Category Archives: books

My cards at State Library of Victoria

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The last few weeks have involved some very exciting events for me and my art.
My greeting cards are now for sale at The State Library of Victoria at Readings Bookshop and the Law Institute of Victoria Bookshop.

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my cards are all along the top row and the first three on the left on the second row

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The greeting cards at State Library of Victoria include my drawings of library books, library ladders, feathers and nests. I visited on Friday to see them  prominently displayed on the shelf and fitting in very nicely in their surroundings. I am slightly overwhelmed and in awe that my cards are being stocked at such a prestigious and historic institution. It is visited by thousands of tourists and locals as it is a  Melbourne landmark and cultural icon.  This is a Very Big Deal for me as this Is my first stockist (apart from  my local corner store).

6Feb2016 SLV

I drew this on the morning that I dropped my cards off at the Library. It is a magnificent 19th-century building .

There is particularly interesting and strong connection between the State Library of Victoria and the Supreme Court of Victoria Library (where I work and whose books and library ladders feature on my cards).

25Feb16 statue

Statue of Sir Redmond Barry ,outside of the State Library of Victoria

Sir Redmond Barry, KCMG, QC (1813 – 1880), was a colonial judge in Victoria, Australia. He is a leading figure in Melbourne’s history. Amongst many other things he established the Library of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1851, The current building, with its magnificent dome was completed in 1884 . In 1854 he established the Melbourne Public Library, now the State Library Victoria. It is Australia’s oldest public library and one of the first free public libraries in the world (and also has a dome).

In a second event my Library and book greeting cards are also going to be available for purchase at the Law Institute of Victoria bookshop. This is another area of great potential . There are 20 000 solicitors in Victoria and this is their member organisation and bookshop. I had a wonderful discussion with the manager and have many ideas for new drawing projects.

Of course, you can buy my greeting cards  from my online Etsy shop .

Library coffee cups

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Today was my work Christmas party. It was held in the tearoom at work, everyone bringing a plate of food and taking the time to  relax. My contribution to the lunch (along with bread and juice) were these paper coffee cups that I had drawn on. They are  drawings of the Supreme Court of Victoria.  The library that we work in is under the dome. The other drawings are of books in the library. People could take a cup if they wanted to, and happily did.

cup and books

Above is a cup against the books.

Below are the different drawings I did.

Here are the BOOKS

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and here is the LIBRARY

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The cups were bought by my colleague Monica at the markets in a stack of 100 (thank you !) . I didn’t think I would use that many but I can see lots fun potential. I have drawn on them with my Lamy Safari Joy ink pen . I hope you enjoy.

If you love books and library you can purchase my watercolour pencil drawings of them on Greeting cards in my Etsy shop

 

 

 

an open book

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An old open book has so much potential – what do you see written?

open book

This is my dilemma.

I have drawn a beautiful old book with yellowed pages, brown spots on the page (known as foxing) and a worn spine.

The book is open , inviting you in to read. However I do not want to use the original title page of the book as it is Ecclesistical Cases law reports published in 1703. I have drawn this on a loose sheet of A4 paper and may want to have it printed as a card or print in the future. I would like to have a wider audience than lawyers.

I ask for your suggestions on what you can visualise written on the opening pages of  this mysterious book  …

The thoughts so far – please comment and makes suggestions

  • leave it blank
  • Once Upon a Time
  • an illuminated letter or elaborate image or frontispiece

I look forward to reading your ideas and will let you know what happens in a future blog post .

*this was drawn with watercolour pencils in my lunch breaks at work . Warm Grey II, Burnt Ochre, Paynes Grey, Ivory, Raw Umber, Sketched lightly in HB pencil first to get the perspective and proportions in place.

 

 

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old law books

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I have been drawing in my lunchbreaks on some days over the past two weeks. Drawing old law books in the library I work in.

22Aug15 old law booksThis was completed over three sessions.  I finished the final marks on the page during a lunch hour when there was a classical music recital in the library. I sat up in the shelves drawing old books and listening to Debussy played on the piano. I cannot think of a better way to spend my time,

22Aug15 old law books close

Here is a close up

and as a work in progress. ( with some strange colours because I took the photos on my phone.

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Of course, I have started drawing another set of books ……
and my drawings of the library and its books are available Greeting Cards on my Etsy site https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AlissaDuke

My first solo art exhibition

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My first solo art exhibition. It is small but it is all mine.L1100034

My local East Melbourne Library provides display cabinets for residents to book for a month at a time for exhibitions. With the encouragement of friends, I booked a space for August. Then, with the incredible guidance and assistance of my good friend Louise, (curator and exhibition designer) we planned and then set up my display.

THE PLANNING

joined images1

This took many hours and the time that we spent planning paid off.   I learnt that there is a lot involved in finding a theme, keeping focus and using the space of the  glass cubes that make up the cabinets. I cut 12 squares of 30 x 30 cm paper (the number and size of each shelf) and spread them out over the floor at home . I then decided what should be placed in each shelf. We took it all down to the library last Saturday, making slight alterations on the day .

All along, I had visualised how I wanted my feather and nests sketches to be exhibited, and the final display exceeded all of my expectations.

The theme of the exhibition was based around the drawings I have had printed as Greeting Cards and envelopes (which are available for sale on my Etsy site). They include feathers, nests, library books and ladders and snails.

BOOKS

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There is one display cabinet featuring library books and ladders.

I tried to add as many relevant sketchbooks as possible to the display as well as the finished drawings  on loose sheets of A4 paper as I am really a sketchbook artist.


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FEATHERS, NESTS AND SNAILS

I also wanted to include some of the original objects that the drawings were inspired by.

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I have already received some lovely feedback from the library staff.

I hope that you have enjoyed strolling through my first solo exhibition with me today. It is very big event for me and I very proud of my exhibition.

Sketching Rare Book Week

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This week was Melbourne Rare Book Week.

There were events on everyday.  It provided a chance to listen to  individuals talk about their book passions and share their knowledge. It also provides the opportunity for me to sketch ! (You may notice – there are no actual sketches of books in this blogpost).

I attended six events and sketched at four of them. I sketched using a graphite pencil or my Lamy Sarafi Joy ink pen.

before the talk on The Joy of Books. A few of the audience looking at books on display and talking to the presenter

before the talk on The Joy of Books. A few of the audience looking at books on display and talking to the presenter

I deliberately chose a seat at the back and to the side of the room. This way, I can look over the audience and practice sketching crowds. The people stay still as they listen and I have a captive audience. In this time I can practice sketching the subtleties of slumped shoulders and tilted heads of people as they listened, entranced by the speakers. I really enjoy sketching groups of people and sketch instances like this often (and am therefore comfortable with it).

talk on Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

talk on Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary

The other opportunity the Rare Book Week talks provided was time to practice drawing the faces of the presenters. This is more of a challenge for me. I find that capturing the personality of a person is a skill that will take me a lot of practice – which is why this was a great opportunity.

Reading letters from 84 Charing Cross Road

Reading letters from 84 Charing Cross Road

While I am sketching I am also listening to the presenters. Drawing does not distract me, rather it helps me focus. This is hard to explain. The presentations were all talks, and not pictures or visuals on slides, so I did not need to look up all the time. My sketches do not look like the actual person but it was good fun.

23Jul15 Rare Book Week talk

My drawing projects this week

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Here is a little review of the variety of drawing projects that I have been doing in my out of work hours this week.

Of course Everyday in May continues.

 

19May draw a cupcake

I wrote about this drawing challenge last week, and here is one of this week’s sketches. See all my Everyday in May drawings.   I really enjoy this project, but it is a little exhausting and I will be glad when is May over and I can redirect that creativity and time to many other drawing projects.

19May15 book sketch
This week I have been drawing another old book at work. I initially sketched the book as it sat on the shelf over two lunch breaks (above) . I felt that something was not quite right and asked for feedback from my friends on the Artists Journal Workshop facebook group. A few suggestions were put forward which I have incorporated as I draw the final version on a loose sheet of paper. This is how I will spend some of my day today (Sunday) . The final drawing  may become part of  another set of book themed Greeting cards – to sell alongside of my drawings of old library books and shelves on my Etsy shop.

Which leads me to hint of my other project this week. A new set of Greetings cards, based on my feather and nests drawings are at the printer and will be for sale in the next few weeks Subscribe to this blog to find out about it when it happens!

And last but definitely not least is my everyday sketching – capturing moments in my life. All of my drawing are on my flickr page

 

21 May15 tram

Old library books

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A few weeks ago I showed this drawing as a work in progress and asked for advice on its composition. I received some very useful feedback.

books in frame

I have now completed the drawing. I decided to lean the books on each side and also have unfinished, disappearing edges. This is a style that I feel comfortable with.

24Apr15 Library books
Above is scan of the  finished drawing, on A4 paper with watercolour pencils. Read about the colours used in my last blogpost

The books are Dowling and Ryland’s Magistrates‘ Cases (1822-1827) an English Law Reports series.

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I am going to keep the drawing in this frame on the wall so that I look at it everyday and notice subtle differences that I can make. It may be making some colours darker, increasing some shadow, or adding a line underneath to indicate a book shelf.

At a later stage I plan to create another set of Greeting Cards to add to my current set of eight Library and book cards in my Brand New Etsy Site
Now that the Winter months are here in Melbourne, I will be spending my lunch hours in the library I work in, drawing more books…..

books – work in progress

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This is about a drawing I am currently creating. (I don’t like to use the term “working on” because it is not work at all).

This week I have been drawing in my lunch breaks. I usually draw for about half an hour. This is the result at the end of the third day.

17Apr15 books wip closeup

I took my watercolour pencils and A4 size University paper (I believe it is produced by St Cuthberts Mill in the UK). I sat at a table next to these law reports and started drawing. These are at eye level and all the shelves are full of books. On the shelf there are books either side of these and they are neatly and tightly shelved.

DECISIONS TO MAKE

I did not really think before I started drawing and now I have some decisions to make. I thought I would share my options with you now and would love to hear any suggestions anyone has.

  • How many more books to draw?
    • 17Apr15 books wip1

    Current drawing on A4 page

    I only have a limited space on the paper to use. This is what is looks like on the A4 page.  I have photocopied the drawing and experimented with HB pencil for potential composition. I realised one of my first ideas would not work as I did not have room on the page to draw a few books lying down on the right side, stacked up.

    I have the options of adding more books of different heights and thicknesses and/or have some books leaning.

    ‘

    19Apr15 test

    I could try this


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    ‘

    19Apr15 test1

    Or this, or a combination

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    ‘

    • How to finish the sides – I have the choice of fading the colour and lines at the edges  to have an unfinished look  OR finishing each  book and having solid colour to the edge of each book.
    • How to finish top – The books are on shelves and the books disappear into darkness of the shelf. I don’t want this is dominate the page.
    • How to finish the bottom – The books are sitting on shelves. Do I finish at the base of the book or include the shelf line.

    I am looking forward to any suggestions and will share the completed drawing when I have finished it!

    ABOUT THE DRAWING

     

    19Apr15 colours

    These are the colours I am using. There are 120 watercolour pencils in the Faber Castell range. I carry and use 26 colours in my pencil wrap and they suit me perfectly. I can usually create the colours I need by blending. This is done on the page or off the tip of the two pencils on the waterbrush.

    The pigments can be completely dissolved, and will then behave similar to watercolour paints. The paint becomes permanent when dry, enabling other layers of colour to be built up without causing it to dissolve again. Or they can sharpened to a fine tip. Great for broad brushstrokes or finer detail.

    However I have to keep remembering to sharpen my pencil. They get blunt very easily when using the waterbrush to take the colour off the tip of the pencil.

    I build up the colour gradually. However, as you can see, I also draw in darker areas early as it gives me a sense of where I am going and what the drawing is going to look like when complete.

    Here is a previous work in progress library drawing https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/15429144837/in/set-72157648983342201
    and other book and library drawings
     https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/sets/72157648983342201/, some of which you can purchase on my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AlissaDuke

    My Etsy shop is Open !

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    I have opened my Etsy Fine Art Shop.

    The product?
    Blank Fine Art Note or Greeting Cards featuring eight of my drawings of books and libraries.
    Today I’m here to share a little more about this.

    Where did the idea come from?
    I have been longing to get my drawings printed as cards and prints for quite a while (as my friends know). I have spent time looking for a printing company that would produce a product with a quality of colour and finish that I was happy to put my name to. When I arrived in Melbourne I found (through recommendations) the company Print Together who were just right !

    Why did I create cards?
    I love paper products and the enjoyment of the written word. I love stationery, books, hand written notes and receiving something in the mail, and I know that many other people do too, even in this digital age. I write a letter once a week and love to post cards and think about the enjoyment and surprise on the recipients face when they open it .
    I have been drawing the books and shelves in my new workplace and realised they would make a perfect set of cards.

    What to expect?
    Each card features a single image on the front and a blank interior, and a description on the back. They are printed on 300gsm card with a smooth finish that has an easy to write on surface. Each individual card comes packaged in a protective plastic sleeve with an envelope.

    spine with pen

    So where can you find them?
    You can find my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/alissaduke where you have a look at and order these cards.
    *Keep an eye for new images on cards coming soon. Have a look at my website at the DRAWINGS tab to see just a few of my other type of drawings. Or ALL of my art everyday on flickr.

    marble