Artist LC

I have had a small tin of charcoal pencils for a while now and no energy or ability to try something new. Then, a few moments came together and I was able to do a very quick sketch in outline with a dark charcoal pencil on pastel paper. I found the sound scratchy and unpleasant, due to my acute noise sensitivity.  I did not like the white charcoal pencil as it seemed to have no depth of colour, after the thick white pastels I love to use so much, so I quickly found a couple of loose pastels close at hand and added in the depth I wanted.  I don’t think I can be a pure charcoal person, but I definitely found it delightful (apart from the sound) to use it to outline this sweet dog who is looking for a home here. Arto, what a lovely happy face. https://pennypawsrescue.org.uk/2023/02/20/gorgeous-arto/

I have struggled with bad daily paralysis all month and yet longed to get some aspect of  the sweetness of this lovely dog who is sad and needing a new home.  My fingers work very little of  the time, are extremely weak and numb yet hurt at the same time and are periodically, daily, paralysed.  It is my joy to try and draw a dog in moments when my mind, fine control of my hands and my coordination come together. It is not frequent enough and so unpredictable and erratic. Chico is a PennyPaws Romanian rescue dog and hoping he can find the right people to love him forever. Drawing his expressive ears was a joy and hope this picture conveys how delightful he is. See: https://pennypawsrescue.org.uk/2023/06/14/chico/

    Illustrating some of my earlier art expressing my pain and paralysis in very rare moments of ability to draw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQm1Y457_us

 Simba is a beautiful, graceful PennyPaws dog who is in need of a loving home and the right support. I wanted to try and catch some of his loveliness in this pastel. I always find I fall short of the mark, but hope it is enough to see his beauty. This portrait took weeks to complete, which is frustrating, as I struggle with my paralysis and loss of fine control. https://pennypawsrescue.org.uk/latest-dogs-available-for-adoption/

I had to make some minor adjustments looking at the photo more closely. I feel this is a better picture for the slight changes. The detail is so important to get as right as possible or it is just a dog picture rather than recognizing it is ‘the dog’ picture.  A pastel is never going to be the same as a photo. At some point, though, I have to let go of looking at the photo and let it be what it is. This is Buddy. https://pennypawsrescue.org.uk/beautiful-bear-looking-for-his-forever-home/

  I have to work quite quickly, when I can draw, incase I am too ill to finish a picture for many months, even years. I did not draw a portrait for at least 12 years due to devastating deterioration and very infrequently before that.  I am continually paralysed, particularly my hands and arms, cognitively blank and physically weak and so unable that when I can draw it is a huge personal triumph  for me. This picture is almost complete but needs some fine tuning to get the detsil as accurate as I can. I am proud to have now finished what I hope is a reasonable likeness of Bear and hope he finds that special family that can understand and meet his needs.

  Initially I struggled with getting the right colours. No matter how many pastels you have, it seems, you never have the right colour. It was only later on that I remembered I had some new square pastels to try out and amazingly there were the colours I needed. Hurray. It is amazing how many different colors you need to draw a dog. There are so many choices and decisions to be made, always wanting to convey the real dog, not just an outline of a dog. It needs to be recognisable and touch the dogs beautiful energy and need.