CARD AND APOLOGIES!

First of all sorry,  I have been looking at your lovely blogs but have had a lot of trouble trying to post my comments lately.   Seems to have been hit and miss. I haven't been looking at the blogs as often as I normally do these past few weeks, so am especially frustrated that I can't comment.  Seems today it is working so will catch up with a few of the recent ones.

I haven't felt like painting much, but one thing I did do, was paint a welcome to the world card for my new Great Niece.  I thought I would share it with you.

Quite pleased as you can see the sparkly bits, and I love a bit of bling.

Have a lovely week.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Here I am back on terra firma.  Two weeks on the high seas for Christmas and New Year.  I am not a good sailor so it was a big risk at this time of year.  The Bay of Biscay was NOT kind to us.  Average of Gale Force 9!  Spectacular to watch the waves though.  For once I wasn't seasick.  Had some new pills recommended, but took further precautions and wore wrist bands and ate crystalised ginger too.

Great fun really seeing people upright and the ships floor at an angle, everybody left and then everybody right.  Like doing a drunken sailor dance.  Tottering on heels when 'poshed up', when I don't usually wear heels.  Hanging on to the shower room door handle while sat on the loo.  Bracing yourself in bed by firmly planting your feet apart, so that you don't fall out of bed! A drawer opening and shutting with the motion of the ship. So nice to sleep back in my own still, calm, unmoving bed.  Yahey.

We had a wonderful time though.  So many little children on board, and the excitement when Santa appeared down the funnel!  Christmas at sea and he even came to me, he kindly brought me the gift of a cold!

Highlight of the Ports of Call was Amsterdam and a visit to the Van Gogh Museum, and I want to share some of the paintings we saw when I down load them.  One's that you don't normally see in the main books.

In the meantime I wish you a Wonderful Healthy and Happy New Year full of special things.  Everything you wish for yourself and loved ones.  If you paint I hope you find lots of inspiration and not a lot of frustration.  And I thank you for your visits to my blog. 

I send you a card (last year's I admit, not time this year to paint one).

And here is me having a great time on New Year's Eve.

Luv' from Polly xx 

ESPECIALLY FOR YOU

This is possibly my last blog until next year, so I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and whatever you do have a wonderful time.  If you are on your own I send you a special hug.


This is my Christmas Card especially for you (oh and family and friends too!). 

Actually it is Sharon Whitley's December Challenge (because of these challenges I have painted things I would never have tried, so a special thank you) and the photograph is by Wildlife Photographer Gary Jones (sorry Gary another beautiful photograph I have changed, but thank you for all the lovely photographs I have used this year).

Caption:  Who's that guy in the red suit?

May Santa bring you whatever you wish for.  


Luv from Polly xx

CHURCHTOWN ART CLUB

Well Did I have a busy few days!!  It was the exhibition at the art club that I belong to.  Churchtown Art Club (they are on facebook). I loved it.  It's the highlight of the club's year.  So lovely to see the work people have been painting and that we haven't seen on our regular afternoon meetings.

However, we do have a problem with the screens, so this is also a plea for those of you who may be able to help.  The screens, pic below, are heavy and awkward to assemble.  As most of our members are nicely mature, the lifting and moving them is quite a worry. Does anyone know of any lightweight, simple to erect screens, that are easy to store (only used one day a year) and we don't have the money to pay the earth.

Right now on with the fun I had at the exhibition, and be warned it may be a longish post  ..............

Ok three of us were working at the exhibition and I could hardly sleep the night before, hoping that my brushes wouldn't let me down and paint rubbish, but they were kind to me.  It is hard with lots of lovely interruptions and chats.   Here is me in full flow, having a bash with Brusho, the white tree trunks were taken out with bleach!

Then I painted a a view from Douglas in the Isle of Man, where I had recently been, and of course I had to paint a Pyrrol Scarlet painting.

And finally I managed to do some of my wacky flowers, clematis I should tell you, in case you are wondering what they are supposed to be.  My brain was hurting by now not to mention my feet,
and I just went berserk! People watching couldn't believe I was splattering over my painting.  But they could see I was having fun.

I had a wonderful day and to cap it all I sold a painting Autumn Colours, Derwentwater, in the Lake District, and quite a few of the cards that I make of my paintings, and print them off myself.  So, hey ho, a brilliant day all round.

This was followed by a stint painting at a local park, but more about that later. A real arty farty weekend!

    I hope you enjoyed sharing it with me.

ROYAL BABY

Welcome to the world, to the new royal baby.  So nice to hear some good news, these days, that makes people smile.  A feel good factor.

Here's my card to them (well not actually, was painted when my grand nephew Llewys was born, but thank you photoshop, for letting me slip in HRH, so my virtual card for the new family.

So what did my hubs and I do tonight, when the brand new family appeared on tv - toast them with a glass of wine and some chocolate.

So 'Cheers, good health little one'

CARD FOR MY NIECE

This is a card made for my lovely niece's birthday.  It is her children walking through the churchyard at my nephew's wedding last summer.  I knew when I took the photo that I wanted to paint it one day.  What a perfect composition. The pose adds the mystery - what are they talking about?  I missed out the buildings in the distance and the gravestones.  My great nephew was so proud, he was wearing a suit exactly the same as his Dad, and my great niece a bridesmaid, was wearing a dress (she is a tomboy!) they looked adorable.    I was so pleased Helen must have liked the card because she put it on facebook!

BABY HARRIET

Today I went to see my latest Great Niece Harriet, and my hubby and I are smitten.  This little bundle sleeping in my arms, a little miracle.

As soon as she was born I made two cards, one for the brand new Mum & Dad, and one for the new Grandparents (my sister and her hubs)

For the New Mum and Dad

Grandparents

I enjoyed painting every brushstroke

CARDS FOR NEW BABIES

I have just been looking at one of the blogs I follow Sharon Whitley who has done a brilliant card for her brother's 40th birthday, of him on his bike in all the cylcists gear and going at a helluva speed! Also today I bumped into a friend of mine who has become a great grandmother, I can't believe it, I think she is kidding me.  These two incidents reminded me of some cards I have done for people close to me who have had babies and cards that I painted for them. I so enjoyed doing them.  Here they are:-

 

They were all 5.1/2" x  4" on rough  paper.   I put the babies names on the trainers, initials on the booties, in the bubbles.  It was such fun researching subjects and miraculously I liked each one.  I stuck them on coloured card in the obvious blue and pink.  Can't wait to do the next one in the New Year for my nephew and his wife.  I hate doing anything twice, so I will have to get my thinking cap on.

 

Been having a rant about contemporary art at Liverpool on my other blog pollyluv's painting and I'd love your comments.  Don't want to go on about it here on my ' posh'  site