The process
My current drawings are done on A4 (210mmX297mm) sketch paper and take between 15 to 20 hours to develop, though in a stop-start manner- about two hours per session. I see the process as a metaphor for life generated, as it is, through the continuous choices we make throughout the string of nano moments that make up our 3-D reality. Once I decide to draw a couple of specific motifs, the clock starts with the first stroke of the pencil on the page. And then comes the slow but enjoyable and always surprising detailed emergence of each of these motifs as they reveal themselves through the gentle erasing of the first set of markings on the page. I observe the faint outlines that remain and notice where, within those lines, an array of possibilities to explore through more light and tentative pencil work emerge. I repeat the process of rubbing out lightly and observing where new markings might be exploited until, finally, I am satisfied with each motif, as it finally appears on the page. I find it fascinating to see how faint pencil marks suggest a potential shape which is up to me to accept and develop or reject. Isn’t this how we ‘do’ life throughout our day-to-day - one emotion, one reaction, one choice at a time?Current Style
Clearly, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, my art form initially developed a penchant for ancient objects and prehistoric 'life' as central motifs. However, I have never had any particular interest in those topics. Nor for rugged, sparsely treed yet water-fed backdrops where weird, often skeletal little creatures like to frolic..
Since then, prompted by current events or friends’ suggestions, my thoughts have slowly moved me towards more
realistic depictions of life on planet Earth but with an also inexplicable focus on bygone eras.
And always, thank goodness for that, in a quirky/whimsical ‘crazee doodle’ style.
It goes without saying that in its finished
form, whether it’s a steampunk woman, a
goddess, a dragon or a lion’s head, each
‘featured’ item looks incredibly different
from what I had in mind at the start.
Then, before applying the first layer of
colours, I go over every shape, however
large or minuscule it is, with a fine line
pen.
Once the first layer of colours is applied, I
turn my attention to the background,
which also emerges from mostly rubbed
out shapes.
Then comes the unpredictable
arrangement of ‘lines and blobs’ that
creates the texture of the background.
It results from sliding a smooth piece of bark, rock, shell or carving under the page, rubbing over it with a colouring
pencil – and mixing it up.
After a while, colour pencils can no longer add extra depth of colour over previously applied colour and, too soon,
what was almost bright enough becomes dull.
So, I print the drawing to produce a new, pre-coloured base layer ready to receive added depth of colours.
Always on the lookout for more emerging details, before adding the new layers of colour to the print, I outline each
shape again and again with a black pencil or fine marker, depending.
Finally, here and there, I smear dots of watercolour to add more depth and vibrancy to the whole.
Starting from scratch in 2019, with no prior practice or inkling to draw, I
began doodling a stick-figure vision board, my bucket-list for the
decade ahead.
From that moment onwards - and for the best part of the next three
years - I only ever drew in the company of my aging mother to
encourage her to keep colouring, despite the deepening Alzheimer's-
related decline in vision/spatial issues and hand-eye coordination.
One day, I gently challenged my mother to draw the tall palm tree
directly in her line of vision, and, at some point, I was moved to capture
this moment myself. The ‘tree’ (which I later pasted next to the one I
had drawn) on the left-hand side is my mother’s rendition of that one
palm tree.
Our drawing moments always took place on
the balcony of her room in the Aged Care
Centre where she resided. A good cup of
coffee, a shared box of pencils, chitchat on a
loop and Oscar’s antics made us both happy
in these shared moments.
The legacy of such a long string of moments
shared with my mother is that, though she
'transitioned' in July 2023, I still feel
prompted to go on doodling.
Purpose
Two of my mother's dearest wishes were for my doodles to be 'seen' by many-many eyes and for me to give more to charities. Hence the reason for this site mostly dedicated to my doodles. Every AUD $20 download per (high resolution) drawing will go to either of the charities named on the Gallery page. In time, as the demand for downloads grow so will the list of receiving charities. I know that … all the way from the Astral Realm, my mother is encouraging me to keep doodlin’ – no matter what. And I do. Just because I can. Just for the fun of it :-))) Dear Person, I am very grateful for your interest in these drawings :-)) Kind thoughts, CaroleClaude
My Process
The process
My current drawings are done on A4 (210mmX297mm) sketch paper and take between 15 to 20 hours to develop, though in a stop-start manner- about two hours per session. I see the process as a metaphor for life generated, as it is, through the continuous choices we make throughout the string of nano moments that make up our 3-D reality. Once I decide to draw a couple of specific motifs, the clock starts with the first stroke of the pencil on the page. And then comes the slow but enjoyable and always surprising detailed emergence of each of these motifs as they reveal themselves through the gentle erasing of the first set of markings on the page. I observe the faint outlines that remain and notice where, within those lines, an array of possibilities to explore through more light and tentative pencil work emerge. I repeat the process of rubbing out lightly and observing where new markings might be exploited until, finally, I am satisfied with each motif, as it finally appears on the page. I find it fascinating to see how faint pencil marks suggest a potential shape which is up to me to accept and develop or reject. Isn’t this how we ‘do’ life throughout our day-to-day - one emotion, one reaction, one choice at a time?Current Style
Clearly, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, my art form initially developed a penchant for ancient objects and prehistoric 'life' as central motifs. However, I have never had any particular interest in those topics. Nor for rugged, sparsely treed yet water-fed backdrops where weird, often skeletal little creatures like to frolic..
Since then, prompted by current
events or friends’ suggestions, my
thoughts have slowly moved me
towards more realistic depictions of
life on planet Earth but with an also
inexplicable focus on bygone eras.
And always, thank goodness for that,
in a quirky/whimsical ‘crazee doodle’
style.
It goes without saying that in its finished form, whether it’s a
steampunk woman, a goddess, a dragon or a lion’s head, each
‘featured’ item looks incredibly different from what I had in
mind at the start.
Then, before applying the first layer of colours, I go over every
shape, however large or minuscule it is, with a fine line pen.
Once the first layer of colours is applied, I turn my attention to
the background, which also emerges from mostly rubbed out
shapes.
Then comes the unpredictable arrangement of ‘lines and blobs’
that creates the texture of the background.
It results from sliding a smooth piece of bark, rock, shell or
carving under the page, rubbing over it with a colouring pencil –
and mixing it up.
After a while, colour pencils can no longer add extra depth of
colour over previously applied colour and, too soon, what was
almost bright enough becomes dull.
So, I print the drawing to produce a new, pre-coloured base
layer ready to receive added depth of colours.
Always on the lookout for more emerging details, before adding
the new layers of colour to the print, I outline each shape again
and again with a black pencil or fine marker, depending.
Finally, here and there, I smear dots of watercolour to add more
depth and vibrancy to the whole.
Starting from scratch in 2019, with no prior practice or inkling to
draw, I began doodling a stick-figure vision board, my bucket-list
for the decade ahead.
From that moment onwards - and for the best part of the next
three years - I only ever drew in the company of my aging mother
to encourage her to keep colouring, despite the deepening
Alzheimer's-related decline in vision/spatial issues and hand-eye
coordination.
One day, I gently challenged my mother to draw the tall palm tree
directly in her line of vision, and, at some point, I was moved to
capture this moment myself. The ‘tree’ (which I later pasted next
to the one I had drawn) on the left-hand side is my mother’s
rendition of that one palm tree.
Our drawing moments always took place on the balcony of her
room in the Aged Care Centre where she resided. A good cup of
coffee, a shared box of pencils, chitchat on a loop and Oscar’s
antics made us both happy in these shared moments.
The legacy of such a long string of moments shared with my
mother is that, though she 'transitioned' in July 2023, I still feel
prompted to go on doodling.
Purpose
Two of my mother's dearest wishes were for my doodles to be 'seen' by many-many eyes and for me to give more to charities. Hence the reason for this site mostly dedicated to my doodles. Every AUD $20 download per (high resolution) drawing will go to either of the charities named on the Gallery page. In time, as the demand for downloads grow so will the list of receiving charities. I know that … all the way from the Astral Realm, my mother is encouraging me to keep doodlin’ – no matter what. And I do. Just because I can. Just for the fun of it :-))) Dear Person, I am very grateful for your interest in these drawings :-)) Kind thoughts, CaroleClaude
My Process
