Great Grey Owl Snowscene

20 x 16"

Cotman Paper

Watercolour

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This painting was done for the EWW group Christmas competition. In total 16 artists submitted work on the subject of snow and 22 people voted.  Two artists came joint first and another two came joint third.  I was one of the joint third!  So I am very pleased.

Christmas frogs

Fairy Frog

Christmas Pud anyone?

Christmas cards

Here are a couple of Christmas Frogs to bring seasonal cheer.

Looking at the Fairy Frog here has made me think I'm going to give her a little golden crown.

 

Red Lily

11 x 8"

Watercolour

For Sale

 

This week's subject was flowers, I chose to paint just the one lily and a few leaves.

Today I went outside taking photographs and I noticed the same colour theme outside, these are my rescue hens.



My favorite building

A4 ish

cardboard from cereal packet

Watercolour

For Sale

 

This week's EWW subject was to paint our favourite building.  I have never been to La Sagrada Familia but would love to, it is on my list of favourite buildings to see one day.  Being in an experimental mood I did a few things with this painting that I have never done before.  1. add some 'hidden' raised shapes. 2. use a different support instead of watercolour paper.  Having seen some famous artists who have their experiments on cardboard in museums, I thought why not? 

I have other experimental plans up my sleeve.

Storm in a teacup

Tiny Watercolour

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This little experiment soon found a new home.  I am planning to do some more.

New life

A5

Bockingford Paper

Watercolour

For Sale

 

I started this painting a few years ago and just found it hardly started, I no longer have the cacti and it is my little wooden greenhouse in Spring. 



Leafy Sea Dragon

Watercolour

Hahnemuhle Paper

20 x 50 cm

Gifted

 

After looking at lots of photos of leafy sea dragons, I finally understood what they looked like.  I decided how I wanted mine 'posed' and coloured, having such fun with the wet in wet technique. Leafy sea dragons are endangered fish found in Southern Australian waters.  They grow to 8-10 inches and feed on small crustaceans through it's long pipe-like snout.

 

Ornate Pipefish

Hahnemuhle Paper

20 x 50 cm

Watercolour

For Sale

 

Today, I wanted to paint some more fish.  I chose the subject and painted the pipefish and seaweed, then put in the blue background.  My inspiration colour-wise came from Van Gogh's painting of Still Life with Quince.  There is very little turquoise in this painting though - only on the fish.

Weedy Sea Dragon

Gerstaecker Aquarell Classic Paper

17 x 24 cm

Watercolour

For Sale

 

Close up of Weedy Sea Dragon.  I wanted to experiment with layers of colour.

The white lines in the water representing bubbles created with my first use of masking fluid for years, borrowed from a fellow artist.

Foxgloves

Watercolour

Arches Paper

A5 size

For sale

 

A close up in transparent watercolour including a bee.

My representation of a Summer's Day.

Magic fish

Watercolour

Arches paper

A5 approx.

 

This week's theme was sea life; my fish happens to have no body and swims very happily in a bed of fuzzy anemones' - just like magic.

Pesky Pigeons

Watercolour

Arches Paper

A5 size

 

I couldn't resist this serious looking statue with his pigeons and poop. 

A little bit of light hearted fun back in the Autumn term of EWW, we were supposed to be painting windmills but I rebelled.

Roses perfect happiness

Arches paper 50 x 50 cm

Watercolour

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So the story of the roses painting is nearing an end. I am planning to get some prints created of the final image once I'm happy with it.  I have loved every minute of this painting.  It has many happy memories for me of trips out, a sunny summer, conversations and friends.



Leaves going in

Today I added the last flowers and lots of leaves.  Working away at it slowly and considering where more leaves and darks should go.  Pondering over the ribbons, their shape, colour and positioning.  The one in the middle is where I want it, the others may change.

Work in progress

Things have been slow, due to work and family commitments.  I've been able to put in some more roses from the gorgeous photographs I took at the end of June.  Of course there's loads more to go, this is really only the top layer.  It's the complexity of these flowers that makes me want to paint them.  Every one is given the maximum amount of time, an individual identity brought to life.

Studio space

I had this studio space but in the winter I don't enjoy using it.

Inspired by the Open Studios, I decided on Saturday to blitz it and remembered it's actually easier to paint here.  The desk and chair are at the right height and I don't have to worry about using the kitchen table.

Here's a photo of the outside and inside, including the 'studio chandelier'.  As usual I ended up having two projects on the go at once (see the pile of papers at the end).  I noticed the light wasn't good at dusk, so I need to go out and buy a 'daylight' bulb.

In front of the desk is my rocking chair, great for sitting out on the veranda knitting, crocheting, reading or snoozing.

Yes, I'm working!

Watercolour

Arches paper, 50 x 50 cm

 

This is only really the beginning, but already many hours of work put into it.  Today I'm painting three pale pink roses, to represent three very sweet little girls in the family who will be blessed to receive this painting when it is done.  I'm glad to be painting in shadow, so better get my skates on before the sun comes round...

Slow progress I know, been really busy lately with working, gardening/allotment, time with friends.
Loads to go! Got to the stage where I'm going to have to do some planning to make sure I fit everything in. Been out taking new photos so I have plenty of choice.

Calla Lily

Watercolour

19 x 28 cm

Bockingford 425g

For sale

Calla Lily inspired by photo taken by Clay Perry.
 
 I've been painting flowers since Saturday as part of a very large painting.
 Watercolour painted tonight at Ely Watercolour Workshop - subject was exotic flower. The background which looks black is a mixture of blue, purple, brown and red. All done with wet-in-wet technique.

Big Splash

Watercolour paper 300g

A4 size

Mixed Media

for sale

Here is the painting I completed at home.  The rocks have an orange seaweed on them and limpets, I loved the deep blue rock pools.  This big splash was extremely messy to do, so glad I did it outside.  The grass now has a nice sprinkling of white paint.

Seaweed and splash

Mixed Media

Watercolour paper 300g

A3

for sale

 

Mixed Media

Watercolour paper 300g
A4

for sale

 

I met with some artists from Ely Art Society yesterday to paint "splashes" with Valerie Orchard.  She showed us her sea paintings incorporating splashes, put out a large selection of photographs of sea, rocks, splashes, seaside and basically left us to it. 

 

I chose a couple for inspiration, a seaweed covered rock and a view of the coast.  The large painting was stuck onto a table because I didn't have a board big enough so I stood up to paint these.  It was nice to be able to paint in a loose and expressive way.  Putting on the splash was the hardest part, getting it to behave!  I did ask for advice here and there and we all created such different work.

 

Before I left, I started another one which is being completed at home.  I've already put on the splash and ended up with paint everywhere, it is so tempermental.  I'm not used to messy art!

Edward and Maria

 

Mixed Media

16" x 20"

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I particularly enjoyed creating this painting in black/white of Edward and Maria, both school teachers posing for a photograph in 1977.  Their clothes created using paper I made last year during the Creative Drawing course.  The clouds from a photograph I took last Sunday when the sky was just right for the background - yes I did paint the sky blue, which I think works really well with the greys.

Ely Cathedral High Altar

50 x 20 cm Hahnemuhle Paper

Ink

 

This is a tiny portion of the most intricate and beautiful High Altar of Ely Cathedral.

This marathon drawing has taken me 16 hours!  I have tried really hard not to draw in pencil first because I hate rubbing out and the effect it has on the paper.  Pondering whether to add watercolour.  Meanwhile, I have to make a start on something else new.



Recycled Arty Cards

Cards

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Anthea ripped up a painting at EWW one evening.  I asked her for the pieces and told her I'd make it into cards.  She happily gave them to me.  A little extra painting, detail and some collage and I'm very happy with the results.

Curl

Greeting card

Mixed Media

 

This week's word was 'Curl', I took inspiration from the World Beard and Moustache Championships.

I added quite a few extra curls to this guy's beard, the pencil is a Lyra Super Ferby with four colours in one core - blue, green, red and yellow.

 

The image on the right was me wondering what it would look like with a black background and below the image with less black.  Great what a little bit of photoshop can do!  Which do you prefer?

Broken

Greeting card
Mixed Media

 

To illustrate the word 'broken' I searched around for pieces of pottery.  There is a place in the garden where all the broken pottery lives, apart from a few special bits kept in the house.

Tried to draw/paint them using only various pens and a little bit of water.

The stripey piece and the little brown piece are particularly special to me, found in the field where the 'Ark' is currently being built.

http://www.arkproject.org.uk/index.php



Aeonium

Mixed media



Langdon Prestige 100% Cotton

12x9 inches

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This beautiful Aeonium reminds me of fireworks and celebrations.



Middle

Greeting card
Mixed Media

 

This week's homework design was to illustrate the word 'middle'.

I think my belly dancing jelly baby does the job! :)

 

 



Red

Greeting card

Mixed Media

 

I'm doing an "Illustration for Books" course and this is my homework this week.

I've done some other stuff on the course and it's all very experimental and sketchy.

 

This card was on the theme of "red", though not Valentine. 

There is a little red metal bus and lots of cacti in my kitchen, so that is what I did.  

Straight in, minimal planning and I like the immediacy of it.

 

The person who receives this will have to write about the image.  What would you write?

Serenade

Mixed media



Langdon Prestige 100% Cotton

12x9 inches

For Sale

 

This very nearly got thrown away.  I persevered, tried something new and ended up loving it. 

Funny how you have an idea in your head and it takes some time to get there.

 

Three leaves

Greeting card

Collage

For sale

 

It's so nice with the drawn background in blue. 
Makes me think of snow flurries and watching the wind.

Drypoint

A couple of drypoints I did based on rowan and fir.  It's amazing how many of these I tried before I even had anything half decent!  I really respect people who can print perfectly and get an even amount of ink on the plate.  Presumably if I practiced for a long time I'd get better at it.

Quince

A little experiment with bleach and ink.  Not to be taken seriously, only because I've never done it before and I really quite like the glowing firework effect.

Postcard lady

Many years ago I went to an exhibition where someone made postcards into ladies. 

Inspired, I came home and created my own from freebie postcards I picked up at the cinema.

Amazingly it hasn't fallen apart yet and I still like it!

Abandoned

Watercolour and grey ink

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I created this little piece of old boxes and a rusty old tin that was left in a shed when we bought our home.  I kept them knowing that one day I'd draw them and I just love their designs.

Golden tree

Langton Prestige 100% cotton

12 x 9 inches

Ink
Gifted

 

This started as a grey ink drawing with bamboo stick, encouraged to paint the background in gold ink and it all went from there.  This photo doesn't do it justice but it really 'glows' :)



From a sketch I did last year of a condemned tree.