Category: GENERAL

I’m trying to work more color into my scratchboards.  Scratchboard is a very effective medium for strictly black and white, but it can also be very striking with the right application of color.  I’ve been experimenting with various inks and pencils, trying to develop a technique to produce the kind of look I want.  I’m not there yet.  This stage is always the most frustrating.  Knowing where you want to be and mucking through the work required to learn how to get there.  Color on scratchboard is entirely different from color on canvas in oil paint and what I know from working with oil paint isn’t all translating well to scratchboard.  The zebra was the most complex to color, getting the balance between warm light and cool shadow right, and the point where the two merged was difficult.  The swan was far more difficult to scratch and I used the blade, a dremel bit, sandpaper, and steel wool to get the right effect on the feathers.

Sunset Zebra

8X10

The Dancer

9.5X16

A newly finished leopard here, a little behind schedule.  Also some new smaller works as requested by my gallery, each only 5X7.  The penny with the zebra piece is for scale.

Finally moving to the North American continent for my newest scratchboard, a mountain lion.  14X11

 

The largest I’ve done yet, at 14X18 and one of the most complicated due to its subject matter.  The mane required numerous layers of ink and scratching in order to make it believable as thick fur.  My tentative title for this piece is Battle Scars, to draw attention to the scars on his nose from fighting other males for dominance, though I’m not yet sure if I feel comfortable with it seeming a little cliche. I seem to big on a cat kick right now as I have two more lined up following this one.  A mountain lion, progress on which I will share shortly, and an ocelot.  Not many people are familiar with the ocelot; it tends to be lumped in with leopards, but they have such expressive eyes and I hope I can do one justice.

This one might look fairly simple, but it was a definite challenge working out how best to depict a black animal in scratchboard.  The “white” in this image is actually much cooler than my other scratchboards because I used a diluted blue-black ink between layers of scratching to try imparting the shame sheen that you see on these animals.  I’m planning to do a larger work of a black leopard; this served as practice working on a black animal with a black medium. I’m quite happy with the subject’s eyes and feel I’m finally developing a technique for those textures that clearly works.  I’m pleased with out it turned out and I’m looking forward to starting another of the same subject.

After a considerable leave of absence I am finally back with new work to share.  Life has taken on a new dynamic with the birth of my first born son this January.  He is a welcome companion with me in the studio, but has thus far proven to be a harsh critic.  I hope he does not forever have a habit of crying when he sees something he does not like.  🙂

This first piece is a nearly completed oil painting intended for our living room.  I have little of my work hanging in our home, much to my husband’s chagrin, and this is meant to add to the tribal feel in that space.  It may be slated for the Berks Art Alliance competition this summer and if accepted I will be having prints made, however the original is destined only for my home.  It is my largest oil painting thus far, at 18X36 with the addition of abstract elements adding a new flair.  I wanted to introduce a touch of the human culture that surrounds these animals in their home.

Tribal Patterns

18X36, Oil

This piece is my newest scratchboard in progress and represents a move towards more dramatic lighting for these works, which will remain in black and white.  For this and many following pieces, I hope to use this medium’s strength for chiaroscuro to its fullest potential.

16X12, Scratchboard

This final image is my official moment to brag.  🙂  This is my son, at fourteen weeks of age.  Getting to know this little person has been a tremendous joy, especially on the days when he sleeps through the night.  I’m blessed to have  happy and content baby who already seems insatiably curious about his world, so much so that he has grown to dread his nap time, that however, is another story for another blog.

 

 

This work, of an Amur Leopard, was something of an experiment.  My goal was to finish this in full blended color, whereas in previous works I had limited the color to certain areas or else applied only one layer of ink.  I wanted to achieve a look of depth to this fur with darker underhair receding below lighter guard hair.   Before completion, it required four layers of scratching and five of ink.  Easily the most I’ve put into any piece thus far.  I believe it was success and though I still vastly prefer the stark look of a black and white board, I can see many more similar to this in the future.

 

The Last Prince – critically endangered

Scratchboard, 8X10.

 

I’ve just started a new series of small scratchboard works which will be more affordable than many of the larger pieces.  These images will mostly be of various species of butterflies and possibly some other insects.  I’ve completed one so far  and am quite pleased with it.  So far, I find the challenge of modeling form in scratchboard very enjoyable and it is a nice change of pace from works where I am largely rendering fur.