Happy Holidays!

Hey Nonny Nonny! 2004, 217x285 mm, relief print (mdf block), oil ink on acid free heavy art print paper.
Not a good reproduction as I photographed the print through glass. This is always difficult to do without getting some reflections.






This holiday celebration print was based on a snapshot a friend of mine took at work on Christmas day.
I wasn't working that day but when I saw the fun expressed in this photo I asked for permission to use it. The nurses, one in a red velvet outfit and both with Santa hats, were dancing for the youngsters in a children's ward at the local hospital. I left the background blank and greatly simplified the Christmas tree.
I made enough prints to be able to give one each to the dancers and the photographer, and keep one for myself. I also used a reduced version for my Christmas cards that year. I added a gold star to the tree for my cards.

Life Drawing

 This was a charcoal drawing on A2 grey sugar paper.  The blind drawing below was marker pen on white cartridge paper.

Yesterday was the last session for the year for the life drawing group that I belong to. Life drawing is a bit addictive. When I started attending several years ago I didn't even like drawing. I knew I could draw and I needed to draw regularly for my course at the Learning Connexion. But I didn't like to draw. Can't say it has become my favourite activity but, as I said, the life drawing part of it has become an important part of my art life.
These two drawings were done during the same session. The charcoal one is a considered drawing. I worked hard on the proportions and the modelling of the form. The other drawing, however, was a much quicker one -- a blind drawing where I looked closely at the model but did not look at the drawing I was making on the paper until I was finished. I do enjoy doing blind drawings. I must confess my ability to do them has never improved but some of them just look so interesting. I have used a number of these as the basis for relief or drypoint prints.