Before I began working in colored pencil, I had no idea how long it takes to do an excellent job of something as simple as “blending” or transitioning one color into another. Today, I was practising a new technique of blending, using many, many layers and very light pressure of the pencil on the paper. The top bar is all the same pencil color, applying light, medium and harder pressure to get the 3 values. The second square is 2 colored pencils, transitioning from dark to light color, making the transition as smooth as possible. The ball is 5 colors of pencil, showing the way light behaves on a spherical surface. Guess how many hours these 3 exercises took?
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It’s been 2 years since I last created an entry on this page, and so much has changed for me as an artist. I’m going to try to be faithful to regularly post here so that I can keep in closer contract with you, showing you more of what is happening in the studio on a daily basis. . One major change for me has been a new direction in a portion of my work. I have discovered a love for colored pencil, and particularly doing pet portraits. I’ve been working in colored pencil for a year (as of a week ago!), testing different surfaces, and finding what works best for my style of drawing. The pet portrait above is one of my favorites from 2024 - such a great expression on this puppy’s face!!! I’m so excited to share my discoveries and process with you - so stay tuned for that. I continue to create my beautiful Birds of a Feather series, but I am exploring new ideas for how to change them up a bit. I’ve done some in new colors, which you can see on my page with Koyman Galleries, but I’m also experimenting with creating a whole new series. We’ll see where that goes. Today I need to finish planting my garden. And once that’s done, I can spend more time back in my studio. Have a wonderful day, friend. One of the things that I think is most spectacular at this time of year is our sunrises and sunsets. We have such “big skies” that the wonder of all the colors and cloud formations are easily seen and appreciated.
Another aspect of reaching the end of the year is having the opportunity to reflect on what has been done throughout the months of 2023. This year I completed more than 60 paintings and drawings, which I thought was a decent number considering everything else that was happening in my life. . I also entered four international art competitions, and won awards in every one of the competitions, against hundreds and sometimes thousands of other artists from all over the world. That was such an amazing and wonderful surprise each time I got the email notifying me of my placement. Early this year my sister died, which was unexpected. As her executor, there were months and months of dealing with banks, lawyers, accountants, etc. along with weeks of sorting and packing up her home. Needless to say, very little painting got done for the months which were the most difficult for me. We planted a large garden this year, and had a great year for tomatoes and squash, with the other veggies doing not quite as well, but still providing us with lots of food. Of course, it takes time to look after a garden, and to deal with the produce which all seems to come at the same time - so there were certainly periods of time where I didn’t get into the studio at all. I enjoy making jams and relishes enough that I didn’t mind. So, here we are, at the end of productive year. Did I meet my goals for this year? I actually don’t know as I am not worried about them any longer. My reflections show me I accomplished much in the midst of some trying and difficult circumstances. I believe I finished the year well and so I am content. Looking forward, I am contemplating a change in direction for some of my artwork in 2024. I have some ideas I really want to explore and incorporate into new works. I will be selling these new works either here on my website, or through my social media platforms. I hope you’ll join me in a new adventure as we enter a New Year. May you and all your loved ones experience health, joy, laughter and much love throughout this holiday season, and indeed in the months of 2024 as well. Meet our new puppy, Aspen. She is a Mastweiller - a cross between a Mastiff and a Rottweiler, with a very sweet temperament. At 4 months old, she’s 43 pounds, and if you could see the size of her paws, you’d know she’s going to grow to be a very big dog. This is the 9th dog we’ve had over the years. And she will be, by far, our largest dog. Her parents are both brindle in color, but her looks favor the Rottie in her. Our 4th dog was a purebred Rottweiler that we loved, so when Aspen was born, we claimed her out of the litter of 10 puppies. No regrets…she’s a great companion to our miniature Aussie, and she adores our cat as well. |
Joanne GiesbrechtArchives
May 2025
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