2015 17th Annual Juried Kenmore Art Show

I'm happy to announce that my two works, First Encounter and Special Delivery were accepted into the 17th Annual Juried Kenmore Art Show, sponsored by and held on the lovely campus of Bastyr University, located on the north shore of Lake Washington and surrounded by the 316-acre St. Edward State Park.  The show theme is, "Inspired by Nature."   Entries exemplifying the show theme will be considered for the special Theme Award!

The show opens to the public on
Wednesday,  June 24th, through June 28th, 2015

 Bastyr University 

145000 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore WA.  (map) 

Preview, Awards Ceremony & Reception

Wednesday, June 24th 5:30 - 6:30pm

Reception &  Awards 6:30 - 8:00pm

Show hours

Thursday - Saturday, June 25th - June 27th  10am to 8pm

Sunday, June 28th 10am to 7pm

 All art on exhibit is available for purchase. The show will also feature nightly entertainment and guest speaker programs that will be held in the Bastyr University Auditorium. For more information of all the fun things to do, please click on this link.  Hope to see you there!

 First Encounter  © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 8 1/2" x 8"

Special Delivery  © Barbara A. Freeman

 Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 9 3/4" x 7 5/8"

There is a WIP (work in progress) of the above drawing, Special Delivery , on my blog if you wish to read more about the process of this piece.  Both pieces were inspired by the lovely landscapes we have here in the Pacific Northwest.  I particularly love the trees and rocks that I see everywhere!  There are so many magical places to encounter, how can you not be inspired!

Special Delivery  © Barbara A. Freeman

 Graphite and Mixed Media on Film 9 3/4" x 7 5/8"

I am hoping now to be back in the studio on a regular basis, creating new work.  After nearly two and a half weeks of a fun filled road trip adventure, we are home with our daughter who will become a new WA resident!  It makes us happy to have her near and to enjoy her company.  As always, thank you for taking the time to read about my work.  Hope you have a great adventure filled summer!

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP Completed!

As you will see, this has gone through some changes since my last post. I decided the inside of the tree wasn't happening for me. I didn't like the rocks, they were too distracting, taking away rather than adding interest.

You can see in the photo above, my solution was to darken the interior and rocks, to lessen their importance. Yet, I still didn't think this was how I wanted it to look. I stopped for the night to let it rest and see it with fresh eyes the next day.

Next day, I still didn't like it, so I took a chance and changed it. Getting rid of the rocks and opening up the passage allowed the light to come through. Now there was a place for the rabbits as well as the viewer to escape to.

I continued to clean up some areas and add more darks. The black rabbit needed to have the dark fur smoothed. I then flipped the page over and worked on the underside. Adding some graphite to the underside of the black rabbit made the blacks richer and the strokes more even.

This is when I also started to add a bit of color to the rabbits ears and the inside of the tree.
The above is a closer view of the two rabbits and the inside of the tree. In the finished work below, I lifted up some of the graphite on the inside of the tree and added a bit of warm sienna colored pencil to the light, extending it out to the rabbits fur. I did some further defining of the body of the two rabbits and added a touch of acrylic color for the two eyes. The tree seemed too bent, so I widened it with some more bark on the right side, and also darkened the left side. The finished work is below.

It's Not All Black and White, © Barbara A. Freeman
Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 7" x 7"

Below is the finished work in the frame I'll be using. I wasn't sure how this piece was going to turn out. I did not intend to have two rabbits, and didn't know what I was going to do with them. I knew I didn't want to put a door in the tree, but the tree was going to play a role in the scene. I knew that having rabbits as a subject could end up being too cute. Cute was not what I wanted either. I think the two rabbits mirroring each other has helped to make it more mysterious rather than cutesy. Or at least I hope so! However, how can rabbit NOT end up being cute! I'm happy with the results. Thank you for following along with me on this.

It's Not All Black and White, © Barbara A. Freeman

Graphite and Mixed Media on Film, 7" x 7"

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP Update # 2

Finally, I've gotten a batch of my work shipped and two batches delivered! One more delivery to go! I'll say more about that after I've completed this piece.

I decided not to enter this work into the show with the deadline of April 16th, and instead, I'll enter it into the one with the April 23rd deadline. It was almost finished enough, but enough wasn't where I wanted it to be. There was more that needed to be done to take it up a notch. Here is more of the progression.

Above, I've started bringing the drawing down into the grasses on the left side and adding the knot hole on the front tree.

I had gotten a lot of work done in the above photo, adding more to the front tree and drawing in one of my subjects.

I'm not sure why I decided to do what I did here, but after spending some time looking at it, I decided the piece needed something more. I love the spots on the rabbit and the way his eye is surrounded with the dark fur. It came to me that the reverse would be interesting, so I gave him a twin, or mirror image.

You can see a close up of the two above. Trying to reverse this rabbit was a challenge, especially doing the eye.

Above is a view under the magnifier to work on the rabbit's eye. I am using my 0.3 with a darker, softer, lead.

This photo is current with where I am now in real time. You can see why I wasn't satisfied with calling this finished, but it is so close. I'm going to add color on the reverse side in places and I'm not sure if I like the rocks inside the tree. I've added the grasses and leaves in the foreground. I still think the opening inside the tree needs work.

I hope the next time I post, this will be a completed work with a title, (the hardest part)! Thanks for taking the time to read this and see my work in process.

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP Update

While I'm in the process of framing, almost finished thank goodness, I thought I'd show the progress of my current work.

This first photo as in the last post photo shows my tools and photo reference with the addition of the putty. I use it to lift up the graphite when an area is too dark, or to create texture. The putty is the dirty looking bit on the edge of my drawing easel. It's very useful for cleaning up areas. I also use it to hold my work in place on my drawing surface. I sometimes use a tiny piece on the tip of a *blending pencil. It's something I came up with when working with miniatures and needing to get in tiny places to clean up the graphite. It a very useful thing to keep around in your studio. The downside is it can make oil marks where it sticks, so don't let it sit on your art work, AND, don't get it in the carpet, voice of experience!!

* The Prismacolor Colorless Blender pencil has no color, but has a firm tip which is used to push the colors together or soften edges in colored pencil work.

I've made a lot of progress here. You can see where I've added the tree in the background, right side, as well as worked on the tree on the left. I've also added some twisted branches extending from the knot on the foreground tree.

On the above photo, I've worked on the larger tree, drawing it further down the left side. I also worked more on the upper right background adding some foliage, showing some dark shadows and defining some grasses.

Because I've been framing and getting all my new miniatures ready for the shows and my website, I've not had time to work on this. I'm hoping to do so this evening. I'm a bit further along in the drawing than this post, but almost caught up in real time. I hope to share more progress photos soon. Friday is my deadline for this to be finished. If I don't make it, I have another show I can submit it to on the following week and I know I can make that! Either one will be fine.

My newly titled and scanned works are up on my website in the Miniature Gallery, as well as the one metalpoint in the Drawing Gallery. You may notice I've added a few changes from when I posted them here. I'll be showing them framed later when I submit them. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Your comments are always appreciated.

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP

While I've been madly getting my work ready for the four show deadlines this month, I thought I would share a new work that I'm also desperately trying to finish!! I am currently working on a new small work, done with graphite on Dura-lar Matte film. You may recognize the characters I'm using as they have appeared in my work before. This will be a 7 x 7 inch, square format, with the same set of trees with a rabbit, so far, as the star instead of a crow this time. The rabbit is the same one that I've used in two of my new silverpoint miniatures, shown here in earlier posts. In this work, his pose is slightly different, with his head turning a bit more in the viewer's direction. I'm not sure where I'm going with this yet. I'll just have to let it unfold.

When I am working with subjects that I like, I tend to want to continue to work with them, to further their poses and settings. They are never exactly the same and instead evolve in their shape and story. I hope you like this one and follow along. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't run into any problems and can manage to finish it in time for my deadline!



Here you can see more of the tree's texture added as I moved down the surface. I've been very careful not to get the marks too dark to begin with.

This shows the photo I'm using for reference. I've included the eraser, brush, to whisk away bits of graphite dust or lint, and I use the piece of soft cotton fabric to rest my hand on to protect the surface from oils and scratches. My pencil is 0.3 HB. I'll switch to harder and softer leads as the work progresses. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Continued - Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP

Grafix Dura-Lar Matte film is the surface that I love to use with graphite and colored pencil. If you are interested in trying it, you can find it online, at your local art supply or drafting supply store. The add states, "it is the acetate alternative. It combines the best features of Mylar® and acetate". You can see a tablet here at Dick Blick. It's smooth surface is great for getting the details I need in my miniature work. It's easy to erase, although, you do have to be careful when erasing. If you over work a spot, it may become too smooth and no longer accept the graphite or colored pencil. You can also work on both sides of the surface or use different colored papers as backing for different effects. One thing I have found is you have to be careful not to scratch the surface. I have had my fingernails leave small scratches all over the surface but I couldn't see them until I penciled over the area and the white lines and squiggles showed up. You could use that at as advantage by scoring the area for effect. There are so many possibilities and if you love to draw, it's worth trying.

Because of it's translucence it's easy to transfer your drawing. Under the film, you can see the photograph that I am using for a reference for the light source and one of my miniature works which I enlarged to use as a guide for a new image. (I've not posted that miniature work yet). I have done two different drawings of trees with a crow and wanted to explore that subject again. Sometimes I will use a subject or the same work as I have done here, as a starting point to take an idea further. I may do it in a different medium, or perhaps a different size. I don't think I could redo a work exactly the same way! This time the image I had in mind was for a local competition with a theme of "The Spirit of Giving".

Above are two reference photos of the tree and door that I am using.

The work is fairly advanced here, but you can see how I've used a variety of lines and then building up light strokes to create a good range of values. I use different pencils, mechanical 0.5mm and 0.3mm, as well as regular drawing pencils in different ranges of hard and soft, depending on what I'm trying to do.


A close -up of the doors showing where I've lifted up some of the graphite. To do this, I use a sticky putty which used to be called Hold It, but now I think it's under other names. I think it's called Blue Tack in the UK. It a very useful product around the house.

Some work done on the background.

Work on the area under the door.

A close-up of the area under the door.

Grasses in the front.

Darkening of the tree.

The crow has been added and the front tree finished. Here is where I decided that something just didn't look right to me. It was time to take a good look to see what was wrong. I took it downstairs to look at it in a different light and decided it was too dark. I got a second opinion and sure enough, the doors were difficult to distinguish from the surrounding area. It lost the impact that I was looking for! There were also a lot of the white scratches in places that bothered me as well, could it be my nails? So I decided that I wanted to start over! I figured it would be easier the next go since I already had things worked out. It was just the timing that was going to be difficult! I cut my nails, got a fresh sheet of film and got busy!


This is the reworked piece. Unfortunately, this is not a very good photo. It's been raining so there is less light in my studio. I'll be showing the scanned image later, but I think you get the idea. I used colored pencils on the other side of the film at the door and key. I liked the first crow I did better, this one looks too nice or not as mysterious. Maybe because he's happy this is finished? I think it turned out well and I hope the concept is clear. The title is The Offering, matted, it will be 7" x 7" small work. I had my webmaster scan and size it for the email submission last evening, Sunday the deadline, at 9:20pm. So I did make it, I got a conformation! YAY! The acceptance letters go out on the 20th of Nov, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed! I'll be posting links and show information after that date. Now, on to the next project! Ah, what's next? Could be the silverpoint I've been wanting to do, or I could start playing with some egg tempera? So many choices! Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this.

Graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film WIP

So sorry I've been absent here.  I am trying to make a deadline tomorrow.  I'm working on a graphite on Dura-lar Matte Film, small work for a local competition.  I started photographing it each morning before I worked on it so I could post some of the steps later.  When it was about three quarters finished, I took a serious look at it and realized it was too dark!  OH NO!!!  I tried to lift some of the dark, which usually works, but there were other problems as well.  Anyway, I ended up starting over!  I'll say and show more later.  As to now, I need to get busy!  I sure hope I can have it ready in time, but if not, there will be other places to show it.

Siverpoint WIP

I've finished, or so I think, my miniature silverpoint piece. It's approximately 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". Here are some of the things I'm concerned about. The paper is toned blue which ended up being a darker blue than I intended. Should I add some color or rather change the color in the sky area by using some grayed white watercolor? I also had a problem area where I attempted to erase and rework. That spot turned cloudy and didn't match the other darks around it. (So much to learn.) I cropped that with the mat and I think the composition works. The island on the right is straight in the actual work. The patina is already starting and I can see where I had worked on it several weeks ago and then stopped. You can see it when you click on it to enlarge on the left rocks and top of the trees. It's turning a warm sepia color and I know it's still changing. That's the beauty of silverpoint!



Here is the uncropped image. Notice the darker blue of the surface. This is why I'm wondering if I should do some grayed white for the sky only. Notice the glare on the left. It's really hard to photo silverpoint. On the bottom right of the work is where I overworked the dark. I used some china white watercolor on the bottom of the work to see what it would do. I'm still not sure I trust messing with it anymore. I'm not going to do anymore drawing on it. Any suggestions would be most welcome at this point. Should I leave the sky alone? I think it would be so risky right about now, but if it doesn't work as it is, then it does need to be changed.


Here it is temporarily popped in a mat and frame to show the difference in color. Does this distract from the work? Is it a problem?