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Making an Effort

Making and Effort : charcoal and pastel still life drawing

It seems it is time to reacquaint myself with my hairdresser to get the annual hairdo, for the artist's reception for "Carbon Footprints" is fast approaching

I hope you can suspend your New Year's resolution on Sunday 16th 11-1pm, to stop by and share in the celebratory pie, cookies and other naughty nibblies. (the celery, cottage cheese and cardboard diet will resume on Monday)

If distance and weather prevents you from enjoying a slice of frozen New Jersey, then kick back with a tub of ice cream and sample the show from your sofa at Carbon Footprints

Sweet and Sour : charcoal and pastel still life drawing

Artist Reception : January 16 11-1pm December 14 - February 10 2011 SOLO SHOW : Carbon Footprints Gaelen Gallery West Lautenberg Family JCC Rt 10 East Whippany, NJ www.jccmetrowest.org

Belated Pie Day - Best Drawing at the Gaelen Art Show

May 16 - June 16 11th Annual Gaelen Juried Art Show The Gaelen Gallery West Lautenburg Family JCC off Route 10 East Whippany, NJ www.jccmetrowest.org

Jo Bradney : Eggbox, charcoal still life drawing - Best Drawing

Happy Belated Pie Day!

With all the weekend festivals and new work, I have forgotten to share my Pie Day with you. I am excited to have Best Drawing awarded to "Eggbox"

But even better than that, my friend Florence Wint won Best in Sculpture for "Thinking Woman"...

...and Letty Oratowski won Honorable Mention in watercolor for "Mangoes and Glass"...

Letty Oratowski - Watercolor Honorable Mention

..and B John Kaufman (who has one of my miniature drawings in his kitchen!) won Best in Mixed Media for "From the Tree"

Joy Yagid's "Beauty Undiminished by Death or Snow" is a poignant photograph of a woodpecker found in this winter's snow

and Corey Wolff's "Bright Tree Lights" is a unusual abstract photograph - just fabulous!

Corey Wolff - "Bright Tree Lights" abstract photography

so many friends, such a lovely opening (with fantastic pie)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip (Carbon Footprint #38) charcoal and pastel drawing

YUM - Chocolate Chocolate Chip - charcoal and pastel drawing

these were so yummy - especially for no sugar added. Just as well I bought two boxes. It's like finishing the first layer of chocolates, only to discover a second layer hidden underneath. What a delight! (Not sure two boxes counts as "low carb" though.)

And such beautiful sage green boxes with irresistible blue stripey bakers string deserved a HUGE piece of paper - 30" x 22", my largest Carbon Footprint yet.

The original drawing will be included in the exhibition "The Cube and I" starting March 14th (Lordy! I'd better get my skates on and frame it!)

Giclee prints are available from my Etsy store Or drop me a line to arrange payment.

Description : charcoal and pastel still life drawing of empty chocolate muffin wrappers and cake boxes

This charcoal and pastel still life drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

Please stop making Pumpkin Pie! (Carbon Footprint #31)

empty pumpkin pie can - charcoal still life drawing by Jo Bradney

This was my last can of pumpkin. I forgot to budget for the Fall Pumpkin Pie Frenzy and my store has been out of canned pumpkin for almost a month now. It seems they just can't keep it on the shelf. Now what is Lulu going to have for lunch?

It's loyal customers like Lulu that keep the canned pumpkin industry going through the lean Spring months; through the humidity of Summer, when pumpkin pie is the last thing on your mind. I'm pretty sure pumpkin is always on Lulu's mind - she's even added it to her growing list of vocabulary.

She's just going to have to make do with green beans until after Thanksgiving

Don't forget to leave a title suggestion for a free mini print

Description : An empty squashed can of pumpkin with a torn paper label, captured in a charcoal still life drawing

This charcoal drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

Shell on Prawns, charcoal still life drawing (Carbon Footprints #29)

Prawn shells, squeezed lemon and a bottle of white wine

I've been to the seaside for my holidays. Lots of prawns (or shrimp...depending on which side of the atlantic you lean towards), but much more wine, bestest old school friends, lots of giggles and fishy fingers.

A simply schplendid time had by all

Description : charcoal and pastel still life drawing of an empty wine bottle, half a squeezed lemon and a pile of shrimp shells

This charcoal still life drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

Empty Jam Jar - still life charcoal and pastel drawing (Carbon Footprints #28)

charcoal and pastel still life drawing of an empty jam jar and knife

I enjoyed drawing the empty jam jar so much last week, that it is making a second appearance this week - this time as a solo performer. This long skinny piece of paper was left over from the avocado drawing - "Pitted", so I am also being nice and economical and using up my left-overs... in more ways than one.

Leave a title suggestion for a free mini print

Description : Charcoal Still Life Drawing of an empty marmalade mar and sticky knife.

Buy the original charcoal drawing on Etsy

Toast and Marmalade Jar - charcoal and pastel drawing (Carbon Footprint #27)

empty marmalade jar and toast crust, charcoal and pastel still life drawing

Up until now, all the Carbon Footprints still life drawings have been genuine discards from my own life. This one is a bit of a fib

There is NO WAY I would have left that much scrumptious toast and marmalade.

But I decided that this picture needed something organic and so I sacrificed the last corner of toast for the picture. There can be no great art, without great sacrifice.

Leave a title suggestion for a 5" mini print

Description : Still life drawing in charcoal and pastel of an empty marmalade jar, sticky knife and half eaten corner of toast.

This charcoal still life drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

Bread Bag - charcoal and pastel still life drawing (Carbon Footprints #26)

charcoal, white charcoal and pastel still life drawing of a plastic bread bag and crust

I hate eating the last crust of bread. It's usually all dry and stale and too chewy for words. And I am here to testify that it DOES NOT make your hair go curly. That's a complete fib. (Although luckily it has not put hairs on my chest either - which is what I suspect my brother was promised)

However, I can't quite bring myself to throw it away either. That would be wasteful...and I can see my Grandad's disapproving face hovering over my shoulder.

So the compromise is to leave it in the bag until it goes green...and then throw it away. Well, I couldn't possibly eat it in that state.

This slice hasn't quite reach the interesting moldy stage, but unfortunately a day under the studio lights has turned it rigid. I think its going to have to be consigned to the bin

Sorry Grandad

Description : charcoal, pastel and chalk still life drawing of a plastic bread bag and the last dry crust.

This charcoal still life drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

Who Ate All the Pie? charcoal, red chalk and pastel drawing (Carbon Footprint #25)

Red and white stripey string cascades over an empty cake box and discarded silver pie dish Who ate all the pie?

Left over from celebrating last week's art sale this was a delicious egg custard. And how could I resist that string!

Free 5" print when you leave a title suggestion below

This charcoal still life drawing is part of the “Carbon Footprints” series.

At the Scrumptious Purple Pastel Tree

Something new and fun this weekend. Scrumptious Purple Pastel. I combined the purple with powdered sanguine red chalk and charcoal to create this woodland landscape.

I have always been a bit wary of using pastel chalks because of the dust involved, but I found something new at the art store this week - Pan Pastels. I initially went looking for them because the applicator was recommended for using with charcoal, but I was seduced by their delicious array of colors. There is something very satisfying (and irresistible) about seeing a rainbow of colors arranged in order.

If oil pastels are like drawing with lipstick, then Pan Pastels are like using eye shadow. The palette knife shaped tool has a little sponge hat (hand washable) that you can swirl around in the the solid color and then smear on the paper.

Just too much fun to be considered "work"