Art Journal » moleskines

Mondoodle 28-06-2010

elise — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:38:39 +0000

Yes, you are caught in a time loop. You thought it was Tuesday but it’s Monday again, and again. Which is good because it means it’s drawing day and I’m not late! If I was (and I’m still liking the time loop story) it was because I had an evil migraine on Sunday night which stuffed up my eyesight all Monday. Ergh. No fun at all and certainly not a productive day!

So here we are.

And here is a picture cos I love you guys.

Why have a parrot on your shoulder when you can have a terrapin?

I’m looking forward to seeing what happens around her as I finish it!

Mondoodle 14-06-2010

elise — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:27:34 +0000

I was writing today in a cafe and (everyone who has ever workshopped with me can laugh now) I did a new beginning to my novel. This is something I do (shuffles awkwardly) well, quite often. In fact I am known for multiple first chapters. It’s a talent. Someone’s got to have it. One day I will write a final chapter. Now that will be an exciting day! Anyway, I was writing a dream sequence. Yes, I know. Don’t worry, it won’t get into the novel, I was really just trying something out. But I liked the imagery. The character was walking on the ocean, blind fish beneath his feet and a huge moon hanging impossibly low overhead. It was day, but night as well.

And then I drew this. It happens a lot – I have a theme or an idea and it keeps coming out in different things until I am done with exploring it.

Drawn in my fifth moleskine, on the afternoon and evening of Monday 14 June, 2010. This was not a quick one – but as it was my last present-to-myself day off after the exhibition, I thought I’d just keep going.

Mondoodle 17-05-2010

elise — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:49:07 +0000

It’s hard to think of these when I’m in the throes of the exhibition but here we are!

A fun moment before the Thursday’s action!

17th May, 2010. It’s a card too now

xx Elise

Mondoodle 26-04-2010

elise — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:06:38 +0000

Sorry about last week’s lack of Mondoodle. It’s a little strange being up in the studio tonight. I’ve been working in the lounge for weeks now, painting of course. I’d prefer to be up here as the light’s so much better but the big canvas made me relocate. I haven’t actually worked on that for a while but it’s too much of a pain to yo-yo all of my clobber back upstairs and down – the paints, the reference material and the easels. Yes, I seem to always have three set up at the one time. One lovely studio easel (although the upright post hits the roof up here) and two sketch easels. Seems I can’t just work on one thing at a time when I paint in oils either!

I like this peaceful moment. I can imagine his chest rising and falling as he breathes and the lovely warmth of him. A protector and a friend. Wouldn’t it be lovely if bears could purr.

Monday 24th May, 2010. Posted in the lamp-lit studio at 11pm with the smell of fresh cinnamon tea-cake still in the air.

New Prints!

elise — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:37:43 +0000

We have two markets this weekend and we have a debut…

Introducing TWO NEW PRINTS coming out ino the big wide world for the first time this weekend at the Sister’s Market in Brunswick and the Maker’s Market at the Abbotsford Convent. It looks like a stunning weekend (if it’s anything like today) so come and say hello to my new adventuring girls.

Mondoodle 05-04-2010

elise — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:07:51 +0000

I trust you’ve been having a restful long weekend – if you are somewhere where they give you one… I’ve been a-marketing, painting, drawing and enjoying the presence of the unseasonably warm sun. Very nice!

You may recognise part of this from an earlier post. Well now I think I’ve finished it and I thought you’d like to see how it turned out.

Drawn in the lounge on a rather balmy autumn evening on Monday April 5 2010, from 10 to 11pm.

Because I have seen the future. And there will be cats flying zepplins…

But of course you knew that.

Mondoodle 29-03-2010

elise — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:15:50 +0000

I had a hankering for some watercolour tonight.

Drawn in the studio at 10.30pm on Monday March 29, 2010.

He has a lean and hungry look. I feel that I should draw what he’s so focused upon… only I don’t know what it should be. We’ve had lots of grasshoppers around lately… maybe one of those could sneak in.

It’s odd I know! I think they may have been driven toward the city by the smoke of the fires lately. I can just imagine them, a whirring cloud slipping and billowing on the wind, confused as they come to rest finally on hot suburban roads.

The birds must have had a merry and unexpected feast! And perhaps… some foxes did too?

Mondoodle 22-03-2010

elise — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:07:02 +0000

It’s late, it’s dark, the cocoon studio is a clutter of paintings around me and smelling strongly of turps and oils.

In my slightly wonky tired state it’s rather nice and very familiar. I think… a link to my past as well as my present as it almost feels like it could be my mum’s studio as much as my own.

Here’s a work in progress… I’m interested to see how it turns out.

Drawn on the couch, sleepy after evening classes, but still incapable of sitting without drawing.

At 9pm on Monday 22 March, 2010.

Goodnight all.

I'll just do a little more…

elise — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:02:00 +0000

On that last Mondoodle. Which leads me to a question. When is a picture finished? How do you know when to stop? Sometimes I know I go on too far with a picture – there are often lots of points when you think - that’s pretty good now, I should stop… I’ll just do a little more.

And then you think, no, the picture was definitely better before I did that! But you don’t know until you’ve gone on. The worst thing is if you use computers enough you find yourself thinking… I’ll just undo.

It’s funny doing the video drawings and actually noticing how I work around a picture. I don’t ever really just do one bit and leave it. Part of that is because I’m not planning the picture fully. This means that the balances of detail and space, lights and darks are constantly shifting, and changing one area often necessitates some work elsewhere to balance the image. Which means needing to do more work somewhere else, and somewhere else. And so it goes on until the page is often quite fully filled. But as I draw partly for the effect and partly for the pleasure of drawing, it’s not so bad.

Look how much space is still on the left! I’m kind of proud of that… And that little dark patch in the lower right corner was an important last bit. Making the stripes darker on the dress was an improvement too.

Mondoodle 8-2-2010

elise — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:12:34 +0000

Just as I hoped, it was lovely to paint again on Sunday at the market. Hello to all the new people I met there! It was a beautiful day. I finally filled the frames on the wall of the rabbit-cafe picture and gave myself another indulgent hour on it this morning before it got too too hot. I also drew a Mondoodle today, of course. And here it is. I love the idea of little kids with wings. How lovely would that be? Although we’d miss that opposable thumb at times.

Tuesday 8th February, 2010.

Drawn in the lounge at my new little desk below the window at 8pm.

They’re sparrow wings of course.