whale tails

*** Oops, in my super tired state I have just noticed that I have posted a very similar photo of polar bears with lights on Elsewhere before. You've already seen these guys when we set up at Imp a couple of weeks ago now. Here they are again, on a different day, taken in the afternoon rather than the evening which is much better for their complexions. ***

There's no beating 'artists' proof give aways' on the excitement front and I fear this little rabbit grooming is hard to beat on the gorgeous barometer too... and there's no better feeling than when a collaboration comes together seamlessly in a drawing meets collage like this one:

An unlikely pairing.
Watercolour, pencil and collage on Fabriano traditional white  640gsm paper, 2007.

As promised earlier, here are a few photos of Gracia and my other collaborative pieces featuring a rather fetching Humpback whale. Shells attached by small ladders have been added by g in places I'd never have thought of. You can also spot my other large drawing of a handsome Gray Whale beneath it. Plenty of barnacles there!

I've been here before, I
Watercolour, pencil and collage on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper, 2007.

I've been here before, II
Watercolour and pencil on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper, 2007.

It's easy to tell the whales apart here, and in my reference book too. The Humpback whale is described as being "rather dumpy in shape" with large pectoral fins. Humpbacks can also be recognised by their jaws which are encrusted with beautiful barnacles (which are a great to draw).

The Gray whale also has more than his or her fair share of barnacles and sea lice. Its mottled skin also proves a real treat to draw and watercolour.

And just incase you haven't had enough polaroids here are two more of my smaller works at Imp, taken the other day. Sitting the gallery for one day over the weekend affords me time to sit and think. It also allows me plenty of time to read.

Two polar bears with lights to mark out the safe parts of ice.
Watercolour and pencil on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper, 2007.

The Grey parrot whispers the escape plans to the Java sparrow.
Watercolour and pencil on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper, 2007.

Drawing on a larger scale (56cm x 76cm) was a great challenge, and meant that marks and painted surfaces had to be treated completely differently to something that is 9cm x 15cm. However, I found the greatest challenge was finding a clear surface to work. In a crowded house finding a large, clear surface big enough for this size of paper was more than tricky. The main problem being that I was working on these two drawings simultaneously as well as 20 other small works. In addition to this there were piles of half completed hammer & daisy orders left, right and centre. There's barely enough room for g & I. To make things all the more cumbersome, I also had to contend with the needs of two demanding cats, one of which who likes to sit on the very spot I had initially cleared and the other who likes to jump on the second cleared area, where I keep my drawings as they dry.

I plan on making many more drawings at this scale, and so I have devised a cunning plan which will save me from having to perform a cat-space balancing act again. My plan is to ask my handy dad to cut a board for me which is large enough to rest this size paper on. That way while I'm waiting for the watercolour paint to dry I can put the drawing on the board up high and out of the reach of our very inquisitive Siamese and insistent black and white feline. It's high tech stuff, I know, and it may just work too!

Now for one last image, this is a watercolour that didn't quite manage to squeeze into the trapdoor at Imp. It's entitled Just an act.

Just an act
Watercolour and pencil on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper, 2007.

Comments

[Maditi]

I can never have enough of your polas and drawings!!! your joint work is great!!

[julie]

Beautiful just beautiful...especially love the first and last picture in this post...and really enjoyed reading about your painting tales..it made me laugh as i am the same but i prefer the smaller scale works. I am currently working on a painting 1.22cm x 3.66cm divided into 3 squares but still am not enjoying the grand scale...xx

[sue ramirez]

Your new collaborative endeavour seems like the perfect match. Beautiful work girls!!

[shari]

i adore the collaborative pieces. those whales lj are magnificent. i have started having to keep the door to my study closed because rilke and maggie cause, ahem, problems when they are allowed free range of the house. congrats again on such an amazing show. xoxo ps: are there any thaumatropes left for sale?

[camilla Engman]

red dots all over, congratulations. It looks fantastic.

[cruststation]

I love your collaboration with g, the pieces work so well as a combination of painting and collage -it must have been fun seeing how the finished pieces ended up. I adore the whales with the different shades and barnacles, so full of life. I love that the cats partipate in the preparations too :)

[Tiffany]

So wonderful! Love the barnacles! And you're collabs with grache are incredible.

:^)

Tiff*

[amisha]

i would very much like to sit amidst your drawings and g's collages for a day and think, and read, and soak up all of this magic. i am so so enchanted by your collaborations! they go together seamlessly indeed. and it sounds like you have a good plan for keeping watercolors away from the cats :) mine too seem attracted most to the spots i have just cleared for a bit of work. xo

[lisa s]

can never have too many polaroids....

and look at those giant red dots! WOO

[Brydie]

ooh... it's exciting to see "an unlikely pair" all lavished with attention... my soon to be addition to my animal kingom featured prints and artworks at home. It was very impressive to see all the sold works too! And i must say, i was breathtaken by the large whales, and agree terribly so that you must do more larger watercolours!

[louise]

Thanks Maditi,
I think you have seen all of our most recent collaborative drawings now. We shall have to work on some new ones for everyone.

Hi Julie,
That is truly a tiny, tiny painting. I’ve never worked on something that miniature. Are you using a magnifying lens? I hope that you will post some pictures of it soon as I’d love to see it.

Thanks Sue,
I’m glad you think so. It’s back to the studio for G and I now to create some more.

Hi there Shari,
There are indeed some thaumatropes still for sale, they are $50 each, but I’ll email you with more info… As for those curious cats, keeping them out of your study sounds like a very good plan. Unfortunately, I’ve spread out over the whole house, so I’ve no alternative but to adapt to their needs.

Hi Camila,
Thank-you so much. It’s been very exciting to sell so many pieces from this exhibition. Neither of us really expected to sell so much, we were so busy making the work that we didn’t have a chance to think about sales or anything like that. It means now that we can plan our next body of work, and make a few more prints. Very exciting!

Hi Crust station,
Your right, it was fun to see how they turn out, especially as my drawing section came first. Then I got to watch Gracia add the collage sections and at that point the piece would come to life. I can’t wait to make more now.

Thanks Tiff,
I love the barnacles too. So much fun to draw.

Hi there Amisha,
I’d love for you and all my blogging buddies to be able to sit and check out our show. I wish our trapdoor really had worked and everyone could have come along. Both our cats are usually really well behaved. Olive has very delicate feet, she mainly loves to kiss the edges of all our piles of paper. Omar get a little clumsy sometimes and knocks something over or as I described in my post jumps on top of drawings. Both of them have been around works on paper since they were wee little kittens so they are pretty respectful of them… most of the time.

Hi Lisa,
Thanks, they are big dots, aren’t they?

Hi Brydie,
I’m so thrilled that ‘An unlikely pairing’ is making it's way to your home in a week or so. I’m also glad you liked the large whales. I was a bit scared of this scale at first as I wasn’t sure how they would go after spending the last few years focusing on smaller scale works.

Thanks everyone.
xo
lj