NUTRIBULLET & A LITTLE MIRACLE & A DRESS

Well here is the minor miracle as far as I am concerned.  I DO NOT eat greens.  And this has always been a concern.  Even now, when I am in my mad but mature years.  So I got a Nutribullet.  Don't these things always sound good on tv?  So I wasn't expecting much I have to say.  But it is so easy quick and cleaning a doddle.  BUT I have had green leaves mixed with fruit 4 days on the run, and didn't know I was eating them.  I am so proud of myself, and so chuffed with the machine.  It inspired me to pick up my brush and paint it.  I am being careful to still have a very balanced diet (Doc orders) but who would have thought it.  Me eating me greens!!!!!!!!!!!!

I go to a little club called Churchtown Art Club (read about us on facebook) and we had a sketching day.  I call this a w/c sketch and it looks like a dress for an 8 ft woman. It was draped over a ladder. No drawing.  Must take more care next time.  Perhaps she is a lady baseball player that wears it, ha ha

Have a lovely week, keep warm if it is winter where you are.  It is hailing at the moment and cold. Take care xx

AUTUMN & NIGHT TIME W/C

One of these paintings was a battle and the other a pleasure.  The agony and the ecstacy (well that is a slight exaggeration!).

Last week at the Art Club I belong to, a member brought in a pile, and yes I mean a big pile, of autumn things that she found in the park very near the club.  So here is the composition I came up with.  Did a quick pen sketch (so no rubbing out which speeds the process up) and then in with my trust big brush and some loose washes and salt.  Such fun.  Nothing planned, no pressure!

Last New Year we were in Amsterdam.  I took a night scene picture that I just knew I wanted to paint.  Now you know painting doesn't work out that way,  So this is the nightmare painting. I did the under painting a while ago and knew it wasn't working, I couldn't put my finger on why. Stuffed it in a box and left it, as you do!

I found it this week, was going to paint on the back but persisted in my endeavours.  Still don't like it, but when I sloshed on the sky (technical term) I just had to finish it.  Now I have got it out of my system and have a nice fresh piece of watercolour paper on the back to start something new. A positive out of a negative.  However, I do like the lady in the foreground.

Happy Sunday to one and all.  Keep smiling through.

PAINTING IN THE PARK

Sorry I've not been commenting on your posts or posting myself.  I really did have to do some serious housework.  Would much rather paint!  Wonder if most artists homes are always in a state of disarray?

Today, the art club I belong to (Churchtown Art Club who are on facebook). Were painting in Botanic Gardens, where they were holding a Victorian Day to help raise funds for the upkeep of the park.  Sad, as if they didn't work so hard behind the scenes, the park would probably go to the dogs!!

Here's a mix of photos of the event and the paintings I did (managed 5, kept my head down, though was known to jig away at the same time to the music - just multi tasking). One is wip (work in progress) not taken a pic of this one yet.

A rainbow poppy

Made up Victorian view across the Lake - very unhappy with this one

A pair of Victorian shoes

Queen Victoria.  This is how I start a marathon painting day, just mixing colours on the paper.

A real vintage push chair.  If you are interesting look at the picture larger, the work is intricate and amazing and her costume is hand made

Stephanie Guy came from her home a few miles away, just to see me!

And Stephanie painted one of her lovely miniatures, specially for me!

Me thoroughly engrossed.

Me not thoroughly engrossed.

Thanks Lesley and Betty for taking these pics of me.

Now hope to get back to normal, so be popping to see your blogs again, rest of housework taking a back seat til it gets too bad again.

Have a lovely week everyone.

Luv' Polly xx

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Had such a busy week.  Gardening mostly, so painting with plants!  Anyhow here is my arty news.

Easter Challenge, kept til the last and done with care.  Sue D'Arcy-Masters husband is connected with the Southport Lifeboat Station, and challenged me to paint the old station (a new one is going to be built) with the boat in front of it. So this is what I came up with.  Guess what, they have had it framed and it is going up in the new building when it is finished. How lovely is that!

I wanted something to put in pencils that have been kept at the back of a drawer.  I thought I might use them if they were to hand, so made these.  I stuck on all the Easter Challenges that you out there set me, so I can remember the fun I had over the Easter weekend painting them. Empty baked bean tins and glue that doubles up as varnish were used.

And I took my last brusho mini workshop.  I think they all enjoyed and learned from what I passed on from my workshop with Joanne Boon Thomas.  This is one of the paintings we did (we managed 3 in 2 hrs) and this was by the far most successful of the ones we did.  More brusho is being ordered and the word is spreading.

I am hoping for a quiet relaxing week this week.  Putting my feet up and the odd afternoon tea.

Enjoy whatever you are doing, wherever you are.

IT'S TO SAVE THE PARK

First a little about my day painting in Botanic Gardens on behalf of the art club I belong to.  Churchtown is a small village and it is a small park near where I live and where the art club is. It was the first time they had a Victoria Fair and it was to raise money to help maintain the park, which shouldn't really be the volunteers task!  Some people came in Victorian Costume. And then a nice story, so please read to the end.

 This is not a proper painting, I just painted the odd person who was standing in front of me. They just looked at the brass band playing then moved on.  So they were quick studies.

And this is me!  I had painted all of the previous day at our exhibition so what a lovely arty weekend.  Here is what I managed to do in the afternoon I was there.

Here is the nice story.  Five youngsters about 10ish, were asking me what was going on in the park, they usually went there and didn't know this was going on.  So I explained that the volunteers were trying to raise money to keep the park looking nice. We talked for a while and then one of them asked the others for some money and they raised the grand sum of 40p between them.  Then one with a sad look in his eyes said 'It's to save the park'.  That was what I call a special arty moment.  It made my day and I will remember those children whenever I go to the Park. Now that IS special! I hope they grow into lovely adults.

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.