Featuring the artwork, musings and sketches of Brisbane-based artist Kat Johnston, who is also known as Sanura Sakai or Sanu in Second Life.
A little further progressed, the painting has a warmth to it in this image than it hasn’t in reality: the light in the room has a yellowish tinge. Its not yet finished, I think, but I am steadfast in the belief that it is not going to be coloured now. It just isn’t destined for it.
Its slowwwly moving forward… needs more work. But that’s a task for tomorrow. My shoulder and neck are protesting from holding a paintbrush too much today!
About a week ago I blacked out a canvas I’d started a little something on, and did the start of this sketch – just the face portion. It was 3am, I could not sleep to save myself, so it was something to do in the early morn. Today I got back to it and was able to sketch out the rest of the hair and get it ready to paint.
And then I started painting it! Whee!
Yes, it is early stages, but so far so good. I’m actually really happy with the current progress. The original thought was to have it in colour, however… I think I’m liking it in the monotone. Either way, it still needs a lot of work – There is no decent tonality on the hair, it needs some edge definition, so on and so forth – lots yet to do.
That all said, though, I thought it was about time that I threw up a proper painting in progress. Its been a fair amount of time since I’ve done any significant amount of painting: more than a couple of years even. I’m only just really getting back into doing it, and I’m loving every second. When I have the chance, I’ll post pictures of a turlelephant I painted the other week for a couple of friends of ours – I’d only just popped on a coat of glaze and had to scoot out the door before I was able to take a shot, so I have to wait until Dimity takes some for me!
Anyhow, don’t judge too much yet… we’ll have to see how it turns out. She has yet to reveal to me her full story – I have a feeling that it will not be until the final brush-stroke carresses the canvas that I will fully work out who she is.
I don’t know quite what to say about her. I was sitting, watching some tv and browsing through some sites this morning, at an hour ere dawn… I am still recovering from my cold, and am having horrid bouts of coughing that cannot be quelled without waking – thus my sleep has been somewhat erratic. So I sat, listening to the show playing beside me, with a pen in my hand, sketching away… I knew I wanted to draw a face, and I knew the lips that I wanted… that was about it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t quite make it right on the lips – due to the unforgiving nature of a ballpoint pen, my initial mistaken angle could not be reversed on the lower lip… ah well. I think the eyes make up for it. It could use some more working, but I decided to halt at that point… my hubby wanted snuggles!
Now, on an entirely unrelated matter. I love browsing the web for art, to inspire me and make me go ‘uhh… wow! I wish I could do that’. I thought I’d share one of those links with you today. CG Society recently had their ‘Steampunk Myths and Legends‘ challenge and my lord… the entries are stunning. Forget about just going to the winner’s page… click that link above and check them all out. I wish I had half the talent some of those people possess.
Ok, first off, the sketch today. It is a little rushed, a little hurried: my husband’s birthday was yesterday, and today has been officially charged as one for recovery. That said, the party went off well, and everyone seemed to like the little pacman cupcakes I baked. They were fun!
It certainly doesn’t help that I’ve had a nasty case of the flu for the past few days, either. It has truly just knocked me down, to the point where I was laying on the cool tiled surface of the kitchen floor, moaning pathetically with my arm upraised as if in a last, desperate attempt to cling to life. It was not a pretty sight. Luckily it seems to have only been a short bout – it should clear up within the next few days.
I did not get the position I was interviewing for… I think I tanked on the interview! I had a horrid case of mind-blank, where all thoughts flee in the face of any sort of question. Damn the infernal terror that is the mind-blank. That said, I’m glad that I even got that far, and there is always next year. In the meantime, if anyone knows of an awesome arts-related position open somewhere, you know I’m the gal for it!
Now, onto the ‘blogging rocks’ part of my title for today’s post. You may recall that just a couple of days ago I made a few comments regarding Karl de Waal’s artwork, ‘Quilt for Melanie’, which is featured as part of the Temperature 2 exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane. I don’t know how he made his way to my site, but I actually got a response from him regarding his work! You cannot imagine the smile on my face when I clicked to open it.
I’m kinda a recluse: I find it a bit hard to get out and about and socialize in the arts scene, simply because it is all a little intimidating to me. Blogging, and getting involved online, I have to say, has been one of the better moves that I have made. To actually get a response from an artist after talking about them here… well… now that’s just something brilliant. The digital age… who’da thunk it?
Just a little notice on here as well as in Second Life: I’ve done up a limited edition set of monocles featuring some beautiful green gems for St Paddy’s. Sold in a limited set of 50, they will not be re-released once they are all sold, so I guess you’d better get in quick!
I must admit, I love making limited edition pieces. In Second Life, there’s the ability to sell an unlimited number of items. While you can retire items, make room for more, and so forth, there is the potential for a piece to be up indefinately… or at least until Second Life goes up in deliciously digital flames. There is the potential for each and every person in Second Life to get exactly the same item… unprobable, but still possible.
Limited edition and limited time items somewhat combat that. Its something special, something with a degree of uniqueness. As a creator… I like that.
Update: I got back on a few minutes ago and threw together some earrings to go with the monocles, and I’m providing them beneath the limited edition monocles sign for just a linden. Go grab em!
Thank you everyone who participated in Extend a Helping Hand. We were able to raise a grand total of AU$8,337.03 to assist the Premier's Relief Appeal!
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