Sketches on the train/tube in November XIII

More people...................Sketching with pencil is rather messy, the pages all rub against each other and can produce some very untidy work. I can't wait to finish this sketchbook (I decided to discipline myself to finish my current sketchbook with Graphite) and get back to my usual Biro and tom bow markers!

The lady below on the left was one sketch that I gave a new approach because of a seat blocking my view, I had to sketch one half looking with only my left eye and then sketch the other half looking with my right eye. In the end the basic alignment and symmetry went a bit wrong.....oh well.

Lynn Painter- Stainers Free master class with Henry Gibbons-Guy

I took the double opportunity of viewing the current Lynn Painter-Stainer Exhibition which closes tomorrow and taking part in the portrait master class, it was great to see some wonderful pieces of art! The variety of the paintings were great- I fell in love with a little portrait of a boy by J.Judge it was just amazing to see how blocks of colours could bring out the beauty of the boys face by using colour temperature to make some parts advance and recede. I wish I could find a link to the painting.



I also took part in the portrait masterclass this afternoon and I managed to get 4 sketches done. I used this to really learn some new techniques and also to rub ideas on drawing with others present. It was a nice experience. All sketches are between 20-30 mins each.







My brief affair with "Paper Boy" acrylic on card by James Judge

Sketches on the train and tube in November XII

More people...............and the sketch addict getting high!

Sketches at Ecclesia 2 @Vibe Live

Listened to Buki Fatona and her brother, Ade, at the Vibe Bar.

There was also music from Quiet Days

It was brilliant evening with great music and an art exhibition which I took part in with Viki Isherwood, Charles M. Reid and Chris Alan.

Below are a few sketches I did while the performance was going on. I have never really sketched from a live gig-...... quite daunting.

Below are some sketches I did of Ade and Dan performing.

Sketches on the bus, train and tube in November XI

More people............ I saw so many interesting faces today, sometimes they leave just before I could finish..............Life goes on!

THE TAG

Its been long coming.

I was tagged by Alice and Dominique.

I was told to say 7 unusual things about myself!

1. I was the only child form my mums 4 children that never went to the minders, my mum took care of me till I was able to take care of myself. So I was the last born PET of the house!

2. I spent most of the evenings after primary school in my mums hairdressing salon and I listened to so many ladies complain about hair and other issues relating to their hair. Also, I saw some of the most beautiful women ever!

3. In a bid to lure the girl I wanted to be my girlfriend in Secondary school, I designed a Valentines Card for her- It was the Talk of the Town- Never had they seen one so specially made- the result, I got the babe!

4. I lost my elder brother, dad and mum, in 1988, 1989 and 1990, that time I was 16-18. That's why I FELL IN LOVE WITH CHRIST- my Saviour, because at that point I thought life wasn't worth living but He came to my rescue. My aunt adopted me and she introduced me to Jesus Christ, my life has never remained the same since then- I see a purpose to my being here on earth and even after death!

5. While in Art College in Nigeria, my mates almost thought I was a magician or some sort of wizard because of the speed at which I painted- the assignments given to us. It was no Wizardry or magic. Looking back I think I disciplined myself to do a pencil sketch and colour rough in watercolour and gouache ever before I went to the canvas for every painting, so, by the time I got to the canvas it was half done in my mind.

6. I almost gave up being an artist when I came to the UK because when I got the job centres they said there were no artist jobs going, also I always got rejected when I put into open exhibitions. So I went through a big depression slump from 1999-2003. Then I travelled back to Nigeria to discover all my mates in college were the top artists in the country. Then I said to myself I have to be what I want to be. I came back to the UK and had my first solo exhibition in 2003 during the Black history month, got admission to Heatherley's School of Fine Art in 2003 and ever since 2003 I have never given up being an artist!

7. Well, this you probably know, but I am addicted to sketching in public transport, I have sketched over 2,000 faces so far.........lost count and I have a stack over over 50 sketchbooks..........lost count- filled with faces of people from different places. There was a time I would sit like a hunter for almost 2 hours everyday in Nigeria, from my house balcony- just sketching every moving thing.

I have tagged

1.Carol Feldman
2.Adam Parquette
3.Stephen Gardner
4.John Vander Stelt
5.Albert Mielgo
6.Mark Bridges
7.Sheila Thorton

Please forgive me if you have been tagged before- I just had to tag those that I needed to TAG! Sometimes you can't escape these things.

Rules:
1. put a link in your posting to the person who tagged you.
2. list 7 unusual things about yourself.
3. tag 7 other bloggers and let them know.

Painting of Dory (Stage 6)

This is the 6th sitting of Dory.




I was able to get another 2 hours today of Dory, really enjoyed it, today has been the best day since I started. Hope to keep this going.

Sketches on the tube and train in November X

More people.....from Monday morning till Monday night!

An unusual experience today, I sketched at ease with so many on-lookers, but for a change no one made a comment, just some nice smiles, shocking looks, peeping and nods of the head-IS LONDON CHANGING?

AFRO XVIII, 8" x 10", acylic/oil on canvas, 2008

Number 18, Funny enough I started this piece in 2003 and it has been lying in the corner of my studio for years. I picked it up and "freshened" it up a bit and it becomes the 18th in my Afro series.




The emphasis of this series is on the variety and beauty of natural black hair.

Notting Hill Gate( Central Side), 9" x 7", mixed media, 2008

After my recent experiment with watercolour in the last Afro Series, I am beginning to become a bit more comfortable with the medium and I seem to enjoy its unpredictability.

Anyway being inspired by the current wonderful site of urban sketchers I have produced this piece to catch a certain place with some atmospheric effects my goal.





I have used watercolour, gouache, white charcoal and coloured pencil on Bockingford Economical thick watercolour paper, 300gsm(not surface)

AFRO XVII, 13" x 10", Mixed Media, 2008

Number 17 in my current Afro Series.


(detail)


The emphasis is on the variety and beauty of black natural hair.


The model here is a lovely girl that attends Sunday School in my church.

I have used acrylic washes to start, then watercolour, after which my carbon pencil, wax crayons and white charcoal pencil came in handy-I almost ruined this piece, sometimes one needs to know when to STOP!

Sketches on the Bus in November IX

More people............ from yesterday and today. In one of these sketches I just looked into the window of the bus as there was no one to sketch and my reflection gave me something to do. I then added some others, mostly profiles............

Street Life II, 12" x 8", Mixed media on Canvas board, 2008

This is my entry into this weeks Different Strokes from Different Folks by Karin Jurick.




This was quite a challenge because the reference picture was posted upside down- this was to help us zero into shapes and the overall composition as against painting unnecessary details at the start.

I painted the whole scene without the 2 figures, upside down, as you can see below. It was a good way of painting, I almost stopped it here, as I felt it would pass for a solid abstract piece.




But then I really wanted to continue on my last weeks entry on Street workers, and this is the second in the series. For all the explanation about why I am painting these scenes you can read last weeks entry on this blog. So I turned my painting the right way round to finish off with the figures added.

I have used Acrylic mainly to paint 80% of the picture, then I have introduced Biro and coloured pencil for some details and some sensitive bits that my impatience would not allow me to do with brush and acrylic.

Below are some rough studies of the figures I did in my sketch pad before adding them and the painting without the walking figure and the first block-in.

Sketches on the train in November VIII

Even more people......... as I went to the Waterloo Gallery to view some works of friends this evening. I came back with more sketches. On one of these sketches I caught a guy with a cap and a beard- that was one sketch that made me pleased with the pencil. I don't know what actually happened but I found myself not lifting the pencil up from the paper and it was just like the pencil began to caress the paper- I lost control- I just kept observing only checking the sketch with glimpses......Well sometimes its gets into full gear and today was one of those days!