Snow Leopard

“Snow Leopard”
Graphite on 14 x 17 Bristol Smooth

Happy Monday! This honey of a drawing is one of my UFOs that has finally become an FO 🙂
It has been great being able to carve out some time to finish some of these projects that have been on the board for a while. I was very excited to finish this one. It is pretty big and huge when you consider the fact that I used a .02 mechanical pencil on this drawing. But it was worth every little stroke capturing that lux fur. 
What is on your drawing board, if you care to share?

Take Care!

I’M BAAAAAAAACK!

“Biggie Paws and Rocko”
Graphite on 14 x 17 Bristol Smooth

  Well hello there! Its been a while. Man, this is awkward but I guess a return after a very long hiatus will always be that way but I am glad to be back.
Like many of us 2023 has been a year!
  The best description I have for my 2023 is trying to make lemonade out of tomatoes while pushing a cart with square wheels up a hill and I think it was like that for a lot people. I have decided 2024 is going to be a good year, Nope! A GREAT YEAR!

  My DH was kind enough to help me move my art studio. I can’t wait to post photos but I still have everything crammed in drawers and cabinets, but as soon as i am able to clean those out I will share! I am having a blast creating new art and I have plenty to share in the upcoming weeks, so that is very exciting!

And on with the drawing……..

  This drawing of my fur nephews was a little bitter sweet. Biggie Paws (on left) is no longer with us and we miss his little independent self! Rocko (I think he looks a lot like Alf) was mean little thing when he was a puppy, but he is a sweetie now, LOL

Take Care!


Home…

Home
Graphite on Bristol Smooth

I was commissioned to draw this home from one of the sweet REALTORS in the office. She wanted to give something very special to her very important client at the closing table. Her husband.

I won’t go into their story, but what I can tell you is that his Dad actually built this house for his Mom.

Man, this house is detailed! There are a lot of touches in this home that proved this was a true labor of love.and inside is just as lovely as the outside.

I actually had to break out an .02 mechanical pencil (the lead would snap off every other second) but it was worth it in the end.

I was truly honored that she asked me to do this and I hope it was a bright spot through a difficult time..

Chillaxing…

Chillaxing
Graphite on Bristol Smooth

This was fun! I don’t draw very many cats so I thought this would be a good practice. And it was. I love the prospective. White fur is still a challenge and it certainly doesn’t photograph well for the novice photographer, but I like it. Very relaxing to draw.

What you don’t see in this photo is the big big boo boo I made. When I started this piece I had the bright idea to put tape in the margins so I wouldn’t have to do a lot of erasing at the end. I could have used masking or painter’s tape and that would have been the smart thing to do….BUT NOOOOOOOOO….I thought it would be a good idea to use some cute washi that I had on hand. Big Mistake. I could remove all of the washi, in areas the paper is ripped, and I have an adhesive residue in other areas…..So take a lesson from me, Do not use washi on Bristol Smooth paper, lol

I hope this finds you chillaxing and enjoying these warmer days.

Sweet Sally Pants

Sally Pants (Commission)
Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Hello! I hope this finds you in good health and spirit. Things here are plugging right along and everyone is doing well. Not much to write about really, just working and hanging out at the house. I long for the days when things go back to normal (Well, as normal as our normal can be) as I am sure we all are.

On to the painting.
This little girl was quite a stretch for me, being that it quite a large portrait. I love how she turned out. Yes, her eyes are that big, lol and that little side eye she is giving just makes my heart melt. My clients loved the painting and it was honor to paint this memorial to their very loved and precious member of the family.

Thanks for the memories….

1 - Copy

Commission
Graphite on Bristol Smooth

    Hello! In my part of Virginia the weather is getting cooler and the holidays are approaching.  I have friends that have started decorating their homes for Christmas.  Usually, I am one of those type of people that thinks that you should enjoy one holiday at a time…but this year?  This year I get it.  These are crazy times in the U.S. and the world in general.  We need something that brings a little love and happiness, even if its only in our homes.
Kind of sad really but as unpleasant as it is, Unfortunately, that is where we are at this point and I’m going to do a lot of praying.

About the drawing
This was a commission that a Realtor asked me to draw this home as a closing gift for her Sellers.  Of course, I was happy to oblige:)  Both of them were very happy which is always a relief. This was pretty cool to draw and was a nice stretch to the skills.

Be Well and Happy!
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Ginger…

Lab

Ginger
Graphite on Bristol Smooth

About the drawing:
Isn’t she just the cutest!  This is the first commission of a puppy I have able able to draw in quite a while.  I have missed drawing pet portraits.  Drawing animals gives me all the feels and I was very excited to draw this one. She loved it! 

Things have been pretty busy around here.  We bought a new home, sold our primary home and been working from home.  Its been pretty chaotic!  So for some reason, I thought it would be the perfect time to change my domain name back to carolottaway.com. I had to change everything on social media too and it took forever! My account on Bloglovin’ is still listing my site as wordpress instead of .com and I can’t seem to change it.  Not that it is a big deal or anything but I pay to use the .com so I should be able to utilize it but this is an issue that I will save for another day.

Speaking of moving, I can’t wait to share my office studio with you!  Still have a lot to do before everything is set up and my husband is still in awe and amazement of how I fit everything in our little house, lol….(Where there is a will there is a way).  It feels weird being in a different home, but it has really worked out with all three of us working from home during the self isolation. We aren’t on top of each other and I am sure if we were in the other home it would be like War of the Roses at the Ottaway household.

I hope everyone is staying safe and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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Lighthouse…

Lighthouse

Light House
Graphite on Bristol Smooth

When a commissioned piece is delivered, it isn’t often I get to see the person actually receive the work I have done.  But with the modern marvel of Face time, I was able  to see her reaction has she opened the portfolio of the Lighthouse drawing inside.  I could actually see the excitement and happiness as her eyes took in every little detail.  As I watched her gaze at every little stroke of my pencil….My emotions were as blurry as this picture I have posted….I mean lets face it, if I were a photographer this would be a totally different blog… Anyway, I went from anticipation, to worry, then fear til finally elation.  I am so appreciative she trusted me to make this keepsake  and very happy she loved it.

I really missed all of this.  Art and Blogging.  I have no one to blame but myself and this is my first step….I’m so serious that I am up writing this at 2:50 in the morning. 🙂

 

Stay safe everyone!

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