloured and appealing to the eye … an artist’s eye anyway ..and opulent in its presentation (example below left) … At the time of my visit to Harrods, it was owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed who set up this memorial for his son Dodi and Princess Diana, (below right) …


… Having painted and done several graphite portraits of Princess Diana in response to this tragic event it was only fitting that I should take in this memorial

…Being an artist who is driven to explore a great variety of artistic endeavours, sculpture, did not pass me by … In my early teens I dabbled with the art of sculpting, by both chiseling blocks of plaster of Paris, and moulding chunks of clay … Both methods intrigued me, and still do, (though time does not permit me to work at everything I would like to). 

My subject matter of course, was always the human form, and I have the greatest appreciation and respect for this art form, whether it be Bernini, Michelangelo, or the figures modelled by the very talented Marie Tussaud. (Yet, another great “female” artist!)

Marie Tussaud first started displaying her works in Paris and after the revolution she travelled to London to exhibit her work.  Unable to return to France because of the Napoleonic Wars, she travelled throughout England and Ireland exhibiting her work, eventually opening her own museum in London and … well, the rest is history.

I’ve read of the trials and tribulations of this remarkable woman and her life has intrigued me, as well as the wonderful art form of wax modelling which became her legacy … so … a visit to Madame Tussaud’s “Wax Museum” was an absolute must while visiting London …

…There are so many great wax sculptures in this museum, including some horrific depictions in the Chamber of Horrors, but I will just share a few of my favourites with you … Obviously I could not pass up the chance for a snap with Princess Diana (below left), even though it saddened me just a little … And of course one of my personal favourites (below right) … shaken not stirred …


…And another favourite (below left) … I asked John Travolta to dance, but he was lost for words … and of course Fidel Castro, who was once described by Pierre Trudeau as one of the most charismatic individuals he’d ever met …


…And I just couldn’t pass up this well done likeness of the Rolling Stones Keith Richards in his role as Captain Teague, in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean … and I will end with another shot of  Princess Diana … note the queen mother in the back ground …


… There is still so much more I could share of these stops, but I hope you will be able to discover for yourselves … as for myself, I long to return to find new discoveries … I hope you’ll continue to join me, as I blog on with my visual quest of some of my favourite places in England…

...And Beyond…


England has always been a land that’s intrigued me. Not only did I have a keen interest in a number of British artists, (Gainsborough, Reynolds, Sergeant…and the list goes on) I’ve also had a keen interest in its history, architecture, and it’s quaint villages.

When my daughter moved to England it was the perfect opportunity for me to explore all its treasures! And although it would probably take a life time to cover all the places of interest, I did make a nice start by traveling for six weeks throughout the southern portion of the country.

Although I spent several days taking in some of the “highlights” of London that would interest the artistic eye and temperament it was by far the smaller towns, villages and historical places that captivated my visual senses! Acquiring a National Trust pass was a great asset to my travels, allowing easy access to historical sites many with lovely gardens.

I was also fortunate enough to be traveling in the months of May and June. This meant the weather would be “decent” for outdoor extravaganzas, and the gardens would have blooms to tantalize the artistic eye. June is also the month for the “trooping the colour” in London and the “Mall” was decked out in its finest, adding to sightseers “visual pleasures”.

Entrance to the Pall Mall
To Buckinghams Gate

Me in front of the National Gallery
The National Art Gallery

The National Gallery in London has a spectacular array of paintings by artists from around the world. 

I was amazed and delighted to find many of my favourite paintings on these walls. And, as usual, you can expect to spend the greater part of the day inspecting the works of art contained in this large gallery. As with all the galleries photos are not allowed (unless you’re a real sneak and don’t get caught! … I’m not that brave.)

 
But art and artistry could be found throughout London. Trafalgar’s Square starts with it’s grand architecture, to it’s fountains in front of the National Gallery (above) to it’s statue (below left)…

 

…To statues depicting British rule and dominance (above right) … to the classical dolphins found at the base of many lamp standards (below left) …

 

…To the exquisite architectural styling of the Parliament Buildings (above right) and even an artistic flair of a stranded cargo troller at low tide on the River Thames (below)

A highlight of my initial foray into London was a quick trip (well, they are never a “quick trip”) to the Tate Gallery (below left) where one of my favourite paintings, The Lady of Shalott is exhibited… it is an 1888 oil-on-canvas painting by the English Pre-Raphaelite painter John William Waterhouse.

Tate Gallery
Lady of Shalott

…England seems to have an endless source of vast historical manor houses, castles, estates and cathedrals, and the thing to note when visiting these is the fact that they will always have paintings and sculptures in them!!! So if you are in England, and artistically curious, don’t pass these up as they are every bit as exciting as the formal galleries.  The fact that paintings adorn so many walls of these historical places should be an inspiration to young artists and a reminder of the importance and high regard in which art has been held through the ages…

… I leave you with my memories of the National Gallery and Tate and hope you’ll join me on my visual quest, as I present some of my favourite places in England in upcoming blogs …