Highlights of 2014!

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.

~Rainer Maria Rilke~

30 Drawings (7 more than last year!)

7 Commissions: 

17 Drawings:

5 Animal contest drawings:

1 Donated piece to California Wildlife Center:

5 Gallery Shows (2 more than last year!):

1 ACAG Art Show:

Was juried into the Pasadena Society of Artists and became the secretary for Angeles Crest Art Guild:

3 sets of foster kitties:

Top:Dakota, Austin & Alaska, Bottom left: Daryl & Beth, Bottom right: Daisy (she lost all her babies to upper respiratory disease)

3 Trips:

Top:My nephews graduation from UT Austin with the whole family, Bottom left: San Luis Obispo, CA with girlfriends, D'Ann and Julie, Bottom left: Wisconsin with my niece Cassi, sisters Carolyn and Sue

Daughter Emily's High School Graduation: 

24 Books:

Wishing you a Happy New Year full of surprises, magic and happiness!!

♥Kathryn

Blessed....

is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.

~Sidney Jeanne Seward~

The Golden Years (c) Kathryn Hansen 2014   5.25x10.75

My old dog Josie

My old dog Tucker and daughter Emily in 2000. Tucker lived to be 15.5 years young!

In all things of nature...

...there is something of the marvelous.

~Aristotle~

San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Lompoc, Los Osos

All Done~ recently completed drawings up for sale!!

I recently realized that I show you so many beginnings to my work but never show you the completed pieces here on my blog, only on Facebook do I ever seem to post the final piece! What the heck!!!

So here are some completed works of late. If you are interested in any of these pieces you can find the prints for sale on Fine Art America or for the original piece contact me directly!

Rest Stop   9x6.5  sold

Piercing Glare   8.5x6.5    $459.00

Hushed Majesty  10x6.5   $375.00

Eye Spy   5x7   $75.00

One Step Ahead   6.25x10.5   $539.00

**to see oodles of more drawings go to Fine Art America**

Wisconsin autumn

There is a part of me that still lives in Wisconsin, forever schuffling through fallen autumn leaves!

Putting values into practice

Values are critical in creating dynamic graphite drawings, as they help produce the illusion of the 3rd dimension on a 2-dimensional surface. It's one of the most important skills to learn as a realistic pencil artist to bring your drawings to life!

What are values? They are the degrees of lightness and darkness in your drawing.

When you see an egret in nature you know they are white, but they also contain a number of subtle value changes created by the sun and shadows. It's also necessary to understand the light source, taking into consideration what direction the light falls upon the egret because values change according to it's orientation to the light.

Drawing is all about being a sensitive observer. At times values can be very misleading. they can create an optical illusion to an untrained eye. But when you have mastered the value scale and incorporated it into your drawing, your work will be a ginormous success!

confessions of a perfectionist

Before the disaster with the background

Going into my fox drawing, I knew in the back of my head there existed the possibility that I could wreck it...but I really didn't think that would happen, until it did!! :( 

I was SO unhappy (and super grumpy...of course the hundred + weather did not help either) that I put it away in the afternoon and did not draw again that day. I wanted to look at it with fresh eyes this morning...yup I wrecked it alright! 

I've been pretty upset about it until I had a talk with myself and am trying to set myself straight...it's just a drawing, it doesn't have to be perfect, I don't have to be perfect, I don't have to be in a hurry with it (!!!), this is a wonderful opportunity to push my skills, as I feel I am not that good with backgrounds.

My need for perfection is very stifling, boring, kills my creativity, brings down my resonance and throws me out of balance.

"It is also one of the most profound nemeses in the search for the Soul and the Soul's Path."

~Lazaris~

For an artist and person like me it also causes lots of needless suffering. My mind/negative ego just races with very unproductive and down right mean things. I know exactly where this stems from, I've been working on this issue for many, many years as it got so bad for awhile I did not not create any art for almost 7 years!!

I have come a long way with it through the years, I know I am loved and accepted by God even if I create bad art!! In fact they are probably happy this all happened to heal a bit more with it, because it's only a small stupid drawing of a fox...yet...it represents more than that to me. I can take this as an opportunity to heal and grow or continue on this hamster wheel of perfection. 

~My Choice~

**I'm not there enough to show you the disastrous background yet!! Hopefully next week, either way!!**

Ladies and gentlemen, the main event today, world championship colored pencil match.

In the Ultramarine corner, all the way from Yonkers, New York...weighing in at .17 ounces is Prismacolor pencils. 

In the crimson corner, all the way from Cleveland, Ohio...weighing in at .22 ounces is Polychromo pencils.

Lets have a good clean fight!

Prismacolor pencils (P1)

Polychromo pencils (P2) (drawing in progress)

With only about 3 hours into my fox drawing with Poychromos pencils I can already tell the huge difference between the two pencils.

These are my observations~

1) I am able to get the fine details that I normally get with my Tombow graphite pencils using P 2. plus I can use my Tombow pencils right along side the colored pencils...all the whiskers are with graphite.

2) My biggest pet peeve was all the tiny wax pieces everywhere with P1, no matter how careful I was! I was scraping off pieces with a razor blade on my swan...you can see slight residue on the actual piece.

3) I would have a beautiful sharpened point on P1 but as soon as I started drawing, it would break...my second biggest pet peeve with P1!! I know I am heavy handed with my pencils but come on! I did not have that issue with P2.

4) My local art store carries both pencils and I noticed that P2 had a lot less colors...altho the whole point of cp is to layer to get a beautiful vibrancy, so I'm not seeing this as an issue...but I am still a newbie at this!

5) Price- A LOT more for P2 than P1, BUT, because of the breaking points, I had to sharpen way more and so I went through 2 black and 2 white pencils on my tiger...I probably would not have with P2

6) I was able to erase the Polychromo pencils!! Because P1 is wax based erasing is impossible.

7) I have about the same amount of layers on both drawings, altho I pretty sure I can go with more on my fox (P2)

8) P2 pencils are wider so they barely fit in my pencil sharpener...I have to tug them out.

9) I had heard that the white P2 pencil did not work well, so instead I just bought a Caran d'Aches Blanc pencil to use and it worked perfectly along side P2

So, despite a few glitches such as price and width, the clear champion for me is the Polychromo pencils!

Cute Dog Photo Contest!!!

Typically I run this contest on my Facebook business page, but thought I would open this up to my lovely blog followers as well!!

I am looking for your cutest dog photos!

Send me your best dog/puppy photos (up to two) for a chance to win a matted print of your beloved friend!

I will pick and announce the

winning photo(s) on Monday September 29th. The competition closes on Sunday 9-28-14 at 8am. I will then create a 5x7 drawing of him or her and send you a matted print of the drawing! 

All entered photos need to be original, good quality, high resolution jpeg photos. You can email up to 2 photos to kh@kathrynhansen.com

Good luck!!

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