  
I’m nearing the end of my graphic design program (almost finished!) and the current task was to design a package label for something, anything: I chose to do a label for my husband’s home brew. I’ll admit that the ‘client’ here is a bit biased; however, the snowgum tree logo and associated beer bottle labels were quite well received!
I also had an assignment to do an entire company brand (logo + letterhead, business card, and envelope design). I opted to redo the ANU logo – a daunting task! I wanted to courageously tackle the ideas of classicism and university shields while also propelling the forward thinking nature of a university. I think the toughest part about a university logo is the audience – the logo must appeal to Nobel laureates, academics, emeritus professors, and high school senior students looking for freshness in their potential university! Did I do a good job? You be the judge.
[I should state here that this was in no way commissioned by ANU, nor should it be used for any such official purpose: it was made purely for fun (unless(until?) ANU decides to buy it from me!)]
 A photo of my friend Jill’s baby grandson was so cute, that I just had to do a little sketch! It’s almost as if he is 6 months old going on 40!!
 I calligraphed the menu (modeled after my friend Deirdre’s script from the workshop she led!) and cooked all the food from scratch. I really do love my hubby. Please visit Deirdre’s website if you want to see her work http://www.calligraphicworks.com/
I got a new (well, it’s vintage, so new to me) Blackbird fountain pen. So much fun! Here’s one of my first sketches with it (after a Manet painting…)
I certainly am wavering between two styles – wanting to do more of a Brent Harris’s Leo Schofield type thing, like my life drawing (with Gillot 303 nib) from a few weeks ago:
; but instead my hand simply cannot seem to get away from detailed sketches, like my graphite renditions of Jannis and Nick below.
 
It’ll be interesting to see where my hand takes me in the next few months… My favourite calligraphy nib (the Gillott 303) has significantly more flex than the Blackbird. But the Blackbird is good fun in the meantime and for regular writing too.
Intimidated by the beard on the model at drawing class last night, I decided to try out a new technique – shadow mapping, still using my copperplate nib – and received a really wonderful compliment on showing this and the last few Copperplate Portraits (as I call them) to my Art Friend. Thanks John 
I did this one a few weeks ago and still quite like it. She’s part of my Emotion Of The Day sketches that are still continuing strong. I’m quite struggling with shoulders for non-frontal views, but I can see improvement, so that’s good.
Yet another 10-minute bodyless head. Hopefully soon I’ll get a little faster to be able to put bodies on them.
Back from a lovely holiday in Turkey, I managed to win the battle against jet lag for long enough to attend life drawing class again. I certainly did miss it! Here’s the best from tonight’s efforts. One of my neighbors said he thought I had really captured her likeness, which is such a fabulous compliment: but I don’t quite see it in this one; maybe the mouth.
I am very much enjoying portraiture with a Copperplate nib. I think I’ll continue this way for a while and see where it leads me. I need quite a bit more practice with them, because the point is so fine and pressure exerted so miniscule that it’s very hard to keep my hand steady. I’m still doing the Emotion of the Day and I got quite a few hats in during our trip to Turkey. Maybe I’ll keep on them and see what comes of it.
Yesterday, I had a great idea (as always just a take off on an idea from someone else) to do a portrait (or several) using my brand new Copperplate calligraphy nib. I tried it tonight during life drawing class and – wow – what fun!! I still need quite a bit of practice with the copperplate nibs, as I’ve only used them 3 times now. But I really like this!!!
But really what I want to say here is that I’ve finally found a way to draw every day. I’ve turned my nightly journal into a bit of an Emotion of the Day sketchbook. I still write a lot of words, as I’ve always done since I learned how to form the letters; but for the last month or more, there are lots of pictures in there too. I have to say, it certainly makes it more interesting to look back on! Here are a few of those.
    
After much hard work (probably 10-15 hours in total of practicing), I finished the menu for our friend’s wedding that took place in our backyard. I was quite happy with the menu, despite the major typo – who knew that “pistacio” is actually spelled pistacHio?? Oh well. Makes for a good story I suppose.
 
Our friend Mondo and I were on the ‘decoration committee’ and did a pretty good job we think. We turned our back garden into an altar-of-sorts and lit nearly 70 candles I think. Lots of flowers too, that you can’t really see in the dark. But Mr Groom & Mrs Bride really liked it and were quite happy with how it looked. And of course we all loved the dinner that Nick cooked Superb!
I’m doing lots of life drawing, tons of quick portrait sketches, and lots of calligraphy lately. Just not enough time to post on here! I’ll put up some of my portrait sketches maybe next weekend.
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