News

Well it has been a while since I have posted, so my apologies to those that follow along on here.  The days just go by too dang fast!  Here we are toward the middle of October and it seems like the new year just rolled around not long ago at all!



The cover of my 2012 calendar.



Anyways firstly please check out my 2012 calendar.  These are high quality calendars printed on heavy weight paper featuring 14 of my scratchboard images.  If you enjoy my art this is a great way to get to see it all year round.  Many people tell me they have kept my previous ones alter the year is over just to enjoy the art.  These calendars are a reasonable $15 each plus S&H.  To order go to  http://www.aphelionart.com/calendar2012.html 




Next news is about the International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA).  We have officially launched and are now taking members!  It has been months of hard work getting everything in place, but it is quite exciting to watch it become a reality!  Members joining in 2011 will have their membership carry through to 2012 too!  We have all different level of membership designed to suit everyone from novice up to expert scratchboard artist!  Some of the perks of membership will include a quarterly newsletter, reduced rates for entering our 2012 exhibition and workshops, publicity on the web site, and of course being connected with a group of other scratchboard artists.  For information on joining please check it out at http://www.scratchboardsociety.com/


And then updates on art.  I am still working on the wolves.  Also have a new leopard piece that I am going to wait to post until it is finished.  But here is an update on the wolves.  Getting there, but still not done.

Where Wolves?

Well I didn't make as much progress as I wanted on the pair of wolves, while I was in Michigan, but did make some headway and I am pleased with how it is progressing (and also started another board, which I will eventually get around to posting). 

Here is the update on "Sibling Rivalry"

I am headed off on Monday to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP.  I love that part of the country and try to go there once a year (usually at peak fall color which also happens to be around my Birthday).  As a matter of fact the images for "Sibling Rivalry" were gathered on my trip through that part of the country last year (at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, MT).  I will be spending a few days there on this trip as well.  The reference images for  "Edge of Darkness"  came from there as well.  Where do you like to go and take reference photos?  Wolf works are some of my favorites to do and also my best sellers, but getting good references is not always easy. 

Updates

I was notified that my scratchboard and ink piece of a white tiger,  titled "The Interrupted Drink", won Viewer's Choice at the Bennington Center for the Arts "Art of the Animal Kingdom XVI".  Thanks to all who voted for my piece!  It was totally unexpected to me :)



"The Interrupted Drink" - Original Available

















Here is an update on "Comin' At Ya" the big horse piece that I am working on (36"x24").  Still a long ways to go.



"Comin' At Ya" - WIP - 36"x24"























And I have also started a new piece titled "Sibling Rivalry" sized 16"x20".  As you may figure by the title (and random tooth) there will be a 2nd wolf in the image

"Sibling Rivalry" - WIP - 16"x20"

Another show, another award... YEAH!

I am working on another 24"x36" board right now, but don't have enough going to show it yet. 

Greeley was a success so far and still open for another week or so.  "Bee-Mused" won the artists choice award on the opening night.  This is a bit different than people's choice since it is only the other participating artists that get to vote on the work.  It sold to a repeat client.    "A Distant Gaze" also sold to a repeat client!  Yeah!!  :)  I was told yesterday that Bee-Mused is in the lead for People's Choice as well.



Me with "Bee-Mused"  It was sold and also selected for "Artists Choice" award at the Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show.









Bee-Mused - the color version

I am done coloring "Bee-Mused" and it will be sprayed with fixative soon.  Here is the final image and a few close ups to show the details.  Size is 24"x25.5"  It will be headed to the 2011 Greeley Stampede Invitational Western Art Show in late June.

This piece is a good follow up to my post about story telling that I posted yesterday. This scene is a composite of 6 photos, all merged to fit a vision and hopefully tell a story to the viewer.

More Art Fair Fare

I spent most of today working on more stuff for my art fair which is 10 days away.  Coffee cups, travel mugs, aluminum bottles, and candles all with my work on them took up most of my day, though I did get a little bit of scratching done tonight too.

A bit of progress on the pair of wolves.  I Have started on wolf #2 though there is still quite a bit of work to do on #1 as well.  This is the full board pretty much.

The other project I have been working on is a piece that I will use for a demonstration for Society of Animal Artists in California at the start of Sept. at the show opening.  It is another wolf - size is just 11"x14" for this one for ease of traveling with it.  I'm thinking about the title of "A Hopper and a Pouncer" for it, as he is looking at a grasshopper.

The Brotherhood - finished!

I have finished with "The Brotherhood".  Size is 18"x24". The original work is available through me (10% of the sale will go to a non-profit organization of your choosing if purchased directly from me) and I anticipate having prints available within the next few months.  If you would like to see more details from the piece visit it on my web site using zoomify (requires flash).

More on the brothers- almost done!

I am very close to calling this piece done, but a few little things are still bothering me.  I am at this time going to wait to give it the final fixative spray and put it away for a few weeks so that next time I look at it, it will be with fresh eyes.  It can be helpful to put works out of sight if you have been working on it for many hours as our mind gets into a state of being so wrapped up on the little things that it can no longer see the whole picture.  Sometimes after some time has passed either the solution to the problems will come to you or you will be able to look as the piece as a whole rather than parts.  I made the decision to add a 2nd more prominent tree on the left to counterbalance the central one. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful holiday and lots of great food and good company!

The wolves themselves are pretty close to being completed, however I have decided to continue on with the dreaded background, as I think it will make for a more complete piece of work.  I am hoping to get an out of focus effect with the background, not an easy thing to do with scratchboard! 

A bit of glare on this photo...  stay tuned for the background work.

"Art and the Animal" Opens in Colorado at The Wildlife Experience

Today I went to pick up my large elk piece called "The Challenger" from The Wildlife Experience Museum, as it was in Colorado Gold show that has ended.  In the place of Colorado Gold is now Society of Animal Artist's "Art and the Animal" exhibit which will travel on to two additional museums throughout the next year.  Last Saturday was the opening for that show as well as "Small Works, Big Impressions" exhibit.  I was not able to attend the opening due to work (grooming) but Connie at TWE gave me a chance to look around today- both shows have some great work in them!  My piece, "The Hypnotist" is the cover image  for this years Art and the Animal exhibition catalog and being used for many promotional materials, which is a great honor!  In addition the work sold at the initial opening for the show in Kansas and won an SAA Award of Excellence!  It doesn't get much better than that!!

A bit more progress on the brothers (and even more work is done but too dark to take another photo tonight).  I am starting to get antsy to start on something new.

Another hour or two...

With the approaching holidays my days have been busy, but without too much time to make progress on the brothers. I did get a couple or hours to work on the fellow on the left building up more fur...  I am still debating the approach I will use for the aspen trees that will be in the background.

People always want to see close ups of how I do eyes... so as requested here is a much magnified (the actual size is about the size of a penny or smaller) image of one of the eye on the forward facing wolf.  As you can see it is still all just very fine lines!

More on "Brotherhood"

Continuing on in my journey with the pair of wolf brothers.  Still a long ways to go...

Want to know what tools I have use?

So far in this piece I have used quite a range of tools and blades...

#11 scalpel blade (very fine lines)

#11 exacto blade (fine lines)

#112 speedball scratchboard tip (medium lines)

#113 speedball scratchboard tip (heavy lines)

ultra micro fiberglass brush (soft fur effect)

Progression of Brotherhood

I enjoyed another evening getting to make more progress on "Brotherhood" last night. The reference photos (it is a composite of several photos) for this pair of wolves was taken at Rolling HIlls Wildlife Adventure in Salina, KS. This was the location of the opening for the 49th Society of Animal Artists "Art and the Animal" show. The Rolling Hills staff was fabulous and very accomodating and I got some excellent references (despite shooting through bars in many cases). They are even going to use one of my photos for a fund raiser that they have coming up.

First Posting

Welcome to the blog for Cathy Sheeter and Aphelion Art and Photography. I will try to post to it at a minimum of weekly with both photos and my artwork, tips and tricks, and the occasional posting of my Belgian Sheepdogs.

I started a new scratchboard a few says ago of two wolves called "Brotherhood". The size is 18"x24" on ampersand scratchbord. At this time I am planning on leaving it black and white. Here is where I am at on the first wolf.

Scratchboard is my primary art medium. For those not familiar with the medium it is a form of direct engraving where a layer of black ink is scratched away to expose a white clay layer below. By scratching more or less lines, thicker and thinner lines different textures and values are achieved.

Check back soon for more updates!