tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84522510867354421432011-10-09T01:23:09.954+01:00Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-56060811941082441062011-01-09T14:19:00.000Z2011-01-09T14:19:36.436Z

Happy New Year to all of you! I have decided to change my blogging software, therefore my blog has moved. Click here to see the new and updated version: http://jilltisbury.co.uk/wordpress/ See you on the other side Jilly xx

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-85346882900329058752010-11-01T21:13:00.001Z2010-11-01T21:15:44.059Z

This year seems to be passing by in a sort of mini whirlwind! ....and it's nearly Christmas! Well this last month has been one of tying up loose ends. First of all John and I sat our final ever OU exam on 15th October and then spent the weekend away celebrating the end of 6 years of study! Actually we went to Hunstanton and spent much of the time catching crabs off Cromer pier - what a laugh,

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-90891174068046333412010-10-10T12:06:00.001+01:002010-10-10T12:07:22.655+01:00

Here are the final few WIP staps for Sophie: I decided to add a blueish background to pop out the fur colour: I chose a sort of air force blue as a complementary of the rust colours in her fur. It might seem odd to start on the background here, but it helps me to judge the overall finished piece.  Also the background needs to be in before I can add the finishing whisps to the hair.

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-68460598166278235792010-10-03T23:12:00.002+01:002010-10-12T14:06:59.138+01:00

I am still loving this Fisher 400 paper, so nice to work on. My latest commission is this lovely little King Charles Spaniel called Sophie.  I met Sophie and her "mum", Sally, at the Just Dogs Live show in Peterborough. Sally sent me this wonderful reference shot from a photo shoot she had done with Sophie at Lovell Design. Reference shots like these are reasonably rare, so it's nice to have

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-65533744371811404172010-09-27T21:02:00.000+01:002010-09-27T21:02:06.884+01:00

Crikey is it really a sign of getting old or are the months passing so quickly because as ever I have so much to do? What an update I have.... SOFA (Society of Feline artists)First things first - the SOFA exhibition -  was great!I sold one of my pieces there - Molly, a silly upside down piece of my sister-in-laws cat acting barmy - as she does.  so I was extremely pleased with that considering

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-9895498181195678332010-08-30T10:55:00.000+01:002010-08-30T10:55:01.669+01:00

Why haven't I used it before???? So everyone was raving about Fisher paper in the Pet Portraits forum and I figured that I needed to try it. As you do, I had great fun buying some stock and then carefully put it away, because I had commissions, study assignments, art college assignments not to mention other work stuff.....you know what it's like. My reward for finishing my penultimate OU

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-39304586147251343312010-08-30T09:43:00.000+01:002010-08-30T09:43:03.133+01:00

I know this might seem a little bizarre, but I wasn't sure about the background on this pieces even whn I declared it finished. Then I posted on Wet Canvas and a few of the guys suggested that the background could be darker. so I fiddled and here's the result. the image is not as good as it could be as the piece is now in a frame, so it was difficult to not capture the reflections as it's very

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-79141623792145222482010-08-09T12:31:00.000+01:002010-08-09T12:31:20.194+01:00

Just thought I'd post a quick update while I eat my soup this lunchtime! Molly & Jasper are finally finished, although I will probably keep looking at it and tweaking here and there as is my way.....and, I suspect, the way of most artists. Now I can go and find that fisher paper and wake up those Siamese babies...

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-9808947297694137762010-08-05T21:40:00.001+01:002010-08-05T21:41:32.392+01:00

Well someone had to say it... I had a fab day today.  I took four pieces of work down to the Society of Feline Artists submission day for their annual exhibition. I was very nervous as this is my first time exhibiting at this venue and it's the one to be at really as it's in London at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery in Waterloo.  One of my images has been used for the catalogue and all four

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-38812878756267955442010-08-02T21:17:00.001+01:002010-08-02T21:23:40.834+01:00

Well strangely I'm loving this... I think it's the discipline of rendering life-like foliage.  I'm giving as much attention to the laurel as I am to the main subjects - which is no bad thing.  Time was when I would have dashed off a background and then not been happy with it - maybe I'm finally mellowing in my 'middle age'. Anyway here's the latest shot of it with a little more laurel: Now I'm

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-71241472503415462182010-08-01T10:20:00.001+01:002010-08-01T10:34:56.084+01:00

August already!  Soon the Easter eggs will be in the shops ;0) Well I've had another crazy month with lots going on.  I got a 'debosser' last week! It stamps an impression into the mount board with my name in a roundel and the works 'original artwork'.  I'm really pleased with it because you can use it on gold foil wafers too.  These are great to use as authentication on limited editions.  I

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-16919352494496025342010-07-19T22:19:00.003+01:002010-07-19T22:42:42.234+01:00

Well I'm lost without my little Bengal pals, they were such a part of my life for a few weeks now they've gone home! ;0) I'm pleased to say that Tracey and Steve were delighted with their comission, so another happy customer...yeay! So now what? Well there's lots to do. This week I'm expecting reference images from several commissions that are on order so that they can be added to my schedule.

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-26681503828700505162010-07-16T22:00:00.001+01:002010-07-19T22:34:47.593+01:00

So here it is all done and dusted!I will be delivering it to Tracey and Steve on Sunday,so I can't wait for them to see it.It will be interesting to know what the subjects make of it.  My Brit Blue, Amber went around the back of it when I showed her, to see where the cats were...;0)  Bless. So it's a short blog today - just wanted to show the finished article - I have a busy weekend of filming

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-52502496153900347832010-07-14T21:51:00.002+01:002010-07-14T21:54:54.262+01:00

Light at the end of the tunnel... ...but it has been a very pleasant tunnel! Well I spent 3 days a the 'Just Dogs Live event' in Peterborough - Fri, Sat & Sun drawing cats ;0) Nobody seemed to mind and they roused lots of interest.  It was extremely hot, so there weren't as many people at the display rings as expected.  Mostly poeple were showing the dogs then taking them home out of the heat.

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-48436620838078047672010-07-07T21:37:00.003+01:002010-07-07T22:47:33.682+01:00

Plagued by thunder flies It's amazing how many people have never heard of thunder flies.  I thought you got them everywhere - maybe people call them something different.  They're those miniscule 2mm long black flies that love the corn so much...and at this time of year they appear to love everything else too. For an artist it's a nightmare as they get into paintings under the galss and you end up

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-67988308972736792612010-07-05T08:02:00.003+01:002010-07-05T08:09:32.221+01:00

Well what a busy weekend! Had my mother-in-law, Pauline, with us for the weekend as she is moving from Luton up to Rushden into an assisted living apartment - a big upheaval for an 80 year old! Anyway, we toddled off to the Hollowell Steam Rally and Heavy Horse show, mainly because she adores horses and also because I wanted to photo's of them.  Let me tell you, pushing a wheelchair up and down

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-49089222053072676682010-07-01T21:40:00.003+01:002010-07-01T21:44:31.610+01:00

This is the life! My lovely husband has just made me the most luscious large, foamy cappuccino, (I knew that coffee machine pressie was a stroke of genious ;0)  ), with 3 jaffa cakes on the side; which leaves me in the ideal position to tell you about the progress with the Bengal 6. So when we last spoke I had just started on Spirit.  Since then, I have completed the Open University assignment

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-50904368390285614672010-06-20T21:10:00.006+01:002010-06-20T22:04:20.936+01:00

Shadow and SpiritAt last,  I managed to get some quality time this week with the Bengal 6!  This weekend I was at a cat show in Peterborough and this little family caused quite a stir... So, you'll remember that we got as far as the outline last week...now was time to start some proper work.This is a portrait on light grey velour in pastel.  Mostly the blocking in is done with stick pastels which

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-304920601430792612010-06-07T19:03:00.002+01:002010-06-07T19:09:40.024+01:00

So how do you agree on a layout for 6 cats in one composition when you have a portfolio full of images and infinate possibilities? For me the answer is Photoshop.  It's a great tool for quickly and easily pulling a composition together to show to a client.  I started out by selecting what I thought would be the best images to work with - you saw those in my last post.  With Photoshop you can

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-30448602087947235772010-06-02T22:26:00.002+01:002010-07-19T22:36:47.145+01:00

I'm very excited to be starting my next comission as I've always wanted to draw these beautiful cats.Tracey and Steve Fordham have a lovely family of Bengal cats and we met at a recent cat show.  They were keen to commission a 'family' portrait with all five of their cats, so Tracey got to  work collating all of their best photos and sending them on to me. On the left is Spirit - we met at the

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-62790607844436905572010-05-31T22:46:00.000+01:002010-05-31T22:46:21.224+01:00

Hello all Aplogies for the lack of updates and the fact that I have been missing in action.  I managed to trap the sciatic nerve in my hip at the beginning of March and have only just got back into the swing of things.  If you've ever done it you'll know what I'm talking about.  If not - imagine a nest of wasps have set up home inside your hip joint! Now you're getting it! Mmmm, so not much

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-75836299758506672742010-04-07T18:53:00.000+01:002010-04-07T18:53:44.099+01:00

I have fingers in lots of different pies at the moment, one of them is just finished and will be my second piece for college assignment 3... so I thought you'd like to see. I fancied having a go with drafting film that  after seeing the results that Karen Hull gets with the same medium.I thought I'd have a change from cats as the brief asked for 'an animal with it's tongue hanging out' and since 

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-45682005855696116032010-04-03T12:22:00.002+01:002010-04-03T12:26:51.359+01:00

I had a great time at the Cambridge Cat show and met some lovely people.  I picked up a few commissions so watch out for updates about their progress in the blog.  Next week I'll be in Brigg - South Humberside for the One for all cat show which is over 2 days, so I'm very much looking forward to that.  At the last show I was still working on Amber so I thought you'd like to see a step by step and

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-46100828332184111812010-04-03T11:54:00.000+01:002010-04-03T11:54:16.480+01:00

Happy Easter! Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  I'm having a very busy time at the moment.  I have study for both the open University and the London Art college and commissions to do. It's great!Barbara picked up her commission of Polo and was delighted with the results.  She has commissioned another portrait of Spoc, who is sadly no longer with us.  I can't wait to see images of Spoc as

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-31638209664243169342010-03-24T21:32:00.000Z2010-03-24T21:32:03.723Z

If you're in the Stevenage area this weekend (27th March), I will be attending the Cambridgeshire Cat Club's 16th annual show. I will be continuing with my portrait of Amber and taking commissions. The show is held at Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, SG1 1LZ. See you there!

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-33762498819617940192010-03-24T21:26:00.000Z2010-03-24T21:26:07.459Z

In my previous post I showed the step by step of Polo a beautiful white and tan Maine Coon.  Well now he's finished! In the last post we had reached his bib and I was working on the body fur.I had chosen the sand coloured velour to help tie together the white with the little bit of tan that you see on his ears. Even so,  I felt that it needed just a little bit more depth to lift Polo out from the

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-62813886526060871292010-03-21T21:41:00.002Z2010-03-21T21:47:25.407Z

Isn't it amazing how much you rely on the Internet these days?  In fact any computer system. Much as I love cute little furry animals, I'm not too impressed with the sleeping spot that one of them chose last week.  We have a transformer box on our estate that steps the power down from the grid to enable normal domestic usage.  Often small animals decide to investigate with dire consequences...

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-79019509216403990172010-03-07T13:41:00.002Z2010-03-07T13:48:54.729Z

I was recently fortunate enough to work with a great photographer friend of mine on his reference image CD's for artists. Geoff Stone and his wife Ros are local photographers and good friends of mine.  If you are looking for some fantastic reference images for your artwork click here to vist Geoffs site. Choose "Artists CDs" from the main menu to see the CDs on offer. Currently you can choose

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-75560570083580458792010-03-07T13:13:00.000Z2010-03-07T13:13:23.940Z

Yesterday I attended my first cat show! It was the Southern British Shorthair Show at Addlestone in Surrey and as I am owned by a British Shorthair myself I didn't know where to look first.  They are such beautiful cats in an amazing palette of colours as you can see from Poppy here...but more of her later. Setting up My lovely husband packed the car for me at 6:30 am while I prepared some lunch

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-81615716927516366772010-01-26T11:34:00.001Z2010-01-26T11:35:19.373Z

There is so much happening right now it's crazy! I'm deep into study at the moment and it's very distracting as it's linked directly to artistic stuff and so the more I write about art, the more I want o just draw... Arrrgh! My Open University course is about Entrpreneurial Opportunities, so I have decided to use my portraiture business as the subject.  http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-8371927392112033052010-01-19T06:55:00.000Z2010-01-19T06:55:37.238Z

I use RedBubble to showcase my work and I find it's a great help in understanding what people like and what they dislike.  I loved drawing Henry (in the basket) because of the detail in his fur and in the wicker.  I also loved the kittens shown in this picture, mainly because I liked the way they were interacting and the backlit fur.  Of the two I would have said that Henry would have had the

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-35743624125029045142010-01-18T07:46:00.000Z2010-01-18T07:46:01.035Z

This is a piece that's been patiently waiting for me to finish it.  It's a piece for my college course and has been on and off the drawing board in between comissions.  I loved the wicker work on this basket, I think it's because it gave me a challenge other than fur.  The cat's name is Henry and he was a bit startled to have his photo taken, but he stoically stuck to his basket!

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-37917061775955499202010-01-18T07:37:00.000Z2010-01-18T07:37:40.100Z

Well Happy New Year to all of you! It's been and interesting start to the year for me - I lost my old Dad on boxing day, so Christmas seems like months ago.  He had a terrible condition known as Lewy Body Dementia with which he battled for the last 4 years.  He wasn't a morbid man so I look back with much fondness and prefer to celebrate his life, and what a full and rich life it was.  I'm sure

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-29395831774216715832009-11-29T14:14:00.001Z2009-11-29T14:15:54.529Z

OK! Just uploaded my first set of work for assignment 1 of my college course, so now begins the wait for the critique feedback.  In the meantime I have a couple of new pieces to start.  The first is a Springer Spaniel called Cassie: This is a commission by a friend of Cassies owner who wants it as a Christmas pressie ;0) The second is of a little boy called Elliot which will be my first human

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-86775144010933342162009-11-24T08:11:00.000Z2009-11-24T08:11:26.733Z

Blimey it's busy! I've just come back from a weekend exhibition of my husband, John's work in Olympia and my nose is firmly back to the grindstone. Just finished a commission of Pip, he's a Burmese Blue.  His Mum loves his quirky ears, so I had to make sure that they were captured just right. Still Life assignments I was taken back to my art college days with the first assignment for my Pet

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-55045714688235286492009-10-27T07:14:00.000Z2009-10-27T07:14:02.547Z

I have just enrolled on the Pet Portraiture diploma course run by the London Art College.  It's a 12 month course, although I think the pace of your work will ultimately dictate the length of the course, and is distance learning. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in as the content looks fab.  I'm used to distance learning with the Open University for business and computing courses, so

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-71749380553229874082009-10-27T07:08:00.000Z2009-10-27T07:08:56.709Z

The Fellowship of Professional and Amateur artists will be holding an Open exhibition at  the Wellingborough Museum 7th - 14th Nov. I have entered 4 pieces and 3 have been selected for the exhibition!  I'm so thrilled.  The preview evening will be Friday 6th Nov.  Click here for more details of the exhibition http://www.fpaa.co.uk/.

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-12983748022958006852009-10-22T06:47:00.000+01:002009-10-22T06:47:15.715+01:00

I think one of the best ways to network and pick up tips, tricks and new ideas is to join an art group or artist's society.  I have recently joined 2 societies and I'm very excited about what's coming up. the first is the Fellowship of Professional and Amateur Artists which you can find here http://www.fpaa.org.uk/ They have an open exhibition running from 7th - 14th November 2009 at the

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-68300077676530597152009-10-21T13:00:00.003+01:002009-10-27T07:16:26.437Z

Despite the studying I did manage to finish this portrait of Elvis. He belongs to my hairdresser and is quite a striking horse. This was the first horse portrait I have done and I really enjoyed it. Loved trying to get the light just right.

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452251086735442143.post-78097873254909889212009-10-21T12:58:00.000+01:002009-10-21T13:00:13.079+01:00

Hello and welcome to my blog.This is my first ever blog and I'm quite excited!I have recently launched my new website and when I first thought about adding a blog I wondered what I could possibly say...but that soon passed ;0)So I'm gonna jump right in with this week...It's only Wednesday and it's been so busy already. I'm in my last year of an Open University course (BSc Hons open degree) and

Jillyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04253715498947872055noreply@blogger.com0