PRICKLY PEARS

Went on a two day acrylic ink course to find out what another artist did with her inks. Great fun using salt, cling film, tissue paper etc. We each chose a different image from boxes of photos taken on her (Sue Williams) travels and I chose a series of prickly pear photos she had taken in Australia. This is just one of them using cling film, though I should have waited longer for it to dry before removing to give stronger texture.

Did a larger one with lots of crystal and table salts giving good texture. Cut a piece out and framed for a forthcoming show. Will photo and post shortly.

With my apologies for lack of commenting on your posts due to family commitments and lack of  time.  I have quick peep from time to time.

BLICKLING PEONY TIME

In readiness for a NOVA artists show at Blickling Hall next month, I have prepared another painting with the Hall seen through a flower bed - this time peonies. It makes a pair with my 16"x16" canvas of a view through the tulip bed previously posted.

Here are the two paintings of blickling viewed through different flower beds and seasons.

FIREWOOD COLLECTORS IN INDIA

Wanting another image to go with the Indian water carriers painting, previously posted on flickr and this blog, I remembered that on a trip through India by car we had stopped off by a lake in the mountains, only to see a few minutes later a line of ladies in coloured saris coming down from the hills carrying firewood on their heads they had collected. I put on the video of our trip and enjoyed time going down memory lane.

This acrylic ink painting is the result. Don't know if you can see the texture I used for the treeline and the stones on the roadway - but they certainly add to the effect in this acrylic painting 20" x 15" on canvas, which will be mounted and framed as the previous Indian painting of water carriers. 

(I am playing with my new google Chrome blogger browser and seem to have a little problem with this image - ie the repeat on the left side of a fraction of the right side!! )

I now understand that it is even harder since our trip for the village people out in the countryside of India to collect firewood, their only source of heat for cooking and light.

St Benets Abbey Site Norfolk Broads

I have been working on a series of soft landscapes of Norfolk for submission to the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt and delivered them today.

This is the last one I accomplished based on the site of St Benets Abbey showing the remains of the gatehouse and the drainage pump built into it. The yachts seem to glide by through the flat fields, but are actually on the River Bure. I have had some lovely visits there just a few miles from home with my grand children.

Here is the painting at the early blocking in stage:

Getting all the works together in my studio prior to loading the car and off to the gallery.

Wish me luck:

SALTHOUSE CHURCH FROM THE MARSHES

One of the pieces I am working on depicting scenes on the north Norfolk coast for a show in Holt.

Painted in acrylic on an 18" x 14" box canvas. I put together three photos, one of the pathway, one of the field and one of the buildings and church. Considering they were all from different angles (and days) I think it has turned out ok.

Afraid I am having trouble uploading images again. This is the second try after reducing the size of the file and it still hasn't achieved the full colour right down to the bottom, so ignore that pink stripe!!

FLAMENCO DANCER IN RED DRESS

This is the second flamenco dancer for the Dereham Music Festival Show. I wanted to create a green coloured backdrop to highlight the red in her dress and came up with this lovely pistachio colour. I decided to keep it quite simple and am really pleased. I created the additional glimpse of another spotlight in the front to add mystery - is she dancing with a partner out of view or another lady in red.??

PRIMROSES BY TREE STUMP

At long last I have put something new into my garden sketchbook.

I started off by sketching the tree stump using Stabilo pens then used both these pens and watercolour for the flowers. Made a big mistable putting those fine green leaves alongside and behind the trunk - they really spoil the composition.

It was a lovely sunny week and these primroses are in the garden alongside the stump of an old tree we lost last winter so when my ladies came yesterday decided to sketch them.

I then picked a flower to do a little study in the corner in watercolour, using negative painting to create the pale petals. Its like working back to front!!