Piku Punahilkka

My latest piece is another "Little Red Riding Hood" artwork. I have returned to this story many times over the years for inspiration. I think its my favourite of the Grimms Fairy Tales. The poor wolf comes to a sticky end and I'm not so keen on that as an animal lover, but the story has such wonderful imagery of dark forests and creepy enchantment.
My version has that "folk" vibe that I love to draw. I think of it as a blend of many ancient folk cultures- from my own Scottish roots and borrowing glimmers from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe & Russia. I think is has evolved into a fantasy hybrid from my romantic ideas of Fairy & Folk tales.
The title of the piece "Piku Punahilkka" translates roughly to "Little Red Hood" in Finnish. I have a fascination with the rhythm and sounds of different languages and this seemed to really fit with the vibe of the piece.
So here is a little WIP for you as I start on the drawing and inking, I'm still working out lots as I go along here. You can see that I plan a little wolf in the background, but I promise it will look less like a loo-brush in the finished piece.   

Cats & Birds
So this week I went for another wee cat piece with a slight Egyptian/Folk vibe. I have some more ideas running around my head on the cat theme, but had a little break out to work on 3 small bird pieces (a bit smaller than my usual size). All these latest works are the start of my preparation for North East Open Studios (NEOS) in September. I will be returning to Aberdeen Waldorf School again with our group and welcoming lots of new faces this year, should be fun.
On the drawing board just now is a new Red Riding Hood piece, I should have a WIP for you tomorrow.

  
Revere- Ink & Silver Leaf - Purchase inquiries welcome with shipping at end of Sept

Keepsake- Ink & Gold Leaf - Purchase inquires welcome with shipping in Sept

These two little sparrow pieces I see as being a home blessing, or new house welcoming gift- They are quite cute and tiny :)

Hearth- Ink & Gold Leaf- Purchase inquiries welcome with shipping in Sept

Hame- Ink & Gold Leaf- Purchase inquiries welcome with shipping in Sept

Remember

The third and final piece for the "Bone" exhibition is complete. I still haven't got the kitty cats out of my system yet so I've started on a brand new cat piece with a slightly egyptian/folk slant today, which will compliment this mini-series. There is an idea floating around my head for another small piece too, so perhaps 2 more cats to come soon :)

Remember- Ink/Metallic Pen/Silver Leaf on Illustration Board

Remain & Remember

Still working on my pieces for the "Bone" exhibition at Sonelab studios. The second piece "Remain" is complete and here is the third and final piece in progress "Remember"- I have just started on the inking and colour, hope to share the final piece with you soon.

 

Remember WIP

Remain- Ink & Silver Leaf

Birds & Bones

My latest bird piece titled "Searching" for my solo show in August at Monymusk Art Centre (Ink & Gold Leaf)

Searching- Ink & Gold Leaf

I also had a lovely invitation to show in Boston as part of the Bad Apples group show "Bone" at Sonelab Recording Studios in September. Its quite a tight deadline but I hope to complete 3 pieces. They are all interlinked and reflect the theme of "Bone".
I lost my beautiful old cat "Sphinx" this week, she was 19 years old and had a wonderful kitty life but we will miss her so badly- I'm working through my sadness just now by making these new pieces in tribute to her, so they also feature cats.

Here is a peek of the first one "Release". This one is ink and Silver Leaf, my first try using the silver- I'm not certain if I like it so much yet, but this mini-series of works will have the silver for now and I'll see how they are after framing.........I might yet change to the warmth of the gold :)
The next two pieces are ready for inking so I will pop back tomorrow and share some WIP's.

 

Release- Ink & Silver Leaf 

Feathers, Fables & Fur

Feathers, Fables & Fur 
The theme for my next solo exhibition opening on August 2nd at Monymusk Art Centre nr Inverurie.

I have most of my pieces for the show including a set of Aesops Fables drawings which will be on show together for the first time. I'm just adding some new bird pieces at the moment. I have been going real slowly as the weathers very hot this week, but have a lot of things lined up this summer, so need to get going with the new works. Hoping for a cool breeze :)

Here are the first 2 new birds-

 Cherish

The Gift

I also finished my little "Hiding Wren" to go along with the "Seeking Wren" . These ones should be headed to the MBC Annual Exhibition in August along with some other originals and brand new Ltd Ed Canvas Prints. I'll post news about the shows soon.

 Seeking Wren

Hiding Wren

You can also find my owl piece "Silence is Golden" at Junction Arts during July. It's the gallery's fifth birthday and the artists have all contributed a piece on the theme "Bird". I'm looking forward to seeing the show. Happy Birthday, Junction Arts !!

Drawing Down the Moon

Drawing Down the Moon

I finished my piece for L'innamorato at the PottersWife Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana later this year (Sept)
The exhibition is curated by Dan Hudson and Aunia Kahn and I'm very happy to be invited to take part.
The theme loosely translates as The Enamoured and we were asked to explore an interpretation of moments, feelings, experiences which have left a sense of awe.

The particular feeling I chose to explore was a slight "out of body" sensation at times when you are reduced to feeling very insignificant in the scheme of things, and not in a bad way, just in a very humbling way.

I once had this sensation whilst looking at our moon, thinking of the hold it has on our planet. The realisation of the vastness of the universe and how we are such a tiny speck in comparison, for a moment those thoughts became a blank, an timeless lapse of not "being". I am still enamoured by the moon and it features very often in my work as a constant that has a hold on us and inspires awe and wonder. "Drawing Down the Moon" is a wiccan expression of drawing power from the moon and I think it fitted well with the piece.

The other time I experienced a similar feeling was coming face to face with a fully grown tiger. I guess being seen as a bit of meat will remind you of your own insignificance pretty well.
Years ago I was lucky enough to have a behind the scenes tour at London Zoo where a friend of mine works. The moment the tiger came in to be fed just feet away from us and fixed you in his gaze I had that feeling, the hairs stood up on my neck and I just felt that "reduction to nothing" in the face of such beauty. There were some lovely experiences with the big cats that day, we got to scritch the old lion through the bars, he seemed to love the attention, stretching full height so we could stroke at his tummy and measure our hands against his paws. What will always stay with me most of all is the Tigers direct gaze.
So I chose to put a cat in my piece, the kitty is based on some sketches of my cat "Coco" although the markings are different. Coco is no tiger, but sometimes I think she thinks she is, like most cats probably.
 I also have an little nod to Ancient Egypt with the Ankh and the "worship of cats". It is safe to say I have been "enamoured" by cats for a long time.

We chose a really ornate frame for this piece, something different for me and I'll try to share some pics before she heads off overseas.

               
Drawing Down the Moon- Ink & Gold Leaf on Illustration Board