ANGLESEY ADVENTURE & ANNIE

I was privileged to be asked to join Joanne Boon Thomas and a group of other like minded people, just to paint together on the Isle Anglesey (North Wales), this included Judith Farnworth - and do check out her blog, her story of the holiday makes very interesting reading.

Joanne is the Queen of brusho, but there wasn't any brusho in sight,  as she is a queen of watercolour too. Thanks for asking me Joanne.

Judith was my partner in crime if you like.  She was my chauffeur and my nemisis at the same time, as I had to be nice to her or I wouldn't have got a lift home!  Well suffice to say I got home in one piece.

First day, we visited Moelfre a lovely small coastal village just long enough to do a painting and visit the pub, before we had to scarper because of a storm. So finished off sketching back at the hotel.

A quiet corner of the tiny harbour, grey clouds gathering

Sketching back at the hotel.  Yes you guessed the sun came out as we returned!

Quick sketch of lavender and my most fun of the holiday, sploshing and splashing about

Second day, First stop Church Bay where there is a restored very old thatched cottage at Swtan. Followed by a stop in Caemes Bay (I think that is what it is called) where I battled on painting buildings and boats - boy was it a struggle.  I was perched high on a sea wall to get the view I wanted.

Large Heavy rusty old kettle done on khadi paper with watersoluble pen going to paint it again with oomph this is proper pastey

Khadi paper but this time with Elegant Writer Pen, which is so quick

The lovely restored cottage, much longer than this section, with a roaring fire inside

Back to my Elegant Writer and Khadi (small pad) a view of an old cottage from the garden of the restored cottage.

You can see why I battled - multitude of house AND boats

Finally we went to a Hidden Garden which are near Beaumauris. Cant find the name of the place, but it was lovely, like a small Bodnant Garden. And then home. Such fun painting with like minded people.  I think there is a market for this as well as proper art courses. You learn from each other and don't feel an idiot painting on your own.  A wonderful few days. Thanks for your hard work Joanne, for organising such a great trip.

Oh and finally Annie Arkwright from Accrington, popped up at the hotel and loved the Cricket gnomes in the grounds, well you know what she's like where there are men, any kind, she couldn't keep her eyes off them.  Can you spot them??

Hwyl fawr - goodbye on Welsh

ACRYLICS WITH RELUCTANCE

Last week we had a kind of workshop at our Art Club.   The tutor just explained the pros and cons of Acrylics and then left out lots of pictures for us to work from.  No demo for those who have never used it, which I thought was a shame. I don't like acrylics and still don't so I just experimented and played, but using them was a change and a challenge, and here is what I did.

I don't do muted colours often, as you can see!  Mostly stippled with a brush for the trees and finger spread the rest of the paint and wet my fingers in water and wiped paint on on the paper. Of course the people were done with a proper brush.

Done conventionally with a brush on paper

Again played around with finger and water, palette knife for steps (actually looks like snow to me) restricted palette.  The sign says the only two food words I know in Spanish - Paella and Helados (Ice cream).  I am so chuffed that this painting, done on a board, has gone to a lovely home, much to my astonishment.(despite the wonky windows)  Thanks Sue!

EASTER CHALLENGE PART 3

Here are the latest of my challenges set by you here on my blog and on facebook.  Talk about being taken out of my comfort zone!!!!  

Farm Machinery - Pam Williamson - Didn't enjoy doing this one and thought it was, what I have written in the corner.  Scrap without the 'S'

Icicles - Carol Hodge - A neighbour asked me to paint her house 

This is taken at the Albert Dock in Liverpool - Val Downie - I cropped this one so that your focus is on the Father and Son Liverpool Football supporters

Lupins - Judith Farnworth - you always get one bright spark who challenges you to something you don't like painting (flowers)

Hope you had a lovely holiday weekend folks.  Only a few to post later.

EASTER CHALLENGE PART 2

I'm doing an Easter Challenge..... I asked people to take me out of my comfort zone and suggest subjects for me to paint over the Easter Holidays, as I am not doing anything else.  Here is my next batch

Chicken - Debbie Nolan.  Guess what kind of egg I was eating.  Just for research you understand, for this painting.

Easter Bunny - Ngaire Magalotti - an Aussie friend on facebook.  Actually the orange in reality is really bright.  Transparent Orange

Farm Equipment - Pamela Williamson.  Far too tight painting this, wasn't happy with it at all

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury and the photograph is by Theresa Jones on PMP. - Idea from Sue Caton.    Supposed to be a drizzling and misty day. I am having trouble linking this to the photographer so apologise to her and will get it sorted as soon as I can.

Hat and gloves of the old fashioned Easter kind.  - Celeste Bergin.  Thanks for bringing back memories

Chicken - Dana Mallon.  A chicken mad lady suggested this one.  It is done in Brusho!

I do hope you are having a brilliant weekend and are not feeling too sick with eating loads of chocolate.

CHRISTMAS COMMISSIONS EEEK!!

Was asked to do a couple of paintings for 'special' people this Christmas, for them to give as presents.  Well I can tell you I found it extremely stressful.  I don't know how you artists who do it on a regular basis cope. It took me ages to even start, I was so nervous about it.  I so wanted to do a reasonable painting and didn't want to disappoint them.

First of all my niece wanted a painting for her hubby who is mad keen on cycling.  Well actually he wanted me to paint them in his strip but she had it framed for him, so he didn't see it until Christmas.  He is in the lead and my nephew is second. I've put it on my desktop this morning, eeek can see where I could have used more care. But pleased on my blog cos paintings always looks better on tinternet small.

Next up a friend asked me to paint their bungalow for her hubby, as he loves it so much.  Well I thought to myself - boring, it's a building, don't like doing buildings - but didn't want to let her down.  So again took great care.  As with the above I used tracedown first, didn't trust my drawing skills when it's for someone close. This is what I came up with.  I put a shadow of them in their kitchen window.

This I fear is bare in the sky, feel I should either have put at least some birds in the sky just to give it life, and a bit more colour (it is a bit washed out on the screen).

Well commissions over, massive PHEW!!  Festivities over and back to normal. Painting for myself.

In my next post I would like to show you some Van Gogh paintings from the Museum in Amsterdam, that you might not have seen, including a sketch or two of his.  I love those personal items.

Have a wonderful weekend, and keep WARM!!