It was a slow day today. I met a couple from Melbourne, originally from New Zealand, touring Tasmania on a motorbike. They came across on the Spirit of Tasmania and will be going back across on the Spirit and then riding the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. They bought a small “Bonnie & Me” print as their Tassie souvenir.
Bonnie & Me!
A “Red Ute” greeting card is going to a nephew living in the UK. Utes are called pick-up trucks in the UK.
Red Ute
A couple from Cairns bought a small “Family Outing” print. A creek by their house, which has never overflowed, last week did. The water came very close to their house but then in an hour’s time the water receded.
Family Outing
A brother bought a “DefendConserveProtect” print for his sister’s 18th birthday. A volunteer from the Sea Shepherd asked me if I could paint something for their 40th anniversary. Their motto, Defend, Conserve, Protect, is written in the painting multiple times.
DefendConserveProtect
This week’s most popular print is: Scarlet robins
Scarlet Robins
A thought to ponder: “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing” ~Marc Chagall
P.S. My website (www.pjpaintings.com) is back up and most of the prints available for purchase are there.
Two years ago, it happened quite by accident, like things falling on your head when you open an overfilled cupboard door, imagery and ideas bombarded me when I read the instructions on a tea package. The word “unfurl” jumped off the page, accosted me and since that fateful day, it has become my companion.
Instructions on package of tea
I’ve never encountered another word that is shaping me, and hence, impacting my life as much as this word. It is often in the forefront of my mind, urging me to grow stronger and explore places in art that I haven’t tried yet. “Unfurl” is a beautiful word and I picture a fern unfurling, brave enough to leave the comfort zone of being safely curled up and protected, opening itself to exploring the outside world and ideas.
This is part of my journey with the word “unfurl”.
Exploring the unfurling concept
developing the unfurling idea
Initial drawingsFirst pencil drawing. I turned some of the splattered paint into bubblesI did this painting on coloured paper, with more splattering. I painted the steam fairies with watercolour paint mixed with watercolour pigmented ink.This painting is painted on a watery ink wash. The cups and steam fairies are painted with ink, an Artline pen is used for the word “unfurl” and the furled ferns are drawn in pencil.
….and I’ve done many more “unfurl” paintings which I will write about in the next few posts. This is the beginning of my journey.
Has a word influenced your life or art? Thank you in advance for your comments, stories and feedback.
I framed two of my three favourite animal drawings. I did both drawings really quickly. The pencil drawing, I did while sitting in bed. The pen drawing I did during the Inktober Challenge 2017, and while I was doing the drawing, I was deciding to quit the challenge. Producing a drawing a day was taking its toll on me. I haphazardly finished the drawing, not caring anymore because I was quitting and then to my amazement, when I looked at it from a distance, I immediately loved it. (It also inspired me to finish the Inktober Challenge).
People have asked me if I find selling my paintings difficult on an emotional level, aren’t I attached to the paintings? There is one painting in particular that I regret selling, my first emu painting but in general no, I have no problems selling my paintings.
My first emu painting. I named the painting ‘Family Portrait’
But these two little guys, I am very attached to (and I don’t have any particular fondness for rabbits). I definitely wouldn’t want to sell them. Maybe it is the surprise element of the finished product working out when I wasn’t expecting it to or maybe it’s just their cute little faces. Who couldn’t love this little face!!
Has anyone else ever regretted selling a piece of art work? I would love to hear your story.
Rain was predicted for today and I’m happy to report that they predicted incorrectly. We did get a little but not the amount that was forecasted. All-in-all the weather was great, not too hot or cold.
A bus tour group from New Zealand was at the market today. I met one lady who has fifteen grandchildren and thought “Scarlet Robin Rescue” would be the perfect gift for her granddaughter who is turning thirteen years old.
Scarlet Robin Rescue
A man from the same tour group purchased “Outback Glamping”. He said that he did a lot of work in the outback putting in telecommunications.
Outback Glamping
A grandmother bought three prints from the Cheer ‘em Up series (“Duck Crossing”, “All Ears” and “Helping Hands”) for her grandson who is having his first birthday soon. She is going to frame them up for his mother. These are part of my Cheer ’em Up series. I thought of heart warming scenes where the emu comes to the rescue. They are all available for purchase on my website: http://www.pjpaintings.com
Duck CrossingAll EarsHelping Hands
Sisters, on holidays from the UK, bought a platypus with turtle, kookaburra and Yellow-tailed black cockatoo little original painting.
A lady originally from Tasmania, but now living in Tennessee, USA, for over 20 years, is taking back with her a “Scarlet Robins” and “The Three Amigos” print.
A Melbourne artist bought a “Fairy wrens” print. A young lady from South Korea, travelling with her friend living in Melbourne, deliberated for a long time before settling on “Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania”. She’s only visiting for a week and she wanted to also see Uluru and Sydney. Her friend told her that she can only do Melbourne and Tasmania. She’ll have to plan a few more trips to Australia. She had troubles deciding between “Walking the Dogs”, which has Sydney’s Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background, “Outback Glamping”, which has Uluru in the background, and “Surfing Clifton Beach, Tasmania”. The prints of Salamanca Market were also in the mix. What a dilemma!
I didn’t have any wombat paintings with me today, so of course I had people specifically asked for wombats… Murphy’s Law. I met a group from Belarus and a mother and adult daughter from Perth on a ten day holiday together. The owl prints caught the attention of a mother and son. She has a collection of over 4000 little owls! One has to wonder if they get dusted, and if they do, by whom??!
Near the end of the day, grandparents bought “Joyride” for their granddaughter living in Adelaide.
Joy ride!
This week’s most popular print is: Duck Crossing
A thought to ponder: “This is why art is important. It makes us FEEL.” ~Cherie Haas
P.S. My website is back up (www.pjpaintings.com). Not all the images have been loaded but hopefully they will be soon.
P.S.S. One more market and then I’ll be away the four Saturdays during the month of April. I am hoping to post lots of travel drawings and stories here.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your upcoming week is great,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.
Happy St Patrick’s Day! It was lively in front of Irish Murphy’s today with green decorations, music and people wearing green hats.
It was a warm, windless, quiet day at the markets. After the market, during the night, it got stormy. I fell asleep with the window wide open but I had to close the window part way because the wind was making the blinds flap around. There also was a strong smoke smell. I wondered if a lightning strike had started a fire somewhere. Then the rains came. We desperately need rain, so it was a welcome sound. I’m glad it arrived when it did, rather than yesterday, on a market day.
Four couples from Bathurst, NSW, are spending two weeks in Tassie, celebrating a 60th birthday. They purchased a “Salamanca Saturdays” print as a souvenir.
Salamanca Market with Mt Wellington in the backdrop
Then I met four women, from Bathurst, NSW, that have been friends since they were 18 years old. They are spending four days in Tasmania, also celebrating a 60th birthday. They’ve bought shares in a race horse, so “Off to the Races!” was the print for them.
Off to the Races!
Then I met a flutist from…, you guessed it, Bathurst, NSW, who has been invited to play with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s Peer Gynt Suite. She purchased two prints from the Cheer ‘em Up series: “All Ears” and “Duck Crossing”. An “All Ears” is also going to Donnybrook, Western Australia.
All EarsDuck Crossing
Then I met three different groups of people, unknown to one another, all from New Mexico, USA. Uncanny! One bought “Story time” and the other, a small platypus painting. She said that there were two things that she wanted to see when she visited Tassie and they were to see a platypus and wombat in the wild, and she did! She is lucky because platypus are quite elusive.
Story time
This week’s most popular print is: Thunder! One of the people that purchased “Thunder!” is a young couple from the Central Coast, NSW. He left his driver’s licence at the stall. I tried to find them when I noticed it but couldn’t see them. I’ve left a Facebook Message, so hopefully he will contact me soon. I doubt that he even realises that his licence is missing. (He’s checked Facebook and all is well – he’s been reunited with his driver’s licence).
A thought to ponder: Thomas Merton – “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
P.S. My website is back up (www.pjpaintings.com). Not all the images have been loaded but hopefully by the end of the week it will be completed.
Take care and I hope that your upcoming week is great,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.
Well, I didn’t reach 100. A few unexpected things arose on Friday (day 5) but I drew more people this year than the previous two other attempts of OneWeek100People challenge.
On Thursday, I drew people-sketches at an evening art group.
I actually caught a lot of likeness of the real person with this drawing
Too bad I didn’t draw this picture lower on the page to avoid the spectacles I had drawn earlier. Please ignore the spectacles on her head, they’re not supposed to be there. This was a tough perspective. It was a wrestle between the brain and the eye and I think the eye got the upper hand in this case.
A challenging perspective to draw
More drawings of this artist drawing.
Then we had a coffee break. One person started doing some stretching exercises (bottom image on page).
Drawings of an artist at work.
… and that’s it. I drew a total of 81 people sketches in four days.
I hope everybody is having a lovely weekend. Thanks for stopping by.
The final cruise ship visiting Hobart on a Saturday for the 2018 season arrived in the morning. Many cruise ship passengers bought greeting cards. They are unique and easy to fit into suitcases. A local Hobartian bought pjpaintings greeting cards for the same reason to take with her on her trip to Ireland next month.
Early in the morning, a mother and daughter from Belarus visited the stall. I think that is a first, but maybe not. I also had a former student from the Return to Study course that I teach, who is now doing an Enrolled Nursing course, stop by. Hearing that she is doing well with her studies provides me with great job satisfaction, a sense of pride and so much happiness for her that she is on her way to fulfilling her dream.
I had a couple from San Francisco, USA buy a “Duck Crossing” and “Family Outing” print. Then I had grandparents from Melbourne buy the exact same two prints for a child’s nursery at their house.
I had a couple on a bus tour of Tasmania, with Salamanca Market being their last stop, buy an A-3 sized “Hayride” print. (The limited edition print run of 100/100 of the A-4 size has SOLD out.) They live on a bush property in Queensland. Another couple, from New Zealand, also bought “Hayride”. They said they had a ‘hobby farm’. I’m not sure if 200 acres is a hobby farm?? That sounds rather large to me.
Hayride
The last A-4 sized print of “Salamanca Fresh” sold today. This print is now only available in the bigger sizes. It went to the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Salmanca Fresh
A gentleman bought “Under My Red Umbrella” and as he was leaving the stall, said that he thinks he, ‘could get a kiss for that’. Ahh, the hidden agendas…
Under My Red Umbrella
A lady here from the USA, doing a watercolour plein air course taught by David Taylor, said that she is playing hooky today and shopping at Salamanca Market instead. She purchased three prints for her children, one going to Minneapolis, the other two to North Dakota and Arizona.
One young lady from Brisbane bought “Suspended”. She swam with humpback whales in Tonga. A Norwegian lady bought several prints to give to her children living in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, Norway.
Suspended
A group of motorcyclists, touring Tasmania, bought “Joy ride!” for one of their mates, who rides a Ducati, 50th’s birthday. Yesterday, they rode to Cockle Creek, Tasmania. A lady from Perth, WA, who said that she likes unique art, bought “Story time” and “Hayride”.
A couple from Taree, NSW, who do creative and unique framing, bought some cards to frame. He showed me how he had framed four cards that they bought when they visited the outback. He mounted an opal in the middle. It was stunning quality framing. It looked really good. They said that they would try to find some special Tasmanian object to mount in the middle of this collection of cards.
Joy ride!
This week’s most popular print is: Duck Crossing
A thought to ponder: “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” ― Vincent van Gogh. A lot of my ideas come during the night. I don’t think too many from dreams, but when I can’t sleep, I think of many ideas and some concepts evolve when I’m in the in-between state of awake and asleep.
P.S. My website is still down because it has been hacked. It should be back up in a next week.
Take care and I hope that you take a line for a walk,
from the Pjpaintings stall #30 at Salamanca Market.
Day three of the OneWeek100People2018 challenge. This morning I had to head into the city for errands, appointment and to pick up prints for this week’s market. I did a grand total of ten very quick people sketches today. I’m going to have ramp up my effort tomorrow if I’m going to reach the goal of 100.
I stopped at a cafe to do some sketching (I ordered a coffee to look less conspicuous :-)).
This lady was reading. Her posture was unusual. Maybe she forgot her eye glasses and was struggling to see the print??A few more faces at the cafeA couple more faces. The man was doing some work on his laptop. He had quite a protruding Adam’s apple. Relaxing with a girlfriend, whose back was to me.I like this one because I saw this hairdresser through the window and captured her movement in this approximately 5 second sketch
On my way back to the car, I saw four men sitting on stools at a small round table on the sidewalk. They were all leaning inwards. It was such a good composition and sketching subject but with my bags, carton of prints and parking meter getting close to expiring, I reluctantly gave it a miss.
I hope I have heaps of sketches to show you tomorrow. Thanks for visiting and have an awesome evening/day.
Hello. Here’s an update on how my day two went with the OneWeek100People2018 Challenge. Today was easier than yesterday because I went to a Life Drawing class. There were plenty of people to draw in one place and I didn’t feel like anyone would take offence when I sketched them.
I drew 33 people today, mind some were only 30 second poses, but I’m counting them towards my goal of 100! Thirty three sketches is too many to show, so I’ve pruned it back to about ten.
Before the life drawing class commenced…. I used a 3B pencil today.
We started the life drawing class with quick 30 second and then one minute poses.
Then we drew some 10 minute poses.
Ten minute pose
Then I sketched a few people during the morning tea break.
Chatting at morning tea break
Final touches before putting pencil down
After morning tea we had two 20 minute poses.
I have one more sketch that I did but I want to finish it before I reveal it. I am really loving it so far.
Hello. Well, I embarked on my first day of the OneWeek100People2018 challenge. As I had strategically planned, I went to the public library early, hoping to catch a group of people congregating by the entrance waiting for the library doors to open. I got there and there was nobody! Now wouldn’t you too think a public library would open at 9 am??! Well, not the Rosny Library in Tasmania. It opens at 9:30 am.
So, I went to Banjos, ordered a coffee and tried to discreetly start my people-sketching. This man was reading a newspaper on a very low coffee table. I used a new ink pen for the first time today and found out the ink bleeds quite a lot when you add watercolour paint. With some sketches it works, with others, not so good.
Reading a distant paper
Then I sketched this group of three. I thought they were having a business meeting, but at one point, the lady in the red, said at a much louder volume, “I will tell them I am a slow learner.” I think they were getting some job interviewing coaching.
Interview skills coaching at Banjos
Then suddenly, I was the only one in Banjos. I didn’t feel comfortable drawing the staff so I thought I would try the library again. On my way, I sketched this person leaning on a railing but he abruptly left the scene about 10 seconds after I started drawing him.
Then as a bus was pulling up, I started sketching this guy as he was waiting to get on the bus. I’m surprised in how much I captured in probably under a minute.
starting his bus ride to somewhere
At the library, I sketched this woman (the paint has seriously blurred her glasses). I think she sensed I was drawing her because she kept looking up from her book at me, so I moved and found this gentleman perched in front of a computer.
The library was quite empty so I went to the shopping centre with the thought there might be people sitting on some of the benches or couches. There were three teen aged boys sitting on a bench, all looking at their phones. Their postures were great, teenagery slouched positions, but I wasn’t game to try just in case they looked up and took offence to me drawing them. So, I decided to try another cafe. I had better luck here, with subjects to draw, not better drawings. Here are some of the faces.
While waiting for his take away coffee, this man ran his fingers through his beard continuously.
decision, decisions
I finished my second coffee and decided to head home, even though I hadn’t achieved my goal of sketching 20 people. I stepped out of the cafe and saw this bloke having a smoke. I liked his posture so I motivated myself to give him a go. No sooner had I started, he butted out his cigarette and left. That’s the main problem with sketching people – they move, and they move a lot! Tomorrow should be easier because I will be attending a life drawing class. I’ll sketch the model and the people sketching the model. I should be able to reach my quota!
butting out
Thanks for reading and all the best with whatever is challenging you.
The Unfurling Artist: journalising creative journeying 