Art by Tanya Dann: November 2008

Portrait in Pencil

I promised my dear friend Friday that I would do a portrait of him, and since I didn't have the internet working last night I thought I'd make a start. I haven't done portraits before at all and I've never been particularly wonderful at drawing. But there is a first time for everything..... this is what I came up with.

Reference Photo

Marking out the key features

Starting to add some detail - the eyes were a bit too close together so this needed some adjusting

Building up the levels of shading

The finished product!!!

I'm really happy with how this turned out! I just hope he likes it - I'll find out in a couple of weeks when I send it down to him.

Photo Of The Day - Days 44 and 45

The Internet went down last night (OMG the most frustrating thing EVER! Did mean that I got some drawing in though!) so I didn't get to load yesterdays image on time, but I'm loading it today - better late than never!

Number 44 - 28th Nov 2008

Yesterday I did 7 loads of washing, got most of them hung out and dry, although I did run out of pegs somewhere around the 5th load. The cats always come out and sit with me while I hang out the washing - Nargles was watching from afar on the roof top while I snuck this shot of her.

Number 45 - 29th Nov 2008

Today was a trip into town to do all my errands, the last of which was a visit to the Library to get a whole heap of reference books out for a new series of paintings I am planning at the moment. I came out with a rather large stack, by the time I got to the car my arms felt like they were about to drop off!!!

Photo Of The Day - Days 30-43

Ok I'm home a little earlier than expected, and didn't make it around the track, the weather wasn't great and I took someone who wasn't experienced enough with me so unfortunately we only got to the second hut on the North West Circut before we had to turn around but we did manage to do the Rakiura track instead. Now for the images...

Number 30 - 14th Nov 2008

Setting off... I was so hectic running around packing I almost forgot to take a shot - this is a quick one of the car wheel before we hit the road.

Number 31 - 15th Nov 2008

Arriving in Half Moon Bay - this is a view of the bay from up by the church.

Number 32 - 16th Nov 2008

First day of tramping - we walked from Half Moon Bay to Port William Hut, about 1/2 way along the track is Maori Beach where there are some old remains from an early Sawmill on the island. This shot is of those remains.

Number 33 - 17th Nov 2008

Tramping day 2 - Port William Hut to Bungaree Hut. About 1/2 an hour into the track (after the worst of the mud!!!!!) we came to this little beach off the main track - it was absolutely gorgeous and it was the last of the sun we saw that day, just after this was taken the heavens opened and the rain poured down!!! It ended up taking us 7 & 1/2 hours to get to Bungaree, a trip that is meant to take between 3 & 4 hours to do.

Number 34 - 18th Nov 2008

We stayed put in the hut on Tuesday (thankgoodness we had taken a couple of books with us!). It rained and blew a howling gale for most of the day and night. There was the odd bit of sunshine - enough for me to step out of the hut and take this shot of Bungaree beach at any rate. It was a lovely spot to rest up before heading back to Port William.

Number 35 - 19th Nov 2008

When we got back to Port William (it only took us 4 & 1/2 hours on the return trip) we were covered in mud up to our knees, we had to go down to the beach and have a swim and scrub all the mud off our legs. There was a nice couple staying on this boat pictured who must have seen us and came up later that night with the most delicious freshly caught and cooked blue cod for us for dinner, it was very much appreciated!!!! :)

Number 36 - 20th Nov 2008

Port William to North Arm Hut (Rakiura Track) - this is the view from the North Arm Lookout - to the left of the image is Oban (the township of Stewart Island). I'm so pleased it wasn't raining or particularly windy when we got here!

Number 37 - 21st Nov 2008

Back in Half Moon Bay this was the state of my boots, although they had been alot worse I didn't think to take a photo of them until this point.

Number 38 - 22nd Nov 2008

Saturday morning was spent walking round trying to find my friend Jack who was meant to take us out on the boat to see the Salmon farm but Jack kindly forgot (he got busy drinking with the boys - typical!!! LOL) so we went sight seeing instead. This particuarly interesting tree was on the Raroa walk.

TRIPLE EDITION:

Number 39 - 23rd Nov 2008

More sight seeing - I was playing with the motion setting on my camera. These were taken at Butterfield's Beach.

Number 40 - 24th Nov 2008

Leaving Stewart Island for New Zealand as my friend Friday always says. This is a shot from the back of the Ferry as we quickly zoomed away from the dock.

Number 41 - 25th Nov 2008

The trip home was the worst ever! I've never driven in rain like that and the wind kept trying to blow us off the road - fortunately there was a bit of weight in the car which helped keep her on the road! Returning to Dunedin meant getting home to my cats! I think Munta missed me because he wouldn't leave my side for a second and followed me everywhere. This picture was using the motion settings to create the blur.

Number 42 - 26th Nov 2008

I got out in the garden to repair the damage that occurred without me there to look after it. I went to the gardencentre and brought a whole heap of veges - including a punnet of mixed lettuces.

Number 43 - 27th Nov 2008

Today I went out to check on my tomatoes that I planted yesterday and saw that my peony had finally opened! Gotta love the gorgeous flowers!

Photo Of The Day - Day 29

DOUBLE EDITION:

Number 29 - 13th Nov 2008

I'm getting in early with these images today - I have my presentation this morning so wanted to get the photos taken and uploaded before I did that. This is my finished tic tac toe game - the pieces have been cast out of bronze (see earlier posts for photos of the process). I'm really happy with the outcome!!!

PLEASE NOTE: This will be my last entry for a while. I'm leaving tomorrow to go tramping around Stewart Island - don't worry, I'll still be taking photos but I just wont be able to post them until I return - expect to see all my glorious photos uploaded around the 1st of December!

Photo Of The Day - Day 28

Number 28 - 12th Nov 2008

Nothing exciting today - this is a shot of the dashboard of my car. I took this just after I parked it near school this morning. Just worked on my bronze sculpture today... filing, sanding, sawing, polishing etc. I am just about ready for my presentation tomorrow - the last one of the year!!!! I'm excited yet sad at the same time. I can't believe the year is over already, I'm ready for a holiday that's for sure, but I'm going to miss getting up and going to school with my friends, doing exciting cool stuff every day. Hopefully I get to go back next year - I'm not sure at this stage if I'll be able to, but I have my fingers crossed!

Art News New Zealand Magazine - Summer 08

The latest edition of Art News New Zealand Magazine is out now and displayed proudly on the cover is the work of Michele Beevors "How the West was Won", 2008, fibreglass, steel, paint. Michele is one of my sculpture tutors at Art School. YAY MICHELE!!!! Also inside this edition is an article about my ceramics tutor Jim Cooper. A copy of which can be viewed at http://www.artnews.co.nz/previous/28-4/28-4-studio.html Jim has an amazing exhibition on currently at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery (until 1st Feb 2009) - check it out if you are in the area.

Photo Of The Day - Day 27

Number 27 - 11th Nov 2008

There is some amazing grafitti art around the art school. My favourite is above, its just outside the scupture department. Below are a couple of other images that I quite like. The little giraffe heads are quite well known in dunedin, they pop up all over the place.

Lost Wax Method Bronze Casting Photos - stage 2 bronze pour

These are the images from the bronze pour process

My mould after the wax had been removed - a hollow ceramic shell is all that remains

Arse shot of Jamie - adding bronze metal to be melted

A green flame rising from the melting pot

Scott stacking the moulds to go back in the burner to be brought up to temperature so they don't explode when you pour hot molten metal into them

The hot moulds being packed into boxes with sand so they stand upright ready to be poured

Opening the furnace to prepare the metal and get the melting pot out

pouring the molten metal into the moulds

pouring into my mould

Moulds after pouring - the metal is still red hot. These will get left over night to cool properly before we break away the moulds tomorrow.

Photo Of The Day - Day 26

Number 26 - 10th Nov 2008

While standing round waiting (we did alot of that today!!!) I snapped this pic, I don't actually remember taking it, I think I must just have clicked the button while the camera was on without realising it - it turned out great for me not actually taking it! It's one of the drums that contain sand for the ceramic moulds we made.

Lost Wax Method Bronze Casting Photos - stage 1 wax burn

Today we burnt out the wax in our moulds and then poured the bronze. I have photos of both stages - These images are of the first stage... the wax burnout.

My mould after all 7 coats of ceramic slurry and sand