A few painted cards

Good morning my blogger friends!

Gosh, it's been hectic round here. There's been a book launch and birthday party (see HERE ) and now I'm posting out some thank you cards.

So what have I got to show you on the painting front?
I've got a few painted cards that I made, that I can show you, because they have arrived at their destination. I have no non card related paintings. I do hope you'll enjoy these - and once Christmas is all over, I hope to get back into my blogging routine!

This card was made as a 'thank you' to the ebookpartners, Matt and Diana Horner, who helped me get my novel out there, ready for sale.

and a thank you card for my editor, Diane

a birthday card for a good friend, Hayley

Then, a Christmas card for the wonderful illustrator, Teresa Palomar Lois, who designed the cover of my novel, All in the Leaves.

and finally, a card for my Painting Friend - in our Christmas card exchange.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing my recent artistic efforts. I'm looking forward to seeing yours, soon x

Trying new techniques and having fun!

Usually when I go to art club, I do my own thing, even though the tutor demonstrates weekly. That's not bad manners, he is fine with that and demonstrates to help those who have lost inspiration.
But this time, he was demonstrating techniques that were new to me, so I decided to watch and learn!

We learned how to paint wet on wet, let it dry, then paint layers of wet on dry to give a fun result.

This is my attempt at that:

Meerkat

Then we painted a wet on wet, let it dry and painted some wet on dry colour blocks. This is my attempt on that:

and finally, because I'd finished way before everyone else, I had a play with the meerkat, coming up with something of my own - wet on wet with salt background and the kat painted in Chinese Ink, using a brush!

This week has been hectic, I'm getting prepared for my book launch/birthday party. I am delighted that some of you have read and enjoyed my book - and even reviewed it. Thank you so much. If you'd like to get the links to the stores selling my book, 'All in the Leaves' - then please look HERE

Interrupting the painting to tell you - Novel is on sale!

Here we are, All in the Leaves is out for sale.

The first store to list it is Apple's iTunes! Well done Apple :)

and this is the link!

HERE

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/all-in-the-leaves/id751048942?mt=11&uo=4

as soon as it appears in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Waterstones - I will let you know!

STOP PRESS! Now on Amazon UK and Amazon US .. direct links on my website http://www.patelliott.co.uk
The live links will be added there, so please, keep checking!

All in the Leaves



A tea-leaf reading.
A prediction of a fabulous life to come.
Can your future really be told in a cup?

Anna is feeling down in the dumps. She's nearly thirty, painfully shy and has no boyfriend. She's still living at home and has a boring job. Can this really be all there is?

A chance bout of tears leads to a tea leaf reading which predicts a wonderful future for her.
A future which promises a new career, a new home and a husband. All by the following Christmas.

Join Anna as opportunities arise, calamity strikes and the battle for happiness begins.

Remembrance.

For Armistice Day, I post this in Remembrance of my Grandad and all who served.

For your sacrifice, thank you.

MissyCard

Good morning friends!
It's the time of year to be painting my Christmas cards, which means there isn't a lot of painting to show you!

But, I can show you one - that's because it's going to be the card for my OH.

Here it is - loosely based on our darling Missy

MissyCard

The Last Outpost.... a seaside painting.

Good morning Friends,

I saw a cobbled wall, a crumbling sandcastle, with a plastic flag stuck in it, with beach huts beyond.
It struck me that if I painted the beach huts as red, white and blue, there we would have the colours of the Union Jack. The Three Lions flag harks back to Richard the Lionheart, who first used it on his Great Seal.

I could imagine a child playing with their sandcastle, repelling all invaders, saving their own country - hence naming the painting:

The Last Outpost

 

Painted with Winsor & Newton paints, on Saunders Waterford 140 Rough Paper - a quarter sheet.

A meditative painting..... and a starry night which needs your help!

Good morning Friends,
I've got two paintings to show you today, both painted in watercolour.
The first is a calm, meditative one.

The Boathouse

I can imagine sitting on the foreground island and getting lost in a reverie.


The second is a starry night abstract, which I really struggled to photograph. It may be my little compact Fuji Finepix isn't up to the job. The electric blue rings are all painted to the same level - blue all the way round. Yet when I photographed them, some turned out white! How that happens, I have no clue. Perhaps you can help me, by giving me some tips on how to photograph a night time painting. Until then, I'll have to let you imagine that all the rings are indeed blue.

The Voyage Home

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions, and your comments on my paintings.