Little Angels, by Artist Julie Deans

I don't get the chance to create many people portraits, as my forte is pets, especially dogs, but I was given the opportunity to capture these two beautiful girls in a portrait, and am delighted with how it turned out.

This is an 8"x10" pencil piece, and due to some unforeseen circumstances, it may be available for sale.

If anyone is interested in a portrait of their loved one, please feel free to contact me, or check out my website for details.

www.juliesillustration.com

Digital Artwork with a Jack Russell Model

Brandy poses for some digital pieces last year. Yes, I said last year - opps, I realize that I've slacked a bit in showcasing these.  I've created a bunch of different pieces from my own photos, and if you're interested in having a look at them, please stay tuned to this blog as I will be posting more in the future. Nothing for sale at this time though, I've still got the task of testing out the print quality on my Epson Stylus R1900.

To see more of my traditional artwork, visit my website:

www.juliesillustration.com

Random Cartoon

It is Friday you know ...

Coloured Pencil Portrait - Jaida

Beautiful Jaida, finished a few days ago. This is an 8"x10" coloured pencil piece that was an absolute pleasure to complete. 

I have been in the process of returning to 8"x10" pieces, instead of the 9"x12" pieces listed on my web site. For some reason, frames for 9"x12"s are almost non-existent now in the retail stores, and I prefer to create pieces that are ready to frame for my clients so that it is not necessary for them to go out and pay 100's of dollars for custom framing. Many of the frames that can be purchased through retail outlets are quite nice, and there is a large variety to choose from in the 8"x10" size.

It is a shame, because the 9"x12" is a really nice size, and the paper is readily available at art supply stores, but I would like to stick with a size that makes life easier for my clients. So there will be a small price adjustment to reflect the smaller size on my pricing page.

Road Flower

Just a flower that we (hubby and I) found in a dense field of flowers on 10th Side Road in Milton. A gorgeous array of colours, types and sizes that I caught on film. This was a drawing experiment from the photo results in an impressionistic style, heavy coverage and layering with coloured pencil. 5"x7" on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.

Lunch

Chili and a white bun on a wet, cold, blustery, Ontario autumn day. Just what the doctor ordered ... well, actually I ordered it all by myself without his medical input. Tim Hortons chili makes me feel good. Tim Hortons coffee? Not so much.

Dam!

"Northern Ontario Dam" - 2009

No one really knows what my dad does at work. It's been a mystery for as many years as I can remember. During my youth I told gullible friends that he worked for the F.B.I. Maybe I should have used the word stupid instead of gullible, seeing as how the organization resides in the US, and these friends were old enough to know better. New friends? I think so.

He does, at times, service Northern Ontario Dams, that's one thing I do know about his occupation. Some of the images he's taken over the years are quite inspiring. Which leads me to the image posted above. A 5"x7" coloured pencil piece of a remote Northern Ontario dam, photo reference courtesy of my father.

I finished this about a month ago, and haven't a clue why it never got posted earlier. At first, I was not pleased with what the coloured pencils were laying out for me, but after some tweaking and heavier coverage I actually came to like the result. So I think this piece will go to my dad, matted and framed, perhaps as a birthday or Christmas gift. So I'm hoping now that he pays no attention to this blog, and if he does, perhaps he can forget (which he is inclined to do) that he ever saw this post.

CPE Fun and More Site Updates...

Photo by Gabrielle Deans - Agility on a nice day, rare appearance at an outdoor trial, from a past JRTCC event 2009

The weather really hasn't been cooperating. I usually like fall, but fall is disappointing me this year. The cool dampness doesn't make for ideal outdoor days. Spending an hour in the pouring rain last night while the little dog and I soak it up like two sponges in a sink full of dishwater, sloshing around in the car on the way home, and having clothes not dry over night because of how wet we really were ... well, that's not my ideal fall fun. Class was good though, minus the rain.

This leads up to why I prefer indoor agility trials. Indoor heated agility trials. Indoor heated CPE agility trials on dirt with a Q rate of 100%. The little dog prefers it too. We had a couple of "opps" moments at the CPE trial on Sunday, but ended up with 4 out of 4 qualifying runs, and we remained dry and warm, something that has become more dear to me in my later years.

Photo by Gabrielle Deans - Again, agility on a nice day at another one of our rare appearances at an outdoor trial - Ontario Regionals 2008

My website is continually being updated at this time, with the new designs and drawings that I have available. The brand new site is up and active, and I much prefer it to the old design. I needed a change, something fresh and new, with a little more colour, and a bit more emphasis on my fine art as well. Not to worry, portraits are still available to anyone who interested, I've just added a gallery of Fine Art as well as some Photography.

Have a look, and visit often within the next week or so while I get all the designs uploaded and ready to go.

Here's hoping this weekend will bring out the best in fall, not the worst. Though I have heard that my hope may not be fulfilled this long weekend.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Everyone!

Printer Trials and Errors

The super fantastic Epson R1900 arrived at my house on Monday, about 2 hours after my post. It's huge! I'm not sure what I was expecting in the size department, but the thing is enormous. This makes me very happy about my Ikea desk addition purchase that was bought and assembled on Sunday, making my desk about 3/4's of the size of my office.

So, I am now in the testing phase. This printer is much more complicated than your average desktop unit, housing 8 individual ink cartridges, including a gloss optimizer for stunning output. I'm slowly learning what this beast can do, and so far, am extremely happy when I the pieces fall together. The prints are full of rich colour, fantastic detail and the single piece of art that I printed last night (after a half hour of trying to figure out settings) looks perfect!

To learn more about his printer please visit:
EPSON R1900

Web Site Re-Vamp

Slowly, but surely, I am coming along with my business/web site re-vamp. It is taking longer than I anticipated as I am very picky about how I want things displayed and what I need to include. Overall, I am taking a more gallery-business type of approach, so bare with me, and visit frequently to see how the changes are progressing. Though, I'm thinking it best not to ease into it, but rather jump feet first and make a big splash. So perhaps keep an eye out for a brand new site, rather than just changes to the old one.

I will still be offering Pet and People Portraits, however, I will also be offering fine art - originals and prints - for sale and some new products available in my boutique. And, as always, I am still available for design work.

So, with that said, I'd better get back to work. I'm hoping to be fully operational in about two months.

Happy Birthday Brandy!!!

A tiny little baby Brandy

Today my little dog turns 7! I can not believe how much time flies. It seems like only yesterday, on a cool, sunny October morning in 2002, that we picked up the tiny little biting and humping bundle of energy.

I can honestly say that it was the best $350 we've ever spent, hands down. She was a challenge in the beginning, but once we found out that this little bugger loved to learn (puppy class being our first indication), things turned around, and in a heart-beat she became "the perfect" dog.

Through the years she has been my greatest teacher in regards to training dogs (or dogs training people, however you'd like to interpret that), and has been a willing, flash hating subject in all my photography and artistic adventures.

She's been everywhere with me, and is a testament to her breed. We dubbed her the "Love Dog" (with the "Love Boat" theme attached to it) because a day has never gone by without someone making a positive comment or smiling at her while we were out and about. From the old, to the thugged out youth (the term "sweet dog" has been used on occasion), they all fell in love. She is a people lover, and will go out of her way to meet and greet, which adds to her appeal.

Independent, stubborn, tenacious - yes these all describe her, she is a JRT you know, however, she is also sensitive, loving, comical and a willing worker. Surprisingly she does like to please, but on her terms, nothing like a golden retriever or a border collie though. She is awesome at agility when she wants to be, or more like when I don't throw her off, and she has quite a few titles to her name so far. And, with a little help from me, she even went and got her rally novice title, something that I never thought possible because it involves obedience - not her strong point, kind of like math is not mine.

Photo by Gabrielle Deans

Over all, she is a fantastic sport partner, a great teacher and a wonderful best friend. There will never be another Brandy - she really is one of a kind and I'm greatful for every moment that we spend together.

Happy Birthday Brandy, and here's to many, many, many more years of fun and friendship!!

Photo by Gabrielle Deans

Photo by Gabrielle Deans

Random Cartoons

Wieners dog anyone? They are delicious!

A Chinese Crested of course.

Just some results of my imagination a few years ago.

New Designs

Well, I have been dabbling in the world of digital painting, and have come up with some pop-art style designs that will now be available as prints on my imagekind website. Also included on this site are prints from some of my traditional artwork and prints of my photography.

Please feel free to browse the site, there are many different pieces there, sure to suit all sorts of tastes.

http://juliesillustration.imagekind.com

Another walk in the woods today, sans camera (images are from a previous visit), got me and the little dog turned around and upside down. Not sure how I managed to veer off left, when I needed to veer right, but coming up to another intersection with the handy dandy posted trail map, I realized that I goofed.

I stood there pondering, looking rather stupid, eying the map for about 5 minutes, not a sole in sight (thank goodness), and no encouragement from Brandy. In fact, when I decided to double back, she was completely sure that I was a nut, and wasn't going to follow the idiot that got her "lost".

I'm pretty sure that not many people wind up "lost" in the wilds at Crawford Lake. It's really not that difficult, trails are pretty clearly marked, but in my defence, everything looks, well, different when the leaves are in their full summer glory. Plus, I suppose I can admit when I haven't been paying attention, and this weekend has been full of non-paying-attention moments for me.

I had an idea of my dense move when I passed a bench that I'd never before seen on my hikes. Commenting on this to the little dog, who also looked at the bench, perplexed, I continued on, bringing myself to the point of turned around and up-side down. The moral of the story is, next time I encounter an unfamiliar landmark, stop, drop and roll, back the way I came. Especially if I seem to be moving further into dense bush and darker trails.

And to top it all off, before becoming "lost", on an off trail, we were being followed. Brandy noticed before I did, and when I get the low growl directed somewhere off in the woods from her, I admit, I panic a little.

I stopped, which you all know is a stupid thing to do, you see it in the horror movies all the time. People stop when they think they're being followed (idiots) and go back to investigate who's following them (major idiots). So I was just an idiot.

I stopped, looked back into the ground cover, and witnessed it being moved in a wave like motion towards us, without the wind blowing. I really only stopped for a second, because when I saw the wave in the vegetation, I started to speed walk away perhaps even jogging a little.

Brandy, being the terrier that she is, kept an eye behind me, growling the whole time, which just made me even more tense because all I had as a weapon was my cellphone (a good battering ram it does not make), and a 12 pound Jack Russell, whom I have no doubt would have gone toe-to-toe with whatever was trailing us, but she is only 12 pounds. My guess, it was probably only an angry squirrel, a large rampaging chipmunk, a boisterous raccoon or a rabid pack of wild chickens, but I don't take chances in the woods by myself, so I got the heck out of there.

On the bonus we get a lot of comments on the little blue backpack. Perhaps not comments, more like remarks, at first they're playful and funny, but then they just get to be laughing behind our back remarks. So, perhaps it's not a bonus. Has no one ever seen a dog with a backpack on? Seriously?

The Dogs of Moron are complete

Ahhhh, the revelation! These are the "Dogs of Moron". Snippets of these pieces have been posted previously as the images progressed.

All these pieces are 4"x6" created on Strathmore Smooth bristol with a mechanical pencil.

I am very pleased with how these turned out. I'm not a background type person (I'm too impatient most of the time), but was determined, with these (and the man and bull piece), to create the right background to make these images whole.

I may be adding these pieces, plus the man and bull piece to my Imagekind site for prints. I will post further details later.

Queen of Multi-tasking

I suppose that you could call me that. I have a hard time just working or concentrating on one thing ... I like to keep busy, so I end up having 20 things going on at once, though sometimes I would prefer to be the laid back, one at a time type person. Alas, I doubt that will ever happen.

So, here is yet another sneak peak of a piece that I am working on. This one is for myself and my hubby - a wedding creation in coloured pencil. So far so good, my only complaint, or perhaps I should say critique (just to be more professional) is the faces. Not sure how I'm going to go about finishing them off yet. This is my first human coloured pencil piece ... and therein lies the challenge.

The "Dogs of Moron" are coming along and are very close to the completion stage (whew). I am also working on some jobs for clients, so all these side drawings may be taking a back seat for a while.

The Third...

...and final. This is a peak at the third drawing in my "Dogs of Moron" series. A little female having a siesta in some shade on the crocodile farm that we visited.

The drawings are coming along...though not one is finished yet - not to worry, I'm still working on them, they are my "lunch-time" projects. Something to keep me occupied while I sit in my four-wheeled, automatic, air-conditioned lunch room, passing the time, and hoping the afternoon will go faster than the morning did. I don't like to wish time away, it's sad somehow, but I do like to wish work time away, it seems appropriate enough.

And this little bugger wowed me on Saturday with her performance at her first AAC agility trial back since her knee surgery in December.

She ran fast, accurately and hung on to my every word. 2 out of 4 qualifying runs is more than ample for me, especially since she is running on a "home-made" knee.

My vet did a fantastic job, and I really couldn't be happier with how things have turned out so far.

So now, after another massage for the little dog - yes you heard right, this little JRT is spoiled I will definitely admit that (and her massage therapist is wonderful - even if Brandy isn't happy being rubbed), we are looking forward to the upcoming JRTRO trial in June and another AAC/CPE agility trial following that.

She's a busy little dog, what can I say?

Just a Taste

I was inspired by some of the pictures that I took down in Cayo Coco, Cuba. So I have decided to do a 4x6 graphite pencil trilogy, a 5x7 graphite pencil piece, and blow up some of the really good photos for possible sale as prints. Will this all get done? - I ask myself...yes, in time, for sure, I'm definitely motivated for this project.

I've started on the 4x6 trilogy, entitled none other than "The Dogs of Moron". I will post bits and pieces as I progress through the work, and I will announce anything that will be available for sale as prints. Once the trilogy and the lone 5x7 are complete, I may also offer a small amount of prints for these as well.

I will also be embarking on a butterfly 4x6 trilogy in coloured pencil, though this has nothing to do with my trip to Cuba. Reference photos for this series were taken at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory, and I will post bits and pieces on these as well.

A first glimpse at the initial drawing in the "Dogs of Moron" series. This guys lounges quietly on the tiled sidewalk, an air of dignity surrounds him as he rests in the shade beside a man who may or may not be "his" man.