I picked one of the Friday Fotos as a reference for this painting.
If you enjoy forums, you're more than welcome to join. Here's a direct LINK
and here's my painting:
Sweet Valentine
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Sweet Valentine
Over on Painting Friends, we have a Friday Foto and a photo reference library which members contribute towards and we all can use.
I picked one of the Friday Fotos as a reference for this painting.
If you enjoy forums, you're more than welcome to join. Here's a direct LINK
and here's my painting:
I picked one of the Friday Fotos as a reference for this painting.
If you enjoy forums, you're more than welcome to join. Here's a direct LINK
and here's my painting:
Thursday, 23 February 2012
The Alphabet Paintings: T
Continuing with my alphabet paintings, I'm up to T !
so here, another macro pic from my digital microscope, this time of a brass ornament -
so here, another macro pic from my digital microscope, this time of a brass ornament -
Three Wise Monkeys
Each is approx 7x5 inches, on Arches 140 Rough.
Monday, 20 February 2012
Year of Painting, Grapes.
on the Painting Friends forum we're on the eleventh of the twelve monthly paintings for our year of painting. (YOP)
Year of Painting (YOP)
Number Eleven, Grapes
Personal Goals for this Painting:
to paint the reference photo and paint as reasonably realistic without adding my own particular inventive stamp to it.
After having made up my own still life in the last YOP, which was such a high, painting a given subject felt almost anti-climactic. I honestly felt like I'd run out of steam with this YOP.
Summer in France
Challenges Faced
The main challenge I felt was motivating myself to paint this one.
I decided to try a three colour swish background to this one and take it from there.
I added an extra bunch of grapes to the lower part of the painting, because I didn't want to paint the exact photo – and I left out some leaves and another bunch from the left hand side.
Share Personal Goals and whether you felt you Met Them
My personal goal was to make the painting when I in no way felt creative about it.
This I did – and then something wonderful happened.
The very next day after it was finished, I looked at my end painting and thought, I wonder if I could make that loose?
So I sat down with a quarter sheet of paper, reminding myself this is cheaper than a Costa Coffee and much more fun and I set to play. I really didn't know or care if I'd have a finished painting worth showing at the end.
Did I play? Yes I did. Here is the result, you can decide if it was worth showing you.
Fruits of the Vine
How I created the Paintings.
Summer in France – I'll show you in pictures!
Fruits of the Vine - two pics, the first was big brush dollops of wash placed roughly where the colours would be, then using a spray bottle to push the paint around. Left to dry, it looked like this.
After adding some loose-ish detail, it looks like this!
and here is where I confess, my sternest critic helped me with the painting of Fruits :)
Size of Painting, Medium, Palette and Brushes.
The paintings are on Arches 140 Rough and are Summer, 12x11, Fruits, 15 x 11
The medium is pencil for the under drawing and watercolour for the painting.
W&N artists quality paint.
Palette colours used : transparent yellow, aliz crimson, french ultramarine, sap green, sepia.
Brushes: round 12, round 6, round 2.
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Blog posts and Word verification
oh my! I'm in trouble.
Blogger has changed its word verification and the new one is dreadful!
If you haven't seen one, Ann has an example on her blog HERE
I'm really struggling to read them.
I do try and comment on all the blogs I follow, but this is making me give up.
My aging eyes can't cope with it.
I dumped word before, in favour of moderation. I understand that isn't suitable for some, hopefully with all the complaints Blogger will restore word veri to the old version.
If not, I apologise in advance for not commenting .
Before anyone asks, my spectacle prescription is up to date!!! :)
have a happy Sunday...............
and here's one of my photos for you to enjoy
Blogger has changed its word verification and the new one is dreadful!
If you haven't seen one, Ann has an example on her blog HERE
I'm really struggling to read them.
I do try and comment on all the blogs I follow, but this is making me give up.
My aging eyes can't cope with it.
I dumped word before, in favour of moderation. I understand that isn't suitable for some, hopefully with all the complaints Blogger will restore word veri to the old version.
If not, I apologise in advance for not commenting .
Before anyone asks, my spectacle prescription is up to date!!! :)
have a happy Sunday...............
and here's one of my photos for you to enjoy
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Flight of the Bumble Bee
A new painting, using one of my digital microscope photos as reference.
The close up photo was one of a flowering top of lavender that had missed the trim back before winter set in.
The title comes from the fact that this is the close up view, seen from above - not a view we normally see, but a bee would!
The close up photo was one of a flowering top of lavender that had missed the trim back before winter set in.
The title comes from the fact that this is the close up view, seen from above - not a view we normally see, but a bee would!
Flight of the Bumble Bee
Saturday, 11 February 2012
In which my visitor learns to paint!
My friend has left for home.
Whilst she was here, she expressed an interest in learning to paint, so I took up the challenge to teach her :)
We started with me demonstrating a wet-in-wet sea scene ( she lives near the sea) . This meant she learned how to use a limited palette of three colours. French ultramarine, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna. She also learned how to make washes fizz to create new effects. not to forget learning and practising seagulls!
This is my demo piece - and is followed by her piece, which we cropped because the horizon line was a little skewed.
Then we proceeded to the second painting.
She made a drawing first of some snowdrops. Then she learned how to paint wet on dry.
Firstly painting a glaze of aureolin on the leaves. When that was completely dry we painted a wash of ultramarine on the same leaves, though we used differing consistencies to give diverse greens.
Finally we talked about shadows and we mixed a shadow from ultramarine and alizarin and applied it to the snowdrops.
Here's the finished painting.
and here are the two paintings in light oak frames. Both with double mounts, one black and white, the other double cream.
We both had fun, her learning and me teaching - and she got to take home a couple of beautiful paintings to hang on the wall of her converted chapel!
Whilst she was here, she expressed an interest in learning to paint, so I took up the challenge to teach her :)
We started with me demonstrating a wet-in-wet sea scene ( she lives near the sea) . This meant she learned how to use a limited palette of three colours. French ultramarine, alizarin crimson and burnt sienna. She also learned how to make washes fizz to create new effects. not to forget learning and practising seagulls!
This is my demo piece - and is followed by her piece, which we cropped because the horizon line was a little skewed.
Then we proceeded to the second painting.
She made a drawing first of some snowdrops. Then she learned how to paint wet on dry.
Firstly painting a glaze of aureolin on the leaves. When that was completely dry we painted a wash of ultramarine on the same leaves, though we used differing consistencies to give diverse greens.
Finally we talked about shadows and we mixed a shadow from ultramarine and alizarin and applied it to the snowdrops.
Here's the finished painting.
and here are the two paintings in light oak frames. Both with double mounts, one black and white, the other double cream.
We both had fun, her learning and me teaching - and she got to take home a couple of beautiful paintings to hang on the wall of her converted chapel!
Monday, 6 February 2012
Visitor and a place to visit!
We've got a visitor this week!
One of my friends from Devon has come to stay for a week.
Missy is so excited
I think she's hoping that's someone new to throw ball for her!
So this week I shan't be around much .
However, I wanted to tell you about a wonderful artist blogger who paints the most wonderful horses. Here name is Maria and you can find her blog HERE
She's a vet who's also an artist - how cool is that?
Her love of animals is immense too - her latest piece of art will benefit horse rescue.
Please do go have a look at her blog - and I shall see you again next week.
ta-ta for now xx
One of my friends from Devon has come to stay for a week.
Missy is so excited
I think she's hoping that's someone new to throw ball for her!
So this week I shan't be around much .
However, I wanted to tell you about a wonderful artist blogger who paints the most wonderful horses. Here name is Maria and you can find her blog HERE
She's a vet who's also an artist - how cool is that?
Her love of animals is immense too - her latest piece of art will benefit horse rescue.
Please do go have a look at her blog - and I shall see you again next week.
ta-ta for now xx
Saturday, 4 February 2012
For love of Spot
Painting the Spots
A gift from God, you came to me,
My darling little Spot
You made me laugh, you made me love
You made me proud - a lot!
You taught me much, my darling Spot
I remember to this day
That love's a wonderful thing to have,
But better still to give away.
I painted these pictures, my gorgeous girl
That all should know the love
A rescue dog can bring to them
Like you, my friend above.
There'll come a day we'll meet again
What joy that will surely be
I hope when that day comes, my love
You'll be just as proud of me.
*
My darling little Spot
You made me laugh, you made me love
You made me proud - a lot!
You taught me much, my darling Spot
I remember to this day
That love's a wonderful thing to have,
But better still to give away.
I painted these pictures, my gorgeous girl
That all should know the love
A rescue dog can bring to them
Like you, my friend above.
There'll come a day we'll meet again
What joy that will surely be
I hope when that day comes, my love
You'll be just as proud of me.
*
This is the final painting in the Painting the Spots series:
Nalah and Mollie
and the others who were painted are:
Scrappy
Chance
Penny
Hope and Jade
Wishie and Heidi
Jazzie
For an explanation of "Painting the Spots" please see previous post.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Painting and Sketching
It seems like forever since I posted a painting.
Today isn't going to change that.
I do have a painting I'm working on, but the progress is slow due to the emotional attachment.
Six years ago I lost my first dog, Spotty. She was a rescue we adopted at 18 months old and she lived to be 18 years old. I loved her immensely. Still do.
This is her photo on a picnic set that Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks made for me.
In honour of her, I offered to "paint the Spots" on a jack russell forum I belonged to. (Jack Russells Online, owned by Bill Tomei, r.i.p.) The bronze, silver and gold of beloved dogs who were adopted, and the bronze, silver and gold of the dogs belonging to that dedicated band of people who rescue dogs.
Five portraits were done within a couple of months. The sixth is the one I am currently working on. The rescuer involved is Suzy, who runs "Saving Georgia Dogs" . Sadly she's kept so busy it took her til now to photo and send the pics of her two dogs. So that's what I'm working on and its bringing back all sorts of memories.
I'm also keeping up with the sketch-a-day challenge. The finish line is 75 sketches. We're in the thirties now :)
For this lot, I swapped to a coloured background and an inked subject. Fast sketching at 3 minutes, then stopping - finished or not! Wonder if I'll ever paint this fast? :)
Today isn't going to change that.
I do have a painting I'm working on, but the progress is slow due to the emotional attachment.
Six years ago I lost my first dog, Spotty. She was a rescue we adopted at 18 months old and she lived to be 18 years old. I loved her immensely. Still do.
This is her photo on a picnic set that Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks made for me.
In honour of her, I offered to "paint the Spots" on a jack russell forum I belonged to. (Jack Russells Online, owned by Bill Tomei, r.i.p.) The bronze, silver and gold of beloved dogs who were adopted, and the bronze, silver and gold of the dogs belonging to that dedicated band of people who rescue dogs.
Five portraits were done within a couple of months. The sixth is the one I am currently working on. The rescuer involved is Suzy, who runs "Saving Georgia Dogs" . Sadly she's kept so busy it took her til now to photo and send the pics of her two dogs. So that's what I'm working on and its bringing back all sorts of memories.
I'm also keeping up with the sketch-a-day challenge. The finish line is 75 sketches. We're in the thirties now :)
For this lot, I swapped to a coloured background and an inked subject. Fast sketching at 3 minutes, then stopping - finished or not! Wonder if I'll ever paint this fast? :)
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