I’ve been cramming. Getting ready for the art show season is like preparing for final exams in a really hard subject. This year getting ready has been doubly difficult because I moved my home and studio last December and I decided that I wanted to show two lines of work this year – wildlife drawings and surreal landscape paintings.
For the most part, I have been working on my wildlife/farm life drawings – an eagle, a cow, a sea otter, a pig, a hare, etc. I have chosen animals that live in Canada. And it’s a broad range. They are all so different – their nose, fur, skin, eyes, fur, antlers, ears, beak. It’s a lot of focus to figure out how to draw well something that is unusual. Each animal has had its own unique challenge. But each is a labour of love.
So far the hardest part of all the animals to draw has been the feathers on the back of the mallard. And the delicate soft appearance of a pig’s skin.
What is easiest for me? The eyes. The intricate structure of the eye is fun to figure out. It’s also the most rewarding part of the drawing — the eyes bring the animal to life.
The Riverdale Art Walk (RAW) is this weekend. It starts off a 7 show run with my wildlife drawings. For more information about the art shows please see my Event listings. Hope to see you at one of the shows!
