Sort of Sketchbook Sunday (on Monday)

No, I didn't get a Sketchbook Sunday post up yesterday, and I honestly just don't want to take and edit photos of my work right now, so I'm going to show you the photos I'm entering in this year's Ex Arte Equinus competition. They need titles before I send them in (by tomorrow), so if you've got any ideas, please throw them out there! Enjoy!

Sketchbook Sunday - October 21

Kind of a busy week again - didn't spend a whole lot of time in my studio, but I made a little progress.

Still working on feet in my art lessons. This is my final foot practice - drawing my own feet in a mirror.

I'm happy with how the bison is coming along. Doing the eye always makes the drawing come to life.

And some of this week's sketching. I'm thinking about doing a rodeo drawing next, so I've been sketching from photos I've taken at rodeos. The art lessons must be helping if I'm even considering doing a drawing in which I have to draw a human face and hands!

This week, I'll be working on knees and elbows in my art lessons, and I think it goes on to faces after that if I really make a lot of progress.
Hopefully, I'll get the face done on the bison and start working on all that long hair around the neck. I'm feeling a little intimidated about that - wish me luck!

Sketchbook Sunday - October 14

I've actually got something to show you this week since I've gotten my rear back in gear.

Drawing feet now for my art lesson. Artists always say how difficult hands are. I think feet are worse!

This guy I had a start on and then abandoned for the draft horse, trying to have something done for the fair. He's a commission, and I'd like to have him done by the end of November.

And some sketching from a book a neighbor told me about with lots of hands and faces in it. Wish I'd had more time to sketch from it before it had to go back to the library. It was a great book for reference photos!

Celebrate Art! Celebrate Coffee! report

First off, sorry for not putting up a Sketchbook Sunday post this week. I typically take a week or two off after finishing a drawing, plus my co-worker was out for the week which meant I worked five days last week, so I didn't have much of anything to show you.

I finally got all the stats worked out from the Celebrate Art! Celebrate Coffee! show a few weeks ago, and it's not real pretty, unfortunately. I had a great time at the show, but it just didn't work out profit-wise.

Entry fee: $80.00

Gas: $33.71 (154 miles divided by 18 mpg times $3.94 per gallon)

Expenses: $113.71

Sales: $90.00

Sales tax: $6.12

Profit: $83.88

So, after all that, I lost $29.83.

The positives were that it was a gorgeous day, a super fun event with artists and music all over, lots of people, I had lots of really good conversations, and it was really fun to have the name-the-drawing contest set up and watch people participate in it.

Here's a photo of me in my booth at the show. I formatted it to finally fill up the empty spot that's been my Facebook cover photo.

Looking Back in Time

I'm quite disappointed that I don't have something better to show you. Apparently, the scanner didn't pick up the subtle shading in the white areas, and since the drawing has been mailed off for a contest, I can't have it rescanned. The print shop has been trying this week to darken those areas without compromising the rest of the drawing, but it's impossible to darken pixels that just didn't scan.

Here it is, the bad scan of the finished drawing.

The title chosen for the drawing is "Looking Back in Time". I thought it was appropriate both since it's a portrait from a time gone by and because the horse is looking back over his shoulder.

Most of the suggestions were names for the horse himself, and I almost went with that instead. My three favorites were Goliath, Samson, and Titan. Big, strong names for a big, strong horse.

The original drawing is now in Minneapolis awaiting judging for a contest. Unfortunately, prints will not be available until the drawing is returned late winter/early spring. Hopefully, by then I'll have found a place able to scan it properly.