Friday 31 December 2010

New Year's Eve and Arty things..

Today is New Year's Eve, and a traditional time for making resolutions.

Now I've never been one for Resolutions, but in my art there are a few things I'd like to do.

1) I'd like to paint more and compute less.
To that end, I'm only going to publish on my blog 3 days rather than 7 days a week.
The new days will be Mon, Wed, Fri.

2) I received a 3 CD watercolour landscape course this Christmas.
I'd like to have painted every demo on that course by next year.

3) With some of the most recent paintings I have done, I have learned the importance of being bold and making stronger shadows in my style of painting. I want to improve on those this year.

How about you? Is there anything you want to tackle in the new year, or anything you want to improve?

And finally, would like to wish all my readers a happy and healthy 2011 .

Thursday 30 December 2010

Framed.

I received this photo of two more of my paintings framed and ready to hang!

Such a thrill to see them all ready to go up in their new home.



Wednesday 29 December 2010

Charcoal Portrait

Beryl and Dennis came over to our house on Boxing Day, and we all had a wonderful time.

Paul and Dennis did some woodturning - and Beryl and I watched and followed an instructional art dvd.
Here is my charcoal portrait drawn whilst watching the dvd.

Not being used to charcoal or portraits, I'm quite pleased with it!

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Missy O'Clock

Is that the time?

Missy O'Clock.. always time for Missy!

This was one of our presents this year, from our good friends Beryl and Dennis.
We're thrilled with it.

Monday 27 December 2010

Bookmark Frenzy

Twas the day before Christmas Eve and what could I do?

Paint!
But what? 

A frenzy of bookmarks :lol:


and here they are - all 14 of them!


Sunday 26 December 2010

Pure Joy

Sometimes you see a photo and it speaks to you....

and this one of Luca with his surprise present shouts "Joy"

Luca and T2

Saturday 25 December 2010

Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends and your families.


I think my card expresses what I wish for you all..

May the Light of Christmas bless you...

Friday 24 December 2010

Hanging 2

How wonderful!
I have a photo now of the darling Roxy hanging up in her new home.
I'm thrilled to see her so well framed and so obviously loved.

Thursday 23 December 2010

An Early Christmas

Celebrations for my blogging friend Tonya came early this year, because the only day all her family could get together was Saturday just gone.

I'd made some bookmarks for Tonya and her family and was delighted to hear that they all loved them. I had tried to tailor each to the hobbies of the recipient.

Here they are
Tonya's blog can be found here Hillbilly Handiworks.

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Hanging 1

In her new home,
here's the precious Mo.
She's over the door and facing her mum's chair.
Every time Jenny looks up she sees her.
This painting is cherished.

I love to see my paintings in their new home - its always a great feeling to know they are cherished. 

Tuesday 21 December 2010

Christmas bookmarks

I haven't had time to paint a big picture, because of all the arrangements that have to be made for Christmas.

But I have had time to paint a couple of bookmarks, both of which make me smile :)


Hope you enjoyed them too!

Monday 20 December 2010

Snow.

No dreaming necessary, here's the real thing - and its set to stay for Christmas!

My front garden (under there somewhere!)


So pretty in pictures. 
So treacherous to walk or drive!




Sunday 19 December 2010

Decorations

I thought you might like to see some of our decorations for Christmas:

hand carved snowmen




the fireplace




and the tree

Saturday 18 December 2010

A Special Gift

I had a gift arrive from my friend Marie in Texas.
It is the most beautiful silver leaf.
A real leaf, dipped in silver. Just stunning.



Tomorrow I will post the pics of our tree and you can see it in place.

Friday 17 December 2010

Card Exchange

On the Painting Friends forum, we have a Christmas Card exchange, which is great fun.

This is the card I sent to a Painting Friend in the US



and this is the one I received from a Friend who also lives in America. ( Though PF's can be found around the world!)

Thursday 16 December 2010

Stockings!

Christmas stockings of course !

Missy's are up by the fireplace, waiting for Santa.
I don't think she'll be disappointed ;)




Of course, anyone who sits still round here too long, may well get decorated also !

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Mo 4

Mo, the markings..



tomorrow I will paint the shadows and you will see the finished painting.

Monday 13 December 2010

Sunday 12 December 2010

Mo 2

Mo, the background.

Paints, French ultra, Aliz crimson

Saturday 11 December 2010

Mo 1

This is a painting of a very special girl - Mo - done for my friend Jenny.
Mo was a saluki/greyhound cross, who sadly passed away on the 28th November.
Much loved, greatly missed.

the drawing:

Friday 10 December 2010

oh yes, snow... and ice

Here in Essex, we've had a little snow!
Some of it has gone now, but not all, because since this fell last week, we haven't had but one day where the temps rose above freezing :(



 Loads of snow..



and ice...



Clearing a path and Missy staying inside, where its warm!

Thursday 9 December 2010

after Edward Hopper

Today's painting was another challenge one at Painting Friends,
this time, painting an Edward Hopper.

Enjoy:

Wednesday 8 December 2010

After Da Vinci

On the Painting Friends forum ( link on right ) we had a challenge Paint like the Masters.

Today's painting is my effort at painting like Da Vinci.
I hope you enjoy it :)

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Monday 6 December 2010

Roxy 6

Roxy's colouring is black, tan and white.

In this stage, I have painted the tan. The white is, as ever, the paper left unpainted. That doesn't mean I don't put some colour on - I usually put a french ultra/aliz crimson mix on, for the shadows.

Sunday 5 December 2010

Roxy 5

In this stage, I have painted a collar on Roxy and painted the football.

If a dog has black in their coat, I usually add a red collar, no matter what they wear normally - because it makes the whole painting sing. You'll see what I mean when you see the finished painting. A brown collar wouldn't cut the mustard. 

Saturday 4 December 2010

Roxy 3 & 4

A treat today - two photos!

First one shows the eyes, nose and lip - and the second, I have completed the mouth.
I paint the eyes first and once happy with those, I continue. There's no point to carry on if unhappy with the eyes, they are so hard to fix retrospectively.


Friday 3 December 2010

Roxy part 2

Here in this stage, I have painted the background .
All I am aiming for here is a suggestion of grass and sky, and a little shadow.
Hopefully I have that!

Thursday 2 December 2010

Roxy Begins

Today starts my latest dog painting - that of the very special Roxy.

She was taken in when she was five and a half years old by her current owner; who trained her up and brought out the diamond within.

Roxy is now a PAT dog (Pets as Therapy), she is so steady she has been used as a Stooge dog to help other dogs overcome behaviour problems - and she just won the Golden Oldie championship at Scruffts ( for non pedigrees) this year.

To read more of Roxy, click  HERE

Wednesday 1 December 2010

from yesterday

Had a wonderful day yesterday, on my birthday.

Firstly we woke to snow!



but I was indoors and toasty warm, thanks to the fire, which Missy enjoyed too :)






Some of my presents were art books and I look forward to reading them and painting the demonstrations.

 At the top of the photo you can see some paint keys, to enable me to get the very last drop of paint from the tube. Completely necessary when you paint as much as I do :lol:

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