The Hills are Alive!

Not quite finished, but I have painted this as a present for a friend. Need to work more on the hands and face, details of course plus darks and lights.

It's all good practice and I have really enjoyed doing this.

I am hoping to finish next weekend.

Acrylics on canvas 16" x 12"

The Walks

There's an old Victorian Park not far from my home, I was fascinated by the wet walkway in the evening light and yet I wanted to inject colour into what might otherwise have been a dark and dull vista.

I may do more to this... not sure yet. I have to leave it sitting awhile before I decide.

Summer!

Acrylic on deep canvas
Summer is almost over here but I want a painting to remind me of the long hot summer. OK so it was more short-lived than long but I need a summer landscape to help me get through the cold winter months and I rather think this should do it!

The view is from my garden at the old house and I used colours to emphasise heat and sunshine. Hope you like.

The Red Dress

Acrylics in watercolour sketchbook 12" x 10"

Seems I am inspired by trees and woods lately. Asked if I could paint fairies I said no, I am no good with fantasy although I wish I were.

Anyhow this is it and I wish I had left off the wings but you live and learn!

I do like the sunlight captured here so all is not lost as I think I may be able to do something in the future with strong contrasts of light and shadow.

That's what sketchbooks are for, isn't it? Playing around and learning through play.

Child in the Woods

Acrylics in watercolour sketchbook 12" x 10"

Just playing around with acrylics, trying to get texture and colour with daubing the brush around.

Turned out much better than expected but failed to capture much light.

I think I am liking figure work even though I am not too good at it. My landscapes just don't seem alive without people in them and I do love people even though they are complicated and complex and at times frustrating, somehow deep down inside we are all very similar.

Butterfly

Acrylics on deep canvas

Evening Beach

Abstract Landscape

Acrylic on Paper 12" x 9"

This is an experiment in abstraction... not sure if it works, but I liked the colour combination. May try this again 'cos it was fun!

Yay!!! What a day!!!

Acrylics on Canvas 14" x 10"

What a glorious day of painting I have had. The painting that I did in the previous post was an experiment and from it came the above. As I stood looking at my Purple Haze of mountains this scene began to take shape in my mind and so I painted it.

When I visited the Lake District (Cumbria) sometime ago I saw a white house in the valley which I believe used to belong to Beatrix Potter. It was such a lovely scene and appealed to the romantic in me. Ok, it's not exactly like this... after all my memory isn't what it used to be, but this is my white house in the valley.

I may work on it a little more, but I hope you like it.

Just Playing...

I love to play and experiment with paints - it is always a very exciting voyage of discovery.

Today I wanted to rediscover acrylics. First of all using just Pthalo Blue, Titanium White and a little Payne's Grey I painted my Mountains in Blue. I painted on canvas, which was a first for me as I have always used either watercolour paper or acrylic paper for acrylic paints.

Here is the same painting, but I painted a glaze of crimson alizarin over the top. In real life it is actually more purple than here.



It was fun, but now I have been looking at it for a while and have some great ideas to push things further - I have decided to really go to town with this one. Keep watching.... I will post the result shortly.

Best wishes

Dum spiro spero

Oils on canvas (unfinished)

Even in the darkest storm if you wait a while suddenly there is a break in the clouds and a beam of light promises hope of sunshine in the future. I focus on the light in the distance and work towards it. Soon the sun shines again and the storm has passed. Such is life. Good days, bad days but always hope. Dum spiro spero… while I breathe I hope.

Drawing Trees

50 min pencil in sketchbook

Still stuck on trees. I feel that the more I draw and paint them the better they will become or at least I will stop worrying over them.

I really enjoyed drawing this and was surprised at the ease of my return to pencilwork, I find it very relaxing and satisfying.

Note to self: Pick up the pencil more often!

After Wanda Gag

Ink on Hot Pressed paper 12" x 9"

A project on Wetcanvas is looking at children's illustrator, Wanda Gag and it inspired me to paint this little sketch in ink. I just loved painting the cat.

Waterfall

Ink and watercolour 14" x 10"

Be like the waterfall.... overcome all obstacles in life to reach your destiny.

Tree Study

25 min ink study of tree

Down to the park during lunch again. It was sunny and warm, and most enjoyable. Still a long way to go before I get these trees right, but I am happy with how things are going.

Trees

25 min watercolour pencil in sketchbook

Decided to spend some time studying trees as my trees in my paintings leave a lot to be desired. 25 minutes of my lunchbreak well spent I think!

Park Bench

Ink in sketchbook 20 min

Such a nice sunny day I decided to take a walk in the park during my lunch. Of course my ink bottle was handy and using a sharpened twig I sketched this little scene. It's the park bench where I often sit at lunchtime.

Morning sunlight

Ink on watercolour paper

Using a sharpened twig dipped in ink to capture the morning sunlight on my trip out yesterday. I really enjoyed this. The ink is a burnt umber colour which I felt was nicer than stark black.

Warmth can come from unexpected sources.