Belinda Lindhardt

Friday, December 26, 2008

Tree Girl Revealed

Tree Girl - Belinda Lindhardt, Ink and Wash 8X10inches, 20X25cms

I can finally reveal this one :) It was a christmas gift for my very dear friend Marion, of whom i wouldn't nearly be half as sane as i am right now without her friendship.

So here it is i hope everyone is having happy and safe holidays :)

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Happy Holidays to all my Readers

Well the holiday season has began! or the silly season as some people call it.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my loyal readers of 2008, its been a tough one for me but thanks for sticking with me looking forward to a fantastic 2009! I sincerely hope its a happy and safe one for you all.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

More Tree Girls and Facebook

So, i have been working, working on things which are unfinished and for other reasons i am unable to show you right now.

Here is part of one i have been working on :) Just so you can see i am :)

It's such a busy time of year isnt it? i have had event after event, job after job, thing after thing to do, and we havent even had christmas yet.

Anywho, while we are here i thought i would point out for those of you who like the social networking thing, i am on the following social networks and have created a Belinda Lindhardt artworks facebook page where i upload some of my latest works as i work on them (just an alternative to the blog i have noticed some ppl prefer it :)

You can my facebook page here.
You can follow me on twitter here.
You can also join me linkedin profile here.

So in the interest of getting to know more people and filtering out things i dont need, if you are contacting me via any of these avenues, i really would appreciate you introduce yourself so i can know who i am adding, rather than some random spamming person. :)

Thats it for now, i am off to wrap some christmas presents before the children are back from kindy :) shhhhhhhhh

Thursday, December 11, 2008

AAF Christmas Swap

This year i participated in the Australian Art Forum's Christmas Swap.
It's something that i have wanted to do for many years but always found some silly excuse as to why i didn't have time. This year i did it and for those who don't know how it works, basically everyone who participates in the swap does a 5X7inch painting or drawing whatever you like.

The organisers in this case the wonderful Michelle, (who i was so lucky to meet earlier in the year), draws a name for each person and sends you their details and you send them your work. The great thing about this is that you dont know who is sending you your present until it arrives, so its all very exciting to see who you finally get.

"1st cuppa for the day" - By WinneRose

I was sooo lucky to get this absolutely wondeful little painting from WinnieRose :) .
Its just soooo absolutely gorgeous and makes me smile everytime i look at it :) i have it right here by my desk.
I was able to send Helm a painting and this is the one i created for her.

I have been doing a few of these tree girls lately i just love them. It was soo exciting to hear what she thought when she got it :) What a wonderful idea its just really warmed my heart :)

Thursday, December 04, 2008

WHO are you, and WHERE are you going ?

























Isn't this a question we ask of someone when we meet someone new (in our minds anyway) ? How many of us can REALLY answer that question without hesitation, preamble and most importantly with confidence?

I know I can't right now but in the last few weeks i am taking steps to getting there.

I have been doing alot of reading and thinking of late, many of you have probably been wondering where i have been? am i ok ? So, I thought i better let you know, i am here, plugging away at the usual things, preparing for Christmas and getting some artworks done (which i will post over the next few days).

As i am doing all of this there has been a new plan emerging, i don't know exactly what it is yet or where its going (hence the hibernating in my shell) but that's what i am here working out. Once i know what it is you will hear all about it !

This whole frame of mind for me has stemmed from the end of a really big year for me, a new life, new direction, which is all very predictable, but its also coming from a general feeling of what i have been doing the last few months and years in my business hasn't been cutting it, what i have been doing hasn't been working and i am not prepared to give up more of my precious time and energy into something that just isnt giving me what i want. I am allowing myself the excuse that because X,Y Z... i haven't been able to give it 100% but now as the end of the year is approaching its now time for everyone now including myself to have some direction of what lies ahead.

Yes yes yes (i can see you nodding your heads), we have all heard it all before, we all make New Years Resolutions and plans. What i wanted to highlight and to think about and (what is most profound for me) is that i need to work out what I want for my life and what are the steps i need to take to get there. Just because circumstance or things have happened or i do things a certain way doesn't mean i need to be limited by that, it doesn't define who i am or where i am going. I think if you met me on the street your perception of me would be quite different to the person I am and that would be different to the person i think i am. So why is that... isnt that confusing ? It should pretty much be the same, i think its like that because I can't answer those questions above. They are pretty important questions i SHOULD be able to know the answers to them all and once i do all my other decisions will fall into place as long as they align with my original vision.

Hand in hand with all of this is identifying that my artwork is my business, as is my graphics and illustration. If i am taking time away from my kids and out of my life to do this, the time i do spend needs to be well spent well and with purpose. Obviously with art there is a fine line here as its all about being creative and i enjoy it, but I am not going to be a slave to that creative process or to the art. At the end of the day one of my goals for the present is to be supporting myself and my family through my business which is my design & art. If i don't acknowledge that and have that vision for myself then its not something i will ever be able to achieve. Hoping that it will happen while i do "my thing" is not going to work.

So, as i wind this post up, I am thinking and will be thinking. It might take me a little while to identify my direction but its an important one to take time with. :)
I hope you all are doing well in your preparations for gearing up for the holidays, Christmas is just around the corner!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Farmors Milk Jug Finished



"Farmors Milk Jug 1" - by Belinda Lindhardt,
artists coloured pencils on pastelboard, 9X12 inch





This one is done, for now :)

One issue i have having with this is with the pastelboard, its not quite holding the colour towards the end as i would like, and seems to fade with fixing... hmmmmm ... anywho this one is done for now :) i think .. might rethink my support for the next one.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Farmors Milk Jug WIP - an update


Here is an update on this one.
for the artists: have sprayed a few times with workable fixative, some pencil still coming off on this pastelboard, might be ok with a few more layers. It feels like i kinda am working with pastels the messy this on is kicking up. you should see my drawing board its filthy!

The jug will have blue pattern and swirls on it, not sure how this is going to come out, i thought it best to do this over the white, to prevent smearing ??? hmm lets see shall we ?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Monet, Sketching, Sales - a catchup


Well I have been busy. :) arent we all ?

Let me start by talking about Monet. I had a wonderful day with a wonderful friend :) and to see Monet in real life was just amazing. The subtelty of colours, the vibrantcy of the colours, the brush strokes, the sizes, the physical presence of something so famous that was created so many years ago yet it being right there in front of you, it was just great.
The photos in books don't really do an artwork justice do they?

I am inspired as often i am when visiting great works and again it reminds myself that i need to get out and visit such exhibitions more. Standing at one end of the room studying the works and then walking to the other and seeing the strokes up close you trully understand why he was a master and why the others at the type were sceptical of him.

So, to cut it short, if your around Sydney i definately reccommend you make the visit. I will be going again before the exhibition closes in January, i mean how often will i get to see all those pieces again ?


Now onto me.

I have been doing a bit of sketching of late, nothing spectacular just forcing myself to get into the habit. Something I keep trying to do but never seem to stick to. Then when i do i wonder why i dont ... i think its necessary for me, it great. I just need to slot it into the long list of stuff i am already doing and make it a priority.
Finally, there is only 1 day left on my print and greeting card sale. IF you are interested in snatching one or a couple of these up make sure you visit my for sale page ASAP.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Farmors Milk Jug WIP

While i am here busy posting today, i thought i would leave you all with something i have been working on.

I started it a couple of weeks ago and was going to post a video for you as i am trying out a new sanded support and loving it! Never got to the video (there is still time) but i will post a WIP for now, just to show you in time for the weekend.

Farmors Milk Jug 1, WIP

The story behind this is, my Grandmother (farmor - as my family is Danish) collected milk jugs throughout her lifetime. When she passed we as a family were lucky enough to inherit some of them which has in turn some of which have been passed to me.

I absolutely love blue and white stuff it must be my danish heritage as they do alot of it and having moved house recently has meant that i now have room to display my precious jugs.

So, here is but one in which i hope to be a series of Jugs.

More about the support to come, but its a sanded support so means i can frame without glass if i so wish :)

Off to see Monet

On Sunday i am taking a much awaited day for myself and going with a very dear friend to see Monet at the Art Gallery of NSW.



I am so excited and feel very lucky to be able to go. I plan on having totally unscheduled day of travelling on the train, looking at art, having a coffee in peace and most likely some lunch, followed with some more looking at art most likely and the most dangerous part of the day looking in the gallery gift shop (they have fabulous books there) mix all that in with a wonderful friend and most likely a bit of gossiping and talking i just cant wait.


Will post all about it next week, meanwhile here is the link to the exhibition: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/coming/monet

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Greeting Cards and Prints Christmas Sale

I am having Christmas sale on my Greeting Cards and Prints. Woo hoo!

Christmas is a perfect time for giving gifts so I figured why not make it easy and see if anyone wants to give a fabulous artwork print or stock up on greeting cards before the new year. This sale will only last for 1 week, (as we are running out of time before Christmas) so get in fast to make sure you get them in time.

See my Christmas sale page here.


And while i am shamelessly promoting myself :) (someones gotta do it :) I have also been meaning to remind you all about my calendar i posted about a couple of weeks ago. I bought a few and have since received them in the mail. They look absolutely fantastic! Even if i do say so myself. Redbubble do a fantastic product the quality of the printing is great :) If your an artist and want to get some self promotion products i definitely reccommend them. Ofcourse they arent the cheapest and as with most things you get what you pay for but in this case its well worth it :)

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Two Paintings finished

Today i have finished two paintings that have been brewing for a time, its good to call something done.

They are quite large, and i have been enjoying working on them. Here they are sorry the photos aren't the best:

"Lifelight" Oils on Canvas by Belinda Lindhardt, 91.5cm X 91.5cm



"Light Path" Oils on Canvas by Belinda Lindhardt, 76cm X 101cm

Friday, November 07, 2008

Belinda Lindhardt - art and design studios

Belinda Lindhardt - art and design studios

Well there you have it, it sounds pretty business like.That's the point ! :)
I have to admit i initially felt a little silly putting this sign on the door, but i can't begin to tell you what a motivation it is just having that little sign there. It's like i have given myself permission to look at my art as a real business, this is my studio and i am doing it !

As some of you may know, i recently moved about 4months ago, truth is i am still organising some areas to sort out they way i want things and to declutter wherever possible. In my painting spree at 12am the other night i realised that i really need to have two studio areas setup. The reality is, in fact I already have 3! (the third being in the main house which is a tiny room that is my base of operations, I wont show you that one its not as cool as these ones).

Now as i write this, I sense some of you turning green with envy just the idea of have even 2 artspaces and can i just take this one moment to relish in this little joy say I abosolutely LOVE it!

So here, are some photos of my studio setup as you can see i have two doors one to the right which is my "design and art studio" and the other to my "art studio". Yesterday I setup what was otherwise known as a "shed/garage" to from henceforth now be known as my artstudio / storage area.

From here i will do all of my large paintings and canvases and i will reserve my small artworks and coloured pencils for my design studio basically because well, the smaller artworks are less messy and require less floor space.


When working on my larger artworks the very nature of them tends to be messy and I am worried about getting paint on my carpet / walls and furniture etc so this space allows me to be a bit messy with out worrying about it all too much. Another great thing about this space is that not much else is happening in this room so as all you mums out there can appreciate if i am called away all i have to do is close that door and my paint palette, canvas etc is out of reach of little hands and inquiring minds
.
Another great this i discovered as i was getting it all organised was that there already convenient "canvas hanging hooks" on the walls (ok, ok so they are nails) but basically i can easily hang half finished or finished works to store or for photographing. There are two windows in the studio so it has good light.






I made this little desk area where i can put my paints brushes etc as well as an area for the boys to do their drawing, craft or whatever else takes their fancy on a table that doesnt matter if they make a mess on. They think its fantastic they have a little special area for themselves so i am hoping it works in for all involved.Currently you can see their easel which is what i am using as my easel as the one i currently have doesnt hold my larger canvases.

So onto the design studio here is my setup, much more neater and formal looking but it also has a very good purpose.

I have a big art cupboard for materials which is just out of view, as well as a fantastic cupboard with bunches of drawers for all sorts of materials. a little desktop easel there that i can work on small paintings and cp pieces and an area for my books. I also have the usual assortment of scanner, computer, printer, stationary, files etc.


What i also in this studio which i absolutely love is a great big window with heaps of natural light coupled with my new fabulous drawing desk which was donated to me by my two most dear friends Marion and Brady. I absolutely love my desk and even tho initially i thought i was being a bit greedy by having such a big desk with already having so much room, I find it sooooooo goood. Not only does it allow me to keep my artwork "out" while I work on other design projects but it allows for room next to it for all the parafanaila such as pencils, watercolour etc that i wouldnt have if it was all on the one desk, as well as room to see my computer screen easily.

So there you have it there is a vist to my studios. It's so great to have such a wonderful setup, i feel so privledged to have it that i feel like now i have no excuse and really have to work hard i keep my end of the bargin and get all thework done :)

Before i finish up on this, let me leave you with another part of my studio setup which is our local bluetongue lizard which i have found lives under the step which is the entry to the studio this morning we found himself getting a bit of tan next to the big rock, can you imagine the excitement of the boys ? They loooove lizards :)

Untitled Update


Here is an update to the previous post. Still not finished yet but on its way i think :)

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

'Untitled' WIP - a new painting era

Here is my latest.
Its currently "untitled"as its evolving WIP and i am not sure what exactly it will become.
My initial idea for this one came from a few places, i recently received some lovely comments on my artwork "contemplation" and there has been a request from a few sources to do something similar.

I have been thinking alot lately about my style, etc and where i want to go from here. My conclusion being that i think i need to create a series of series if that makes sense :) To elaborate, I realise I seem to have a few recurring themes that i like to create in my artwork ie. stilllifes, skys, tree girls, contemporary coloured paintings, portraits so i need to build a series on each of these themes not just one or two paintings.

Different people like different types of art, i enjoy creating each of the various themes for different reasons, and i have sold pieces from each of the various styles and themes. So for me there is no reason to stick with just theme or style of art, but to present myself as a creator of all of these various themes if you like. Maybe a particular series would appeal to a particular target market or gallery but if i were to have an exhibition currently it would all be a combination of everything and i dont have enough of a particular series to offer ie. i dont fit into any particular "boxes" which makes marketing myself hard. This is something i need to work on next year.

In light of all of that, this painting came to me in the middle of the night, or rather "the drive" came to me. I was woken by the boys as often happens these days with colds, bad dreams and wotnot afterwhich I couldn't sleep. I lay there thinking about all the outstanding things i haven't done nor have i the energy to do for the past few days / weeks / months really. I was thinking about how lately i just can't seem to fit the painting or art in and how i need to do this not only for my own sanity but also because this is my livehood and i need to keep it going.

I started to think about a post i had read earlier in the day which was from an male artist talking about how he would stay up to all hours of the night painting while his children slept. when i read that post i thought, i thought to myself "yes well i bet he isnt a single parent" and has to get up and deal with kids on his own all day because I know by the end of my day i am just completely wrecked and exhuasted.

Then something hit me! I asked myself well, here you are awake in the middle of the night 12am you have total peace and quiet, you cant sleep why not get up and do it ! I contemplated it for a bit and then did! I painting and sketched for over an hour ! It was FANTASTIC !
Ever since then i seemed to have a renewed energy. I seem to be getting on with not just art but also all the endless other tasks i have to do.
I dont think my list is any less than it was a week ago but all of a sudden it all seems a bit managable rather than hopelessness it was before.

Basically i think what has happened is i have changed the way i think. I have changed my focus and direction and reminding myself AGAIN that its work for everyone I have to do the work if i want to get the rewards, and the only REAL thing that was stopping me from doing it was myself. Its not really good enough to say that i am too tired or exhausted or it really just was another excuse. If the only way its going to happen is if i get up in the middle of the night and do it then so be it. I wont be doing that everynight, but if the opportunity presents itself i need to grab it and go with it.

So, i guess what this means is I am getting on with it. This artwork is just another one on the journey but its already woken me up to realise a bit more about what i have to do to get to where i want to be. The painting is supposed to have a girl in it but lets see what happens :)

Monday, October 27, 2008

October Virtual Sketch Date

This months virtual sketch date has been a gone AGAIN. I feel terribly bad that i didnt participate this month as one of my photos was chosen as the reference of the sketch date.

My lazyiness was resolved a bit by the fact that i had already sketched this pears from that reference a while ago, and the artwork sold not that long ago so i hope you all still love me :).
I think if i was to do this again it would be a totally different piece, but I wanted to post this artwork anyway for all those participating in the date.

I have to admit i have little thrill to see so many wonderful artists and pieces coming out of my little photo. Thereare so many different styles and works its fantastic.

Here is the link to the virtual sketch date blog, to see all the links for yourself :)

The links havent been posted as yet but i am sure they will be shortly.

Friday, October 24, 2008

2009 Belinda Lindhardt Artworks Calendar

Now there really are 101 other things i should have been doing with my morning other than compiling this, but i was thinking about Christmas and getting presents for family and friends and clients and basically trying to get organised.

The truth be told, as much as i would like to purchase one of these and give them out to everyone, i don't have 2cents to rub together at the moment so all gifts this year are going to be (if any at a bare minimum or handmade).

That doesn't mean other people cant buy their own gifts :) So if you like my artwork and want a calendar (or two) take a look at my 2009 Belinda Lindhardt Artworks calendar from RedBubble.

If you use the coupon code "friendsandfamily" in the checkout if you buy directly from them you recieve FREE shipping for the next week only.


Now, just so you know, buying of these wont make me rich, i will get a total of $4.00- from everysale but every little bit helps me buy more art materials :) oh and you know food and stuff.

Alternatively, if you wish to buy a couple of calendars and or greeting cards i can purchase them cost price and get them to you a bit cheaper contact me and we can work something out :)

Friday, October 17, 2008

Blog Update 16th October 2008

For those of you who read my blog in HTML or a reader, i have just updated my blog template so go now in your browser and take a look, i now look at bit different :) Let me know what you think.

While i was updating I got rid of a bit of clutter i had down the right still will be working on this area over the next week or so, so bare with me.
I also need to have a look at my subscriptions and feedblitz as i don't think it is working correctly, everytime i go to do that it really does my head in and I end up giving up. My motto at the moment is to keep plugging away and i will get there in the end.

Also, I hope to post a video today on a cp work i am doing specifically on a new support i am trying, well i am going to have a go of doing a video whether i post or not depends on whether your lucky or not! :)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Into the Light


Here is the first painting in a series that i seems to be experimenting with. This is "kind of a test case" for a much larger piece which i actually have almost finished. I am currently working on this series alongside some cp pieces that satisfy my need for detail and i will show you all soon.
I am loving just experimenting with the smooth kind of blending of colours and the thick contrasts globs of paint with a palette knife.
It's fun and open to everyone's own interpretation as to what it is :)

Above is also a new little logo i came up with recently. I will probably start applying it various places soon. The main purpose for it was that i never seem happy with the word "paintings" as my cp artworks often will not be considered paintings and i wanted to say a bit more than just my name. The other purpose is that i needed some for my new facebook page.

facebook
So, I have my personal facebook page, and now i also have art one - a bit like my blog but I guess its more just for posting photos rather than posting an entry and lets face it there is some people who just prefer facebook :) It cant hurt :) If your on facebook check out.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Belinda-Lindhardt-Artworks/38987132532

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Onwards


"Onwards" Oil on Canvas by Belinda Lindhardt


Yesterday i had the luxury of painting to a sunset, it was divine :) This piece isnt a copy or replication fo the sunset i watched, i had already started this one last week but it was just nice to be able to paint quietly with that kind of peace, a rareity in this household.

This past week i have had been quietly been becoming an artist again. I haven't had the luxury of it in the past few months, my energy levels have been zapped and i think i have just been using the time to build myself back together and gather myself again. This week tho I have been stealing little moments here and there, doing few sketches and visiting a few galleries and exhibitions its been great. I slowly feel like its coming back but in a new better and different way than before :)

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Monet is coming to Sydney !!!

Monet's Garden by Belinda Lindhardt

One of my very good friends just sent me this link, for Monet and the Impressionists exhibition which is coming to Sydney!

Here is a quote from the NSW Art Gallery website:

"29 of the finest paintings by the master of impressionism, Claude Monet, will be accompanied by superlative paintings by his contemporaries including Cézanne, Manet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley."
Do you think i should go ? Ummm, let me think ..... YES !

I am very excited. I wont be able to get there for a few weeks, but I think we are going to have a girls day, one which we have been planning to get to for such a long time. I just cant wait !

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know i am big fan of Monet, i actually recently watched the video of when i went to his garden and studio back when i was 18. I have also done a Monet inspired painting of my very own as per the above photo.

The exhibition is on at the Art Gallery of NSW check the link for further details:

11 October 2008 - 26 January 2009
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/coming/monet

Friday, September 26, 2008

Gathering Strength - Coloured Pencil Techniques Part 2



Following on from my post yesterday about how i did the background on my Gathering Strength piece.

Ways of working with CP's
I have noted during this piece that i actually have a couple of ways of working with cp's ... My technique depends on the value and texture of the section i am working on as to the way i will approach the process. I have also realized that i do this quite subconsciously. I thought others might be interested particularly those just beginning so here is my attempt at explaining it.
For Painters: I actually use a similar technique to this when painting as well but i find with painting i am not required to be as precise as i can go in and change things later which cant always be done with cp.

To Start:
I typically trace the "basic" lines and shadows of the subject, especially for faces and details. At this point i am aiming to get the basic positioning of major elements so for instance on this piece i got the major lines of all three subjects their arms clothing noses eye etc.

Next, I always start with the background concentrating on laying down areas that require lots of colour or that are dark (seeing as i am working on white paper, if i was working on dark papers the white or light areas would be done first).

As i start to add colour to the other areas i am looking and basically drawing as i go, adjusting lines and curves and contours. As you may know, often photos are distorted and if you adhere directly to the initial tracing this will not always be correct so as i apply the first few layers of colour I determine what lines are where or rather where they "should" be, also where the shadows need to stop and start. As strange as it sounds i imagine if i could "feel" the contour of that line in 3D what way would that really go even if i cant see it. i.e. the curve of a forearm would curve around .. so rather than colour just in blocks of up and down lines the colour follows the contour of that line going around in a curve.

As i go along..
I typically will work in sections i.e. i decided that the first head i was going to do was my oldest son Max. I typically worked on his hair and his head (as these were merging with the background)and then moved on his shirt and legs and worked down.

For the first few layers on any section, I start with the darks and choose three values .. a dark, a midtone a light value of a base colour. Usually the dark is the shadow, the midtone is a base colour and light is a highlight so i will typically choose three pencils and start with those. I start blocking in the area with my darkest value with 4-5 layers and leaving the lightest value almost white with maybe only 1 layer... i often will start with the complimentary colour and if you know of Arlene Steinberg you will know exactly what i am talking about there, if not checkout this post about her book I recommend you buy it :) .

After i have added a couple of layers of the darkest value i will move onto my my midtones. Remembering to feather the edges always and ensure there are no distinct lines from one value to another, unless it dramatically is called for on the reference. I should Note: here i am checking the reference CONSTANTLY at this point, i have it printed out in front of me and checking it often as i go along.

Blending
Generally after i have about 3-4 layers down i tend to go over the area with a solvent and a cotton tip or makeup pad. I use Zest It which is a citrus based solvent but many others you can use.

As i blend i am remembering that this also goes in the direction of the contours of the subject, this is particularly important for the skin and curved objects.
As a side note: I have tried not to blend, but i have an obsession with the white of the support showing through, for some reason the work doesn't feel finished unless i have none of that showing through. Other artists leave it and i think their work is absolutely beautiful just in my own artwork i cant seem to do it.

HOWEVER: One thing to note if you are new to solvents, the only problem with this step is after you have applied solvent you are not able "undo" this step. The solvent will merge the pencil into the paper and is not removable. So for example, if you have a shadow which goes next to a highlight you need to be careful you don't go into the highlight area as you may run into problems if you try to cover your darker area with a lighter colour that is dramatically different in value.

It is this point everything looks really messy and using the solvent will mean that some layers have blended with other colours ie. if you have used complimentary colours you will see all your good work here and some other areas will have had their last couple of layers taken off.
When i was a novice, i would typically start to panic about now and think that i have ruined the whole piece (there is still a bit of panic now, but i have learnt to trust myself and the process and know it will all come together). Its usually at this point i leave the paper to totally dry.

Some people will work after just applying the solvent and pencil will kind of melt as they work but i am not a fan of doing it that way as i feel i cant get the detail i am after ..i like to start again once everything is try with a sharp pencil.

It's in the details
At this point i will really work in with the details, as i mentioned the solvent makes everything kinda messy and loose, its now that i start really defining (and checking with the reference) where exactly the contours, shadows values and everything is going and i basically will continue on with this process until i am done. It is here i will introduce other colours and build up the layers occasionally doing slightly more blending or rubbing where i feel it needs it.


Clothing
For some reason i approach clothing and fabric differently. I guess its because this is often an area where i am less precise and it kinda evolves as i go along. I don't do much tracing when i do clothing other than the major basic folds and shadow areas, so I draw the contours and shapes as i lay down the layers of colour. Again here is really important to think about what what the fabric actually folds and how it would be if you ran your had over it sometimes i think the fabric goes one way but when i stop and think about it, its actually another.

For these areas i will often lay down white pencil on the highlight areas and blend that into the dark or base colour areas, then i will lay a base colour over the top of the white pencil and repeat this process a few times. Once i have done that a few times it will appear that they all are the same colour, but then when you use the solvent you can see that the white will blend with the base colour and the highlight will shine through. Then once the paper is dry again i will continue blending the base colours with the shadow and the highlight areas until i am satisfied.
An area i applied this process was in the brown section of my top as well as on the boys clothing.

So there you have it that's a bit about my process. I hope you enjoyed it its actually been really good to note what i have done so i can keep in mind how to go for next time :) If you scroll down on this blog you will be able to see the various stages that the piece went through.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Gathering Strength Finished

"Gathering Strength" - Coloured Pencil on Stonehenge Paper, 55cm X 41cm by Belinda Lindhardt

Finally I am all done on this one. Its been marathon effort for more reasons than one, my largest CP piece ever and i think once i get it framed it will be stand up quite strongly in a room of other pieces (fingers crossed).

I promised i would talk bit about my technique on this one so here goes, as this piece was particularly large for me, the majority of my piece has been produced almost upright on an easel and standing up. This technique allowed me to not only alter the way i was holding the pencil regularly but gave me a bit of distance during its production to see where i was going.

I am going to break this post into two and add the second half of it tomorrow, so just for now i will cover about how i created the background.

Background
If you look at the photo below you will see that the background is actually compiled with lots of and lots of scribbles. There is also lots and lots of colours that perhaps typically you wouldn't expect to see. From a distance it pretty much looks brown but it is very rich brown, close up there are lots of oranges and blues dark purples in there which gets to the effect i was after.

I started the background initally by covering the paper with a few layers of NeocoloursII, i tried to use complementary colours where i knew there would be shadows. Then i did a very dry wash to blend the colours and cover all of the white paper (i don't like ANY to show through). Following that i started with the pencil and did a few layers with lots of scribbles as well as cross hatching for areas i wanted lots of colour into.
Next came the solvent to blend these layers together using a makeup pad in a circular motion, it takes a bit of the pencil away but makes everything smooth and allows you to add more layers after.
I then continued the process again and again with less solvent and just gentle rubbing to with the makeup pad to take off the wax bloom and blend things together, I also occasionally used a short bristled brush. Eventually as i worked on the other areas of the piece i eneded up adding a couple of coats of workable fixative over everything and then after that more and more scribbbles varying the size of the circles as well as and the closeness of the scribbles and the colours.

For those who want names, i used lots of Prismacolor Dark Umber, BlackGrape and Chocolate Browns to get the colours that i wanted.

More on my technique of how i developed the skin and the overall peice tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Gathering Strength WIP Update 17-9-08

We are getting there ! arent we ? sigh ... almost there .. still have a bit to do on the shoes and sleeve and background. I had a drama with my oldest son's face where i started to darken the shadow and ekkkkk the paper started to come away ... after lots of rubbing very light layers i have fixed it a bit but hoping after a few coats of fixative and some more very light layers (holding the pencil on its side) we will fix this up ... :)

Gathering Strength WIP by Belinda Lindhardt

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Gathering Strength WIP Update 10-9-08

"Gathering Strength" WIP- By Belinda Lindhardt CP on stonehenge

Message

Firstly, I would like to apologize to all my blog readers about the lack of posts of late. There is a number of reasons which i haven't been around, just a couple of them are: 1. having just moved, i haven't had much arttime so I have had nothing to post 2. i have been busy working, organizing, sorting all manner of things as well as computers so i had issues with getting those working and THEN 3. i formatted the computers so all my internet bandwidth was used up early by downloading drivers and wotnot so i wasn't able to visit websites or even post updates even if i had them.

I think i also have been allowing myself to have a bit of a break and do exactly what the above piece is about which is "Gathering Strength". I think now i look back on it, what i have been doing is to preparing myself for the next phase in life and art and working out what direction i want to go and which steps i want to take to get there, ALSO doing art seems to emotionally take alot out of me and at the end of the day after dealing with clients, the household and the kids etc it has been a bit of a struggle to get around to it all.
So, i am glad i gave myself permission just to sit on things for a bit and get to it when i can (sometimes as mothers we need to give ourselves permission for these things !!)

Good news is that i seem to have had my time turned a new corner and now i am ready to go go go and get it all done! I only wish i had a bit more energy and hours in the day but what i have learnt of late that i need to do what i can and worry about the rest tomorrow! Go with it !

For fellow CP's i have been taking notes and writing and description on my process with this one so stay tuned as i come to the end of it all and i will post about my CP techniques soon.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Client Communication


"The Journey" - Belinda Lindhardt

I have just read a really good post about how you communicate through your art with your clients and just what it all means. Some of the points have come into realization for me recently particularly about the business side of art and forcing yourself to ask questions about why you do certain things.

If your in the artbusiness :) take a look http://angelafehr.blogspot.com/2008/08/client-communication-untying-your.html

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Gathering Strength WIP Update


Here is an update, i really feel like starting a painting but i am going to resist that urge and try to get this one a bit more finished before i move on. This isnt a very good photo of it but you get the idea of where its heading. The tooth of the paper isnt very good in places where i have had to try to erase bits of paper so i am struggling a bit in areas ... but getting there :)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Gathering Strength - WIP Take 2

"Gathering Strength" WIP, Coloured Pencil on Stonehenge byBelinda Lindhardt

This one is coming along SLOWLY, i have been busy moving, unpacking, organising, fixing computers, fixing electrical fuses, (add a list of numerous things connected with kids and sick kids here) during this time i have been stealing away a few moments here and there to work on this one. It's situated in my dining room area so it means i am constantly looking at it and working out what needs to be done for my next time of stealing away a few moments. Normally i wouldnt work this way at all but i am actually finding it working out really well. I am itching to do some painting and as i was sorting the other day i smelt my oil paints and longed to get them out .... but given the amount of stuff i have on at the moment i have just had to put it all aside and concentrate on this.

As i mentioned in a previous post my 2yo had a fun time with a orange pencil which i dont think you can see much of in this photo but is all over his face and my face which i am yet to do. My preliminary tests look like i can cover it up and I think i will be able to save it so i will continue on.

Anywhos apologies for the lack of posts, just need to get some catching up done and i will be back on track. i hope (fingers crossed)

Thursday, July 31, 2008

All moved in :)

Hello,

Just wanted to let you know, i am all moved in and busy getting organised. I have 3 art/working area setup and office all to myself its fantastic!
I promise to post pics if your interested ??
As you can imagine i am busy busy busy, hope to post more soon.
Belinda

Friday, July 18, 2008

Moving House

Hi Everyone,

Here is just a quick note to let you all know i haven't forgotten about you. I am actually moving house !! Woot! ...
It's a really exciting time for me, the start of a new chapter in my life, i am looking forward to all that it brings. However as exciting as it is, it still comes with all of the usual hassles of moving including getting internet and phone connections which i unfortunately will be without for over a week.

So please bare with me during the move, i am going to be using the time to get back to basics, plan my future, declutter and organise so i am ready to go when i get back online.

Also i wanted to bring the unfortunate news that my 2 yo drew in orange pencil ALL over my Gathering Strength peice when i left it unattended. As you can imagine i definately had to gather some strength and restraint when it happened. I actually cried. The poor little guy cried too, i am hoping i can save it ! Take care everyone i will be back soon.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Business Mums Network Conference - Change of Life

This past weekend I attended the Business Mums Network Conference.

BMN is a organization that I belong to for business mums here in Australia.

As you may or maynot know (seeing this blog is an artjournal), not only am I an artist but I am also a graphic and website designer.

I provide both services (my artworks and design services) as part of my business and if you have read anything about being a professional artist you will know that one of the first things they tell you is to start treating your art as a business.


I wanted to make this post about what I learnt about this conference in the hope it might help someone in some small way. And also bit more selfishly to remind myself all that I have learnt from such a fabulous group of people lessons that I don’t want to forget.


What did I receive and learn about from the business mums conference?

- Connecting with people and making Friendships is so important and even just the act of going has given me the confidence to do this more and make more of these important friendships in the future.

- Encouragement – inspired me to push forward, not to give up even when everything feels like it’s failing apart.

- Understanding – from other members knowing that I can’t do it all and to ask others for help as everyone is pretty much in the same boat.

- Permission to allow myself follow my own values, beliefs and thoughts and ignore all the other guff that keeps being put my way.

- Actually changed the way I “speak” and communicate with others, all of the networking really changed my way of thinking and speaking about myself and my business and put importance and value to it. Something which I haven’t always allowed myself to have.


In particular the words of keynote speaker, Kathie Thomas touched me significantly. Much of what Kathie spoke about gave a voice to my own thoughts and beliefs, things I had heard before but I didn’t allow myself to listen to. As I was listening to her seminars I was thinking “hey this is what I have been feeling / thinking all along”. Here is the remarkable woman who essentially has been had much the same issues and thoughts as myself and yet look at where she is all because she believed in herself and pushed forward. My next thought was: I can do this all I need to do is listen to myself!


FAMILY: I have always believed that family life is extremely important as has my own family. My mother was always home for us kids when we came home from school and especially as when we were older even though we probably didn’t always appreciate it then, it was always nice to know deep down that mum was there. It wasn’t until discussing all my various issues recently with my own father that he mentioned how he always felt it was important that my mother was there for me and my brother and it was an intentional choice for her to be there even as we were getting older. It is something that I have always wanted for my children, and when others have discounted this important issue I have tended to agree with them but in hearing Kathie speak about how she has done it and how important it has been to her and her daughters especially as they were teenagers and growing up, I can see that it can be done and I am going to try my hardest to do it! A big part of the weekend has been for me to challenge where I am heading and where I want to go and this is definitely one of the most important decisions I am sticking to.


DIRECTION: The truth is I enjoy what I do, I like designing and coding and I really do enjoying being in business for myself but what I also did realize is that I do also enjoy mixing with people and in essence supplying them with something they can be happy with. From an art perspective I love hearing that someone has enjoyed sending one of my greeting cards, or what an artwork they have bought reminds them of every time they look at it. This is such an important thing to me and is one of the parts in life that give me the most satisfaction. I need to remember that this is essentially what I am trying to achieve with everything I do rather than just getting through the day. There is something much more important here I am trying to achieve this gives focus and direction to my actions and allows me to have something to align myself to (if that makes sense).


Kathie’s personal stories in particular really touched me, to the point in her seminar on Are you working for your family or because of your family? I had to fight back tears when she read her poem as her words spoke so clearly from my own experiences. I came out of that seminar emotionally drained but also uplifted finally understanding and giving direction of just where I want to go from here and why I am doing it. I might not have all the answers right now, but i know i can search for them and they will come.


Helping others and enjoying the importance of giving is something I have always done. During my personal life and the 12 years I have been in business, circumstances and people have often taken advantage my giving nature. In turn recently it has meant that I have pulled back from that slightly as a defense strategy and tried to inwardly cope I guess sometimes provide the bare minimum. I think following the conference I have realized that giving is as much for me as it is for them. I enjoy it, its part of why I write this blog, do my art, and share my experiences and knowledge with others. Connecting with people is something I realize is I must do in order to survive and move forward not just with my business but with my art, my children and is a good place to be.


All in all I learnt so much from the conference, I am still absorbing it all and I think I will continue to do so for weeks and perhaps months to come.

When I came home my children looked just that little bit cuter, that little bit bigger and that little more innocent. I spent the day giving them extra special love and attention and vowed to continue to do this as much as possible in the future and not let all the other stuff get in the way of that. They are my strength, and are so precious, they really are a gift I must protect and nurture and help grow and I am so lucky to have been given them. Now it is up to me to do all that to make my life and theirs as happy and fulfilling as possible.


Business Mums Network website is: http://www.businessmums.com.au/

Kathie Thomas 's website is: http://www.kathiethomas.com/

Kathie's new book "Worth More Than Rubies: The Value of a Work at Home Mum " has recently been published one i will be devouring over the next few weeks.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Gathering Strength - WIP



"Gathering Strength" - WIP by Belinda Lindhardt, CP on Paper.
55cm X 41cm


I am not going to make shy of the fact that i have had a bad time lately. I don't choose to see it as a sign of weakness but a sign of strength, that you can come through something difficult with your head held high. The truth is, although this is good in theory its not always easy to find that inner strength. This piece is about how I have been gathering my strength, its through the wonderful support of friends and family but especially through the love of my two boys.

So, for all the mums out there i am sure at one point in your lives you have had to pull yourself together and find strength from somewhere. This piece is about being a mum and the strength that loving your children and them loving you without them knowing it can give you. There is also a few other things going on in this one that hopefully will come to light when its done.

It's going to take me a while tho so stay tuned.

For the technical people, its a big one, my largest CP ever, hopefully it will stand out in a crowd of acrylics and oils!! i used Neocolours on the background initially in order to speed up the background process. i am using coloured pencil, blending reguarly with a cotton tip and solvents. (i just cant have that paper showing through its an obsession). I am finding that i am laying a few colours down at a time then blending, doing this a few times before i get to adding the final details.

Friday, July 04, 2008

Update to my website - with Feedblitz

My appologies for the lack of posts this week, its been a busy one. Number 1 issue is I am looking for a new place to live which as i am sure you aware, is a major hassle even at the best of times and often takes more time than you anticipate. So here is hoping i can get all of that sorted out ASAP.

You may remember a little while i ago i mentioned my website was hacked and i was busy fixing it up. I am still doing that and during my procrastination of doing this i decided that i also need to update my front page. It's something i have been thinking about for a long time and wanted to incoporate more of a blog / update type feel to my website in order to promote traffic accross both sites but i still wanted it to retain the status of not being a blog and website in its own right.

I previously, had an "artnews" section which was manually via a html page edit, as well as a welcome image which was randomly generated from a selection of my recent work. Problem was it was becoming to time consuming to update the news and i found i didnt do it. Also i have lots of good info on my blog that some people might miss if they come directly to my site so i wanted to show that also.

So i decided why not incorporate all this info and have it publish on my website automatically. At belindalindhardt.com you can see i now have i have my recent work in the middle, updates from my blog on the left (i wanted to include small thumbnails but that wasnt an option) and any important news that needs to stay current for a while such as my recent profile in artist palette magazine on the right.

For my artnews what i did was create anotehr blog which is just for art news... while i wouldnt expect anyone to go to this blog on its own this blog is purely there to push information to my website. I burned the feed and used BuzzBoost to get the html and put it on my page. Formatted it and its as simple as that :)

Now i have that all sorted all i have to do is update my gallery descriptions which is what i should have been doing in the first place and my website will be current !! :)

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Virtual Sketch Date - June 2008

Virtual Sketch Date - June 2008 by Belinda Lindhardt, Digital

As per last month, this month i am participating in a Virtual Sketch Date. A group of us have joined up, someone supplies the reference and we all see what we come up with in a week. It's a fabulous idea and i was hoping to spend more time on my piece but i have to admit i completely forgot about it until 2 days ago. However, I still wanted to see what i can come up with in the time i had.

Here is my attempt from last month. Again i chose to go digital on this one, it gives me a good excuse to try out my lovely new toy and i can work pretty carefree without worrying about materials paper etc and it allows me to work quicker in terms of backgrounds. In doing this one I found i came across similar issues as I would normally, i sketched the drawing by eye so obviously i continually had to correct my drawing (but thats the great thing about the digital side of thing), i had a few issues with brushes and trying to use the correct one for what i wanted but again .. its all part of learning and again for me, its all about the process rather than the finished piece.

So here it is, Rose has started a Virtual Sketch Date Blog which she will post links to all of the participants on the blog tomorrow :)

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A Knobbly Few, Coloured Pencils

"A Knobbly Few" - By Belinda Lindhardt Coloured Pencil on Stonehenge

Ok i think we are just about done on this one. I need to jump onto something else :) I havent done much yellow items before this one. I really enjoyed the colour on this one.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Michael Reid at Murrurundi



Apologies for not posting on the blog lately, i had a bit of a break over the past few days and over the weekend i went on a bit of a holiday to my favourite country town Scone, NSW. The family have a B&B there and i have really grown to love the town and the countryside and the drive through the Hunter Valley (Wine Country of NSW, for those of you who are from overseas ). This visit was the first time going up there on my own with the boys and we had a great and relaxing time and we always get so spoilt when we come which is lovely.

While i was there i went to Michael Reid at Murrurundi exhibition. I had visited the gallery on a previous occasion but didnt get to go inside so i was glad to make it there this time :)
I really loved the gallery space it was just beautiful and the work was inspiring. This is really my type of artwork, I love the textures and the choice of palette, it was even better in real life than it shows on the websites. The colour combinations which really pop. I love how the background colours are muted or subdued and then there is that brillant explosion of colour with fruit which draws the eye in. A trully inspiring vist one i would reccommend. I will definately be adding the links to my list of favourite artists :)