Stipled Smiling Swine

"Lunch and a Spa Treatment"- Pen and Ink w/Colored Pencil

I will never give up painting but I have to confess that I am finding more and more pleasure in sketching.  This week I had a blast drawing this smiling pig standing in the middle of a mud puddle while chopping on a tasty apple.   Her eyes are closed in anticipation and you can see a slight smile across her face as you know she is imagining the crisp crunch and sweet flavor that will soon be her experience.  If this little sketch of mine has brought a smile to your face then I have accomplished my mission.

Sketch in Progress

I started her in the morning, worked on her for a few minutes during my lunch break at work and then couldn't wait to get home to finish her up.  She is drawn on a 9 x 12 Canson Bristol paper with pretty much using my Prismacolor Fine Line Markers exclusively and the .005 size the most.  It is a lot of inking but I find the process relaxing, probably much in the same way that those adult coloring books have gained in popularity.  I just love using the stippling technique but it is rather time consuming when you think of the thousands of little dots necessary to fill in a sketch.  I will be adding just a little color to the scene by adding red to the apples, a light tint of green to the grass and some shading to give her depth.  I will probably use my Prismacolor colored pencils to add the coloring.  

The whole time I was drawing this I had a smile on my face as I kept thinking of funny captions and titles but I think I've settled on "Lunch and a Spa Treatment".  I can't wait to add this gal to my new line up of greeting cards and prints for my "Down Country Roads" series and solo show coming up in April at the Boulder City Gallery.  The original of all my sketches are available until they are sold. Prints and greeting cards are available at JulieTownsendStudio.com and I'm also have an Etsy Store.

Finished sketch before I added color

Where Are My Potato Chips?

It doesn't take long for anyone visiting the beach for the first time to realize that those beautiful and noisy birds called seagulls are skilled and persistent when it comes to removing you from your intended picnic lunch.  One seagull soon becomes two and then two quickly become ten and you feel as if you have somehow been transported back to the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”.  Just one gull has the strength and ability to fly away into the sunset with an entire bag of Ruffles Potato Chips.  Do I sound as if I’m speaking from personal experience?  Well believe me when I say that I am somewhat experienced with the covert activities of these flying menaces. 

My painting is of just one seagull and the white and gray of his feathers contrast brilliantly against the background blues of the sky and ocean.  He is perched on a rock as if in a state of anticipation.  It only takes one moment of distraction when your back is turned and he is ready to swoop in and liberate you of whatever tasty morsel you might be holding. 

It is my hope that for just a moment you have felt the ocean breeze, smelled the salt in the air and can hear the loud squalls of the flocks of seagulls overhead.  “Did You Say Lunch” is an original acrylic painting created by me in my Las Vegas studio.  This piece and many others are available on my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com.

Did You Say Lunch?- 16x20 Original Acrylic