An Award From a Fellow Blogger!

My good friend and wonderful artist Jan at Pets to Posies http://petstoposies.blogspot.com/ has given me this blog award. Thanks Jan, especially since I haven't been as active here the past couple of months. I appreciate it and love to get the blog awards and pass them on. If you haven't viewed Jan's blog please check it out.

I am supposed to tell seven things about myself and pass the award on to seven other bloggers so here goes.

First seven things about myself that I haven't told before:

1. I've gotten hooked on the cable show Clean House. I just love seeing houses that are more cluttered than mine. It makes me feel so much better!

2. I've told on here several times that I love the beach but I don't think I've told that I love to walk the beach and hunt for fossilized shark teeth. I try to beat the ones I have found before and am accumulating quite a collection!

3. I am terrified of mice and snakes. Apparently while we were at the beach for 8 days a mouse moved into our house. I spent most of Sunday night screaming and scaring it as bad as it scared me. I practically moved out of my house. Thankfully we caught it last night and none too soon. I think I was driving my husband crazy!

4. Spiders don't bother me at all.

5. I wish I had more time / motivation to do my artwork.

6. I really want to start painting again (I haven't painted in many years) but keep putting it off due to not wanting to deal with the mess. Drawing and colored pencils are so much cleaner.

7. I love to take Sunday afternoon naps.

Well, now that you know more about me than you probably ever wanted to know I will pass this on to other bloggers:

Jenna at Color Conscious http://color-conscious.blogspot.com/
Michelle at Following My Muse http://followingmymuse.blogspot.com/
Jill at Pencil Portraitworks http://pencilportraitworks.blogspot.com/
Robin at The Midlife Artist http://themidlifeartist.blogspot.com/
Teresa at Tresses Art Blog http://tressesartblog.blogspot.com/
Dave at Wildlife Art http://davelarsonstudios.blogspot.com/
Laure at Painted Thoughts Blog http://paintedthoughtsblog.blogspot.com/

These are wonderful blogs and artists that I enjoy very much. If you haven't seen their blogs please check them out!

Hopefully I will get back to my art soon!

Update

Well I am still working on the drawing of the Millboro Post Office/General Store. The foliage is really proving difficult. I have practiced and practiced on other pieces of paper/bristol board and just was not satisfied. I finally just went with the best I could do and will hope for the best. I will post an updated WIP soon.

My idea on the blog award did not pan out. No one commented and collected the award. Everyone is just too modest. So..... I will list some blogs to collect this award:
Stephen Baird at Nikon Sniper has the most wonderful photos:
http://nikonsniper.blogspot.com/
Doreen at Dors Art:
http://dorsart.blogspot.com/
Martina at Pencil Love:
http://dreamsun-fine-art.blogspot.com/
Jan at Pets to Posies:
http://petstoposies.blogspot.com/
Teresa at Tresses Art Blog:
http://tressesartblog.blogspot.com/
Karie at Pet Portraits and Wildlife:
http://artbykarie-ann.blogspot.com/
Michelle:
http://followingmymuse.blogspot.com/

Please collect your awards and play along!

Graphite Drawing Completed!

Finished the graphite portrait of my husband and son. I put a lot of hours into this but I really enjoyed working on it. Just needs a couple of touch-ups, spray fixative, matting and framing and it is ready to wrap for Christmas! Below is the completed result! I'm satisfied with my efforts on this portrait and I believe my husband will like it also! Hope so anyway!

A Good Time

by Lori Talbert

10/2008

Finally Drawing Again!

Well, I have finally started drawing something of note again. I have a photo of my husband and son that I love because I think you can really see the love between them. I planned to do a graphite drawing from it for my husband for Christmas last year but never got around to it. Portraits are not usually my best subject and I was a little afraid of tackling the project. I purchased a book by Lee Hammond "How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs" and studied it. I guess I have been drawing the portrait in my mind for a year and that helped. Anyway this is the reference picture:





I am still working on the drawing but this is what I have so far:




I am pretty pleased with the results. The scan didn't quite do it justice, a lot of the shading did not show up. I plan to mat and frame the portrait when finished and give it to my husband for a gift this Christmas. Will post the finished results!

Don't anyone tell him!