Edinburgh: Gargoyles, art and literature

Whilst hubby was repairing his car, I took myself off for a day trip to Edinburgh.
Now, I could show you all the usual tourist-y photos - or I can show you what captured my heart.

Come instead, down Princes Street to the Scott memorial - and so worth the vertigo for this gorgeous sculpture

and the overview to this, is captured here:

Then wander down Rose Street with me, to see some amazing metalwork and window art on the outside of a BT building -

Every day of the week, illustrated. In case you can't quite make out the poem - here it is:

also in Rose Street was one of my favourite Rabbie Burns' poems, captured on the side of a building.

In case you can't quite read the text, the poem is HERE


Also popped in to the Scottish National Gallery - where to my delight there was a large exhibition of Turner watercolours. The bequest stipulated they could only be shown in a darkened room - and only in the month of January, to save them from fading. Fortuitously, I was in time.
There were two photos I took in the main rooms, an amazing marble bust, with such detail on the veins!

and a sumptuous El Greco - love the light in this.

and lastly, Waverley Station, for the journey home to Fife... a book lover's delight:

I do have some tourist type photos, and a pic of a darling little boathouse. Sometime in the near future, I have no doubt they'll be paintings.  Keep your eyes peeled.

Busy weekend!

Friday night I went with  fellow blogger Sharon to see an art demonstration.
We saw Heather Jolliffe paint a scene of deer in woodlands.
Missy wagged hopefully at Sharon and then came to me, but she wasn't allowed to go! 

I don't paint in acrylic, but  was hoping to learn something that I could carry over to watercolour.  The most likely thing that would migrate well was putting a ground on the paper. This translates to tinting a watercolour page (with texture too) before you start to paint proper.  I'm going to try that on a painting sometime soon.

No photos at the demo, but I was on the end of the row, so managed to not only jot down notes, but make a small sketch too. In pen, here it is :)

Yesterday and today, I've been playing Florence Nightingale to a poorly hubby.
Hope to get round to all your blogs and catch up soon!

The Magic of Rainbows (crystal painting)

Here's the finished crystal painting. I hope you enjoyed the stages as much as I enjoyed showing you.

The Magic of Rainbows

Permanently on display at my gallery site, HERE

A Crystal painting - further steps

we have some more steps on the way to the crystal painting.

Firstly some washes of cobalt blue

then a second glaze of cobalt blue, in selected areas only. That will deepen the glass and help to make the crystal more 3-D

Adding in some cadmium yellow on certain segments

And a wash of gamboge overlaid with red (makes the reds sing) in selected spots

adding some dark tone in, to tie in the shadows to the peacock. French ultramarine+alizarin crimson mix

All I have to do now is remove the masking and tidy up any areas I feel need a little more zing - and the painting will be ready. I'll post it tomorrow.

Wintry Day - the year of painting.

Good morning all.

Over on Painting Friends we've recently done another in our year of painting set.
Each month we have a photo reference set for us and we interpret it in our own fashion.

This month was a lady cardinal, a bird not native to the UK.  I was a trifle concerned how I would cope with painting something others were very familiar with and me not at all !

The original photo had the bird sitting on a branch and lots of other branches and the tree trunk visible. I decided to remove all of those and just paint the bird with one snowy branch and a very wintry background.

I hope you enjoy the painting and if you have any questions on how I did it, fire away! I will do my best to answer :)

Wintry Day

This and all my other paintings are together on my permanent gallery site HERE   Do go over and have a browse - and enjoy :)

Cowgirl VII: Back in the Saddle

Our Cowgirl who recovered from the broken heart and began looking to the future is now back in the saddle. Please enjoy the latest in my Cowgirl Series

Cowgirl VII: Back in the Saddle

In case you missed the others in the Series, you can find them HERE

At Sanctuary's Gate

Here is the finished painting!
I've deepened the shadows, to make it feel more three dimensional.
I do hope you have enjoyed seeing it develop.
It will also take its place on my permanent gallery site HERE

At Sanctuary's Gate

Another stage of At Sanctuary's Gate

I worked some more on this painting that I showed the early stages of yesterday.

I'm pleased with how the layers are progressing, but I do need to add some more shadows, to make it really sing - and then I'll be done.

In the meantime, stage 3...

Early stages of At Sanctuary's Gate

Enamoured of this three colour background, I wanted to try one more very strong set of colours before I mute them somewhat.

I decided to move away from Ultramarine, Alizarin and Aureolin and use Ultra Violet, Winsor Orange and Green Gold.

The door knocker is derived from the old medieval knocker which used to stand on the North Door of Durham Cathedral. In medieval times, one only had to knock and ask, and Sanctuary was granted to anyone fleeing from the brutal justice of the time. The Law of Sanctuary was abolished in England in the 1600s.

So my sanctuary knocker is set floating in the sky, representational of knocking at the Ultimate Sanctuary gate.

Drawing on the paper first, before putting the background washes in. They were very wet, because I wanted to press some cling film into them to create those interesting textural marks. When the cling film was in place, I weighted it with a couple of books to keep the film pressed in the washes. If you click to make the picture large, you will see that more clearly.

Next I start to paint the knocker, building up the colour in layers.
For this, you have to be patient. Each layer has to dry thoroughly. I'm hoping it will be worth it in the end.

The Three Sisters

Yesterday I spent some more time on the step by step, and I think its finished. But I will wait a few days before I make that final call, because something else might pop out at me, or someone may come up with a suggestion that makes me think - oh yes, that would make it better!
That does happen, and I am not above taking suggestion to improve my paintings.

Sometimes when I visit other blogs, I am mindful not to say how or what I would change, because that would make it my painting - and we should allow each their own style! But at times, I can see how the addition of a darker shadow, or continuity in light source could improve what is there.
I'm happy for anyone to make constructive comments in the same vein.


Anyway, here's the first photo from yesterday.

Using a sap green and ultramarine mix, with varying degrees of stickiness, I painted some vague foliage and then some more defined foliage.
I did this because I wanted to express that the three flowers could be on a vine, or could be three flowers standing independently. I like that kind of ambiguity. Not always do I want my paintings to be clear cut, so that what you first see is all there is.
I then added some splatter , in dark green mix, and alizarin on its own.
To do this, load one brush with paint and then tap it against a second one, held at an angle that makes a cross - an upright one, like Jesus' cross - not an X cross. Make sure you cover the flowers with a piece of paper, if you don't want them splattered too :)

I looked at the painting for a while and the flowers seemed a little bland to me, so I deepened some shadows and added some veins. I made them stronger on the right most flower, to give one flower that stood out more than the others.
I think its finished now, unless of course, you'd like to come up with a suggestion to improve it.  I hope you've enjoyed how this painting has progressed.

One last hint someone else gave me. Click the picture to get the larger version, then squint as you view it. Apparently that gives you a rough impression of how you would see it on a wall, when you're seated!

The Three Sisters

Time for a watch along experiment.

Do you remember the Famous Cactus? It had the swirly swishy background.

I was wondering what to paint, so thought to try an experiment.. the swirly background and a floral painting.

I have drawn the flowers from my imagination. Not sure if that's a good idea, but time will tell.

So here are the first few steps. If anyone wants to try this out for themselves - be my guest!

firstly, the drawing

Wet the paper completely, then add the background washes. A lazy S shaped swish of french ultramarine, alizarin crimson and aureolin.

after that has dried completely ( which takes a while as it was very wet) I add a second wash of aureolin to the flowers alone

that's it for today, will be back soon with some more stages.
Hope you've enjoyed and even feel inspired :)

My Crystal Bowl

A Crystal Bowl and Strawberries was one of the projects my Painting Friends were creating on their painting holiday, Splash!

Although I couldn't make it to Florida, Mollie kindly provided me with a photo of the drawing to copy; from there I have painted this version of the crystal bowl with strawberries.

I have to thank Mollie Jones - she's an absolute star. If you'd like to visit her blog, go HERE

and here is my painting:

My Crystal Bowl

The Famous Cactus

You all know I belong to a painting group called Painting Friends?
Its like a little family - and the last week the majority have been on holiday together in Indian Rocks beach, Florida.

It was a painting holiday and the projects were kindly shared and video-ed for those of us who weren't there.
Thanks to Deb for taking the videos, and to Mollie for this particular project.

If you'd like to join the Painting Friends forum, please do go have a look HERE and tell them Pat sent you.

This is my version of Mollie's cactus.

The Famous Cactus

Failte, Cara

I'm half Irish; so when I painted some Waterford crystal filled with fruit, it seemed natural to give it an Irish title.

The title is Failte Cara,  which means, "Welcome Friend"

This little painting depicts a welcome to any friend who visits, and a refreshing treat.

Failte Cara

A thing of Beauty

The kitchen is finished! And very beautiful it is too.

I have watched it grow from the bare bones of stripped back walls, to the room where I can create a culinary masterpiece.How creative my builders are.

Whilst I've watched the building, I in turn have been watched.
The workmen have been the first to see my new paintings and have marvelled at how I created them.

Seeing them work reminds me of art.
We start with the bare bones of a blank sheet of paper  - and from there something beautiful grows. Whether we draw or go straight in with paint, whether we paint loose or tight, abstract or realistic... we create. It will be a thing of beauty. Even the paintings we may think - oh, that's nothing - others will see the beauty we sometimes miss.

Just like my kitchen.

Happy creating, whatever you create. Never lose the wonder.

If you want to see all the kitchen photos in one place, go HERE

Pair and Pears

We have a three day break in the building works whilst we wait for the newly plastered kitchen to dry. So I though I'd come say hello :)

Today is our wedding anniversary  - 22 years.
We're off out in a little while for a celebratory lunch.

I have managed to do a couple of little studies of pears - hope you enjoy them.
Tomorrow and the day after I'm going to visit all your blogs. I just know there'll be some interesting posts I've missed.

Both of these pears were made in four colours - French Ultramarine, Transparent Yellow, Permanent Rose and Sap Green.

Both made on sample papers I picked up at the art show.
The first allowed to bleed wet-in-wet, and the second painted layer over layer, wet on dry.

Belle

Helene

and now a little something for you, in celebration...

If anyone would like to own one of these pears, please leave a comment saying which one you'd like.  If there are many who'd like to own one, I'll draw a name from the hat on Sunday. This is open to all, no matter where you live.
have a great day ! xx

Cowgirl VI: Looking to the Future

Good Sunday morning to you all !

We had such a wet day yesterday, that I sat at the dining table and painted in the afternoon.
I thought it would be a treat to have another in the Cowgirl Series.
If you'd like to see I-V, click Here and scroll down a little.

So, after Masking the Pain (V), our girl is getting over the break up and the pain has faded. She is looking forward to the future again.

Cowgirl VI: Looking to the Future

And in other news, Missy has had her annual check. The vet has said she's in fabulous shape for 13.5, with everything in tip top condition. There is no sign of any cancer regrowth, either.  And when the vet gave her a piece of duck as a treat, darling Missy was so delighted, she made a huge fuss of the man :) 

Here she is, once we were home :

Thanks for visiting my blog - and have a blessed Sunday all xx

Through thick and thin

I've been busy with the aquapasto again!

Two smaller paintings, both 11 x7 . Arches 140 Rough.

Trying out the two ends of the medium - applying it very thickly and then very thinly on the second.
First painting up is the thick aquapasto

Raw Perry

and the second is the thinly applied aquapasto

The Sea Dog

As always, I appreciate your comments and observations and critiques. 

I've enjoyed using the aquapasto, stretching its limits. I have found I can't blend it too well. But then it is for impasto work, so I will enjoy it for what it can do. 

I am going to return now to watercolour, pure and simple. I'm missing some aspects, like the fizzing of the colours on paper.  There'll be some of each in my future - I love them both!  Take care and enjoy the week xx

Art in everyday life

Hello friends!

I have a real treat of a post today and some beautiful pictures.
I have a friend in blog land called Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks.
You can see her blog HERE

I approached her to make some picnic sets for myself and my husband.
I knew she could make photo quilts, so I asked her if she could somehow make a photo picnic set, with a picture of each of our darling dogs in it.

She did it - and they arrived today!
My word, but they are beautiful. I love art that I can use as well as admire!

Tonya makes these from your own photo and she can make them any colour you want! They cost $20 each. (That's about £12 in sterling)
You aren't limited to dogs - you could have a photo of anything!

here they are

I should have waited to take pictures, so you could see them nice and flat, but I was too keen to show you all :)

And further in my parcel, was a surprise gift from my friend, Marie!
She had asked Tonya to make an arty gift for me.
This is a dual purpose roll - it holds my delicate brushes for doing fine work, to save them getting battered by the big brushes - and it also doubles up as a watercolour pencil holder! How neat is that!  I can't tell you what this cost, because it was a gift, but I'm sure if you contact Tonya, she'll quote you.
Here's my newest piece of art kit :)