Happy New Year!

Just a short note to wish you all a very happy New Year! And a big thank you to all of you who follow or subscribe to my blog! This coming year, I hope to have lots of new things to add to my blog, so stay tuned.

Redesigning my website

Well, it's turning out to be a yearly thing now...I'm re-doing my website again! I seem to get bored with the look of it easily. The fact is, once completed, I wasn't really very fond of my last site. I found it didn't show my artwork as well as I would have liked. Granted, it's pretty, but I want the focus to be more on my work and less on the site itself.

So hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll launch my brand new site. I really like the look of it and it's kind of similar to the look of my blog. As it turns out, I really like designing websites and with each one I do, I need less and less help! I can actually claim that I did this new one entirely on my own (with only a few questions here and there!)

So as I get closer to launching my new site, you might notice that there are some weird things going on with my current site. Please excuse the mess! I've had to load a few things early onto the net, and I inadvertently changed a few things on my current site. You might notice the buttons are a little wacky. I'm going to try and change them back, but I may not get a chance to do this until after Christmas. Stay tuned and I'll have the new one up and running soon!

Merry Christmas!!!

Simon - WIP 1 & 2

Here is the beginning of Simon's portrait. I'm really enjoying myself so far because I'm not used to working on coloured paper. And I'm also trying a slightly new technique after having read a tutorial by Christina Langman. Her coloured pencil work is absolutely amazing...especially
this drawing! So far I'm really liking the new technique, although I'm still using some of my own methods as well. I figure I should stick with what I know while I'm working on a commission! Later, I'll do more experimenting on my own time!

Reference Photo

Stage 1

Stage 2

Merry Christmas!

I just thought I'd write a quick note to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I think I'm pretty much ready for Christmas now. This year, I actually got my shopping done fairly early, so I'm quite proud of myself. I still have a lot of wrapping to do, but at least the hard part is over with! We go home to Moncton every year for the holidays and this year I have a week off, so I'm really looking forward to it! And it means that I don't have to clean our house!


Our new kitten, "Loki", is settling in nicely. He and "Seven" are good pals now. We still have to keep an eye on him as he is quite taken with the Christmas tree. At one point, he managed to climb as high as the star on the 7.5 foot tree! He got doused pretty well with the spray bottle for that one. I think he learned his lesson because he hasn't tried it again! Not to say he doesn't get into trouble elsewhere. His name definitely suits him, as "Loki" is the Norse god of mischief!


In the New Year, I will be finishing up the last of my commissions. Although I made the decision to stop taking on new commissions last March, I'm still working on them! The reason I want a break is because I haven't had a chance to do my own work in about 3 years! I have enjoyed doing commission work because I've met a lot of really great people, but the pressure of meeting deadlines has gotten to be too much. So this is the year I get to do my own thing! I've got lots of new toys I'm excited to try out: brand new (as of last year, but I haven't touched them yet!) Sennelier oil pastels, new oil paints, some watercolour paper, etc. I also have 3 oil paintings that I haven't touched since I took a class a year ago! So I'll be busy this coming year...hopefully I'll find time to do everything I want to do! And I'm hoping this new freedom will motivate me to come up with some creative ideas. Anyway, I hope you'll keep stopping by to see what I'm up to!

So again, I'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday season. And I'd like to thank everyone who follows my blog!

Bandit finished!

Well I've finally finished Bandit's portrait! I've been speaking with the client all along and he seems quite pleased with the outcome. It is going to be a Christmas gift, so I'm excited to hear what the recipient thinks of it.

Bandit's pose in this drawing is different than the typical poses I'm used to, and I think it makes for a more interesting portrait. The client chose this pose because it portrays Bandit's personality, and I think it makes him look like a fun dog, ready to play! I always aim to bring out a pet's personality in their portrait, and hopefully I've done that here.

For my next and final commissioned pet portrait, I will be drawing a Siamese cat named Simon. This one will be a little different as well because I'll be using blue paper instead of white. Simon has beautiful colouring and vibrant blue eyes, so I think the blue background will make the whole thing pop! At least I hope so! I will post the first stages soon.

Bandit - almost done!

Here is another update of Bandit. I'm almost done...I just need to do a little more tweeking and touching up. If any of you artists out there want to critique this, please do so. After staring at it for so long, it's difficult to see the changes that need to be made!

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Bandit WIP#3

Here is another update of Bandit. I'm getting close to being done - I just need to finish his muzzle, touch up the rest of his body, then add a bit of shadow. I think I also need to fix his eyes a bit because they don't quite look the same size...and his right ear still looks a little flat. Ok, well there are a lot of things I need to do, but I am in the home stretch!



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"Seven" chosen to be in the ArtWanted.com 2009 calendar

ArtWanted.com is a site where artists can display and sell their artwork and prints. Earlier this year, I entered my drawing of "Seven" into a calendar contest through ArtWanted.com and I just found out that it's been chosen for the 2009 calendar! I feel rather honoured because there are a lot of really amazing artists on this site.

Here is a description of the calendar:
Each calendar features 365 'tear-off' pages, for each day of the year. Each day features a different ArtWanted.com artist and displays their name, artwork title/description and website address for more information on that artist. The artwork featured in the calendars is a large mixed sample of traditional art, digital art and photography of our members. The final size is 4.5" wide and 4" tall. There is a fold out cardboard easel in the back that tilts the calendar perfectly to sit on any table or desk.

You can order a calendar through ArtWanted.com by following the link below. My drawing will be in the "Traditional Artwork" calendar (on July 22, 2009), so be sure to order that one! If you do plan on ordering, please use the following link to get to the site. I do not get a commission from each calendar sold, but I will get a referral fee for any purchases made through this link:


This link takes you to the home page of the website. Click on the "Shop" tab at the top and you'll find the calendar.
Thanks!

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Bandit - WIP #2

Here's another update of Bandit's portrait. It's a little difficult to scan a picture when it's in a ringed booklet, hence the shadow on the left, but you get the idea. I'm trying to finish this portrait as soon as possible because it's a little overdue...sorry Wayne! Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

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Follow my Blog

Several of you have subscribed to my blog by having email updates sent directly to you. Thank you for subscribing!

There is now another way to follow my blog...by clicking on the link to the left that says "follow this blog". You can either follow publicly (others will see your name), or anonomously (no one knows who you are).

If you follow publicly, and you have your own blog, you might get extra traffic to your blog. Either way, if you follow my blog, you'll know when I post something new. Often, people visit blogs that they like, but never end up going back. With a simple click though, you've essentially bookmarked my blog so it's easy to come back and check it!

So please, follow my blog!

New baby

I have to brag a bit...we have another addition to our family! A 12 week old kitten named Loki, who is simply adorable! We got Loki at the SPCA a few days ago (that's where we got our other two cats), and he seems very well adjusted. He's a great combination of playful, affectionate and cuddly. Our 10 year old cat, Tully, doesn't really pay much attention to Loki, but our 2 year old cat, Seven, is enjoying the new playmate! It's so much fun to have a little kitten running around the house again! Here are some pictures...

When I get the time, I plan on doing a drawing of the top picture. I just love the pose and he looks so darned cute! If you'll notice too, Loki has lots of extra toes!

New Template

I'm in the process of trying to load a new template for my blog. (I get bored easily!) So if you notice that my blog looks wacky or is missing information, that's just because I haven't had a chance to fix it. Hopefully I'll get it sorted soon!

Bandit - WIP

8x10 pencil on paper.

2009 Calendar

I've created a 2009 calendar of some of my favourite drawings. To view the calendar or to make a purchase, follow the link below.

2009 Calendar
by

pagesportraits

Create personalized calendars on Zazzle.com
Browse other Animals Pets Calendars

Awards

Once again, I apologize for being slack at updating my blog. I really haven't had much of interest to write about, so that's my excuse! I do have one update though...I entered my drawing of my kitten, "Seven", into a couple of exhibitions this fall and I won some awards!

Fredericton Exhibition
First Place - Adult Art Competition (Graphics Class)

Queens County Fair, Gagetown
First Place - Adult Art Competition (Graphics Class)
Best In Show - ($100 gift certificate for framing)

On another note, I'm trying hard to get my last two commissions finished up. I will try to post something soon.

Delphine is finished!

Here is the finished copy of Delphine's portrait.
11x14 pencil

Phew!

Well July was a blur! My sister was home from China this month and got married here in town on the 26th. I've been so busy with everything, that July came and went and I barely noticed! The wedding was beautiful and all went according to plan. The only mishap that occured was my receiving a black eye during a soccer game the week before the wedding. Luckily my make-up artist did a wonderful job and you could barely tell in the wedding photos!

So now that the excitement is over, I hope to have more time to work on my artwork and enjoy the rest of the summer. I am close to being finished Delphine's portrait and mainly just have to put the finishing touches on it. I will post again as soon as I have an update.

My newly designed website!

Well my new website just went online this morning and I invite you all the check it out! Like I said in my last post, I wanted a site that was geared more towards my portfolio and less about commissioning pet portraits.

So pease have a look at http://www.pagesportraits.com/ and let me know what you think. Under the contact information, there are links to sign my guestbook and also to email me. If you have any comments, I'd love to hear from you. And if you see anything that doesn't quite look right, or links that don't work, please let me know so I can fix them.

Thanks for looking!

A New Look!

As you may have noticed, the look of my blog has changed, along with its title. I am also in the process of redesigning my website, which will also have the title "Heather Page Studios". Because of my decision to move away from doing pet portraits, I felt that my website and blog both needed facelifts. Since I am no longer focusing on commission work, I want a website that is more of a portfolio of my work and one that isn't limited to pet portraits.

My new website, which I am quite excited about, will be a place for me to display all of my work, whether it's pet portraits, wildlife, landscapes - drawings, paintings, or photography. I will eventually have a section where I will display original artwork which will be for sale, and I will be working on increasing my selection of greeting cards and prints.

I will be using the same domain name for my newly designed website (http://www.pagesportraits.com/) since I have a fair bit of daily traffic to both my website and blog and I don't want to lose that. I will let you all know when my new website goes online!

Delphine WIP

Here is my second update on Delphine's portrait. As you can see, the quality is much better than my last WIP (work in progress) of her. The first one was taken with a camera and this one was scanned on my scanner. You may notice a slight line through the middle of the drawing - that's because I had to stitch two scans together because my scanner isn't large enough. And once again, I've forgotten to record my time spent on the drawing!

Busy!

My apologies for not posting in a while! Life has been very busy lately and I haven't had much time to update my blog. I just wanted to let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, and I'm doing my best to get all of my commissions done in a timely fashion.

I will be posting another update of Delphine very soon, I just haven't had a chance to get a good picture of the drawing yet. It's coming along very nicely, if I do say so myself!

So what's been keeping me so busy lately? Well, in April we went on a Mediterranean cruise. We boarded in Rome and visited Italy, Spain, Palma de Mallorca, Tunisia, Malta and Sicily. Unfortunately British Airways lost our baggage (four of us were travelling together and we all lost our baggage!), and we didn't receive it until the second last day of the cruise! It made for a pretty stressful trip actually, but we tried to make the most of it. So since we've been back, we've been putting in claims to the airway company and our insurance, and hopefully they'll reimburse us for at least part of what we had to spend!

Other than that, I've been doing a lot of yard work and getting our garden set up. This is our second summer in our house and last year we were pretty slack at making the yard look nice. So this year we decided we would fix it up. At least yard work is still a bit of a novelty, so I actually kind of enjoy it!

I'll be playing women's soccer again this summer as well, with about 3 games a week, so I expect the summer to be quite busy as well. For this reason, I am quite happy with my decision to stop taking on new pet portrait commissions. Once I finish up the ones on my waiting list, I hope to have time to work on my own artwork. It's been a long time since I've been able to do this and I'm really looking forward to it!

Green Nexxus

Hi everyone! I would like to invite you to join a website called Green Nexxus. My boyfriend, Paul, and his partners have created this environmentally friendly website and it is officially backed by Al Gore (they will actually be meeting him this weekend when they officially launch the site).

Basically this site is like a Facebook for environmentally conscious people, where you can discuss green topics, join groups, etc. I am asking everyone to please sign up and join this site. It doesn't cost anything to join and participate. There is an option to buy a membership to get tons of savings when you buy energy efficient products, but you don't have to pay anything if you don't want to...you can still use the site to its full potential.

So please join and spread the word to all of your friends. We want to get as many new users as possible. Thanks!

www.greennexxus.com

Heather

Delphine - Work in Progress

This is Delphine, a long haired Daschund. She is being drawn on 11x17 white paper (although it looks pretty orange here) in pencil.

Emerald is finished!

This is the final scan of Emerald, a Hanoverian/Thoroughbred cross. It is the largest portrait I've worked on so far at 14x17 inches, and it took me about 25-30 hrs to complete. It was drawn in coloured pencil (Prismacolors and a few Derwent Colorsofts). The smaller foal is Emerald as a baby.

Next is Delphine, a long-haired Daschund, which I have already started.

Commissions

I want to inform everyone that until further notice, I will not be taking on any new commissions. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For those people on my waiting list, do not be concerned, your portraits will still be done. I just won't be taking on any more for a while after they are finished.

I've been wanting to work on my own artwork for quite some time now, but I just haven't had the time. I really love doing pet portraits for people, and I will eventually get back to it, I just need a bit of a break. There are so many things that I want to do with my artwork, but I just haven't had the chance since I've been doing commissions.

I apologize to those of you who were considering having me do your pet's portrait. If you would really like to have a pet portrait done, I can certainly recommend several, wonderful pet portrait artists.

Please continue to check my website and blog, as I will continue to update them with my new work. If you would like me to inform you when I do start accepting commissions again, please send me your email address.

Thanks for your understanding!
Heather

Update#5: Emerald - Work in progress

Update #4: Emerald work in progress

13.75 hrs

Update #3 - Emerald work in progress

Update #2: Emerald

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a very happy new year. I spent Christmas in Moncton with family and friends and we had a very white Christmas. So far this winter, I believe we've had about 5 or 6 snow storms, which is very unusual for this time of year. At the moment, I'm snowed in and was unable to go to work today because the roads aren't plowed yet.


Well now that the new year has begun, I'm back to my drawing after a short Christmas break. I have started Emerald's portrait which I am posting below. I'm doing a montage which shows her as an adult (large head and neck) and a smaller version of her as a foal. It is being drawn in coloured pencil on 14x17 paper.


Because I am working from two separate photos, I did a mock-up on the computer to show the client what the final portrait will look like. So the first image is the mock-up and the second is the first stage of the drawing.