speaking of arlene......

[iyoung]

I've never used colored pencil as a finished medium, only for preliminary drawings for paintings but, since I've met Arlene, she's influenced me as an artist more than I could say. With an animal themed show I was committed to coming up, I did something I never do - a traditional sketchy kind of cp drawing and framed it up, mainly because of Arlene. She is also one of the only artists I know who uses wall papers and room decors in her work as both a design element and a feminist statement, which I do. I was thinking lately of how glad I am to have met her through wc like this and thought I'd like to say so out loud. Thank you arlene & wc.

Anyway, i said I'd show the drawing so here it is. Forgive the wonky angles - it was behind glass & leaning against the wall.
It's from life; the first layer of color on the whole paper is a warm yellow grayed a bit with pale violet (which you can't really see from the scan). The point of the color composition was to have the gold glow through the frame & eyes & faintly from the walls. I like drawings that move from sketch to high realism in the same piece so this does that. Most highlights were reserved paper; blending by white pencil.
Ilene
http://members.home.net/paperdame/bookclub/onthemantel.jpg
http://members.home.net/paperdame/bookclub/otmdetail.jpg

[arlene]

AWWWWWWWw thanks Ilene...you realize of course you've helped me alot too...hope you're working on that show... ;)

hey i like this one...at first I found it a bit jarring but the more I looked the more I liked the play between the finished and "unfinished" look.

Now do some more!

[TeAnne]

I love the kitties eyes the best but I love all the colours you've used. :cat:

[Earlene]

Oh Ilene I too love the kitties eyes. They are so precious. It is as though you can just reach into his soul. I love eyes and I just have a terrible time drawing them. Wonderful job ! Please do more.

[sherville]

Oh my god! This is exactly the kind of drawing I like and wish I could do. I love the eyes also, they are very intense. I really like the sketchy look, and I love the colours you have used, some interesting colours that show through as much as the true colous of the cat. I like this kind of thing so much.
Thank you for posting it here, and thank you Arlene for making her post it :D

[marilyn h]

Purrfectly adorable and well done. Thank you for posting! You have a technique with cats. Paint what you love!

[iyoung]

Sorry I haven't responded but I only get time to check in here about once a week:
Arlene :)
Teanne & Earlene: Thank you. I set out to conquer animal eyes quite a while ago and spent a few months copying paintings and working from life to get it. I hauled out my old Natural Science Encyclopedia from my parents house and studied the drawings. (Did anybody else have one of those from the grocery store, one volume a week?) The illustrator was wonderful.

Sherville: In a book or a class I took once the teacher/writer mentioned the "beauty of the gesture made visible". That phrase has always stayed with me which is why I like to leave some of the "bones" showing in things if I can.

marilyn h: actually this is only the second cat pic I've ever done and the first one didn't sell so i'm not so sure....btw, I love your fish paintings.

Ilene

[marilyn h]

After visiting your website, I see why you liked my fishies. You have a similar interest. Enjoyed visiting your website. Your style is distinct.

[Ivyleaf]

I like this cat, his colors though unusual work very well!