Hydrangea

While I was shopping for Lisianthus at the florist, I was seduced by the most gorgeous hydrangeas. I love these flowers with their big blousy heads in a range of colours from white through pinks to bright turquoise blue - my favourites! After painting the first couple of petals, I began to think that madness might lie in hydrangeas!

Lisianthus

Lisianthus - such a delicate flower, unfurling it's petals like a twirling skirt.

Walking to an appointment with my physio, it struck me that these upright flowers might lend themselves to a different format ........

After receiving several enquiries, I am working on having my artwork produced as prints and cards - more info coming soon.

Cymbidia Orchids

Continuing with the floral theme this week, I've had a flush of pink in my palette from painting a commission of cymbidia orchids. It's such a joy when someone reaches out and asks you to paint a picture for them. This is the first of two commissions I have lined up.

A couple of warm-up exercises to test out shades of pink .........

Eryngium

There is something about these plants that I love - but I can't decide if it is the colour of spiky blue flowers or the silvery grey and green foliage.

Sand dunes

While we were in Denmark a few years ago, I was struck by the beauty of the sand dunes. I have found few landscapes more peaceful than the undulating sand with whispy grasses blowing gently in the sea breeze, shadows playing on the pale sand. I took a number of photos and then forgot about them as life ploughed on with it's distractions. Wanting to find a way back into artwork I was searching through my photos looking for something that would inspire me and came across a number from that day on the beach - the painting that followed is a mixture of fact and fiction.

"Dunes" - Watercolour

Botanical influence

While I am happy to admit that landscape is still my passion, I have been tempted to dabble in a few botanical subjects of late.  Not really the best subjects for someone wanting to loosen up, especially when they have a tendency to go for teensy weensy details given the slightest provocation.

I love the colour of Physalis and the little lantern-like pods hanging from the stems.

New Beginnings

It has been a very long time since I have posted on my blog. 

No excuses!

Well, a minor one - I couldn't get into my blog! I don't know what happened but I could not log in until today. 

We have moved to Vienna so I am now surrounded by wonderful architecture and art. Culture is seeping out of every alley so I have no excuses not to be producing bountiful amounts of artwork! I am also enjoying being unemployed and having plenty of time to start getting to grips with art. I've been exploring and playing with subjects and styles in watercolour and in oils.

One of the last pieces I did before we left Germany was this portrait of my nephew, Sam.  Painting someone that is near and dear is quite an unnerving experience as their face appears out of the paper. 

The Watcher

The Watcher
Charcoal on Paper
April 2012

"I will not be just a tourist in the world of images, just watching images passing by which I cannot live in, make love to, possess as permanent sources of joy and ecstasy."
Anais Nin

Charcoal Jug

Charcoal on Rives.

Charcoal Pot

Working with charcoal to revitalise a flagging artistic spirit.

Meadow

Meadows bordered with trees, filled with wild flowers, the warmth of the sun and smell of grass filling the air - my idea of heaven!

Getting to Grips

Amazed to find myself painting for the second time in one week - this is beginning to become a habit! Its so nice to wake up in the morning and find myself really looking forward to working on something.

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”

Old Chinese Proverb

Landscape

Oil on Canvas, 16" x 16"

Finding my feet, slowly .....................

Trying to learn to be patient, not only with the paint, but also with myself. Suffering from that one two steps forward, one step back but hoping that taking it slowly will bring greater rewards.

Trees as usual causing me heartache.

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."

Saint Augustine (354 AD - 430 AD)

June and Another Month Gone and a New Blog

So I haven't posted for a month - great excuses coming up - new blog with just sketches on (so I have been posting, just not here), been on holiday for a week in Bavaria (gorgeous) and I have been preparing for a new piece coming up which is a bit like climbing a mountain!

A Year? Already? Well, almost!

"Pestle and Mortar"
Charcoal on Paper

I can't believe it's nearly a year since I last posted on here. I've been suffering from major loss of inspiration and drive but am determined to strap on my pencils/brushes/pastels, climb back into the saddle and face that blank paper/canvas.



The only thing that I have done in the past few months apart is a little vague doodling and reworking of some past paintings.

Baby Boy

Watercolour on Paper.

A small commission for a friend. Fun to do. Waiting for a verdict before I decide on a background. I find watercolour quite frightening as it feels as if I have little to no control over this medium. As a result I am not as experimental as I would like to be. Terrified of creating a disaster. Would love to be much splashier. Of course not having the environment to splash around in either doesn't help me to be freer with the paint.

On the Horizon

Continuing my self-portrait exploration.

Its not what I intended but its a step on the way. I need to think more about the concept before I start instead of just diving in. I'd really like to say more about me, the person I am, my dreams, possibly with a quirk of humour hidden among the messages. Still maybe this says more than I thought ............

Self-portrait exploration

pencil on paper

The self portrait is an exercise that so many artists seem to undertake and much as has been written about the self-portrait. It is said of good portraits that they speak about the sitter in some way. I read recently that there is a bond between artist and his subject yet in many instances they have only just met and at best the artist will only know the person superficially. Yet with the self-portrait, the artist is depicting the one person that he/she knows above all others.

I seem to have spent an excessive amount of time staring at myself in the mirror over the last week. There have been moments when I have been reduced to giggles over features that have been the subject of family legend to moments of wondering whether it would be possible to have other parts of my face surgically altered. Mainly this has been no more than an exercise in drawing from life. Not perfect - more practice required!

I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best. Frida Kahlo

Eggs

Pastel on paper

A small part of our household goods arrived last week including my pastels, some paints, panels and paper. Great delight to be reunited with them, followed by a more than a little trepidation and procrastination. There is only so much alternative living (where you do the alternative rather than doing what you are supposed to be doing) you can do before you have to bite the bullet and get down to it.

Egg studies - to get my feet wet with colour. The deceptively simple shape of eggs provides complex possibilities for colour, shadows and light, reflections, warm and cool tones.

The Eyes have It

Charcoal on Rives

It's been a while since I posted on this blog but 7 months of living in a hotel room was a little stifling of artistic inspiration. We are settled for the next three years in Frankfurt, Germany. Great sigh of relief to be back in Europe and out of harm's way. Still limited in art materials as all my "stuff" is still on route from Pakitan via Bangladesh! Long story! Still I do have charcoal and paper.

I have a couple of ideas brewing for major projects and as I let those take form I am doodling and these eyes are a product of those doodles.

One of the joys of being back in civilisation is finding a wonderful art store and have been told of another that is supposed to be even better. On a short drive out from the city, the landscape already looked promising in terms of subject matter. The brilliant acid yellows of the rape seed flowers were