Midnight Picnic

Its Good Friday, so I'd like to wish you all a Happy Easter.

I'd also like to show you a little painting I did, an exercise in negative painting and dry brush work.
There is no drawing to this painting, the trees are brought forward by painting the spaces between them.
The dry brush work is paint loaded on a slightly damp brush and then dragged over the surface of the paper, to give a textured look.

Here is its ---  Midnight Picnic.

saunders waterford 140 rough

7" x 11"

En Route

Thanks for all the well wishes, hubs is now back to work and feeling much better.
Which left me time to paint!

I took what I'd learned from Fernando's demo and tried to apply it here, on a scene from London.

Because of the man walking towards the Cathedral, I've called it "En Route".

saunders waterford 140 Rough

15" x 11"

Saskia

This last week hasn't given me much time to paint, because hubs had a relapse on the bug front and has been off all week. I've had to be nurse :)

But yesterday morning, before he was up, I finished up this watercolour and ink painting of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog.
I'm hoping to get back to a more normal routine next week, when my brushes will get a great workout!

Here's Saskia...

saunders waterford 140lb rough

7 x 15 inches

 

Fernando's Demo

Over on Painting Friends, we were privileged to have Fernando Pena give us a demonstration on how to paint a cityscape in a loose style.

Here's my version of Fernando's Demo.
I hope you enjoy viewing it

If you'd like to know more about Painting Friends, there's a link on the right sidebar.
If you'd like to know more about Fernando, you can visit his blog HERE

Nil Catalano

Its with a very heavy heart that I write this post.

Yesterday evening I had an email from one of Nil's friends, to say that Nil had passed away from a bacterial infection.

I knew Nil from his blog and his paintings.
He had a wonderful way with watercolour, his work so clean and bright and full of love. We chatted via the comments and Nil said to me once if we were neighbours, we would surely be great neighbours, sharing a love of watercolour and a love of dogs.
You'll be greatly missed, Nil.

Condolences to your family and friends, their loss is a great one.
Heaven gains a fabulous painter and a decent human being.
I'm proud to have had the honour of knowing you, via the net.
God bless.
xx

If you'd like to see Nil's paintings, HERE is his legacy.

Nil Catalano - Anjo Azuis.

Ben Kilt

This is a painting I created yesterday, Mothers Day here in the UK.
It was painted for a very special dog 'mum and dad' .

Lynne and Stuart loved Ben so much, he was a part of their wedding day. This watercolour and ink was from one of the wedding photographs.
Sadly, early last week, Ben was found to have multiple cancerous tumours. Lynne and Stuart lost their beloved dog. They had seen him through sudden onset spinal injury, got him the best care and saw him walk again. He was a well travelled dog, going on many holidays with them both.
There are a raft of happy memories of the much loved Ben.
I hope this painting will become another.

Ben 

Kev's Demo

Hubs has picked up an infection recently, so I've been playing nurse.
Yesterday though, while he was sleeping, I got to paint a little.

I painted my version of a demo given by one of our Painting Friends, Kev.
He was instructing us on how to paint ink and wash.

This is what I created

If you'd like to join Painting Friends, there's a link on the right sidebar.
If you'd like to see some of Kev's work, visit his website HERE

and while I'm doing links, could I ask you all a favour please?
Would you hop along to my other blog - where I've been playing with making a cover for my book - and tell me over there which you like best? Thank you.
That blog is HERE

London Irish

This is a part of a charm bracelet that my auntie left to me.
All the charms were from places that she visited. I wanted to capture it in paint. These charms have a special meaning to me, because my parentage is one from England and one from Ireland. Which makes me a citizen of both countries - and London Irish (that's where I was born). The peacock tells me I should be proud of this heritage.

London Irish

Saunders Waterford 140lb Rough

15" x 11"