session 28- Nightmare!

After a short break when I was supposed to be in England but changed my mind (it's a gentleman's prerogative ya know!) So we returned at the request of Anna K Lange who likes the friendliness and the excuse to draw and we agreed on a subject- NIGHTMARE! We all have them and some of us have recurring ones. I do! Like anyone who has acted on stage (I've done Shakespeare!) there is a very common nightmare that you're on stage and it's your cue but you can't remember any lines of even what the play is! Wake up in a flat panic! The sailor's equivalent, according to my friend John, is to find yourself sailing a boat down a motorway!?! I suppose every profession has it's own recurring nightmare. But enough of my waffling and on with the art! The small but perfectly formed group of me, Anna and Jools were live and the Moroccan twins were working off line! Don't be scared! They're only drawings!

First up is the young lady who suggested the session- Anna K Lange with a rather magnificent and fearsome looking wolf! Some people are terrified of wolves or clowns and for me it used to be spiders until I was cured by cockroaches who are bigger and faster and uglier!

Then the first of our Moroccan twins- Khawla Sdour drew this very creepy scene of an unwanted visitor in the night!
Luckily, the little boy is asleep but the teddy looks a bit worried!

Kwahla's twin sister Somaya Sdour drew another very creepy scene which features a different kind of dark figure with 5 limbs! The scariest kind of monsters are the ones you can't see clearly I think, like in the first Alien film where you only had glimpses of it until the end. 

And now to my effort which doesn't really look like what it is which is old ventriloquist's dummies. I find them much creepier than clowns! There have been a couple of great films featuring these kind of humanoid figures- Dead of Night and Magic! Both dead scary!

And finally, Julia Xandru has sent me this striking image and when I asked for an explanation she said- Pot man's trap?
Er... ok. I thought it had something to do with music but Jools knows best as she drew it!

We three!

I hope your nightmares are little ones!
Love Paul
xxx

A late submission to the nightmare gallery from Vivian Salzman in Uzbekistan
with this direct and striking image! Nice one Viv!

Session 26- Pop Star!

Yesterday's sketch session on the subject of POP STARS was attended by 5 of the usual gang of scribblers and daubers- FIVE LIVE! The others who couldn't make the live one-hour session sent me stuff later and here are the fabulous results!

The first of the FIVE LIVE all the way from sweltering Uzbekistan is that Atomic Blonde- Anna Lindenberger!
Done in an hour digitally, Anna produced this dazzling portrait of Beyonce the fabulously talented Texan!

Now we have the second of our FIVE LIVE artists- the incomparable, the indefatigable, the incomprehensible-
Anna K Lange! And the lovely Anna has produced this impressionistic portrait of young pop starlet- Billie Eilish!
I love her theme tune for the new Bond film! Best in ages!

And now please give it up for the diminutive dynamo- Rumania's radiant Julia Xandru who produced this decorative design portraying one of our local singing stars here in sweaty Palma (I have sweaty palms in Palma!) The original drawing was done in the allotted live hour then she tweaked and twiddled with it in Photoshop. Gorgeous!

One of our newer recruits and another of the FIVE LIVE is the pulchritudinous pouting powerhouse of portraiture and jewellery design (Check out her stuff on www.sharkalley.co,uk)- Sarah Chase (nee Kelly!) This gorgeous portrait of Kate Bush was also done in the allotted hour! Amazing!

Then lastly but leastly, the final member of the FIVE LIVE my humble self, offering for your perusal and  pleasure (I hope)
an oil portrait of America's first true pop star- Mister Frank Sinatra! Doo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo!

And the first of our non-live portrait participants is the titian haired beauty, the darling of Dorset-
Annalisa Renee with this fabulously delicate pencil drawing of Harriet Tubman. She was born a slave and helped hundreds of others escape to freedom in the USA of the 1800s. I'm not sure if she's a pop star but she's certainly a star!
this drawing reminds me of the drawings of Da Vinci and Holbien. Praise indeed!

Annalisa's daughter and my niece Marina Renne-Cemmick sent me this dazzling drawing of the great Nina Simone which she drew digitally on an iPad. Mimi says of her-

Nina simone. Born 1933 was a Jazz and blues musician and an influencial figure in the civil rights movement of 1960s. She continued to be a rights activist all her life. This perhaps stemed from an incident at her first ‘concert’ at the age of 12. Here, her parents were moved to the back of the Church theatre in order to make space for White People. Angered that her parents may miss her recital based on Race, Nina refused to perform until her parents were reinstated at the front of the theatre.

Nina used her platform of fame and music to highlight Racial Injustice in America, and her lyrics and song contiune to inspire and influence people worldwide today. 

And our last contribution from one of the marvellous, mellifluous Moroccan sisters is this lovely portrait of Ryan Tedder  the head of OneRepublic Band  by Somaya Sdour. Thanks Somaya! I don't know him but I'v e just Googled him and it looks just like him. Excellent work everyone! You constantly amaze me!

And finally, a late entry from Martin Ansell who chose the subject and has done a lovely drawing of British rapper  Stormzy! Nice one, Mart you grizzled old pop star you!

The FIVE LIVE gang! And Sunday's subject is -THE WILD WEST! Be there as it might be the last one! AAAARRRGGGHHH!

Session 24- ROYALTY!

Yesterday's live sketching session on the theme of ROYALTY was another gang of four- two guys and two gals which was a whole lot of fun and here are the results- varied and surprising! The next subject on Wednesday is POP STARS!

The first of the gang of 4 is Anna K Lange who surprised us all by painting (in ink) this fabulous image of Queen Elizabeth on the throne reading a magazine (probably Royalty monthly!). And she did it in the allotted hour! Wonderful!

The next attendee of the live session was Martin Ansell who also produced his masterpiece in the allotted hour-
It's a frog prince or a toad king or Jabba the Hutt! Anyway, whoever he is he's doing well for him
male as he's clutching a large wad in his sticky fingers! Fab, Binky!

The Julia Xandru, who was also live for the hour threw us all a google with this  wonderful piece which is part mask, part portrait of Princess Turendot who is most famously known from the Puccini opera Turendot. The opera was unfinished at the time of Puccini's death and was based on a play but the original story comes from an epic 12th century Persian poem by Nizami, I love masks and this one is particularly beautiful! Well done Jools!

The last of the gang of 4-ME! And I tried to do an oil painting of King Kong chasing some bikini-clad beauty!
The pic on the left is what I managed to get done in the live hour then this morning I fiddled with it in Photoshop for another hour and that's the version on the right. I still need another few hours to get it better but it'll have to do!

Our regular contributor from Morocco- Khawla Sdour has done this gorgeous portrait of one of my favourite actresses- Charlese Theron from the film Snow White and the Huntsman in which she played the wicked Queen! One day I hope she can join us on the live session along with her twin sister Somaya!

Finally, from Uzbekistan (although Anna is from Siberia) we have Anna Lindenburger's beautiful and delicate portrait of Lecrecia Borgia! Anna says, "She was 14 when her father married her to a real arsehole and she she poisoned her second husband, She was also sleeping with her brother." A nice lady! Thanks Anna!

The Gang of Four- Paul, Martin, Anya and Jools!

And  even more finally, a late addition from Pearl Bates of a delicate yet strong drawing of a Queen and two dogs (they don't look like corgis so it can't be our own dear Queen last seem on the loo at the top of this blog!) Thanks Pearl!

Session 7- Musical Instruments

Sunday's session was on a theme chosen by Julia Xandru- Musical Instruments to be interpreted in any way at all and sketched in one hour. Some people like to work on their drawings afterwards or do extra ones on the theme and that's OK as long as they do the main thing in one hour. So, once again we had a lovely mix of ages and nationalities from Dan Lish's daughter Elsa (8) to Alan Bartlett (ahem, cough! older than that!) all having fun sketching and chatting on Zoom until I called time when we all showed what we'd done. I'm always surprised at what can be accomplished in an hour!
Here are the results!

P.S. Next Wednesday's theme, chosen by David is "Good Morning!"

Anna Lindenburger couldn't join us for the session from Uzbekistan but later sent me this fabulous drawing of cats playing the harp. I bet it didn't sound good! 

Anne Alderson went totally to town on the theme referencing the classic artists- Renoir, Manet and Caravaggio. I love the flute player. beautiful work!

Definitely going from the sublime to the ridiculous with Dan Lish's strange amalgamation of musicians and bizarre instruments. I can almost here them! Fab!

My brother David Cemmick produced three stunning images of ethnic musicians all in biro which I find quite amazing. The middle one was darkened up a bit later which, I think gives it a bit more punch. I particularly love the hands on the right. Stunning stuff!

And another big contast for Elsa Lish's utterly charming image of a fairy on a branch playing the flute.
She seems to be high up in the clouds and perfectly content. The composition is lovely too.

Julia Xandru, who chose the subject had gone all psychedelic with her orchestra and in contrast we have a sedate woman calmly listening to her old fashioned gramophone. She drew these during the session and added colour on her mobile later.
Jools has a way with colour. Love it!

Annalisa has chosen as inspiration a photograph by the surrealist painter and photographer Man Ray
and produced two subtle pencil drawings based around the cello. Excellent!

Alan Bartlett's influence is from Flamenco dancers accompanied by a cellist in this striking composition in oil pastel (I think).

My contribution is taken from two old photos- one of a one-man-band and the other of a strange instrument made from a skull and some long horns! I looked very devilish so I added some dancing demons to the mix!

Marin Renee-Cemmick's fabulous, vibrant composition depicts the body as a musical instrument overlaying figures form dance choreography. She was trying to find the lyricism and rhythms to the form. I think that's bloody brilliant!

The gang of nutters!

Session 3- Masked!

For our third session Marina chose the theme- Masked! very inspiring! We were joined by some new members from England and Uzbekistan- namely my brother David who lives in Cumbria, my good friend from Siberia- Anna (currently living in Uzbekistan), Marina's friend- Angelica and another of my friends- Pearl Bates who lives in Lewes near Brighton. Unfortunately, due to my usual confusion with time differences between Spain and England, I gave her the wrong time so she logged onto us on Zoom just as we were finishing. Nevertheless, she carried on for the next hour and then sent me her beautiful image. Our next theme was chosen by Angelica- Nature!

Angelica Pownall's divers and topically masked girl.

Anna Lindenberger chose the Batman villain Bane!

Anne Alderson decorated two medical masks with cats and rats (I think!)

Annalisa Renee's magnificent spirit animal- the wolf!

David Cemmick revisited a couple of childhood heroes- Batman and Zorro!

Jools Wandru went a bit Venetian and Thai.

Marina Renee-Cemmick went African.

Pearl Bates drew a masked lady with an added poem.

Paul Cemmick, like his brother, drew a childhood hero- The Lone Ranger- AWAAAAAY!

Sue Wadsworth was extemporising on a Gaugin painting.

Session 2- Victorian Criminals!

For our second session the theme (mine) was Victorian Criminals  and a right motley bunch were drawn. We had two new artists rising to the one-hour challenge this time! Joining me, Marina and Annalisa were my friend from the oil painting class i"ve been attending in Palma (before lockdown obis!)- Anne Alderson and my friend form Rumania who also lives in Palme- Julia Xandru (Jools).

We all got together any photo reference we wanted before the hour began and then where off. here's what we managed to do in the time. Marina was so inspired by the subject that she carried on and drew two more. Next subject is Mimi's choice- Masked!

A very suave Jack the Ripper by Anne Alderson

A dodgy looking old geezer by Annalisa Renee

Some Victorian gentlemen by Julia Xandru

Three young ne'er-do-wells by Marina Renee-Cemmick

Three Chinese female felons from the early 1900s.