Field Of Trees - Finished.

Just finished !..sadly the reproduction doesn't show the subtlety of colours. If you look closely there is a layer of red dots covering the picture..along with the yellow ochre, it creates a nice warm feel to it and even makes it look aged (the picture, not Jan!)

VJ has asked if it would be possible to post a short video showing me working on a picture. Whilst I think this is a great idea, I don't actually own a 'camcorder' of any sort...although my digital camera can record video lasting around 20 seconds! Perhaps I'll ask around and find someone who can do this for me. Or maybe I could upload thousands of images and you could flick through them very quickly! :-)

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to all the photos Preeti is going post after her trip to London...I spoke to her last night and she told me she'd taken around 200! They should be home later on the 4th.

Field Of Trees J 4

Shall finish this soon. My worries about the right eye are OK..but now I see the image uploaded here, I can see the white reflection needs some work. However, it's good to be working on something which is a little diffent in style to my usual stuff.

Field Of Tree - j3

I know it looks as if the horizon is sloping, but that is not he case it's my photographic technique which is lacking! I'm progressing well at the moment but the right eye ( as you look at it) is causing me some concern..otherwise things are going to plan here. I'm having to take a break from work just now to fetch Annie from school and also her friend who is coming home with us. Her Mum will pick her up later. Jan is off to act the part of a ghostly prostitute for a series of 'Ghost Walks' around Ilkeston , which is a town near to Derby. see: http://www.sustainedmagic.com/ghostwalks2007.php

So between making meals , getting children to do homework, bedtimes , showers etc..I might get chance to do some more work later!

Field of trees - J

Well..I hesitate to say it as it may be too early, but this has received the Janet Seal Of Approval...(so far!)..Bobkat is correct when she says that drawing a picture of someone so close leads to a desire to make it 'right' and probably an over sensitivity to any faults. Well..so far so good. I've decided to progress with the rather 'simplistic' nature of the composition. Jan incidentally is as far from simplistic as can be!Take a look at the link to see some of the things she gets up to.
http://www.bigwindowtheatre.com/ and go to 'Our Productions' to see photos!

Field Of Trees...second go.

It's very important not to get down hearted when things go wrong with a picture..you just have another go. This time things are looking better. I do have a contingency plan if things go wrong this time....

oops!

Sometimes things don't turn out how you thought or hoped they would. It is then time to halt and start again. It is especially more imperative to get it right when one is presenting an image of ones wife!

Field Of Trees

Starting here at the bottom picture..i realised that the sketches I was developing needed a woman with the right kind of eyes (what are the right kind of eyes?)..so after a few goes I discovered that I was drawing my wife Jan.So I printed out a few photos to use as reference . you can see amidst the sketches the face at the lower middle of the page that I am going to use as the basis of the picture....

Above that, the next photograph shows an illustration I produced for the posters and programme for the Gilbert and Sullivan opera 'Iolanthe'. I thought this might give me more inspiration.

Next is the first pencil drawing on what is to be the final picture..then right at the top you can see where I've lightly sketched in the trees. i know this sounds a bit 'schmaltzy' but I thought that the landscape I had developed for the 'Minipix' series was 'my little world', and therefore the thing that goes in the centre of my world is Jan...I decided this was the finished concept.

Now for the dots!

I should say thank you to all who have commented on my previous post. My time in London was special, and meeting Preeti has been an honour. Have you ever met a 'Blogger'?..if you have, consider yourself 'Tagged' and tell us about it...!!!!!!!

Field of trees - Sketches

Here i am about to do something I've not yet done. It is true that I've shown some sketches of 'work in progress' before...but I'd like to show you my thinking in sketchbook form as I seek to compose and settle on the next piece.Please be aware that nothing at this stage is definite and is fluid..there will probably be quite a few more sketches ..I usually play around with a series of images varying the size and placement of the components. So you should see the development in sketch form as I approach something I can work with. I once sketched a woman holding out her hand and releasing a cloud of butterflies..I like this as a concept...I also like red hair...I will base the picture's background using colours and elements from the Minipix: 'Field of trees'.

I also thought I'd let you know that tomorrow Jan, Annie and I will be going to London to meet Preeti , author of 'Just A Mother Of Two ' We have written to each other on a daily basis for some time..my daughter Annie also writes to Preeti's daughter often. So we have special permission to take Annie out of school for the day. I feel incredibly honoured as this is the first time Preeti has travelled outside India. It is something I will treasure and hold dear as have come to realise the richness of culture and experience represented by the wonderful people I've met through blogging. there are certain individuals I've come to regard as friends who although scattered around the world are as real and valuable to me as if they lived next door.

So I'll sign off with this salute...

To all the diversity, oddness,eccentricities, warmth,humour, support, love and richness there is to find in the human heart across the world,I salute you all!