The Mentor - Colourfix Suede vs Pastelmat

The Mentor

8x10 inches

Coloured pencils and Pan Pastels on Colourfix Suede

Well, as many of you may know, I have been working quite a bit with coloured pencils on Pastelmat and have been really loving this combination of media. I ordered some more Pastelmat from the UK a couple of weeks ago, and whilst waiting for the shipment to arrive, thought I would play with some other surfaces. I first tried the Art Spectrum Colourfix Suede surface 2 years ago when it was launched and at that time loved the way it accepted coloured pencils, but found the bubble like texture overpowered the artwork. I decided to revisit this suface again and to my delight found that the texture has been refined and it is now very similar in texture to the Pastelmat. It accepts about the same number of layers of coloured pencil as the Pastelmat, but is slightly better for getting crisp lines and fine detail. It also grabs the Pan Pastel pigments really well, meaning that there is less need for fixative. I was able to lift off both the pencil and pastel using a kneadable eraser. I have yet to see how it responds to having a solvent such as Zest-it applied in conjunction with the coloured pencils but will keep you posted. This surface is an excellent alternative for any artists who are struggling to source the Pastelmat and works out around the same price.

P.S. Have just gone onto the Art Spectrum site and cannot find this board listed on their site anymore, so will keep you posted as to whether this product is still available.

Finally finished - Peeling Back the Layers

Peeling Back the Layers

30cm x 30cm

Coloured pencils and pan pastels on a breadboard

Have you ever started on a piece, filled with inspiration, only to find by the end that you have lost all passion and enthusiasm for the artwork and it feels like a chore? This was just that artwork - by the end if felt like one of those school assignments that you have put off and put off and finally you get it completed. Part of the problem with this one, stemmed from the fact that I got halfway through it the first time, and found that the pencil wasn't adhering to the board (probably my fault because I had given it a very light sand before commencing), and so had to sand the whole thing back and start from scratch, this time using a different primer. In the meantime, I was also having problems with my miniature from the previous blog. As I'd also mentioned, I felt I needed to do some Still Lifes that didn't have any sign of life (or mice) in them, but still wanted that trompe L'oeil feel and this was the result, but I miss my little critters :)

Th Dear John Letter

The Dear John Letter

37cm x 37cm

Coloured pencils and PanPastels on wood

Mostly I do like to do happy and quirky images, especially celebrating our animal world, but sometimes we are inspired by other thoughts and emotions. These days this image is probably an obsolete one and is more likely to be replaced with a text on an iphone, but the sentiments are still the same, and all too sad for the one on the receiving end. Hopefully what is conveyed in this image, that as harsh as it might seem, the writer is really struggling with her job at hand. My melancholy in drawing this image has been fuelled by the 24 hour coverage of yesterday's earthquake in Christchurch NZ, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this devastating event!!!