Author Archives: Cindy D

Acrylic Painting 2018. Days 1 through 5.

Hello!

It is Day Five of January, 2018 and also Day 5 of acrylic painting.

Some of these are terrible! None of them are finished. Some may never be finished, but that’s ok. Really!

January 1, 2018
12″ x 16″ acrylics, progress.

Jan 1. I started this first one on a background I did back in August. Which is just the most recent time (before this one!) that I decided i was really going to do painting for reals.

Jan 2, 2018 12″ x 16″ acrylics, progress. This is where I started and ended today

Jan 2. Started this one today with the left image completed. Also from last August! Anyway, I worked on it for a couple hours and ended up with the slightly fluffier, still far from complete, right side image.

Jan 3, 2018
16″ x 20″ acrylics, progress.

Jan 3. 16″ x 20″ is big! Though I’d like to do bigger. This one started with the blue background previously completed, you’ll never guess when! Last August.

January 4, 2018
9″ x 12″ acrylics, progress.

Jan 4. Terrible! Holy cow. I think the nose has some promise but otherwise pretty bad. Started this one on a white canvas. Painted a quick blue ground. Might try to rescue or might paint over. Going to need lots of canvas, after all.

Jan 5, 2018
12″ x 12″ acrylics in progress. Started today with the background.

Jan 5. Not too thrilled with this one either, after 3ish hours. We’ll have to see if I give this one another go. Either way, I think tomorrow it’s back to dogs. The fifth day was rough. My brain was telling me I could take a day off. But no. Nooooooo. Not giving up today. :)

Thanks so much for stopping in! If you leave a comment include your site so I can visit back.

Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Back! (Again!) Pet Portraits & Sharpie Shoes

Hello and thank you so much for dropping by! In this post you shall find three of my favorite projects from the past year.

Dog Portrait #1, January 2017, Deb’s Little Monster

Deb’s Little Monster, 9″ x 12″(ish), mechanical pencil (with photo reference)

Dog portrait #2, Dec 2017, ChiChi Machete Apple-Head 2017, an Xmas portrait.

ChiChi Machete Apple-Head, December 2017, approx 6″ x 8″ ink, www.theslumberingherd.com

ChiChi Machete Apple-Head, December 2017, approx 6″ x 8″ ink and Copics, www.theslumberingherd.com

Not that anyone asked, but I have not accepted any pet portrait commissions. For one thing, approximately a kajillion excellent artists are already doing those! Also, portraits are stressful.

Sharpie on Canvas Shoes, December 2017, Colorful Doodlin’

Sharpie Shoes, Dec 2017, 1 0f 3, www.theslumberingherd.com

Sharpie Shoes, Dec 2017, 2 0f 3, www.theslumberingherd.com

Sharpie Shoes, Dec 2017, 3 0f 3, www.theslumberingherd.com

My First Sharpie Shoes Ever, Stats:

Hours to complete: approx 15 (with Miss Marple or The Great British Baking Show reruns in the background).
Method: None! Just doodled. Drew some shapes. Colored stuff in. More shapes, more coloring. Most areas required multiple layers. It went quicker on the second shoe because I had a better idea what I wanted.
Reception: Quite nice. People are telling me to sell these. Probably not, though. Would have to charge… hmmm. Quite a lot. :D

p.s. Thank you Metafilter for the push to get back to my blog! Admittedly, a variety things probably need updating around here. Categories and tags, for instance. I don’t even. But we’ll see how it goes!

Hello to Paint Party Friday, it’s been ages!

Art Auction Benefiting the ACLU!

Here are some of the excellent items currently up for grabs in the second annual Art Into A(u)ction, started by the stellar Ann D’Angelo with a tiny bit of assistance from me. Many artists have contributed artwork to benefit the amazing and tireless ACLU – a stalwart defender of our constitutional freedoms.

I’m Down with RBG (5.25×5.25) and Todd V. Rochester Community Schools (5×7) by Ann D’Angelo, and Soul of Liberty (12×12) by Ginger Danz

Better Swim! (9×13) by Sarah Trumpp and Doreen Poutine (12×12) by Karen Leigh

Resist!, and Zoe and Ruby Meadowlark, each 2.5″ x 3.5″ ACEOs (by me!). The Meadowlark art cards are a set.

Elven Daydreams (9×9) by Danielle M. Williams, and Bella Red (7.5×11) by Sal Scheibe

This is just a fraction of the 40 items (with the possibility of more added during the week). I put several of the word art pieces from my last post in the auction as well, and there are loads more things. You could take a look if you like! No obligation!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have new art soon. Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Art for the Revolution

Hello visitors! First, this is primarily an art blog and not a political blog. Though frankly I wish the fundamental values of kindness, inclusion and rejection of hate were not political. Others don’t agree, including those who have recently gained power. So, humankind is experiencing a kind of setback. I suppose it may have been inevitable for the pendulum to swing so violently right after our excellent if imperfect Black president. Anyway, here we are.

I have been continuing to practice – most recently word art with ink and Copic markers. I hope to make the jump to painting this month. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Do the Most Good (quote by Hillary Clinton)
9″ x 10″ ink on Bristol

Do Unto Others
9″ x 11″ ink on Bristol

Justice for All
9″ x 11″ ink on Bristol

My Facebook art page is updated more frequently, if you’re over there. Hello to Paint Party Friday and thanks so much for stopping by!

Creepy Art for Halloween! Ink and Copics

It’s been quite some time since my last post. It was a sad one. About my dog. But, I have continued drawing most every day, so here are some of my faves since my last post which was holy cow! August 21st. I do not know where the time goes! And I do not like it going!

That Time Scorpius Lost the Halloween Wager, 6″ x 8″ progress shots

Here is Scorpius, a baddie from the show Farscape who most certainly does NOT normally wear a bunny hat, made for AnnD for a Halloween secret swap! The four atcs below are from the same pack of swag!

Bride, Creepy Prom Date and two sets of Circus Creepers! Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ art cards, Copics

The next group are my favorite cards made recently or for the illustratedatcs.com Halloween-a-thon.

Six creepy creeper cards! Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Also these creepy eyeball ones!

Creepies with Creepy Eyes
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ ink and Copics

Thanks so much for stopping by! I shall make no promises about forthcoming posts because I will post when I can. I do post recent art more frequently on my facebook art page. Hello and thank you to Paint Party Friday!

Our Boy is Gone

He had a steak his last day. And a princely ride in a dog carriage.

Wilson is gone. The sweetest that ever was. He loved us. We loved him. I think it was September 12th. Could that much time have already passed?

Our boy Wilson

His water bowls have less water every day and will soon be empty. The water is cloudy but I can’t bring myself to move it or clean it or touch it. I picked up some of the rawhide bones, but left others. In every room. He trusted us. We let him go.

Wilson Curtis After being skunked April 2015, and kitchen Sept 2015

Wilson Curtis
After being skunked April 2015, and kitchen Sept 2016

I want to take it back. I changed my mind! But I couldn’t. His daddy Bert couldn’t.

He felt too bad too much of the time. So much coughing and trying to catch his breath through so much of his waking hours. And seizures. And staring off. He never complained.

The most helpful thing we read in those days before deciding was a vet, whose name I should have kept. He said, if you don’t have any doubts, you waited too long. I read too many horror stories from others who waited too long, all the pain and terror, and wished they could go back.

She came to the house. He ate snacks to the end. Of course he did! When she said he was gone I didn’t believe it. So warm still. Just eating a snack! Just moments ago. Wilson’s daddy Bert helped the vet carry the stretcher to the van. It drove away.

I talk to him still and try to pretend he is there. He is not. I am careful with my feet when getting up from my desk, so as not to jostle or wake him. I look at his pictures and tell him I’m sorry.

Our boy has gone. He was the sweetest and cutest that ever was. Ever ever.

Wilson Curtis aka The Cutest. September 2015.

Wilson.

Tiny Ink Art with Masks, Flowers, Antlers

Four with Masks
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Ink, Copic Markers

Well, it’s been another month since I posted! I started this blog back in 2011 when I got back into drawing. These days I am less consistent about the posting but more consistent about the drawing. Really, we just need a couple more hours in a day. Right?!

Three More Flower Masks
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ink, Copics

If you visit from time to time, you know I switched to larger pencil drawings for a while, and I am planning to get back to that, maybe with some new projects! But I took a break to do all these pretty girls and their fancy accessories, for mail art swaps with other artists from illustratedatcs.com and atcsforall.com. (“atc” stands for artist trading cards, and their standard size is 2.5″ x 3.5″ – so I need to wear my glasses and I use an 005 Uni Pin pen for the tiniest details.)

Four with Antlers
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ ink, Copic markers

Thanks so much for stopping by! Thanks so much to Paint Party Friday which includes many other artists with whom I trade blog visits – though not on a regular schedule these days!

This Post Contains 24 Pencil Critters!

Mundy Meadows Advisory Board,
9″ x 12″ pencil

Percy, and Rebel and Fortunata

Lots More Pencil Critters!

I’ve actually been back to Copic marker art cards the last week or two, but it’s been so long since I posted the art is piling up. So. Here’s some new pencil critters! I do like putting them in groups.

Hello to Paint Party Friday! I hope to post the other stuff I’ve been up to next week. Or uh, maybe the week after.

And one last thing. I know the world seems more horrible than ever. It is, and it isn’t. The media would rather make us crazy than inspire or calm us. But those sorts of stories are out there, too. And if you need a daily break, one option might be the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary on Facebook. SO MANY cute photos of sweet, old pups. :)

Life Drawing, Spring 2016

Life Drawing, May 22, 2016
Prismacolor Nu-pastels on toned paper, 18″ x 24″

I have mentioned my new life drawing adventure a few times, and finally here is some of it! I joined an open Sunday session (12:30-3:30) at the local art center. I only managed to make it to 7 of the first 10 sessions, but have just completed day one of the next 10.

The colorful fellow above was actually wearing a black hat and tuxedo jacket (with regular brown cigar), but I was trying out my Prismacolor Nu-pastels and wanted to use more colors. He’s a sort of naughty Willy Wonka I suppose (though not on purpose). :D

The next one is from my third 3-hour session with the Nu-pastels. This time it’s a bit of a Hindu goddess aesthetic rather than a Wonka one.

Life Drawing June 5, 2016
Prismacolor Nu-Pastels on toned paper, 18″ x 24″

The next is a portrait, so not exactly figure drawing. I probably spent more time on the hair than anything. This took three hours and I am pretty happy with it.

Life drawing June 12, 2016
18″ x 24″, graphite

And finally, this week’s figure using the full three hours. I didn’t show you all my attempts, but suffice it to say even a few weeks of practice can make a big difference!

LD June 12 2016

Hello to Paint Party Friday, and thanks for visiting!

Post #375, Further Pencil Adventures

Tree Bird, 9″ x 12″ pencils

A tree! A bird! An odd creature at the bottom of the tree, wondering how it got there and where it was going and whether it was supposed to meet someone or was in the midst of an errand? Sometimes it’s hard to know.

Many pencil works happened this month! And I am squeaking a post into May, as I try not to think about how quickly this year is moving. Here’s more!

Winfred, with a small contingent of her many admirers, 9″ x 12″ pencil

A Turtle Merchant, 9″ x 12″ pencil

Cosmo and Bess, 9″ x 12″ pencil

So there you have it! I may put some in my shop, rather than leave them neglected in piles around my office. I hope everyone is enjoying their (speedily passing) 2016! Hello to Paint Party Friday.

Thanks so much for visiting!

The Slumbering Herd Art Blog

Artist: Cindy Dauer