Pleasing people

Last week when I did my talk for the WI, I wasn't sure of their reaction. I knew they knew I was an erotic artist before I went, and probably expected me to be a brazen hussy of some description (it goes with the territory!). But I went, and I talked to them for an hour or so about being an artist all my life, how I had started life-drawing and how that had evolved into erotic art. I defined erotic art for them. I showed them lots of artwork - landscapes, tigers, fairies, angels and unicorns, tango dancers, as well as numerous erotic drawings. I talked about drawing people, setting up compositions for drawing my models, about painting peoples fantasies of themselves. I told them funny anecdotes of the people I've met and their differing reactions to me as an erotic artist. And I offered to paint any of them who wanted me to and guaranteed confidentiality if they wanted to be painted as scarlet women! They politely clapped at the end, and I chatted with some of them afterwards. But I wasn't sure if it had been a success and I came away wondering how much I might have offended them........

Then this morning - I had an email ......

"Hi Jackie

Sorry for not contacting you sooner.

Your talk to our WI was fabulous.

All of our members were enthralled and fascinated with your erotic drawings and paintings.

A Tribute to your art.

Thank you"

.....Phew! So, they liked it!!!!!! Thank goodness for that! I might be persuaded to do it again then!

And to carry on with an upbeat theme. I've finished the erotic landscape of New York now, and emailed the finished images to the client, so that he could ok it or request any changes he might want, before it was collected. And this morning I got an email from him:

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Well done, I can't wait till the recipient sees it, I believe it will give her great enjoyment, a unique painting for a unique person, and I absolutely love the title!... and many thanks indeed for your extremely hard work."

So..... another happy customer. Great news. So................ I suppose you're going to want to see the painting now aren't you? Well...... here it is, the finished oil painting on a box canvas:

The painting is called "Towering passions" as I wanted in some way to incorporate the lights of where the twin towers once stood, as a hint of the title, and perhaps take away from the erotic couple a bit - a sort of play on words. And here's the detail of the erotic couple so you can see them clearly and how they look. They're nicely hidden in the main picture but clear enough if you know where to look. The fact they're muted has helped to hide them, and putting the lights over them has also helped to disguise them within the image. I've loved doing this painting as I love hiding images within images.

And just to make it a hat trick - I've just had another conversation with someone who has commissioned me to do the second dog portrait for a Christmas present. She showed me the photos of the dog and we discussed mediums, and size and whether I was getting the artwork framed, all the usual questions that I ask when someone commissions me. Originally she had thought she wanted a pencil drawing of the dog, but then mentioned in passing about a favourite painting she has of another pet dog and how much she loves it and would adore this commission done the same way...... but she wasn't sure of the medium it was painted in, but had always wanted to know. So I took a look at it........ and could tell her the answer to her long wondered question....... it was done, very cleverly, in gouache, the background being a pretty, scumbled wet effect and the dog itself painted in fine wet on dry detail with every hair shown and I said I could paint the new commission in the same way if she so wished. Oh yes!!! I'd made her day with that offer! So, I'm happy to help and glad I can be of service ....... and pleased that sometimes I can help make dreams come true.......

Strange forays

Last night I did something very strange. I quite often do strange things, by various peoples standards, but last night was odd, even for me. I went to talk to a lot of vanilla people about a subject that wasn't vanilla! I went to talk to the WI about being an Erotic Artist. Its a strange thing, isn't it? That women who may be considered quiet and staid would want to listen to me talk. I'm not sure what they got out of my talk. Some reacted to me talking about naked people, and how I draw them. They liked the pictures I took along, the vanilla ones of tigers, French landscapes, and brightly coloured chickens! But some of them sat there with expressionless faces, watching me, and I only saw one looking totally bored, and only caught one other open mouthed yawning in the background. At least no one walked out!! And they listened. And some made comments, and asked questions and reacted to me with smiles and positive feed-back. So perhaps it was ok......

So, do I count it as a success ? - I'm not sure. Perhaps they were all totally enthralled - and loved every minute of it, and went home all fired up and full of passion. Or............ perhaps they didn't. Perhaps they went home and told their husbands they'd been in the company of a strange woman, one who likes showing them pictures of brazen hussies playing with themselves and giving blow-jobs!! I think the thing that I've learnt with this is, that I'm happier talking to spicy people about the non vanilla subjects. If it had been a group of gays I'd have had a far different reaction!

The best thing to come out of the talk last night was the decision I made towards the end of the talk that........perhaps..................tonight................wasn't the................best time...............to perhaps..................mention about....................the ................fantasy fannies collection I'm going to be working on soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know my place

I know who I am. I know what I do. I've been building up my career as an erotic artist - sorry, I'll re-write that ....... as................................... "An Erotic Artist"!!! That's what I do. Everyone I meet at the moment is in no allusion whatsoever that that is what I do. I tell all I meet. I advertise the fact. Its clear if you look at my website. And people relate to it. They like it. They ask me questions about it. I am introduced to others with the title of it. Even the W.I. have asked me to go and talk to me on that very subject, because they are interested and intrigued at the title. They know they are going to be in the company of an Erotic Artist who will tell them titillating tales of the naughtiness I depict.

So........... tell me this then................. why is it, that the latest two, yes TWO, commissions I've got, are for...............................wait for it............ DOG PORTRAITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm delighted to get the commissions. I will do a good job. I will make good wholesome pictures for the owners to be happy with, and they will look upon their paintings with pride and pleasure, hopefully for years to come. But, hey, what is it with the dog pics?!!!

MMMMMmmmmmm.......... Maybe I'm going wrong somewhere. Perhaps I should forget all this erotic stuff. Whatdoyouthink? Should I? Should I turn my back on naked women, rampant men, horny couples, sexy lingerie, handcuffs and ropes, blindfolds and sexy boots, and just concentrate on ...................... the DOGS?????????????? Should I...............................???

Why I don't watch much telly

I saw my hairdresser earlier today, we had the usual chat about what we'd both been doing recently and she went on to ask me if I'd seen various programmes on television. I smiled and said "No". I think she thought I must be a bit boring because I hadn't seen the latest blockbusters. But I went on to explain that I'm usually busy with art even at night when most people are sitting down to watch the soaps. Afterwards I thought about the jobs I've got on the go at the moment - and made a note that they are as follows:

1. New York erotic landscape oil painting to paint by Christmas.
2. Erotic landscape in oils to paint as soon as I can.
3. Dog pencil drawing to draw by Christmas.
4. I've got to write my talk for the forthcoming WI talk on being an erotic artist.
5. I've got my website to update at some point.
6. I've still got the Pussy Portraits to do, but they'll have to wait until the Christmas commissions are done.
7. I've got someone coming to see me, who wants to discuss illustrations for a book she's writing on spiritual healing.
8. I usually design and make my own Christmas cards, and haven't even started on a design yet, and its November tomorrow, which means time is ticking on.
9. Plus I'm in discussions with other people regarding other off-shoots off my artwork, and that needs to be updated on my website, when I get chance.

And that's just the main stuff. And only relates to art. But don't think that I'm moaning, because I'm certainly not! I love the fact that I'm so busy at the moment, and that I have a load of work to do, and will happily take on more commissions for Christmas if they're forthcoming. Because there's that adage that if you want a job doing, you ask a busy person, and I'll fit it in somewhere. ...........But ........if you ask me if I've seen the latest edition of your favourite soap, the answer will definitely be a resounding "NO"!!!!!!

Pussies Galore

I've got two pussies to paint today - and both so exquisitely .......... DIFFERENT!!! The first is of a fluffy feline moggy, the sort you'd be happy to have purring contentedly on your lap. The second is most definitely not like that at all, although a lot of people might get it purring after they'd been lapping contentedly at it! And of the two paintings, although I shall enjoy doing the first, I shall REALLY enjoy doing the second! I have been thinking for a couple of weeks how I'm going to do the fantasy fanny paintings (and what I'm eventually going to call them, as a collection, too) and I know I want to make them look like contemporary abstracts, with the hint of a naked woman hidden in there somewhere, and lots of bright colours and strong shapes to make the design work. For a design to look good in a painting, it has to work as well in simple black and white, as much as in colour, and doing a thumbnail sketch is the usual way that an artist works out whether a painting will work as a finished composition. So, to this end, I sat down last night with a pencil and a small sheet of paper and I just started drawing in the lines, and then the shading, and it became apparent very early on that the image is going to work well for this painting, there were lots of interesting darks and lights, shapes merging into each other, and textures to play with, before I even think about the colour aspect. So, I'm all raring to go.......... the minute I've done the watercolour of the fluffy mog!

Whilst we're on the subject of pussies, I've got some lovely new images on my website - most of which have appeared here first, but not in as much detail as my website, plus they all look so much better when seen together in a gallery, with the explanatory text. Lots of lovely erotic images to peruse........ I'll be hopefully updating the more vanilla stuff in the next week or so, but the erotic images always take priority! To view them click here: www.jackieadshead.co.uk/gallery/erotic

I saw my friend Lucy Felthouse this week too (are we still on the pussy theme?) and had our usual delightful time together. We talk for hours, laugh a lot, and compare notes on working in the land of Erotica, and although she's a writer and I'm an artist, we are very similar in our approaches to our work, and the people we work with. It was a very productive night, and with Lucy's help I feel I've leapt forward on my ever growing things to do list!

Just whilst I'm updating the week, I have been booked to appear later on in the year with the WI to go and talk to them about being an Erotic Artist (and boy, am I looking forward to THAT night!!!!!!). Whilst in the pub last week, two separate women I know, who are not in the WI, told me that they are coming to hear me talk that night! So, they're expecting to be entertained and have a good laugh, which is great, and I hope I manage to give them both!

Now...... back to pussy paintings....

Jam and naked women

Why is it that I've been painting for years, have had a website for over five years but its only since I've told people I'm an erotic artist that their interest in me has manifested itself? Mmmm.... I wonder why! So last Saturday night whilst I'm standing chatting to friends in the pub, someone introduced me to a new face and was told that I'm an erotic artist. "Really?" she said, here we go, I thought, what's coming next and was totally unprepared for the question "Will you come and talk to the W.I?" - "What? Are you serious?" I asked and she agreed she was indeed!! "But I thought the W.I were all jam and Jerusalem, knitting and pretty flower arrangements, won't my subject matter curl the hair of the blue rinse brigade?" Apparently not! This particular group are easy going, very broad-minded and good fun and I've been booked to appear, to chat and tell them what I get up to.............. I can't wait!!!!!