Category Archives: Sheona Hamilton-Grant

Contracts, Shows: upwards and forwards.

Ever had the feeling that all the twists and turns of life will never straighten; just for a wee while, long enough to be able to stop smell the roses and catch your breath?
Boy is it a test of stamina.

Twists and twirling turns are in abundance down this end. Being in four countries over a period of three days is slowly becoming the norm. Meaning a strange on/off relationship with the cyberwaves and yo-yo working in hours in the studio.

The astounding thing is that there are all sorts of great things still happening. A signed 5 year contract with the NRW landgetsuet, a 3 day solo show and new commissions.

“Fuerst Piccolo”
Pencil on Paper
Reserved
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

There has to be a moral in there somewhere.
To be honest I will postpone trying to find it until the movers and their boxes have been and gone.

Look forward to saying hi again in August, mid August where I will be posting from our new home, from the hills of Bonn.
Until then wishing you all a great few weeks of creating and loads of summer fun.

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Powered Together finished.

Deadline reached and my new commission is now ready to be shipped.
Powered Together was commissioned by the NRW Landgestuet for their annual stallion show (Warendorfer Hengstparade) in September.

I’m really chuffed with the way this drawing has come out.


“Powered Together
Pencil on Paper. 39x30cm
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved 2010

Power, strength, speed, beauty, skill, trust and harmony are present in overdose.
Elements that my pencils adore rendering.
Meeting with my clients in a couple of days. Looking forward to hearing their thoughts.

On the drawing table another beautiful stallion. Will post a few updates soon.

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Powered Together slowly coming together…

Another week has been and gone leaving spinning heads and square circles in its wake.

Pencils were, however, exercised and good progress has been made to “Powered Together“.
The mid-July deadline is definitely within reach!

Here below, proof of the progress….

Powered Together: Step4
Powered Together: Step5

The dark stallion now has a rider, both horses have the correct number of limbs.
A few pieces of the puzzle are however still missing.
Having a ball drawing this powerful action piece. Loads of fiddly parts that are really helping keeping my mind off the tumult that our “not so long now” move is creating backstage.

Thank goodness summer is in full swing and the sun on top form!

Wishing you all a wonderful warm summer week-end wherever you are.

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Move, moving, (nearly) moved …

The 200 year old house in the south of Belgium is about to be replaced by a 40 year old house in the hills of the former German capital.
We are moving our tri-lingual family and lazy cats to a new country, a new life.

Move, as you can well imagine, is the “in” word, used in all sorts of manners, tried out with different intonations and set in just as many contexts.
As a result, “in” now not only shapes our days, our actions but has also overflowed into my work.

Below the third step in a very spectacular “Pas de Deux”...
Powerful poetry in motion.

“Powered Together”
Work in Progress step 3
Pencil on Paper

Completion is scheduled for mid-july, in the heat of pre move fury, in a haze of action and a cloud of tumult ….
To be continued ….




©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Blue Weimaraner named Ida

Detail of portrait study

Yeah!

At last I can show you one of the drawings that kept me scribbling for most of May. Long days and long nights were on the menu as I scrounged hours,minutes and seconds wherever I could find them.
Big thank-you to my friend and fellow artist Linda Shantz for her precious musical tips. She introduced me to Biffy Clyro (the best Scottisch band of the moment) & Mumford & Sons. These guys got me through the hours and dead-line stress with a good rythm in my stroke :D

The result is “Ida”. Ida is just gorgeous: a blue Weimaraner with the most amazing light eyes I have ever seen.

The colour and texture of her coat were brilliant to draw, I guess simply because it is so out of the ordinary.(Miles away from curls and long hair)
Smooth shades of grey that transcend into darker values subtly but quite radically.

Ida
Pencil on Paper. 38x55cm
Sheona hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.
Sold

Ida’s portrait is now hanging in Germany up North where, hopefully, summer is swinging a wee bit more than down here in the south of Belgium!

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Bricks and stones: baby step added

Time was shuffled around and re-arranged over the week-end to give my pencils a wee gap to add a few more bricks and muscles.

Below the result of a few hours: a Clydesdale with an ever increasing chest and a wall with a new wonky bricks.

Next update coming soon….

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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A new work in Progress

Due to big urgent commissions needing all my attention, weeks have gone by without Black on Grey on White featuring any WIP.
So, it is with great rejoicing jubilation that I post the first steps in my new non-commissioned drawing: Bricks and Stones.
The reference comes from my good friend & photographer Juliet Harrison. She spotted this Clydesdale while visiting Scotland last summer and let her camera record a wonderful vision.

The piece is big and complex with strong contrasts in both light, shapes and textures, a great subject and an unusual composition.
Masses to get my teeth dug into.

“Bricks and Stones” Step 1

Tools chosen:
Mellotex paper
Derwent 2B & HB
Staedler Clutch F & 6B

The first step shows a few bricks who still need a big chunk of attention.
I’m drawing them as they come, having only mapped out horizontal lines to give me guidance. They are still time consuming as I have to figure exactly how best to render them. A first darker layer is made in 2B which I then refine with my HB…
Not sure it’s the best…Off up to work it out.
Will post soon.
Wishing you all a wonderful week-end wherever you are.

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Bernadette

Wilbur, bless him, decided to stay behind in April and “man” the studio. Personally, I’m convinced he got stage fright and wanted to blast out some way-out music and dance is socks off.

Once across the border, his absence was noticed.
Thankfully, while out hunting for last minute supplies, I bumped into Bernadette.
Bernadette, lying along side tubes of oil paints and miniature canvases, caught my eye or did she wink?
Whatever she did made me smile and continued to do so while sitting on my passenger seat as she tapped her wooden hand rhythmically to the Foo’s.
Wilbur has met his match.
The doll is “mid-way mad”.
A few pics of her in action to prove it.
She disappeared one quiet morning leaving her spot of choice (centre stage) to catch a few rays of sun.

Bernadettes’ spot of choice during the show: right up beside the gold medalist himself Rembrandt.

I hunted her down,

outside,

saying hi to Paradox


( a statue created in 1993 in memory of the world famous stallion Paradox).



p.s: serious art work is still happening in the studio with both Wilbur and Bernadette enjoying the music. However, all drawings flowing of the board are birthday commissions and can’t be shared until a later date.

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Chocking my right arm…

Un-obliviously (nice new word don’t you think?) I choked my right arm.
Let me translate: Blind to the weight and size of my files I fed my computer way too much …to saturation…to crash down.
Result: a disaster and a massive wake up call!

All work is now backed-up on DVD’s and allowing one of my most important tools to breath again. Big fresh breaths of IT air.

In the chaos and “restructuring” I realised I never showed you a portrait of the late “Bracken”.

Bracken was a rescue and a canine that found a 5 star life with a great couple. After a tough start, he discovered what it is to be the beneficiary of a good life, of a life filled with canine luxuries and surrounded by love.

“Bracken”
Pencil on Paper 19×21 cm
SOLD

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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The day I rode Hurricane

Would you agree that, as an artist, knowing your subject is not only important but crucial?
Which is why I could not believe my luck when the opportunity to not only photograph (once again) but actually ride one of the most charismatic horses I know arose.
I’m a long way off knowing him as well as I could but I can honestly say a giant step closer than I was… the day before I rode Hurricane.

Below the two of us in action – I hadn’t been on a horse in nearly 5 years. Amazing (and comforting) to see that all the instincts and feelings were still there and he did not seem put out by my lack of strength and agility. A real gentleman.


©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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New Jack Russell pencil portrait

Paula
Pencil on Paper. 16×18 cm
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.
Sold

Somewhere between the paperwork, housework and computer work, I found time to pay my drawing board a wee visit.

Paula is my newest commission and is off tomorrow to Germany (a surprise “bday” present). No worries about the secret: the birthday person doesn’t know of my existence.

For this portrait I pulled out my well loved – well known Hahnemuehle paper and 2b mechanical pencil.
The studio rocked to the Muse, Snowplay and Nickelback while my pencils enjoyed a well needed work out.

Next drawing will be all about canines again, this time big and grey. Think I’ll get Biffy Clyro to rock the studio walls…

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Press conference and various steps before the big day.

All started with an idea, followed by structured inspiration, focused hard work, meticulous co-ordination and then a real live press conference.

My one man show “Black on Grey on White” opened Friday the 9th of April in the Warendorf National Stud with a vernissage which welcomed over a 120 guests.
It was a magical evening.
Meeting friends, acquaintances and collectors.
Sharing my art, my world with an enthusiastic and receptive audience.
Launching my book “My Colours of Graphite”.
Saying thank- you speechlessly.
Seeing red dots appear and left behind (5 so far).
Collecting bookings to keep busy well into the new year.

So proud, so overwhelmed and still at a loss for words.
Images of the events will help explain, I’m sure, just why my emotions are still getting the better of me…

Press Conference April 1st 2010.
Georg Frerich, Hurricane, Susanne Schmidt-Rimkus, me, Nicole Uphoff-Selke and Herr Klaus Oortmann
10 minutes before the reporters arrived (trying to look cool and relaxed)
Room 1 one week before opening (lighting just put up)

Room 2 one week before opening (panels arrived after finishing with lighting)


One week later

Room 1 all ready to go

Room 1, 9th of April, waiting for the first guests to arrive.
Room 2: smart and tidy. The lighting is really good it’s just my photos trying to prove me wrong

Room 2 different angle: in the midst of the panels…

Room 2 looking just as posh and polished as room 1.


The evening

Book launch with Susanne Schmidt-Rimkus and Nicole Uphoff-Selke


To be continued

p.s: Wilbur decided to stay home and take care of business here in Belgium.
However, I did meet Bernadette….

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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My Colours of Graphite: Black on Grey on White

A big part of the “all go” theme at this end over the last few months has been writting and editing of my first book: My Colours of Graphite.
It’s published and ready to meet the world.
It’s been worth it all.

The launch was on Friday evening during the vernissage of Black on Grey on White (my solo show in Germany) and was met with great enthusiasm by all.
Needless to say I am over the moon and very proud to present over 80 drawings old and new, explaining them with a few words, throughout a 120 pages. The book zooms in on my intense relationship with my graphite friends and our journey over the last 15 years…

A book for all with a soft spot for art, horses, dogs and life.

My Colours of Graphite can be ordered through Blurb by following this link http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/762329/5bdc2ea19f5017d6b8f18929ef7d16f8

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Wilbur and the Easter bunnies….

All is well with Wilbur.
Caught him out and about with his new partners in crime. He’s seems to have given up rocking to my loud music and opted for gentle outdoor activities…
Stroking chocolate bunnies in the company of a big ginger cat might not be everyone’s idea of a wild time, but they all seemed to be getting along spiffingly ! (Dare I tell them the bunnies true destiny?)

Not long now before we can all munch happily and totally guilt free on chocolate eggs, bells and ….bunnies.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter from this end where the grass is “greening” and nature is successfully shaking off the dregs of winter!

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Moment in time (nearly) completed pencil drawing


“Moment in Time”

22×31 cm.
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

Please forgive my silence: cyberwaves (and time) have been out of my reach for the last few days as I spent time in Germany promoting my up and coming “one-man” show in April.

Back in a sunny Belgium working in the studio again.
Here’s the latest piece “Moment in Time”.
I love the moment, the trusting contact between equine and human.
A precious memorable contact.
One of my fond memories…

©Copyright 2010 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Horse & head collar new drawing underway

Finally found time to say hi to my drawing board and coax my pencils into a serious work-out. After a week of marketing and organizing, I left them lying dormant! Definitely time to shake them back in to action.

Here the first steps in a new piece, non-commissioned and loaded with understated emotion.


Horse & head collar accurately describe the first scribbles done on Mellotex paper. I have used a 2B clutch and a little 6B in the dark areas.
Hoping to get another grand session in tomorrow (after sifting trough some paper work.)

Promise to post the result.

©Copyright 2009 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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All about organising, thinking and preparing…and writing

As my solo show approaches at great speed, I’ve been running left and right, phoning, listing, planning, scheduling, correcting, stressing, tweaking, thinking and writing ( most probably all in that order!)

The writing has been the new challenging fun part. After months of work, my book “My Colours of Graphite. Black on Grey on White”, finally boasts dotted “i”s” and crossed “t’s” and looking (nearly) ready to greet the big wide world.

Once a date for the exhibition was set, it seemed like a nice idea to bring out a small book- a retrospective covering the last 15 years of my life. A very special and sincere way to pay tribute to all the people who have believed in me and supported me along the way.

It’s looking great, over 80 of my drawings have come together to show the world just how powerful a single pencil can be. As you can well imagine my scribble friends are on a pedestal as we retrace the 15 years we have spent together.

The launch is scheduled for the beginning of April…. Stay tuned.
If you would like to pre-order your copy please feel free to send me a note at info@sheonahamiltongrant.com

©Copyright 2009 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Calle’s second drawing portrait finished

Untitled
Pencil on Paper. 34×46 cm
SOLD
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved

Managed to finish this piece last week before the confetti and funny masks took over!
Calle’s portrait is now at the framers.
Can’t wait to see him behind glass all “poshed” up.

The tails’ swing and movement added the finishing touch I was looking for. The thickness of the hair pushing the movement forward towards the viewer. The size of the piece also adds to the over all feel of power.
Overall a nice result which I hope will make my patron smile.

p.s: please excuse the missing right boot tip…technical problems swallowed it…whole!

©Copyright 2009 by Sheona Hamilton-Grant. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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