ABOUT TIME TOO .....

Its been far too long since I posted and I haven't really got an excuse.    Lots of things have been going on but each time I thought 'must do a quick blogpost'  events overtook me

We had a lovely mini-break in Ghent and Rotterdam recently and I came home with hundreds more photos to add to my 'to draw' folders .... we spent hours at Rotterdam Zoo where, despite the dull gloomy weather, we saw lots of animals and got some good ref pictures.   Strangely I seem to have more photos of birds from this zoo - not normally my favourite subjects but perhaps I should get out of my comfort zone and tackle one or two of them.

What struck me most about Rotterdam (despite the scenery and the zoo etc) was the amount of graffiti everywhere.    In England of course we have Banksy (the legitimate side of street art/graffiti) but it seemed every motorway fence and gantry was covered with graffiti ... then we came across this alley, aptly nicknamed Graffiti Street .....

The 'street artists' simply paint over previous artworks when the mood takes them

This was another part of town and the graffiti is non-official - but colourful

This is some 'street art' from Fuerteventura, taken during our trip in September.    Several walls in the capital, Puerto del Rosario, have been brightened up with the blessing of the Council.    Must admit I 'don't get' a lot of modern/contemporary art .... this one is called  Africa Call .... why??

at least I can work this one out ... its painted on a wall close to the main Bus Station and based on this year's carnival theme 'superheroes'

I also exhibited with the Canterbury Art Society last week as part of the Canterbury Arts Festival and I'm pleased to say that Tamil Nadu Man was sold and I also had some lovely comments left in the visitors book about my work .... a real ego booster   :-)

 

and I can't show the Christmas present work yet but this is a coloured pencil piece I started a while ago but have only just found time to work on this afternoon.     She's the daughter of a hair braider who lives in Corralejo.     I photographed the girl and her sister walking on the Town Beach one day whilst sitting at a bar watching the world go by ... She turned towards the camera just as I clicked the button and I think it made for an interesting pose.       

She has braided hair that was a bit windswept and casting shadows on her face.   I hope I can draw the braids without screwing up the picture - she was a long way away so I won't have to put too much detail in

I think its the first time I've drawn black skin so an interesting challenge for the pencils