New Improved Pip!

(sold)

Pip improvements...

...something is not quite right and I haven't been able to work out what but it has just come to me...I need to adjust the angle/depth of the back of her neck, it needs to be slightly steeper/thicker...

Pip

I am happy with the painting, but need to check with Pip's owners for likeness!

Pip....

....so far

Getting to know Pip...

...is very tricky!


Trying to familarise myself with her for a commissioned painting after half term...not quite there yet...more work required!!!

Drawing Fruit...

...is better than doing no drawing at all

Nanny

Worked in charcoal from a photo taken by my brother ...




...been thinking of attempting this for some time & seems that a labour of love was just the thing to get me working again after a bad case of 'artists block'

Back to work...

...after NINE WEEKS of no art, I was really looking forward to getting started again, but have found it really hard to focus today, think I'm just very out of practice, must try harder next week...

Exhibition

BECCLES SOCIETY OF ARTISTS

40th ANNUAL EXHIBITION

Public Hall, Beccles

1st ~ 8th August

Dunwich Dunes

'Highly Commended' (!!!)

Winter Sunset from Southwold Common

Sold

All of the above will be on display (& for sale!)

That's All Folks!

I would usually paint today BUT I have one child off sick and the other home because Middle School is closed due to flooding caused by yesterdays downpours!

Seeing as school breaks up at the end of this week I don't expect to get any serious work done over the next 7 weeks but will try to fit in some sketching.

Hopefully I'll be back with some work in September!!

June Sunshine

This one took me a couple of weeks to paint but has been sitting, finished, on my desk for over a week now...

Acrylic on Watercolour Paper

36cm x 25cm

Queen Nefertiti

Something different...a little help for 'Tiger' with her Ancient Egyptian Project!!!

Dark Skies, Southwold Beach

I realised the problem with this painting was the composition, too much sea & sky with nowhere for the eye to focus on.

I have cropped it and really like the compostition now, I feel it draws more attention towards the textures/marks I have used on the beach....

Acrylic on Watercolour Paper

25cm x 20cm

Southwold Beach

One photo inspired two pieces of work today...at the moment I prefer the graphite sketch, I don't know what I can do to make the painting more interesting/atmospheric...??

Graphite on cartridge paper

38cm x 28cm (approx)

Acrylic on watercolour paper

35cm x 25cm

Kicking Stones, Southwold Beach 2

I was very flattered to be asked to paint another version of this painting (original sold in Beccles Society of Artists Summer Exhibition 2008, and won the prize for best acrylic in show)

It has been very challenging as I have been working from a photo of my first painting and also the photo that inspired the original piece of work, whilst hopefully improving some areas as well as capturing the spirit of the original...

Acrylic on watercolour paper

33cm x 23cm

Commission

France

Actually found time for some quick sketching whilst on our hols, the children had a great time exploring and fishing in the lake by our cottage...

Foot Square Show

I have decided to hang on to my 'Hellebores' as I feel too attached to part with it, but my other 3 square canvasses will be entered into...

THE FOOT SQUARE SHOW
LOWESTOFT ARTS CENTRE
Triangle Market Place - North Lowestoft
1st-27th June 2009

(THANKS Mum for delivering them whilst we are in France!!)

More Lemons

Back to my usual sized paper with pen & watercolour for a change...

...less paint, less time, more lemons, more reflections.

IS LESS MORE?!?

Lemon & Glass

Spent more time on 'loose' sketching/painting (above) before working on painting (below)

I think it helped but is tricky to know when to STOP!

Acrylic on watercolour paper

25cm x 17cm

Self-Criticism...!

Whilst my last two paintings are not unsuccessful, they are just not quite what I wanted.
I have managed to get some good light/dark contrast, but they are not loose enough....this could be because I am attempting to work on a much smaller size than usual or just that I am trying too hard...??

Strawberries

Acrylic on Bockingford watercolour paper

25.5cmx17cm

Strawberries

Continuing with same ideas as last time...am still working on painting but rather like this very quick sketch I did beforehand!

I gave up on the half strawberry and ate it...delicious!

Aubergine

I have been inspired recently by an american artist who's blog I discovered by chance - I love the simplicity & light/dark contrast of his still life paintings.

So today I have attempted painting on a smaller scale than usual and to use less water with my paints....

Acrylic on Bockingford watercolour paper

25cmx17cm

The Foot Square Show

I will be entering some or all four of my recent square paintings...

THE FOOT SQUARE SHOW

LOWESTOFT ARTS CENTRE

Triangle Market Place - North Lowestoft

1st-27th June 2009

Blue Flowers, Wine & Reflections

Acrylic on canvas

30cmx30cm

It's a start...

Managed to fit in some sketching whilst the family played football on the beach...not great but not too dreadful either!?!

Still haven't managed to get back to last painting BUT have had a lovely hols with family!!

Blue Flowers, Wine & Reflections

I did paint last week but as I want to make a few final adjustments I haven't taken a photo yet...not sure when I'll get time to do this now that it is the school holidays!

I am very pleased to say that I have actually painted once a week since half term (AND my ironing is done & my house is clean!!)
I have also spent a bit of time browsing other artists' work on the internet & have found some of them really inspiring.
After the Easter holidays I will do my best to keep up my weekly painting, but would also like to try to squeeze a bit more time in to get working in my sketchbook...

Reflections & Hellebores

Finally finished & quite satisfied (I think...have just had to make myself stop 'tinkering'!)

Acrylic on canvas
30cmx30cm

Mother's Day

I spent a lovely & very messy morning with my children painting in the style of the author of one on my all time favourite children's picture books - The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
They loved being allowed to use my acrylic paints, inks & pallet knives and I'll be using all the coloured sheets to make a Hungry Caterpillar window at work for the Easter holidays!

Hellebores

Todays subject is proving very challenging...these lovely flowers that looked so beautiful in the garden this morning are very difficult to paint!

Reflections & Daffodils

Continuing working with reflections, but having noticed that most of my work uses a lot of Ultramarine Blue, Raw or Burnt Umber & Paynes Grey, I wanted to achieve similar light/dark effects but introduce more colour to my work.
I still used plenty of Ultramarine but NO BROWNS and only the tinest bit of Paynes Grey....

Acrylic on Canvas

30cmx30cm

Reflections

In an attempt to get myself sketching/painting again this year I started by setting up some relatively straightforward (but uninspiring!) still lifes...I always prefer my work when I have achieved a strong light/dark contrast, so I gradually developed the idea of setting my objects up on a mirrored surface with a strong light to one side...I found I was more interested in the reflections than the actual objects!

'Reflections 1'

This was my first painting - Acrylic on canvas (another change for me as I am used to working on watercolour paper)

I really enjoyed painting the bottle/reflections...

'A Quiet Night In'

I spent much longer on this, my 2nd attempt - I found the book/newspaper/cork very challenging (successful??) compared with the reflective qualities of the glass which I just love painting!

Interestingly, I recently came across the photo below, it is my first completed painting from when I returned to painting 5 years ago (after a 10 year 'break'...)

Coincidence?!

ART

Half Term is over (and we had a FAB week off!) and now I really must try to concentrate on my ART on my day off...
To give myself an extra incentive I have decided that seeing as I have created this blog I may as well put it to good use...I am going to try use it as a 'sketch blog' (apparently it's what real artists do!!) so pop back sometime to check up on whether I really have managed to ignore the ironing etc for long enough to pick up a pencil or paintbrush!!

ps Having just browsed a load of 'sketchblogs' I now feel partly intimidated & partly inspired...

Open to All...!

I'm curious to know if anyone who does or doesn't know me finds themselves here either intentionally or by chance...please leave a comment!

Decision Made

Yes 'Tiger' is allowed her own Blog, she understands the rules and it will be private, only available to people she invites.
We're going to work on it next weekend...she is extremely excited!!

Thanks...

...to Tomsk for my super portrait!

Art

Following some very kind feedback I have added some of my art - maybe knowing that other people can see it will help with my recent lack of inspiration...

Is it any good...?

Well, my children approve of my Blog (when I say approve what I actually mean is that they are ridiculously excited by it...I never thought I'd notch up so many 'Cool' points when I started looking into all of this!!)
I have to say I have really enjoyed playing around with the graphics/colours etc (THANKS Joel for your help!!)
I think it is time to test it out on some of my friends & see how they rate my new found skills....

My First Blog!

It is important that our children are as safe as possible inside, as well as outside of our home. They need to be aware of the possible dangers and how to conduct themselves on the Internet as well as when crossing roads, playing in the park, at school or out in the big wide world in general.
Before allowing my daughter to create her own blog I wanted to find out as much as possible myself first to enable my husband & I to make an informed and sensible decision. I always find I learn new things more easily by trying them for myself...hence the reason for creating MY OWN BLOG!

I have satisfied myself that there are PRIVACY SETTINGS available as well as applying some common sense rules:
NO PERSONAL PICTURES
NO REAL NAMES
NO CONTACT DETAILS
GOOD MANNERS ONLY
So unless you are already one of my elite group of friends or family I'm afraid my true identity must remain a mystery...!

All that remains for me to ask about blogs is...WHY?? The more thought I have given the matter, the more I have found myself wondering at the vast amount of information the must be floating around out there...does anyone really read it?!
So the second reason for my blog is just that...it is currently only available to people I invite...once I've got the hang of the whole thing I will make it PUBLIC to find out whether anyone else out there is in the least bit interested in my ramblings about my happy but ordinary life....