Category: Painting

A week of sketches

1/5/2014

First, 23rd April and trying to paint the stormy sunset with Degas on the lead on Qantab beach looking west to the mountains.

Next, 24th April, Sultan Qaboos Highway & Ministries District from NTI building in Al Khuwair. It is unfinished, there are buildings missing in the background, as I had to go to a meeting. Then that evening, I drew the peel of an Egyptian clementine.

Finally, today 1st May, and the first of the EDiM (Everyday in May) challenges: a window. This is my kitchen window through the kitchen door.

All in my Stillman & Birn, Gamma series, A5 sketchbook. A free gift at last year's USk Symposium.

If you want to join in EDiM, the facebook group is here.
The flickr group is here.

A review and resolutions

31/12/2012

A review of 2012

For 2012, I had 3 words to guide me: Focus, Vision, Produce. From those words I had 3 resolutions of which some were more successful than others.

1. To produce a minimum of one finished piece per month.
Yes. Looking in the folder on FB there are 15 drawings for 2012. I have also produced 6 published illustrations and two commissioned portraits. Yea me - my most productive year to date. Whilst I still prefer to draw buildings and landscapes I have enjoyed working on my portrait series: Festival Faces, of which the first one sold and is now hung in its Australian home.

2. To exhibit at least twice in the year.
hmmm... This didn't exactly work out as I thought as I didn't have any work in exhibitions. However, I did end up with work hung in 2 galleries.

Through the OSFA, I submitted a piece to an exhibition in September, however the exhibition has been delayed and so will be hung sometime in the new year.

3. Continue marketing myself.
Yes. Throughout the year I continued to blog, both on my site and blogger, tweet and keep my facebook page up to date. I distributed over 100 business cards throughout the year and I had a stall at a winter fair in order to get publicity here in Oman. Also, I was interviewed on the local radio (click to hear it) and had newspaper articles on the of the sketching events I arranged.

Surprises from 2012.
A lovely surprise was following an email from the author Diana Baur, I produced both the cover illustration and section illustrations for her novel True Vines.

My illustrations and the published novel.

Something else I didn't anticipate was to start illustrating for the online short story site The Story Shack. To date I have had 3 illustrations published with more due in 2013.

Finally, a lovely surprise was getting to participate in a 100 artist wall art collaboration, which tested my little used painting skills, and led me to work alongside both Omani and international artists.

Resolutions for 2013

2013 will see my art taking second place throughout the year.

Following my month in Barcelona, my love for that city was renewed and my long-term goal is to move there. However, I'm not sure if financially I can do it within 2013. Like many artists I have to work to pay the bills and I also have a flat in Italy which as a partial renovation project needs work and money, so I have just secured a new job here in Oman with a better package. With the higher salary comes longer working hours, a necessary trade in order to reach my goal. The flat is for sale, if anyone is interested in a holiday home in the beautiful Pollino National Park, Calabria.

Therefore, throughout 2013 my resolution and goal will be on getting my finances in order, so I can move to Barcelona as soon as possible.

Of course, my sketchbook will remain with me throughout 2013, I already have 2 commissions for drawings and further illustrations to do for The Story Shack. Also, I plan to go to the Urban Sketchers' 4th Symposium in July and... well who knows what other arty things will happen, but obviously my art passion will not be totally neglected.

On a personal level, I resolve to eliminate but from my vocabulary and only focus on positive aspects. I also need to make sure I exercise throughout the year.

May you fill lots of sketchbooks, produce lots of art, and have many laughs, health & happiness in the forthcoming year.

*****
What do you think?
Please leave me a comment by clicking "comments" under the title. Thank you.

Sketches - a catchup

4/12/2012

I have a commission to draw a house; these were in the garden.

As an artist I’ve never been so busy as this year and specifically over these last few months. This has ranged from producing illustrations for the short story site The Story Shack to the artists’ collaborative wall painting project. I have continued sketching throughout this time, but due to these other projects I haven’t posted any sketches, so today is a long catch up.

The last sketches shown on my blog were from the pink party. For that I bought Intense pencils and since then I have been experimenting using them with the water brush I bought in Barcelona. I think I prefer my watercolours and last weekend reverted to using them, but the pencils will be useful when wet medium is not easily used or for touches of colour as I did at the pink party.

I’ve also finished my A6 handbag sketchbook. It’s been lurking in the bottom of my bag for nearly 2 years. I prefer larger sketchbooks, but carry it for those in-between times, waiting for friends, sitting on buses, in waiting rooms etc.

Enjoy the slideshow. I love receiving comments so please feel free to tell me what you think.

Wall painting project - Unveiled

22/11/2012

The finished wall painting. Photo courtesy of Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art.

As I mentioned in my post Wall Painting Collaboration, I was part of a large wall painting project initiated by Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art. The unveiling was on Tuesday and was cleverly done through having lights dimmed and smoke pumped in front of the wall, which then cleared to show the painting.

Museum director Murtadha Al Lawati unveiling the wall and kindly standing to the left of my section.

Nearly a 100 artists, both Omani and internationals, took part to complete the 100 sections. As an artist living in Oman, it was a great honour to be asked to participate. The collaboration and friendship between artists working on the project was fantastic. To be able to add my small part to the project, working alongside great Omani artists, is something I will always remember.

Some of the particpating artists. Photo courtesy of Reehan Hoosein.

#29

The overall theme of the project was to celebrate Oman's 42nd National Day. My section represents the role of Omani women in the successful reign of HM Sultan Qaboos. Women have played a fundamental part in Oman's renaissance and I have tried to symbolically show that with my painting of veils.

If you are in Oman in the next 3 months, you can see the actual painting on Ghalya's museum wall.

Don't forget you can see a slideshow of the day I painted here.

Look out for more news & events on my facebook page: www.facebook.com/suepownallartist
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Wall painting collaboration

9/11/2012

Through an Omani contact, I got invited to participate in Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art's wall painting project. Over 80 artists, both Omani and International are involved in painting a mural on the theme: the successful 42 year reign of HM Sultan Qaboos.

This morning, saw me painting my segment, which represents the importance of Omani women's roles throughout the time. The slideshow is just a single morning's snapshot of the project, which is due to be finished in time for its unveiling on 20th November, taken as I added my contribution.

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