Week 8: Coffee
43 beings in every cup! Coffee zombies painted in coffee on watercolour paper, with detail in watercolour, black Stained and green Sharpies.
Update:
"Would the last bug to leave the coffee jar please turn off the lights?" Watercolour paper, collaged onto black handmade paper. Details in watercolour and black Stained Sharpie.
Week 8: Coffee II
Week 7: Farm
Sheeps in the field. Fingerprint art on corrugated cardboard with acrylic paint, crayon, Signo pigment ink and various Sharpie markers.
Update:
Fringed paper chickens with black "Stained" Sharpie and white pigment Signo details, collaged to a black background.
Week 7: Farm II
Week 6: Magic
Folded and freehand-cut collage pieces in watercolour paper and black card, with watercolour shading. Elements are glued to a backing of yellow card, layered with red and yellow sheets of glitter mesh fabric. One bird is sandwiched between the layers of mesh.
Update:
Watercolour cartoon on damp watercolour paper with a black Stained Sharpie outline.
Week 6: Magic II
Week 5: Kitchen
Cutlery collage of watercolour and "La Carta Weave" textured papers. My "Kitchen" entry might trouble OCD types. I originally had no intention of putting some cutlery in backwards. (I did refrain from putting a knife in the fork drawer.)
Update:
Freehand-cut silhouette of a pie and fork, collaged onto a paper kitchen towel, mounted on a brown paper bag.
Week 5: Kitchen II
Week 4: Insects
Mixed media collage, with potato printing and sponging in acrylic paints on brown paper bag and black card, decorated with white Signo pigment ink and black, green, silver and gold Sharpies.
Update:
Watercolour cartoon on damp watercolour paper with mixed media and black Sharpie.
Week 4: Insects II
Black "Stained" Sharpie ink on dampened watercolour paper, painted in watercolours with white pigment Signo highlights.
Week 4: Insects III
Week 3: Retro
Retro robot. Black ink Sharpie (both Stained and finepoint) and acrylic sketch on pre-cut blank jigsaw. Revealed retro television test pattern has been sepia-toned in iPhoto before printing out.
Update:
Pattern created on black "scratch paper", which comes in a pack of five sheets (plus tool) for $4.00 from a toy shop.
Week 3: Retro II
Week 2: Italy
Fashion vs Football. Mixed media collage, using coloured card, gift wrap, pre-printed paper kitchen towel, brown paper bag, a chenille stick and laserprinted Italian emblem and soccer ticket graphics. Highlights in watercolour and Sharpie inks.
Update:
All You Can Eat at The Leaning Tower of Pizza. Cartoon in black Sharpie (no pencil lines!) on watercolour paper, cut out and glued onto card. Painted in watercolour. Signage in "Pages" word processing and then laserprinted.
Week 2: Italy II
Week 1: Fairy Tale
Facebook Friend Tania McCartney is running the 52-Week Illustration Challenge again in 2015. My first effort (above) is Little Red Riding Hood: a watercoloured artwork on dampened watercolour paper. Outlined in black Sharpie - freehand with no pencil lines.
I shall be adding the artworks to this Flickr slideshow each week. Enjoy!
I did the Challenge in its inaugural year, which saw its membership surpass 2500 members! (2728 at last count!) Last year, I got into a fairly good routine of painting on a Sunday afternoon (and perhaps a little tinkering the next night), then creating the scan or digital photo so I'd be ready to post to the Challenge's Facebook page at midnight on the Tuesday. Of course, originally, I had no intention of doing a second artwork each week. I started getting intensely jealous of people putting up multiple works of a theme... so now, if inspiration strikes, I'll alway do more. I'm looking forward to seeing who's still here - and how artistic we all feel - in another year's time!
Update:
Week 1: Fairy Tale II
Peter Pan. Charcoal sketch of my Chicago actor pal, James Edward Dauphin, from a publicity shot of his featured stage role. In a costume he designed himself. Highlights in green oil pastel.
Week 1: Fairy Tale III
The Witch - of numerous fairy tales - as portrayed by Meryl Streep in 'Into the Woods'. Charcoal over watercolour wash on A3 watercolour paper. Based on a publicity photo.
I saw the movie, Into the Woods, on Sunday night and that particular image of Meryl Streep as The Witch has been haunting me ever since. I did exaggerate her nose because she was looking too pretty. I was excited by the randomness of the watercolour wash. Just as it was close to drying, I patted off excess green in the centre, with a scrunched paper towel, guessing where the face needed to be. Then I kept reorienting the paper, trying to decide which way was "up". Working with charcoal takes me back to the late 70s/early 80s. Nostalgia plus!
Lettering in Pages word processing program, printed onto photocopy paper. Cartoon animals drawn freehand (no pencil lines!) and detailed in watercolour.
Bonus Week: Alphabet
The concept for this came to my mind's eye several months ago and it drew itself in my head until the other night when I did it for real. I think originally, I imagined all the creatures interacting more. The snake was supposed to have consumed his letter, but it didn't work out that way, so the mouse has nibbled on the "M" to reflect that intention. Animals represented are: anteater, bat, camel, dog, elephant, fox, giraffe, hippopotamus, iguana, jellyfish, koala, lion, mouse, numbat, octopus, pig, quail, rabbit, snake, tiger, unicorn, vulture, whale, x-ray tetra, yak and zebra.
And the Challenge is complete... until 2015, when it all happens again.
Meanwhile... ... my watercolour from Week 11, entitled "Architecture: Number 96", has been shortlisted, with the possibility of being part of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge exhibition, to be held in Perth in March 2015. Still early days yet (results aren't disclosed until the day of the exhibition's opening), but so wonderful to be ever closer! Will keep you posted on my progress!
Week 11: Architecture
Exhibition poster of Tania McCartney by Penny Fisher
I've created a 2014 Challenge photobook (and it was ready next morning!). I had coded the titles of several jpegs with "aaa" and "zzz" to force them to appear in a certain order on the USB, but basically I accepted OfficeWorks' program to decide the layout, just switching a few bigger-for-smaller images, sometimes to separate same colours, and removing just a few images that were more photo than art. About 130 pieces of art. I opted not to add captions (beyond the date on the title page), 'cos I've seen way too many photobooks with typos in recent years... and I wanted to eat dinner at some point.
Awful typos are so easy to make, so I think that letting the images talk for themselves can be sensible and safe. OfficeWorks have plain covers, but titles can always be added later. For the image I used for the title page, I simply added "2014" in blue font with their caption maker, and Tania's pink Challenge logo served as a title. This is the deluxe option (and the program said I needed ten pages added to each book for my number of images), but for speed and beauty, well worth it. This was $30 each (plus the extra pages at $1.80 per page). You can do it with cheaper options and people who made only 52 pieces of art in 2014 would have it much easier, but I highly recommend this culminating activity to fellow Challengees.
Created on black "scratch paper", which comes in a pack of five sheets (plus tool) for $4.00 from a toy shop.
Week 52: Fireworks
Update:
Oil pastel resist and watercolour wash on wet watercolour paper, with black Sharpie silhouettes and gold metallic Sharpie sparks on the sparkler.
Week 52: Fireworks II
This is how my brothers and I spent several Cracker Nights in the 60s and 70s. We had no awareness that we couldn't always afford to have fireworks bought for us, so we pressed our noses against the back screen door. Or had sparklers and a few throw-downs only, if we were lucky. (Or got invited to next door's bonfire if we were *really* lucky.)
The Minotaur in his labyrinth. Collage of black card over red "bricks", textured with sponged watercolour.
Week 51: Silhouette
Update:
"Lions of Taronga, 1960s". Based on a friend's photograph and my own childhood memories. Background in watercolour and double-ended black Sharpie; lion and lioness silhouettes cut freehand from textured, handmade paper. So many times in the 60s, 70s and 80s did I lean on the fence staring into the lion pit. The pit is still there at Taronga Zoo, but totally remodeled so that it is viewed from the side at the lions' level. The wall depicted at the back is now glass and the public can't access the rim of the pit. This particular enclosure, which used to have a large map of Australia painted on its concrete floor(?) in the 50s and early 60s, now houses a tiger family.
Week 51: Silhouette II
There is a version of this b/w background sketched in pencil onto a canvas frame for "Black + White" week but, at the last minute, I realised the canvas was treated to repel water! I then tried to replicate it onto white watercolour paper, but totally ran out of time to finish the detailing (not to mention the lions). Then I realised I should just save it for "Silhouette" week, so I completed it tonight... after many weeks mulling it over in my head.
Inspired by an egg carton sleigh (with eight reindeer) I saw at a craft ideas website (The Well Nourished Nest) a few weeks ago, here's my own reinterpretation: Santa's sleigh being pulled by the Six White Boomers! Uses an egg carton, card, handmade and watercolour paper, some star stickers and wiggly eyes. Each kangaroo has different facial features, but it was hard featuring all their tails. Maybe that's why reindeer have small tails?
Week 50: Christmas
And as a table decoration:
Update:
Quick and silly cartoon, in Sharpie inks and watercolour pencils. "He was pining, so I suggested he decorate for Christmas."
Week 50: Christmas II
I drew the broken bauble's outline in black Sharpie, with no idea what creature would inhabit it. I'm still not sure exactly what it is. Watercolour on cartridge paper. Pine tree needles in green and red Sharpie ink, with white Signo highlights.
Week 50: Christmas III
My friend Santa holding my naughty Christmas elves, based on my Santa photo I had taken last year. (Long story). Green, red, black, gold and silver Sharpies, white Signo pigment ink and watercolour pencil on green Origami paper.
Week 50: Christmas IV
Collage of yellow, orange and red paper strips, white and orange face elements and a lemon sun/circle of handmade paper, mounted onto amber La Carta Weave textured paper and plain blue card. Song lyrics from the musical, "Hair", printed in Word.
Week 49: Sunshine
Update:
Sunshine observed by a lone sunflower. White acrylic, watercolour pencil, finepoint black Sharpie and handmade paper collage on yellow card.
Week 49: Sunshine II
"What does the fox say?" (Inspired by the quirky Youtube song by Ylvis.) Freehand-cut white paper collage, glued over song lyrics in Word on red card. Highlights and shadows in yellow, orange and black watercolour pencils and silver Sharpie.
Week 48: Fox
Update:
Nobody here but us chickens! Black fine point ink and watercolour cartoon. Drawn without pencil lines!
Week 48: Fox IISomeone else beat me to this phrase but I decided to go ahead with my concept anyway. Extending an idea from Week 39 "Words", here is "A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", created in Pages with a little black Stained and finepoint Sharpie, brown pencilling and a touch of yellow acrylic.
Week 48: Fox IIII had no intention of doing another fox this week, but I encountered an old newspaper ad about two hours ago, and initially had thoughts of a traditional drawing based upon the photo. Suddenly, it demanded to be an assemblage artwork, and I found myself fashioning a fox fur stole from a red chenille stick, cutting an outline of a woman, to give her a 3D effect, from an A3 sheet of yellow quill board, and painting her and the background with instant coffee. Details in red Sharpie and black Stained Sharpie, and the wording is cut from a print-out of the ad. Fox stole's eyes are some polished blue glass beads from a pot in the garden. Face of the model is probably inspired by all those "Redhead Matches" ladies of the 70s. She's propped out from the card by the width of the chenille stick.
Week 48: Fox IVApproaching Liberty. Watercolour, with green Sharpie ink on the crown spikes. Based on a photo taken by me, in January 1984, just before the torch was replaced.
Week 47: New York
Update:
John Lennon Memorial in Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York. With some strawberries and a little magic. Just imagine! I've been mulling this one over all week and strategising. I really wanted to do it, but drawing a mosaic like this, in the detail I wanted originally, could literally have taken months! Instead, it took about 30 minutes. Black Sharpie ink and watercolour. Texture provided by metallic pencil rubbed over my flyscreen wire door, plus a little added glitter.
Week 47: New York IIInternational Book Giving Day is running a bonus challenge to select four bookmarks that will be made available to online visitors.
Bonus Challenge: Bookmark
My entry for the International Book Giving Day 2015 bookmark competition. Continuing the theme I tinkered with in Leaves Week. Emu in black, silver and gold Sharpie inks and white Signo on green handmade paper.
Emerging from the clown car. Black and red Sharpie ink, watercolour and collage (with various wrapping papers and tiny pompons) on A3 watercolour paper. I made a vague thumbnail sketch at work yesterday afternoon, and it was just going to be a painted sketch. Then I walked home, and passed a bargain store with $1 sheets of wrapping paper - and yet another collage was born. Each outfit was cut out freehand - no pencil lines!
Week 46: Circus
Update:
Stagefright at the circus. Black Sharpie, watercolours and metallic coloured pencil on A4 amber La Carta Weave textured paper.
Week 46: Circus II"Reaching new heights in the spotlight." Collage, watercolour, coloured pencil and black ink. Labels rendered in Word. I love the irony that the box with the messiest contents is the one that got upturned.
Week 46: Circus IIIWatercolour - with no pencil lines - based on a photograph I took one Autumn in Bright, Victoria. The painting came together very quickly after a night of compiling a big batch of report card marks, but I'd had the composition in my head all last week. Getting into the painting was very therapeutic. My reward!
Week 45: Leaves
Update:
Eucalyptus shape cut from green handmade paper remnant, with koala sketch drawn in white Unibolt Signo pigment ink, metallic silver Pilot marker and fine point black Sharpie. No pencil lines! Mounted on a pre-printed Origami paper square.
Week 45: Leaves III ended up with a spare eucalyptus leaf shape last night, cut from green handmade paper remnant, so I decided a lyrebird would be the best fit for the available area. Sketched in brown Staedtler Triplus fineliner, white Unibolt Signo pigment ink, metallic silver and gold Pilot markers and fine point black Sharpie. No pencil lines! Mounted on a sheet of black card.
Week 45: Leaves IIIAssemblage art of a leafy apple tree with torn brown Ingres paper, candy mint leaves, acid drops and Jaffas on a blue piece of nylon fabric.
Week 45: Leaves IVA yarn about yarn. Collage with knitted fabric scraps, toothpicks and a glittery star sticker. Decorated with watercolour and Sharpie inks on A3 watercolour paper. Typed word balloon in Pages on La Carta Weave paper. Note how the knitter is already wearing the garment she is making.
Week 44: Yarn
Update:
With my big ball of string [er yarn], I can do anything... Inspired by the Marion Holland book. Design created on black "scratch paper", which comes in a pack of five sheets (plus tool) for $2.50 from a bargain shop.
Week 44: Yarn IICollage of ingres paper, feathers, ribbon with black Stained Sharpie ink. Weird coincidence that the ribbon had a similar pattern to the feathers!
Week 43: Bird
Update:
Sulphur-crested cockatoo in watercolour, on A3 watercolour paper. Feeling very proud as I used confident brushstrokes - and no pencil guidelines!
Week 43: Bird IIEastern rosella in watercolour and a few touches of black Sharpie and white Signo ink. No pencil guidelines!
Week 43: Bird III
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