I have drawn my hands (and feet) before, but it is more interesting when I wear bright nail polish. I don’t wear it to work, so it is only long weekends and holidays. Of course, at the moment I can wear it all the time, as I am working from home. A positive of working from home (you have got to look for them ) is that I actually have long nails, all the same length. I work in a library and am constantly handling books all day. I do miss my physical books, but my nails have stopped chipping and tearing!
Just before the first shutdown in March, I bought some bright nail polishes and have been alternating them, depending on my mood. As Melbourne is now back in shutdown until at least 16 August, I have just gone online and ordered another six colours. So you can expect more nail polish drawings on my Instagram account.
I draw daily and post on my Instagram account. alissaduke1. Follow me there, Some of them are quick sketches, others are glimpses into projects I am working on. I am always sketching and I hope that by showing daily sketches, I show that anything is sketchable and that you just need a few minutes spare to put pencil to paper.
I post this weekly blogpost. It is always about my art, Some of the blog posts are instructional, about how to use watercolour pencils. I love to share my experiences and encourage people to put a pencil to paper. Sometimes my blogposts are about projects, big or small that I am involved in. This, of course, has changed in the last six months. I previously held Watercolour pencil sketching classes in Melbourne. I have not transferred these to online classes. Technically and timewise this is way beyond me. I am working from home fulltime, and my art is my relaxation. When I sketch I don’t think about anything else in life. I can lose my self for hours. But if I do figure something out about presenting online I will let you know.
I have a facebook page for my art at Alissa Duke Art and post there regularly, as well as to relevant private and public groups – Urban Sketchers, Nature Artists, Artists Journal Workshop, Food Sketchers, Commute Sketchers…
I put ALL of my art on Flickr. which is a photosharing website. I joined in 2008 and have over 6000 postings there. It has Albums for grouping key projects or themes, these include food and family history and Melbourne Rare Book Week. It is my database and I have key tag words. Unfortunately, I have not been consistent over time but can generally find all drawings on one subject by using the search function eg wombats, or nail polish or shoes.
Enjoy, explore and let me know if you have any questions.