ArtistDrawingandInspiration 41INSIGHTworkshopandclasseswithcontemporary
artistsI admire,andlocalcollegesand
communitygroupsalloverAustralia,and
hasseenmechangefromCalligrapherto
WildlifeArtist.OnoccasionI tryto combine
bothdisciplines.
Myinspirationandpassionis nature
andallit hastoofferanartist’seye.My
travelshaveallowedmetoseeanimals
inthewildinmanydifferentplaces.My
othergreatinterest,gardening,hasgiven
meaninsightintohowplantsgrowand
whichinsects,birdsandanimalslive
onandaroundtheminallthedifferent
climaticextremesofthiscountry.
Presentlymyfavouritemediumis
pastel;I usebothsoftandhardpastels
andpastelpencils.Whichtypeofpastel
I usedependsonthesupportused.For
exampleI findColourfixpaperandrough
watercolourpaperholdthesoftpastels
beautifully.Theharderpastelsseemtobe
betteronVelourpaperorMiTeintespastel
paper.Hardpastelsandpastelpencilsare
verygoodfordrawingupandwhendetail
is required.Softpastelcanbeusedto
coverlargeareasandaddinghighlights.
Therearenohardedgesin natureso
thediscoveryofvelourpaperhasproved
to beverygoodforanimalsasthispaper
leavesalledgessoftandmuted.Thereare
manydifferentwaysofapplyingpastel,the
methodchosenwilldetermineif theworkis
considereda drawingora painting.
AtthemomentI amexperimentingwith
pastelsoncanvas.I usuallystartwithan
acrylicbackground,thenthesubjectis
drawnontopoftheacrylicandis primed
witha translucentpastelprimergesso.Soft
pastelis appliedoverthetopofthegesso
andwhenthesubjectis completedI sprayit
withpastelfixative.Lastlythewholecanvas
is sprayedwitha clearglossorsatinfinish.
I amabsorbedin,andfascinatedby,the
botanicalaspectsofplantsandanimals,
butconsidermystyletoberealistrather
thanbotanical.I greatlyadmiretwo
Brisbanebasedartists,botanicalartist
GillianRankinforthedowntoearth
waysheimpartsherknowledgetoher
studentsandthewonderfulbirdpaintings
ofPeterSlater.Whenit comestomylove
ofpastelstheImpressionistEdgarDegas’
useofpastelshasbeena greatinfluence,
givingmecouragetoignorethoseinthe
SleepyBeaks