Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Barry's workshop - October 2010



Here is Barry's flyer for his latest workshop in October, please pass it along to anyone who you think might be interested. He really is a wonderful teacher and very patient!

I have been busy starting new paintings, so nothing of mine to post. Also I have been struggling with what I think is an impacted wisdom tooth! Oh the pain! Thank goodness for antibiotics! Finally I got an appointment with the dentist tomorrow. Sounds expensive doesn't it?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Pekin Duck



Here is my duck. I just loved painting her. When we lived in Abiquiu we had two ducks, Lilian and Frankie. They were so lovely, they had such wonderful personalities. Sadly, we had a very hungry coyote with pups in the neighbourhood and we lost them both. No more ducks for us.

Another little bird



I just can't seem to help myself these days. It's all about the birds, bees, ducks and sheep! I am really into Pekin Ducks at the moment and will post my latest soon, but thinking of doing a large painting. I also laid out a sheep yesterday. It's odd. I have had these photos of sheep for a while, but not until now I have I felt drawn to paint them! Way back when we lived in Abiquiu, our neighbours, Rick and Lori owned sheep and I painted a few then, but then none for years. I am also wanting to finish the painting I started of my eldest daughter, Holly. Not sure what's going on!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Summer's Harvest



A Summer's Harvest
12 x 20 Oil/Linen

Phew! I am getting so much done! Here is another landscape which I painted to help me focus on getting back to the UK before the summer is over!

Thanks for looking.

My Fine Feathered Friends


Amadeus i
12 x 12 Oil/Linen Panel

Here he is, all ready and waiting!


Amadeus ii
12 x 12 Oil/Linen Panel

I love this angle. He was such a character! Dare I say it, I actually miss him!


Tutankhamun
16 x 20 Oil/Wood panel

This beauty also lived with us, but we had to give him to a neighbour because he used to be a bit of a bully. Of course he was younger than Amadeus and by that stage far more beautiful... his feathers were so glorious, hence his name.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Not the Royal Academy show



Emergence
8 x 24 Oil/Wood Panel

This is the piece that I submitted to the RA Summer Exhibition, which was rejected. It's OK, I wasn't surprised. Apparently you have to apply more than once plus there were rumoured to be between 8,000 and 10,000 entries, 10% are accepted, 5% are Royal Academicians so that leaves 5% of regular old artists like me! I shall keep trying though... I now see it as a challenge and must succeed before I get too old to hold a brush in my hand!

Still, the good news is that it was accepted at the Not the Royal Academy show, which is inspired by the 'Salon des Refuses' in Paris in the 19th Century.

So that is a glimmer of hope in these dismal times.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Nr. Derwent Water



Nr. Derwent Water
8 x 10 Oil/Linen Panel

A year or so ago I checked into a lovely vegetarian hotel called Lancrigg Hotel near Grasmere in the Lake District. It was January! I was there for five days and I went out and did a lot of pastels and took loads of photos, some of them amazing, some of them so misty and dark that I couldn't use them!! It was cold and glorious. On the fifth day of getting absolutely soaked and almost washed away near Derwent Water, I decided it was time to move on to my friend's house in Scotland! I have included a link to her website. Jasmin is an amazing landscape/garden designer.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

My Etsy Shop




Water Series i & ii
9 x 9
Framed beautifully.


Lately I have wondering what on earth to do with all the pastel drawings, etchings and digital prints that I have been accumulating. In this financial climate, I feel one has to do all that one can to get one's bathroom finished!! Dear Barry started by fixing the sagging wall. What a relief that was to get a new bond beam in... but then he had to do some more painting and the whole project has gone on hold! Luckily we have a separate shower!

So, I have now created a little shop on Etsy.com and I shall be slowly adding all my pastels of which I have many and I can feel a creative urge coming on where I shall do things especially for Etsy.

Over the years on all our trips to Europe I spent more time doing pastels en plein air than actual oil painting... it suited my way of working because I like to glaze a lot and doing plein air work was more frustrating for me. I discovered a real sense of the abstract when doing the pastels and just loved them. I always thought I would develop them into larger paintings, but so far I haven't done that. Maybe it's time!

A link to my Etsy shop is on the right of this page and the button was created by one of blog friends Julia . I just love reading her blog because she is always so sunny and bright and I have a secret desire to learn to crochet. I used to sew all my eldest daughter, Holly's clothes, because back then... 30 years ago... goodness... the choice of little girl's clothes was awful. I wish I still had the clothes I made for Holly. I hate to think of all the lovely things I have left behind in my life.