Absent without leave

I've been absent again - but I have at least been busy!

I have recently signed up with RedBubble and opened an account to sell prints, bags, cushions, phone covers and more. So taking a slightly different track, I have been working on a series of work that will lend itself well to different items

These little trees started as individual trees and then grew into an orchard in different seasons.

'Winter Orchard' Watercolour on Paper, 30cm x 30cm

Winter has come to the Orchard, the snow lies deep under the trees and snowflakes are falling.

'Spring Orchard' Watercolour on Paper, 30cm x 30cm

Spring has come at last, the leaves are starting to come out and the blossom is out. Wildflowers have started to bloom under the trees.

'Summer Orchard' Watercolour on Paper, 30cm x 30cm

In the midst of the summer heat the apples are ripening among the dark green leaves, the flowers are blooming amongst the trees.

'Autumn Orchard' Watercolour on Paper, 30cm x 30cm

Autumn is spreading its fingers and the leaves are turning and falling from the trees. Only a few of the apples remain on the branches now to remind us of the fruit they bear.

The originals of these paintings are available for purchase on from my Etsy shop.

Knots

My fabric series has rather gone by the way of knots! Knots look so different according to what they are tied with - the knotted ribbon is much flatter and more structural somehow, yet the knotted tea towel is drapes and curves due to the bulk of the fabric.

"Tie the Knot'
Pencil on Paper

"Did You Forget Something?'
Pencil on Paper

Stripes

Following on from the pebbles drawing, I have started a series of drawings of fabrics. I bought this black and white silk many years ago but have never use it for anything. It seemed like the perfect challenge for this series of drawings, though half-way through the first one, I began to wonder whether I would still be sane at the end of it!

'Get Knotted'
Pencil on Paper

'Untitled'
Pencil on Paper

Pebbles

I love to walk on beaches and find myself picking up rocks and bringing them home by the pocket full. Attracted by the texture, the shape, colour or patterns, I find them irresistable!.

"Memories"
Pencil on Paper

"Instrospective"
Pencil on Paper

"Hopes"
Pencil on Paper

"Reflection"
Pencil on paper

"Musings"
Pencil on paper

"Moments"
Pencil on paper

"Thoughts"
Pencil on paper

"Ideas"
Pencil on paper

"Impressions"
Pencil on paper

Artistic Hiatus

Many people believe that being an artist is easy. That you get up in the morning and paint. I hate to dispel this theory, because yes, there are days like that. But there are many that are agony, the agony of wanting to paint and not knowing what to paint and sometimes, not even wanting to. I was reading in Shirley Trevena's book, "Taking risks with Watercolour", and was happy to find that even the most accomplished artists suffer the way I do.

"Painting is not always as relaxing as it seems, especially when the flow of ideas dries up. Nobody can turn on inspiration like a tap - I wish one could. There are days when I can hardly persuade myself to go into the my studio, let alone start working......."

I suffer this more often than I care to remember. Many artists tell you that in this case just do something, because the doing in itself is inspiring. So having found myself in a dry period, I did just that. I trawled images that I have on my computer and came back to pears.

Painting these I had the idea of having the white of a table cloth with pears on and a dark wall behind them but having got to this point, I am not faced with the fear of "if I add any more it may ruin it". Remembering how I rather flew at a couple of still lifes a short while ago and ended up having to crop them to remove my rash decisions, I have decided to wait and see what inspiration will provide.

White Rose

"THE red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove."

John Boyle O'Reilly

I've fallen in love with granulating pigments and the one I used in the leaves is one of my favourites - out of the tube it looks like a dull green and then it separates into coppers and turquoise.

Yellow Rose

There is a rhythm to life, its ups and downs, its side steps, its change of pace and theme.