ANNIE ARKWRIGHT IN PARIS

Here is my last painting from our holiday in France.  You wouldn't believe who we bumped into, yes Annie Arkwright from Accrington.  In our favourite Parisian Restaurant, Chartier in Montmartre.  An 'historique' brasserie.  An old traditional building with high ceilings and lots of brass, good reasonably priced food.  The order is written on a paper table cloth!  I am sure the waiters have been there for years.

Anyway, Annie has been learning french. She ordered Le Heinz Soup de Tomate avec le legs de frog, main course Le Pie de Porc and Pomme Frites.  For dessert Le Spotted Dick (A British dish Annie, not French they won't have that here).  Er Pardon Madam?????  Er, her eyes lit up, something she understood, Peche Melba then. The waiter was in a turmoil.  Then finally, she said, avez-vous une cuppa?  Mon Dieu he shouted and shrugged his shoulders, as only the french can do, Zee crazee Eeenglish woman. She spoke in a broad lancashire accent which didn't help.  Eeeh by gum lass, tha needs ta take more lessons.

She is still there, one of the waiters fell for her!!  A reet grand rendez vous, for our lovely Annie.

BRUSHO WITH JOANNE BOON THOMAS

I recently went to a workshop run by The Brusho Queen, Joanne Boon Thomas.  Very informative   but fun thrown in for good measure.  She is very generous with the information she passed on to us and is warm and friendly.  Here is a the work that we did.  They are on Half Imperial Langton Paper.

  Can't say the name of the flower but remember it is An Enemy - er really an anenome!  Some spraying technique and then used like like watercolour.  Such vibrant colours.

Just using two colours.  Turquoise and Orange! A tiny bit of  Ultra under and in the boat. Same method as above.

If you haven't heard of Brusho and would like to see it in action, you can find a video by Joanne Boon Thomas on Youtube and many of her painting on google.

Brusho is like dye crystals or ink, like salt, you can sprinkle and spray, use bleach and play with the paint or use like watercolour.  You can get effects with it that you can't with watercolour.  I call it my playtime when I use it.  Originally it was used for textiles.  It is also used in schools as it is non toxic. It does, however, stain your fingers temporarily, so I have to wear an apron, as I am a messy painter at the best of times.

Do check out her lovely work on google images, pinterest or visit www.artybyboon.co.uk.

NORMANDY HOLIDAY

What a lovely week we had and here are some more memories that I would like to share with you.  All done in a small Khadi sketchbook approx. 6" x 6".  Some w/c and some using various water soluble pens, these pens are the quickest way to do a sketch, well for me anyway.

I said sorry to my hubs, I just have to paint this old mill.  He duly sat patiently while I painted away.  Sometimes he is an angel!

Photo stop at the Normandy Beaches, Omaha beach.  A sculpture in stainless steel,  To me it looks like an explosion.  Such a lovely place.  It is hard to image the carnage that took place there.

Rouen Cathedral.  A lovely medieval city.  Famous to us Brits anyway, as it is where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

A picturesque little place called Les Andelys.  The castle was built by Richard the Lionheart, way back in ancient times. Boy was it hot and hard work walking up that blinking hill!!!

Quick sketch with water soluble pens of a fountain at the Palace of Versailles.  Classical music was playing. A Perfect last sketch and last day in France.

Well I had to paint some food didn't I. Cheese and grapes, just in case you don't know what they are.

Au revoir La Belle France.

Have a lovely weekend fellow bloggers and thank you for dropping in to see me.

PARIS & NORMANDY

Here's some sketches from my recent visit to France.  I tried to do a sketch a day, however quick. And the equipment I took.  Was in a really happy mood, so each one is a happy memory!  I do try and sit somewhere very discreet as I get all embarrassed if someone is watching me.  Are you the same?

These next three sketches are what I do when I am hanging around

Rouen Cathedral.  This lovely middle age city has narrow street, timber beamed houses and is famous as being the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake

Just in case I fancied doing a bigger painting I had a larger pad with me, but didn't use it.  The Khadi pad is really handy and the plastic oil dipper containers for my water.

I wish you all a lovely weekend, see you next week sometime. Au revoir.

BONJOUR!!!

Lucky me.  Just come back from a visit to Paris and Normandy.  Highlight was a visit to Monet's Garden.  It has been a dream of mine to visit there.  I wasn't disappointed. We picked a really good time of year to go.  And, of course, I just had to do a quick sketch while there.

Drawn in green water soluble pen.  Quick sketch but the memory will last forever!

Me in action.  Very small notebook in hand and soaking up the atmosphere while sketching.

OH DEAR!

Oh dear another blip in the health of yours truly.  But all is well.  Now to get back to some normality. Sorry if I have ignored my blogging mates, I haven't even been on facebook either!!

Now then, here is what I have been faced with at my U3A group (University of the Third Age), Drawing and Painting group.  Really they draw, and they are really good,  but me, can't not splosh on the colour!  The organiser sets up these utterly boring still lifes of anything he can find in the building.  I don't have to paint them, but you know me, I like a challenge. They are on quarter imperial.

Not your usual subjects!  Anyone else faced with these kind of ideas?

Have a lovely week wherever you may be.

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT EDITED OUT OF BIG PAINTING CHALLENGE FINAL !!!

Have you read the headlines ' Annie Arkwright edited out of BBC's Big Painting Challenge'

Annie Arkwright from Accrington, is devasted. She thought she had done her best work ever on this new BBC programme.

Subjects were
1. To paint something relating to Dartmouth Royal Naval College, so she painted a submarine.
2. To paint a still life that she saw at the Naval College
3. To paint something beautiful that was in the harbour at Dartmouth.

She know the judges like something different, so she racked her brains and painted in ernest.

She used special waterproof paint

This is Ivor Tickle the cameraman.  A handsome hunk if ever she saw one!

She thought she was the beautiful thing in the harbour, until the Judges upset her.

I think she should have won, don't you?

Have a great weekend.

EASTER CHALLENGE FINAL PART

Well over the Easter Weekend I asked for people to challenge me to paint anything.  So here are the final ones.  I did 16 in the end, and enjoyed every one.  Good to be taken out of your comfort zone.

Annie Arkwright couldn't stop Humpty Dumpty from falling off the wall, but she sure could put him together again. -  Valerie McNeill

Cat - Joan Violet Stretch.  Well he scared me when I was painting him!  He wasn't supposed to look like this. Spooky or what.

Annie Arkwright in a basket of Easter Eggs - Phil W Cawthan and Christine Owen.  Boy was she sick that night!!

Local View and Miniature for a doll's house - Capt Elaine Magliacane and Stephanie Guy.  The people are way too big, this is a large bridge, so will have to guache them out.

Woodland Scene -Sue Caton (looks like a forest fire is about to start, but just wanted to use transparent orange, my new 'in' colour.

So I thank each and every one for their participation and for stretching me and giving me confidence.;

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Luv from Polly xx

EASTER CHALLENGE PART 2

Over Easter I asked people to challenge me, any subject they liked.  Here's the next batch.

Martine Weare a friend of mine - playing in the local U3A Ukelele Band

Catharina Engberg - Photograph of a birthday celebration meal at Jamie Oliver's Italian Restaurant.  That little pot is as heavy as can be

Debbie Nolan - A little duck

Lesley Nugent (of Nuggleton fame) - obviously an Owl, but I just wanted to paint it differently, so it is in fact a Zowltangle!

Pamela Williamson - Year of the Sheep or Goat and this one is a little pygmy goat.

Hope you all had a wonderful and peaceful Easter. Thanks for popping by.

EASTER CHALLENGE PART 1

Been busy so far, thank you for your challenges on here and on facebook.  I usually have 4 days to myself while my hubby spends his time at the golf club.  But due to unforeseen circumstances this is not the case this year (much to my dismay much as I love him)  So undaunted I have tried to fit in your challenges, between spending time with him.

To this end I have traced some for speed, and worked smaller than I normally do.  Nothing larger than A4.

Here's the first 5 for your perusal.

Annette Goatley's challenge a talking carrot! Sorry 'link' maker not working.

Annie Arkwright from Accringoton - card shark or Ace of Hearts, or is it money slipping through her fingers? Beverley Wells   and sorry Bev my 'link' maker isn't working.  

Chris Owens - a line of marching children

Sue Clinker - Chinese Year of the Sheep.  Hope that symbol does mean sheep!  And sorry Sue my link button isn''t working.

Jacquie Finney - Camel in a sandstorm

Whatever will I end up painting today?

Hope you are all having a Happy Easter or a Happy Anything at all.