Donegal awaits

I will be away from my blog from tomorrow. I'm off to Donegal and I promise that I won't do anything sensible while I'm away.

My map

Here is my contribution to Lindsay's moly, which was sent to David on Monday. You can see the great photograph David took of it here.
I love maps, especially old maps with all the funny graphic marks to describe different aspects of the landscape.
I usually draw a map like this to give people directions to our house.
Now I'm looking forward to seeing Casey's moly next!

Another soft pastel

Here is another soft pastel painting of the Donegal coastline. This is looking out from Dunfanaghy towards Horn Head.

Moleskine Exchange update

Well, now I can show the drawing I did in Brian's moley.

With my recent pastel paintings of Donegal, I thought that I should share my favourite part of the world with my fellow moley exchangers.

I was wary of using pastels in the moley as the pages don't have a lot of "tooth" although Brian's pastels were lovely and he managed with the lack of tooth. I thought that I would use my watercolour pencils, which work well on the moley pages. I was pleased that I got quite a watercolour effect, by using a damp brush over areas of my drawing.

Now I'm excitedly waiting for Lindsay's moley to drop through my letterbox.

Same subject, slightly different media

I love pencils (actually I'm a bit of a tart when it comes to pencils) and a few years ago I bought some Derwent Drawing pencils.

I thought they were lovely, soft creamy leads, easy to sharpen and a range of soft subtle colours. However, I didn't use them much, so I've tried them on Ingres paper using my Donegal photos for inspiration.

I have to say, after using soft pastels, these pencils are a bit of a disappointment, I'm afraid the colours just don't cut it with me . I can't even use pastels on top of them, they leave a waxy film on the paper.

That'll teach me to not be so promiscious in my pencil purchasing.

More fun!

These soft pastels are rather addictive.

I love the fact that you can keep "the big picture"(no pun intended) in view and not fiddle and footer about with details. I can't wait to get back to Donegal after working on these scenes. Not long now, I'm due to head up there in about seven weeks.

What fun!

Although watercolours are my all time favourite medium along with watercolour pencils. I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying using soft pastels.

I like the way they force me to not fuss with details, but to get shapes and tones down straight away. I also like the way they can be blended or you can use broken colour to get the colours you want. I love the speed with which you can get a reasonably finished looking result.

These are my first three attempts.

New project

Since embarking on the Moleskine Exchange, I have thoroughly enjoyed the blogs of my fellow moly exchange group. So much so that I have decided to try using pastels, because I've noticed that the others use them.

I have gained much useful information from both Brian's and Casey's blogs (Thank-you guys!), so check them out if you are interested in pastels.

I got two sets of soft pastels the other day and an Ingres sketch book, I chose pre-selected sets as I didn't really know what tints to get. You will notice from the photos that I got a landscape set and a portrait set. So I dug out some photographs I took in Donegal last summer and I plan to use them as a starting point for some small pastel paintings, just to get me started!

The moly has arrived!

David received my moly yesterday, so now I can show my first drawing for the moly exchange.

My first drawing for the moly exchange.

I've just finished my drawing for the Moleskine Exchange International. I will not show the drawing until David, who is the next person on the list gets my sketchbook. My plein air painting companion Hamish has to give it the once over first.

New Project

I am about to embark on a Moleskine sketchbook exchange. Yellow or Stephanie from A Roker Artist asked me to be part of this. There are six other people taking part too. So hello to David, Vivien, Gesa, Casey, Lindsay, Brian. This is going to be fun, everyone's work is so different and we use different media, I can't wait to see what we do.

I've just made a cover for my moleskine and a pencil sling, so I'm ready to start drawing I'll be posting it off to David on Friday I hope.

The theme for my sketchbook is Close... so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone does with it.

Time for Tea

Since I've been running around like a headless chicken for the last few weeks. It is now time to draw breath and have a cup of tea.

Some more of my paintings

I did the painting of the children a few years ago. It was an art project organised by the Sunday school of my church, where the children were asked to imagine what it would be like if Jesus came to visit us on Easter Sunday. I helped the children with their ideas and this is what we came up with. It was great fun to do.

The other painting is the post office at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. this is a great open air museum with typical farm houses, cottages towns and villages laid out in wonderful countryside.

Some of my paintings

Here are some of the paintings I've done in recent years. They are mostly watercolours, but I've done a few in acrylics. I know they are mostly of buildings and doorways, but I like to imagine the people who have passed them.

Hector Green

Last night I decided to colour in my drawing of my ipod.

I obviously don't get out enough

I did this line drawing of my ipod. I know it's sad but I called it Hector.

Stable side door

I also did this pencil drawing at Sentry Hill. This was the side door of the stable when it was a working farm, but it is the entrance to the caretaker's accomodation.

Mr McKinney's front door

I did this pen and wash drawing at Sentry Hill.

Sentry Hill

This is a drawing of Sentry Hill, which is a farmhouse that was purchase by Newtownabbey Borough Council. It is a very fine example of an Antrim Farmhouse. Lots of school children visit it and learn a little of rural life in Co. Antrim. It was the home of the McKinney family who liked to say that they had a bathroom fitted before Buckingham palace did.

A Town House

I did this little sketch last summer in my moleskine sketchbook. It is the font door of a house near where I live. I just thought that it had a certain charm. Lokking at it makes me think of better weather.

So much for my resolve

When I started this blog I was so full of plans to draw and post my drawings every day. But what have I done? Real life has squashed my creative hopes. Between work, studying and decorating at home, I've been too knackered to draw. So over the next few days I shall endeavour to post some drawings from my other sketch books.

This is an EDM challenge No. 97.

Coloured media

Does anyone else do this? When I start a new journal I draw or paint swatches of the coloured media I'm most likely to use in the last pages of my journal. I find it useful to see how my colours react with the paper.

Two more drawings

Here are yesterdays and todays drawings of more things I love to draw with.

My Journal

This is the journal with which I'm starting this blog. It's a Winsor and Newton Artist's Journal. I think it has a lovely old fashioned look. Although I much prefer to use a large Moleskine Sketchbook.

Two drawings

Here are two of my favourite drawing impliments

First drawings

Well, if I ever get the hang of this technology malarkey you might actually see my drawings.

I've posted the drawing on the first page (it's always difficult to start a new journal ) and the drawings done during the last two days.

At Last

Finally I've bitten the blogging bullet.
After months of lurking around other people's blogs, I decided that it was time to create my own.
As I have made a resolution to draw something every day this year this blog might help my resolve.
So here's a big Hello! to my fellow creative folk out there in blogland.
Lor Lor