The Remarque

Below is the little remarque that I have done in the lower right hand corner of the original matt - it's not the best of photos however it also shows the style of framing that I chose. The remarque measures approximately 2" high by 6" wide and is also signed.

About "The Strip"

The inspiration for this piece came from our morning walks with Charlotte , our 4 1/2 year old Saint Bernard. If you are lucky in the early morning hours and late evenings, in addition to the fresh air, you may see a Red Fox running along the frozen shoreline. This strip of habitat provides more than adequate coverage for several red foxes to co-exist with other urban residents and shows the importance of city planning and the appreciation of "green space".

In this piece I have purposely left out the Riverside Hospital, the 4 lane major thoroughfare - Riverside Drive and the transit way that are situated between the Strip and the trees in the background. ( a little bit of artistic licensing ).

The work:

Step 1:

The title of this piece also describes it's shape - it is quite literally a strip of paper - Stonehenge White 245gm - that measures 10" high by 44" wide. This piece will be finished as a mixed medium piece that will incorporate acrylic paint within the graphite.

The above photograph was taken shortly after the initial layout of the piece and shows the brush work that is used as the base of the tree line in the background. This work is done with a 3/4" Wallack's 978 Aqua Gold Watermedia brush held at a vertical position after being dipped in powdered graphite.

Step 2:

The principal trees have been added which gives a standard point of reference across the full range of the piece. Since this piece is based on a real location and photographs are used as reference the principal tress are placed relatively to scale along the "strip" of land.

Step 3:

I've shown this image a little larger than the previous one to try and show some more of the detail and bring out the contrast that I am trying to develop. This is where the patience has to kick in to high gear as the branch work and tree limbs can become quite monotonous. I'm gradually moving from left to right as I'm right-handed and it helps to keep the smudging of the graphite to a minimum. I have also done some additional brush work both on the original tree line in the background as well as the shrub/grass line in the foreground.

Step 4:

The graphite is almost nearing completion - still some detail work to be done and then the little Red Fox to be added. I have added a squirrel's nest and eventually there will be some birds involved as well.

Step 5: ( and a bit extra )

I moved ahead on the graphite and then went straight into the acrylic paint work. I've been using acrylic paint in a couple of my recent pieces to help in presentation of snow. Acrylic paint works well with the graphite and because of it's consistency, extremely small and fine work can be obtained. This work was done with a Wallack's 975 Aqua Gold size # 4 brush.

I have also added the red fox running along the shoreline as well as some crows in the background. The next and final step will be to have this piece framed ; however I have decided to add an "Artist's Remarque" to the matt of the original. This will not only help to distinguish it even more from future prints, but will also allow me to present a somewhat larger image of a red fox. Once this is done the final framed piece and it's remarque will be included on this page.

Stuart Arnett
Wildlife Conservation Artist