Let's do Battle!

Sometimes I think to myself - what shall I paint?
Nothing springs instantly to mind, so I browse my photo library.
I am sure everyone who paints has a stack of photos on the computer all waiting to see the light of day as a painting!

I came across some holiday pictures from two years ago - when we went to Battle, near Hastings.We stayed in a converted oast house - and it was wonderful :)

Amongst the many pictures, I found one of the doorway of the oast house, with the wisteria out around it. How jolly romantic .
Not so romantic was the recycle bin next to it, so I've changed that in my painting to a flower pot. I've also left out a load of trees in the distance. Artistic licence !

Here's the first stage

Missy

Missy's stitches came out today - and she behaved beautifully at the vet.
She sat still and kept her eyes on me whilst the vet removed all 14 stitches, making not one murmur :)

The lump turned out to be a soft tissue sarcoma.We have to keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't grow back, but its not a spreading type and Missy doesn't need chemo.

Won't be hard to keep an eye on this little beauty !

Cone Head Missy

Our girl Missy had to have an operation last week to remove a lump from her leg.
She behaved like an angel at the vets - and they took great of her.

Many thanks to Karen and Diane at Goddards Vets, Oxlow Lane. You're the best!

Within two days Missy was up and wanting to go for walkies.
Because the little tinker was trying to wash her stitches off, we've had to keep the cone on.
Here she is - and still that glorious tail wags :)



The stitches are due to come out tomorrow - and we are all looking forward to it - and to a weekend of good sleep!

Chelsea Flower Show

Its Chelsea Flower Show week!

I've been to Chelsea - a good few years ago now and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I've also been to Chelsea Physic Garden.. and that's well worth the visit if you are interested in herbs and plants as medicine.

So, in celebration of Chelsea, I decided to show you some of my very old flower paintings - done at the time when I was beginning to paint again and finding my feet with flowers :)

Meet Gerald .... the giraffe

no stage by stage to this one, just the painting.

Gerald

Miss Daisy finished..

here she is, the finished painting:

Miss Daisy

This painting will be added to my permanent gallery site
Pat Elliott Paintings

Miss Daisy Declares..

Here is Miss Daisy.



I think I have finished her.. but I may yet revisit and add in some foreground darks.

I need to think on that a bit before I declare Daisy completely finished.

Miss Daisy progresses

Being happy with the background, I have been laying down a few washes on Miss Daisy.


So far, so good. Well, that's what I think - what do you think?

Miss Daisy - minus film

The cling film is off - and this is what Miss Daisy looks like now.



I'm quite happy with this as a background, so I am going to leave it be and paint Miss Daisy next.

Painting Miss Daisy

Using of one my friend's photos, I drew a pencil drawing of a cow.
I fancied having a bit of an experiment with this one, so feel free to tell me at any stage of the painting what you think of it :)
Here's the pencil drawing


and here's the first experimental background, using a mixture of cling film and sea salt.


Paintings under cling film take ages to dry - well they do on Arches 140lb rough, so this was all I got to do in the first day.

Waking, sleeping and a special blankie.

We took some beautiful pics of Missy this weekend, so I wanted to share them.
Firstly, Paul took one of her after she had just woken from being asleep on my lap.....


and then I took one when she retired to a very special blankie, that was Spotty's. I recently came across it in one of the boxes I was unpacking. I scrunched it up and held it close, remembering my first girl. When I put it on the sofa, Missy jumped straight up on it and curled up! No sniffing, no turning, just a comfortable curl and sleep.
My precious girls.

Steaming Into Texas

Steaming Into Texas

This painting will be added to my permanent gallery site
Pat Elliott Paintings

Steam train - billowing steam

This is the next stage of the painting, where I have painted the billowing steam.

All that's left to do is the the train itself and the painting will be complete.

Steam train

A good friend of mine went on a day out and took some lovely photos of the stream trains she saw.
She allowed me to use the photos to make a painting.

Here's a picture of the train, followed by my pencil drawing.

I have it in mind to show the majesty and presence of the train by means of it coming through a great cloud of billowing steam.