Barn Owl - Hunting at Dawn

Barn Owl - Hunting At Dawn

Image size 10x14"

Finished this one up over the bank holiday weekend. It'll hopefully sit well against my earlier drawing of the perched barn owl.

On to Swaledale sheep next!

Books back in stock!

I finally have my books back in stock! All 3 books are now available to purchase directly from my website, and come signed by the author.

There is 'The Art of Drawing Animals' (pictured), 'Drawing Made Easy: Dogs and Puppies' and 'Drawing: Dogs and Cats'.

Click here to view details on my website.

Otter Study finished

"Otter Study"

Image size 12x8"

After a couple of weeks of ignoring this Otter drawing, I finally got back to it at this weekend's show. It was a fairly quiet weekend (everyone out enjoying the sun), so I had plenty of time to finish this up.

I don't come across many otters in the Dales, so the reference photo used for this drawing was kindly donated by an excellent photographer, Jeff Hawkins. You can view more of his photographs at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhawkk2004/.

I'm exhibiting at the Harrogate Flower Show this weekend, so I need to get my stock levels up and get this little one printed and mounted .

Oh, and a note for future reference - NEVER draw wet fur again!

Black Labrador Head Study

Size - 12"x8"

Finished this Lab yesterday and straight onto an Otter today. I should have an update of that to post tomorrow.

Fox Study complete

'Fox Study'

Size 11x15"

I got this finished today as I hoped. This has been a bit of an experiment for me as i've been using a completely new paper, Arches Aquarelle Hot Press watercolour paper. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the manufacture of the paper I used to use (Langton Hot Press) has changed completely and now has too much surface texture for my taste. Arches is maybe still slightly more textured than Langton used to be, but I think it has passed the test.

How I approached this drawing was somewhat interesting also. Usually I would either complete the background and then move onto the subject, or complete the subject and then move onto the background. I have no idea why I worked in the surrounding background as I moved around the fox - when things like that happen during a drawing, I tend to just go with it.

New website now live

My new website is now live if anyone out there would like to take a look. The URL is still the same www.nolonstacey.com or you can click the homepage image below. Hopefully it's a little slicker than my last site. There may be a few alterations to come over the next couple of weeks, but it's essentially done. I'd love to hear what you think.

New website coming soon...

I have been working on a new website for quite some time now. For those of you that noticed that I recently updated my old website, I knew it would be a short while before the new one went live, so wanted to iron out some of the issues with my old site.

The old (current) site was built using a wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) web builder. This meant that it was limited to what I could do with it, and had a lot going on in the background which slowed it down a little.

The new site is built using Clikpic, an Artist/photographer specific site whick uses templates rather than having to build from scratch. It also has a built in shopping cart, making the buying process much smoother.

Anyway, here are a couple of screenshots showing the homepage and gallery section. I have gone for a similar style to my current website, simple and minimal. It should be live within the next couple of weeks.

Barn Owl Complete

Finally got this one finished. Full size approx 15"x10.5".

The blurred background didn't take too long today, but drawing the owl first, meant a lot of work was needed to 'freshen' up the owl once the background was in.

I haven't had time to tweak the scan as yet. I usually produce a couple of prints to ensure that the scan is as close to the original drawing as possible. It should be about right, but may need a little darkening.

Taking a break!

As followers may have noticed, I haven't posted anything for a short while, mostly because I haven't had anything to post. Once the Christmas shows are over, very little happens (for me at least) until Easter. There are very few shows to attend and, the ones that are on during these early months of the year, usually aren't worth attending. The only exception is three weekends at the Art and Craft Fair at Hawes (once in Feb and twice in March).

With all this time you'd think I would be off travelling the world (didn't earn enough last year to do that!) or at least filling my days with drawing. In reality, this time of year seems to becoming my 'sorting' time of year. My stock levels are so low after Christmas that I have around a month's worth of printing, mounting and framing to get done. My website is so behind schedule that I have a good few weeks of work there. And once that is all done, I find myself frantically trying to get 4 or 5 drawing complete (which isn't going to happen this year).

Which brings me to the website. I created my own website but, knowing nothing about HTML, I used a WYSIWYG website creator, Bluevoda. It still took me close to a year to design and create it. Last year I made the switch from Windows based PCs to the Mac (best move I ever made), only to realise that Bluevoda doesn't work on the Mac OS platform. It has meant that there has been very little updating going on. I have now purchased Parallels, software that allows you to run Windows on the Mac within its own window....fantastic!

So my website has had a spring clean. My prints are now only sold mounted/matted (people seemed to be confused thinking loose prints came mounted and mounted prints came framed!), my 2010 show programme is updated (with more dates to be added as I book them) and it is all generally a little tidier.

I can finally begin drawing......

Springer Commission

As Christmas has now passed, it should be safe to show you a recent commission. Due to time issues with shows, etc., I rarely take on commissions anymore, so this is the only one undertaken this Christmas.

Now that we are coming into the quiet (and broke) months of the year, I will, hopefully, be getting a lot of drawing done. My plan is to add more breeds to the dog collection, and get more wildlife pieces complete...so watch this space...(maybe don't bother watching until after New Year though...)

Squirrel complete

Well, I was pretty much spot on with saying that it would take a further 5 hours to complete this one! A nice quick 10 hours or so!

Finished image size of 10.5" x 7.5".

I picked up my frames from my framer, Wensleydale Galleries in Leyburn, this morning, so I just need to get this, and the others mounted and into their frames ready for drop off on Monday.

This squirrel, being the smallest, will be my 'cheap' option for the exhibition!

Red Deer Stag Finished

Another busy weekend of demonstrating and the Stag study is complete. I now need to mount and frame this ready for the Masham Arts Festival next week (and then get started on the next drawing)

Finished size approx 15" x 10.5".

Cotter Force commission

Here is a recent commission I completed a few days ago. Ok, so it isn't actually Cotter Force (just west of Hawes), but it's just up from there. There was certainly a bit of detail to get through in this one!!

Size approx 14.5" x 9"

Second Hare study complete...finally!

It's taken me a couple of weeks to find the time to get back to this one, but I have finally finished it.

Finished image size is approx 14"x11" and has taken around 50 hrs to complete.

Studley Royal Deer Finished

I said that I wouldn't get chance to touch this again until the weekend, and I was right. Another 10 hours or so at this weekend's fair and it is complete. I only have 2 days off before Reeth Show on Wednesday, so I now need to get this printed and mounted to test the water with the art-buying public!

Airedale Terrier

I have found a few hours today to get this one finished. I think I'll probably take a break from anything curly for a short while - and that includes sheep!

Finished piece approx 20x30cm and a relatively quick 20 hours!

Whippet finally complete!

Finally found a couple of hours to complete this commission. It's only taken me 9 days, but in my defense, I have been preparing for an exhibition. For anyone who lives in the area, get on down to the RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr for the Summer Art Exhibition (on until the 13th August)

On The Run Complete

"On The Run"

Finally got around to completing the background of this one.  Image size 35x25cm 

Another Hare!

When you draw in public as often as I do, it had to happen one day - someone drips something on your drawing!

I attend an Art & Craft Fair once or twice a month at Hawes, Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales (see below).

It's a great little Art & Craft Fair with a strict policy ensuring all exhibitors produce their own crafts (that may sound like an obvious statement for a 'craft' fair, but to date, it is the only one I have come across!

I have been attending for about 2 years now and always demonstrate there. Drawing at the fairs is pretty much the only time I get to draw these days - Artist Mike Sibley once said that he probably only spends around 20% of his time as a professional artist drawing. Before I became a full-time artist I never believed this... he was right!

My weeks are spent printing, mounting, framing artwork and greeting cards, booking fairs and shows, contacting galleries, updating websites, etc... My weekends are spent at fairs and shows, so, inbetween serving and talking to customers, I draw. This way, I actually get some drawing done, but it also acts as an attraction to visitors. I have always been wary of kids with ice-creams, adults wanting to know what paper I use (they can't just ask, they have to rub their grubby fingers across the middle of my drawing), elderly women buying a greeting card and insisting on placing their handbags ON my drawing while they count out their pennies, and people shaking the table as their dog jumps up to see what's going on. Unbelievably, I have never had a drawing damaged by all of this, until now! Typically, it was simply a few drips of rain water dripping from someone's head as they leaned over to take a closer look.

This may not sound like much but, the fellow pencil artists out there will know how easy it is to affect the tooth of drawing paper. Unfortunately, the drips were in an area of the drawing where little detail was going to be (otherwise I could have simply hidden the area in detail). The drawing is recoverable. As the drips were in the top right corner, I will just need to keep that area very light so the drips don't show - luckily, the light source is from this top right corner, so that should work.

Anyway, here is the drawing so far. You shouldn't even be able to see the damage, and I hope that will remain the case as I continue. The hare is pretty much complete, but a lot of work is still needed on the grass and background.

Deer complete

A couple more days work and this one is complete. I'm still not 100% sure whether this is a Fallow or a Sika deer, so i'm not committing as yet - with quite a bit of research, i'm quite sure it's a Fallow, but need an expert to hop over here and confirm that for me... Is Robert E Fuller around???

Finished piece is approx 35x24cm