SHELTIE WINTER

I'm way behind in posting to my blog. Things have been busy here at Sheltie Hollow. Commissions, painting my own visions, family responsibilities, Christmas preparations, and life in general have filled the days and evenings until I find that yet another day has gone past without doing a blog entry. I managed to fit in number 3 of my SHELTIE SEASONS series, and if you want to see SHELTIE AUTUMN, please go to my website's Sheltie Watercolor page. Or follow my art page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Anderson-Animals-in-Art/178460752664?ref=nf

This painting I've posted today is one of my favorites. SHELTIE WINTER is an 11 x 14 watercolor, and even though I was working with a Bi-Blue Sheltie against a partially white background, I chose to accept the challenge of doing the entire paiting in watercolor as usual rather than using some gouache or acrylic. For areas where I needed white on a dark color, I used Titanium White right out of the tube. For the rest, I relied on a careful balance of shading.

I really enjoyed this series, and all 4 paintings will soonbe available as prints through Zazzle.

. . .. And I will try to keep my blog posting going strong in the new year!

RESPECT

This little Sheltie pup is about to learn a short, sharp lesson in respect for the cat, taught By the cat! (No animal was injured during this incident . . .one indignant look and a short hiss did the trick.)
I'm sometimes astonished by the lack of respect we artists get from the public. I was contacted out of the blue, by an organization in a bid to get me to donate to an "important fundraiser". It was something I might have considered, but the person asking, did not use my name in the request, (I was just a generic artist) and they did not know what kind of art I create. The real kicker was that the "important Fundraiser", with all the promised promotion attached, was less than TWO WEEKS AWAY! When I replied that it was too short notice, I was repeatedly asked if I would send something for the other "important fundraisers" that the organization was putting on at a rate of about one a month. Well, no, I don't think so. I'm not sending something to an event that is a glorified Grab Table! I saw this episode as an example of the lack of respect some people have for artists.
How do we overcome this attitude? Maybe just by being professional in all our dealings, and making sure that we treat everyone, including ourselves, with politeness and the golden rule. And among ourselves, let's rememer to be kind to each other - basic support, good manners, and knowing when to bite our tongue. Life's short, let's make it pleasant.
The painting I've used to illustrate this post, is called Temptation" and it is an 8 x 10 Colored Pencil painting.

Halloween's coming . . . SHELTIE VAMPIRE

Our boy Bram loves his costumes. This year, he is going to be a Vampire, with sparking "fangs" and an elegant cape. Just look at that face - he's having a marvelous time. This is the little guy who also loves his ghost costume. One of the many wonderful things about Shelties is their sense of fun. SHELTIE VAMPIRE is a 5 x 7 watercolour and would make a wonderful birthday card for someone who has a birthday in late October.

Horses In My Life

A few weeks ago, our City newspaper, The Ottawa Citizen, asked readers to send in their (short)stories about how horses impacted their lives. This was to help publicize the opening of a major exhibit, THE HORSE at the Museum of Civilization, and several of the stories would be chosen for publication in the Saturday paper.
Well, I was thrilled to discover last Saturday, that my story had made the cut, and there it was, in the Ottawa Citizen. I'd like to share it with you.
"Being a horse crazy child, I often played at being a horse, pretending to have the freedom and power of these gorgeous animals. I read about them, wrote stories about them, drew them all over my school books, the walls, or on any available paper, and dreamed of having a horse of my own. That dream was realized as an adult when I bought a wonderful, middle-aged Morgan whom I named Ceilidh (Kaylee). Together, we made life-long friends and had marvelous adventures. We were together until his death at age 33.
Horses have made a huge difference in my life. Ceilidh and the other horses at the barn, expanded my understanding of kindness, patience, and the quietness of the soul. They gave me confidence in myself. They inspired me to a career path of painting and writing about horses and dogs, and that has taken me places I never even dreamed of. They have enriched my life in every way, and even on a bad day, just seeing a horse can make me smile."
Although I did not send in the above image, I think it is an appropriate one to use here to illustrate this blog, as it is about the Horse in legend and story, and is the panel I did for the Horse Gift Mural, a truly amazing project that I was privileged to be part of.

Playing In Puddles . . .Paper

I wasn't going to Play in Puddles until next week, but a look at the calendar convinced me to post this now while I have a chance.
Last time, I referred to watercolour "board", so lest there be some misunderstanding, I will explain my use of the term. Watercolour paper and Illustration board are two very different things. Illustration board is excellent for graphic artists and designers. It will accept gouache, acrylic, graphite, ink, and to some degree, even watercolour, although it can make washes difficult and it can be hard to build up layers of colour, but this board usually has a very slick surface and often is not acid free. It is not something that I use for my watercolour paintings.
Watercolour paper on the other hand, is made expressly for watercolours, although it can be used for other purposes. It comes in different weights; 90lb, 140 lb, and 300lb are the most common. The 140lb is heavy, more like a light board than a paper, and the 300lb is definitely a board. Most professional watercolour painters use the 140 and/or the 300 because of its strength, versatility, and because unless you are going to soak your paper, you needn't stretch it or tape it down. I use a style that uses less water than normally used in traditional watercolours, so I have found there is no need for me to tape or stretch my paper.
My favourite paper/board is Arches Hot Press. I've talked about it before and I probably will again. This "paper" has no paper in it. Arches is 100% rag content and is acid free. It has been used with confidence by watercolourists for over 500 years, ever since it first appeared in 1492. It comes in COLD press, a paper with some texture, and this is the most popular choice. It also comes in ROUGH texture, something that appeals to artists who love the unexpected effects this board gives you. I like their HOT press best, a sheet that is very smooth, but not slick. This paper absorbs the colour well, allows for almost endless washes and build up of colour, allows great detail, and takes a lot of abuse.
I've tried a lot of different papers/boards, including one that uses an acid free paper laminated to a non-acid free hard backing. I've liked many of them and found them to be really good papers and many of them are the preferred choice of a lot of artists, but I've settled on Arches for all its great qualities and its reliability, and because I love the way the paint flows across the surface. Its one drawback is that the heavier weights are quite expensive, but quality is worth the price.
My little 8 x 10 watercolour "Encounter" was done on Arches Hot Press.

Playing in Puddles - Serendipty

Time to Play In Puddles again! I know, I've shown you "Brittany Autumn before, but today, I want to talk about Serendipity in watercolours, and this painting is a good example of that very thing.
I wanted the main focus of this painting to be the dog and the flowers, so the background had to be made to be less prominent. I wanted that full, woodsy look, but didn't want to do the woodland detail that would detract from the dog. So I used a wet-in-wet technique that relies a lot on serendipity.
You'll notice that I kept to an analgous palette for the background. That gave me the depths of greens and the green/gold light I wanted. First, I applied water to the background where I wanted the colour, let it dry to the correct degree of dampness, then began to drop wet splotches of colour into the wet board. By shifting the board around, some judicious lifting of colour, and dropping in more colour suspended in various amounts of water, the muted, textured background began to take shape. From there, it was a case of knowing what colours and how many layers to add and knowing when to stop. Sometimes serendipity strikes and you get lucky and love what has appeared, while other times, . . .well, you can always start over. Please join me next week when I have fun Playing In Puddles again.

ENCHANTED

This little merle Sheltie puppy is enchanted with the pink Bleeding Heart that is springing up out of the earth, and I'm enchanted with the puppy. I think it's safe to say that my husband and I love dogs - all dogs. But it is the Sheltie that turns us to mush and makes us putty in their paws. I've had Shelties as companions for over thirty years, longer than I've had my husband!
We both love their beautiful natures, clever minds, and gorgeous looks, and to see a Sheltie pup is to want one. But I must add that they are not for everyone. They are bossy, love pranks, and are often overly fond of their own voice. Did I mention the shedding? A Sheltie person has to love angorra everything. But if you love them, these are just minor inconveniences, vastly outweighed by the love and devotion these wonderful dogs give you.
"ENCHANTED" is a 6 x 8 watercolour, and I'm very pleased that I was able to portray the fluffiness and appeal of the puppy and the cool, rich colours of a spring garden. This painting is available.

Playing in Puddles part 2

Today I think I'll talk about the Colour Wheel, something that is a valuable tool for the artist no matter what medium you work in. I have one that I bought, but I also found it a valuable experience to make one. It really seems to help get a sense of what the colours are all about when you paint in your own Primaries, and mix your own Secondaries and Tertiaries. You begin to have a better understanding of the Complementary and Analgous colours and how they work.

I know I've shown you this painting before, but "Autumn Reds" makes use of Complementary colours (red and Green) as well as Analgous colours, (yellow, yellow-green, and green) to give a bright, sparkling effect. Try using one Complementary colour to quieten the other one, or place them side by side to make each one sing. Colour magic is always an adventure, no matter what medium you are using. Naturally, my first choice for the adventure is Watercolour!

Puddling Around . . .Adventures in Watercolour

It's been a while since I have been able to post to my blog. Life just sort of got in the way for a while, but things have settled down now, and I would like to talk about my favourite medium for a while. I just LOVE to be "Puddling Around" with watercolours! I love the way they can be delicate and fresh, or rich and lush. From the first English watercolour illustrations in my childhood books to the wonderful watercolours I see today, the medium has always ensorcelled.

At art school, I was priviledged to be taught by the legendary Canadian watercolourist, Morton Baslaw, and he gently encouraged us to be neat, clean, and precise without sacrificing the lovely flow and freedom of the medium. I always try to live up to the standards he taught.

There is always something new to learn, but it gives me satisfaction to understand my medium and to be able to call myself a Watercolourist.

Mentors

This past weekend, I was thinking about a wonderful lady who was my mentor from the time I was a young girl. She taught me so much about dogs, and took me into the thrilling world of Dog Shows, and after much persuading, she convinced my parents to let me have a dog of my own. She taught me about life at the sea shore, and about the stars, and I loved every minute of my time with her.
This lady was an artist (oils), and she always encouraged me in my own dreams to be an artist. When I was a teen, she found an art teacher for me who could give me the help I needed with watercolours and in learning to draw accurately, but alas, this time, she was unable to convince my parents to let me have the lessons. But she continued to encourage me and to tell me that I could accomplish whatever I wanted.
When she passed on, her family (who are very dear to me) very generously gave me her brushes, and even though I don't do oils, the brushes sit beside my watercolour and acrylic brushes on my art cabinet. When I work on an acrylic painting, I always use one of her brushes for a few brushstrokes at some point, and because I take very good care of them, they accept the change and are staying in excellent condition.
Using these brushes makes me feel like she is here beside me, cheering me on as she did while she was alive, and sometimes I fancy I can almost hear her uniquely wonderful laugh.
A mentor - the right one, can make a huge difference in an artist's life, and I was so very lucky to have this lady come into and stay in my life. I have chosen to illustrate this blog with my 11 x 14 watercolour painting AN CAPAILL BAN (the White Horse) because my friend loved the ocean and believed that one can make their dreams come true.

SOMETHING NEW - The Winter Path

With a new year starting, I feel both the need to do something new, as well as a need to do the same things in new ways. For several years now, I have worked with Coloured Pencil more than anything else. I love the vibrancy of Coloured Pencils and the detail that is possible, and it has been great fun exploring this great medium. But as many Coloured Pencil artists have found, it has taken a toll on my hands. I've started to have some serious hand pain while I'm working on a large piece, so it's time to be gentle with myself for a while. This means limiting the Coloured Pencil work and returning (for the most part) to watercolours, something that will be a joy, as watercolour has always been the medium I love best.
Much as I love painting dogs, cats, and horses, (and always will), I am at a place where I need to refresh my mind, and that means painting something completely different every now and then. I dearly love the beautiful valley where I live, and everywhere I look, in every season, I see lovely things, sometimes large panoramas, and sometimes little things that could be easily missed if one is not looking for them. I find at this time, that I want to paint some of these things and places once in a while so I can share them with you.
THE WINTER PATH is a place near home that I see whenever we drive into the city. Half hidden, it is easy to miss this path as we zip past it in the car, but now I know to look for it, and I find beauty there in every season. This 5 x 7 watercolour is the first in what will be a "now and then" series called "The West Carleton Paintings".

SAMMY

"Sammy" was a Christmas commission, and I had such a good time with this one. I went to meet and photograph the little guy, and any day where I can cuddle a sweet bundle of fur is a great day for me. All the Shih Tzu dogs I have met have been charmers, and Sammy was no exception. Painting him was a joy. This is an 8 x 10 Coloured Pencil painting.

I Wanna Be a Reindeer

It's nearly Christmas, and I will finish off my Christmas Cards with my newest one - I Wanna Be A Reindeer! Our littlest Sheltie has big dreams, just like our Eskie cross. In his own words -er- woofs,
"I wanna be a reindeer,
Wanna pull Santa's sleigh.
I want to fly with Santa,
Have a Happy Christmas Day!"

This little 5 x 7 painting is a watercolour and is just plain fun.

Visions of SugarMice

About now, most children (and some adults) are going to sleep to dream about presents under the tree and sugar-plums in their stockings. (Does anyone know what a "sugar-plum actually is?) Cats, being super intelligent little creatures, are no exception. I caught our cat happily snoozing near the fireplace, where his stocking is hanging with care, and dreaming of SugarMice. This 11 x 14 watercolour hangs in our house every Christmas season, but small prints are available.

The Great Thank You

There is a legend that says that on one night close to Christmas, the animals gather in groups and bend down under the night sky to give thanks for their lives and for all the things that sustain them. It's called The Great Thank You. A couple of years ago, I did this tiny painting as my Christmas Card. Naturally, I chose a horse for this painting, instead of a wild animal. It is a 4 x 6 watercolour sketch and I bring it out at Christmas to remind me to say "thank you" for all the life-gifts I have been given, and that even the creatures of the field and forest understand that we need to give thanks.

The Carolers Sing Joy

I know, this should be Dog Parade Wednesday, but there is a big storm raging today and there are no dogs walking past Sheltie Hollow. In fact, during the winter, not many dogs walk past at all. It gets dark so early that most of them stay in their own gardens to play, so I will be giving the Dog Parade Wednesdays a rest for a while. There will be lots of other good stuff to see and read though, so please keep stopping by.
Today, I thought it would be fun to start posting a number of my Christmas paintings and card designs from years past, as well as one or two new ones for this year. Between now and the first official day of winter, December 21, I will have several Christmas Card posts.
This one was inspired by two of our Shelties who were having a howling good time. They looked like two little Christmas Carolers, and this is the time to sing out joyfully, all the wonderful old Carols. JOY TO THE WORLD!

PROCESS 3 - Mediums - Watercolour

My very favourite art medium is Watercolour. I love the flow, the brightness of the colours, and the challenge. Watercolour has a way of doing what it wants, just at the wrong moment, and part of the challenge with this exciting, exacting medium is knowing how to coax it back to doing what you had intended. Sometimes, you have to insist, and sometimes, you just start over. Watercolour can be etherial, moody, or bold, and I have chosen an older painting of mine to show that a rich depth of colour can be achieved.
With this medium, perhaps more than any other, the quality of your tools is of paramount importance. For the best results, you must use the best. That best will differ, depending on what you want to achieve. For example, for loose watercolours, a Cold Press (textured) or a Rough paper is often found to give the best results, and for detailed work, although a Cold Press will work, Hot Press (very smooth) is what I like best. The paper (heavy enough to be called a board) comes in several weights or thicknesses, and that can affect the outcome of your painting too. Paper or Board is actually a misnomer, as the best "papers" are made of 100% acid-free cotton or linen rag . Various companies produce papers that have slightly different textures and behave in different ways, and it is up to the artist to discover what works best for them. My favourite is Arches 140 or 300 pound Hot Press, but I usually have some Lanaquarelle and some Fabriano Artistico (both Hot Press) on hand too.
My brushes of choice range from the king of brushes, the Winsor & Newton Series 7 Number 7 kolinsky sable brush, to some 000 fine point acrylic brushes for the smallest details. If I could only have one brush, it would be the Series 7 Number 7, it is so versatile and reliable. I've had mine for 30 years and it is still great.
The paints I use are mostly Winsor & Newton Artist's professional quality tube paints, because they are of the very best quality, with a wide range of reliable, brilliant colours. I also use some Daniel Smith and some Holbien, all top quality and reliable.
I start a watercolour painting the same way I begin any other painting - with a pencil drawing that has been thoroughly worked out on newsprint before my pencil touches the watercolour board. The image is intially hand drawn, then transferred to the board using a very light touch, as the pencil lines should not show through the finished painting. Once the graphite gets wet, it is on the paper forever, so it is important that the drawing be barely visible at the time I start to paint. Then I lay in washes, wait for them to dry, and lay in more. With watercolour, I have to work from light to dark, because many of the colours are translucent. The details come last. A watercolour takes a long time to acomplish - there really are no shortcuts, and while it is forgiving of mistakes, they had better be small ones.
I hope this little series on my Process has given you a glimpse of how I do my paintings. If anyone has any questions, please email me and I will try to answer them for you.
anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY- BORDER COLLIE

We live in an area where there are some sheep farms as well as cattle farms, and we often see Border Collies. There are also some in the village who work at being pet for a living, and they are always a treat to see trotting past the Sheltie Hollow window.
These beautiful dogs are super intelligent, intense, focused, and need a job, even if that job does not involve sheep. They come in two coat types - short haired with some feathering on the legs, or medium long and often wavy. Although usually black and white, there are a variety of possible colours as well as some solid coloured dogs. Border Collies are high energy dogs, as in HIGH ENEREGY, and need safe exercise as well as either a job or a canine activity such as Agility, Flyball, etc. to focus on.
This coloured pencil drawing is available as a 5 x 7 matted print for $25. shipping included. You can reach me at: anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

PROCESS 2 - Medium -Coloured Pencil & Graphite

Today I want to tell you about some of the Mediums I use. When I do Portraits, I start with a watercolour wash on either Stonehenge paper or Arches hot press 140 lb. paper and then work over it in Coloured Pencil. The paper is top quality and acid free, and I love the smooth, but not plate finish of both papers because I am a detail person.
I start with the initial drawing on newsprint, (not traced or projected), transfer it to my good paper, and then do a very light watercolour wash to establish the colour pattern and to lay a bit of a grip on the paper. You can see in this image of a commission I did last year where the watercolour is, and that over it, I have started layering the Coloured Pencil. This is a long process, and there is no hurrying it. I was far from finished any part of the portrait when I took this photo. The green you see is the low tack masking tape I use to mask off my painting area because I have a personal preference for a neat, clean, white border around my paintings, even though it will be covered by a mat. Naturally, it comes off as soon as the outline area of the piece is done.
For the most part, I use Prismcolor Pencils because of their quality, availability, and colour range. Added to them, are selected colours from Derwent and Faber Castell. All these brands are professional quality. Coloured pencil is a relatively new Fine Art medium, so there are still things we need to learn about some of the colours, but by using the best quality and the most lightfast colours, I have confidence that these portraits will long outlive the people who commissioned them.
I enjoy using Graphite too, and I have always used Faber Castell Graphite pencils in a range from 8B (very soft and dark) to 5H (very hard and light). It is of paramount importance to use graphite pencils from the same brand because each brand uses a different scale to measure light through dark. When using Graphite, I use Stonehenge paper, as already mentioned, an acid free paper which means it will stand the test of time.
Next time, I will talk about watercolours.

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY - the GREYHOUND

Did you see that lean slice of speed that flashed past my window? The elegant, aristocratic Greyhound is the fastest of any dog, yet he makes a calm, clean, loving, and loyal pet.
Once the privilege of the nobility, now the Greyhound is available to those who can commit to giving him the education, love, and care he needs, and that includes daily exercise, like a good run in a safe environment so that he can stretch those long legs of his.
I painted "Greyhound Hill" some time ago, and it has always been one of my favourite watercolour images. The hounds just poised to run, the expanse of countryside, the fresh spring colours, all give me a sense of freedom and lightness of spirit. A 5 x 7 inch (image) matted print for $25. including shipping, can be yours by contacting me at anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca