FAST AND SLOW, LARGE AND SMALL

I've been painting animals recently, elephants in brusho, which you have seen before, and here is a small snail, his name is Sebastian. I painted him because I came across a poetry book I won for being first in poetry when I was at my first school.  I saw this poem called The Snail's Dream by Oliver Herford.

A snail who had a way, it seems,
Of dreaming very curious dreams,
Once dreamed he was - you'll never guess!
The Lighting Limited Express!

And I thought, ah ha, never painted a snail before, so here he is.  I won't paint one again, actually I can't stand them, but actually their shell is quite interesting.  I used wax to try and get the sense of texture and a shiney, slimey body.

And next is Sharon Whitley's Monthly Challenge a Tiger.  This one was a difficult one, so kept putting it off and painted it on the very last day of March.  The photograph is quite stunning and is by Gary Jones, Wildlife photographer.  And I thank him for sharing this photograph with us.  If you look at her blog you will see a link to their website, where you can see her wonderful birds and animal paintings  and  Gary's wonderful photographs. Called Portraits of Nature

And today I am off, with a good friend of mine. to learn to paint like Turner, at the Lady Lever Gallery in Port Sunlight.  Now there's a lovely village.

INGRID'S BEAUTIFUL FLOWER

Not very often I feel like painting a flower.  So when I saw this, and Ingrid Ormestad said that I could paint it, I couldn't resist.  Most of you may know I don't like painting flowers.  Well - I enjoyed this one, just a little bit, and it's not too bad.

Thank you http://ingridormestad.blogspot.co.uk. A beautiful artist. Do go to her blog and look at her 30 day challenge paintings especially.

BRUSHO WORKSHOP (MINE) !!!!

Yes, you read that right.  I was bludgeoned into doing a 2 hour workshop at our little art club, Churchtown Art Club (we are on facebook check us out).  After people had seen me having fun with Brusho they wanted to try it for themselves. So having plucked up the courage to say I would, I set about organising a plan of compaign, as I didn't want to let them down.

Because there was only two hours, I decided I had to fit in as many techniques as I could. So after explaining what Brusho was and showing some of the work I had done, to show them how versatile it is, I decided to do a pen and wash, which would incorporate wax on an elephant, and some silver birch type trees out of a dark background to demonstrate the use of bleach. You can also just use it like watercolour.

I was soooo nervous I started out by telling them that if they had constipation, then volunteering to do a workshop would work wonders!!!

Ok, so this is how we did it.  We drew an elephant in thick permanent ink (pens from the £1 shop), used wax candle for highlights on the ephalump, and for the grasses.  Sprinkled - sprayed - tilted.  Done and dusted Brusho did it for me.

Second was using pure thick bleach.  Taking care to cover clothes, using separate container for water and old brushes.  We sprinkled (through a hole in the top of the brusho containers) - sprayed - tilted NO DRAWING FIRST - dried and then whoosh, in with brushstrokes of pure bleach, and as if by magic the tree trunks appeared, then some thicker branches and because we had no fine brushes, used cocktail sticks for the thin branches - plus some imagination.

Considering we had to share 2 boxes of brusho with 8 people, it worked really well.  There was quiet concentration and laughter.  They seemed to be having fun. I have had more recruits, and now have to do another two.  Yikes!!!

Please, if you are interested in seeing a quick demo of this wonderful medium, check out Joanne Boon Thomas's Brusho Secrets, ( it shows a short video). There is a DVD and ebook, which are both easy to follow and inpsiring and shows the versatility of this medium. Good pressie to yourself! I had been on a day workshop with her, and used some of the techniques, she generously passes on to all her students and also her enthusiasm for a new and exciting way of painting.

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to her for all the fun I now have using Brusholicious paint.

POLLY'S FIGHTING TEMERAIRE

Been neglecting my lovely bloggers, and here's the reason why.  I have been engrossed in a Labour of Love. I bought a canvas 2 yrs ago with the aim of trying to paint my very favourite painting - Turner's The Fighting Temeraire.  It has taken me 2 years to pluck up the courage to attempt it.  You see, every time I go to London I spend ages just sitting soaking in this beautiful painting.  I would love to buy it, but it's not for sale! So, I thought I want to see it every day, so why don't I do one for myself.

I very rarely paint in oils, so painting dark to light was difficult.  I used water soluble paints (no turps or lineseed mess) and an imperial size canvas.  I had forgotten you have to wait for each layer to dry, so I had to be patient (difficult for me).  I ran off in four pieces the painting from the National Gallery for copying. I loved looking at every brush stroke of Turner's, trying to see how he painted. Wondering at the colours, the imagination.  I suspect using his finger a lot and sweeping strokes then tiny delicate brush strokes.

Now I soaked in the painting, enjoying every brush stroke, mixing juicy colours with care.  Sometimes I painted a large area, sometimes just a few strokes at a time.  I enjoyed every second.  I wanted to do the very best I could.

The only thing I may change is the sky over the sun, which is too dark.  Otherwise it is better than I could have hoped.  I am so relieved and pleased.  Now I can see it every day.  I can't wait to go to London and see it in pure light and all it's glory.

I want to have it with me when I go to  arty heaven, so that I can show it to Turner, and he can give me a critique of his painting, that I painted from the heart.  Now wouldn't that be something.

BRUSHO BAGATELLE

While I have been battling away with Abstract I have also been brushoing, if there is such a word.  One quite intricate for me and a flower (yes I said flower me no like painting flowers - oops bad english) and one a challenge which turned out better than I expected.

I painted a Bird of Paradise flower in my A-Z challenge as Xotic flower for 'X' but thought it would make a good brusho painting, because of the vibrant orange.  The bleach wouldn't complete take out the blue, so it has left a lovely texture that was quite by accident!

This is Sharon Whitley's Challenge for February, photograph by Gary Jones
Was going to to it in watercolour, but Brusho called and I listened. Great fun.

Have a lovely week and remember Spring is round the corner for us Northern Hemisphere people.

ABSTRACT & TEARS ON MONDAY

Tears on Monday, because our class of 20 years has come to an end. If I hadn't 'clicked' with Marion, the teacher, I probably wouldn't have still been painting.  This wasn't a follow my lead/demo type of class, but a gentle persuasion type of guiding class. Marion has the most brilliant eye for colour, tone etc etc, just as a good teacher should.  She gave me so much and changed my life.

However, Marion does like her abstracts and I have tried over the years and given up or rebelled or whinged.  As I knew the class was approaching it's end I decided to be a good little girl and do some abstract (but I still whinged).  The idea was to use in your face colours, no white (last one there was white - naughty me).  (3 in your face colours)

Just plain squares the orange original pink but painted over with orange complimentary colour to blue

Tuscan hillside,sort of

I've called this Spot the Rabbit

The final painting. Entitled Viola!  Painted over Gesso (a la Jane Minter) then scaped over the top with sandpaper to bring back the white and the words stencilled in.  There you are!

We are all still keeping in touch occasionally by the way. Marion is going to critique what we have been doing on our own. Oh, and we will be having wine and food too, sounds good to me.

Thank you Marion  and my lovely Arty Farty Friends for all these fun filled but educational classes.

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT SKATING TEAM GB

My friend Annie Arkwright, was in the ladies skating final last night at Tholympics in Russia.  She looked as pretty as as picture in her Oxfam cut down dress, that she altered herself, and her designer Welly Ice Boots.  The whole outfit being finished off with a soft fur trim (not real fur of course).  Annie danced to the music 'She's a Lassie from Lancashire'. She managed a few nearly steady steps, then the crowd went wild as she did a triple salko, purely by accident, while spinning out of control, which was followed by an elegant nose dive and two balletic belly flops.  In fact, she had that many deductions, that she got an all time low score which was -60 points.  She should make the Guiness Book of Records.

Eee Annie lass tha tried tha hardest, but it weren't enough on the day.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.  And think of Annie and her devastation at letting GB down.

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT TEAM GB

Did ya watch Tholympics today on tv.  The Ladies Downhill Skiing.  Well my mate Annie Arkwright were racing. The Gold Medal was a draw between a Swiss girl and a Slovenian.  In the time of 1 min 14 seconds. Yes, a dead heat.  Well Annie Arkwright did really well as a Team GB star.  After a few triple salkows (don't know how yer spell it) and a triple toe loop and a few swishes, she finish a close last in the time of l hour 14 minutes.  So it were nearly the same time!  When interviewed by Clare Balding, she said that her ski poles were the secret, she swept the snow away as she were shussing,  and it t'wer reet scary.  Annie will be on your screens again in the ladies skating.

This picture will be on your newspaper front page tomorrow.  It was taken by Polly Birchall, Official Olympic Games Photographer.

A to Z CHALLENGE X,Y,Z

Well that time has come, the end of a very enjoyable challenge.  I've painted things I would never dream of, not of my choosing.  Each subject a surprise when I spotted it on tv in alphabetical order.  I have used different colours, techniques, textures, paper and brushes, so an exercise as well as a challenge.

Well here are my final ones, the difficult to spot X,Y and Z, all spotted in the programme 'Country File' which was a look back at earlier programmes.

Think this should be sideways on!!  Anyway, we are in Wales looking at a tiny Exotic Flower.  Bong!!  Brain ticking over, got the 'X' - for Xotic flower.  So here is an xotic flower, the Bird of Paradise.  Bit on the tentative side ha ha

Next one was spotted in the pouring rain, and it's 'Y' for yellow umbrella!  Here I was thinking there is no way I am going to see a Zebra on Country File.

And finally a pair of jeans was spotted, phew. I had found the last letter 'Z' for zip.
What a relief!!!!


Would I do this again - yes!  It was great fun.  But not for a while and only when the fancy takes me.

So a BIG thank you to those of you have have followed along with me.  I can't thank you enough.  Even if just one person had followed, it would have made my day.  But so many comments have been a bonus and have made me smile inside.

I will put them altogether in a collage, for me to see them together and for you too.

Have a lovely week all of you and keep safe.

A to Z CHALLENGE U - W

For those of you who don't know I challenged myself to paint subjects as they came up in alphabetical order that I saw on tv.  Here is the next and penultimate batch.  We are watching Country File and are now coming to the hard letters to spot, so here is what happened..............

Was waiting for 'U', waiting and waiting. Then someone said "under the ground" so this little fox is searching for something  Under the Ground - bit tentative but hey who cares. Taken from a delightful photograph by Michael Eastman.

Really hate flowers hence two different painting one tightish and the other loose without drawing first.  They were talking about Dog Violet - so I latched onto that one and hence 'V' Violet.

This Country File programme was a look back programme, and they looked back at a previous winter.  Get it?  'W' for Winter.  Wanted a bit of colour so added this little blue tit and made the background look frosty with cling film.  If you look carefully you will see little icicles on the branch.

Now then, X, Y and Z tested me but managed to get them before the end of the programme. I was listening and watching so intently for the relevant letter, that I lost the plot as far as the programme was concerned.  

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are.