ZOO INSPIRATION

Well you guessed.  We went to the zoo this week.  One of the smaller ones in the UK.  Blackpool. Which is really known for it's tower (like the Eiffel in Paris) rather than a zoo.  We were really surprised, we expected it to be run down, but it wasn't.  I kinda don't like animals caged up, but they do a lot of work at the zoo and have regular talks during the day about conservation.  Which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Really shocking though, how many animals are endangered and nearly endangered.

So I endeavoured to paint some of the animals I saw.

These are what I painted this week. They are only smallish studies.  When I paint small I tend to be more precise as I use smaller brushes.  But I have one or two in mind where I can use bigger paper and be bold and free.

This wasn't going very well so added some brown pen.  These little fellows were in the childrens area.

Front and back view of different Penguins.  I just wanted to mix the paint on the paper for these, except the black, which is ultra and burnt sienna and is part mixed in the palette and part on the paper.

To state the obvious this is a sea lion not a seal.  Be blowed if I can remember the difference now to tell you!!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend to one and all where ever you are.

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

IMAGINARY FLOWER WORKSHOP

Most of you know my battle with 'enjoying' painting flowers.  Well I should have gone on a floral workshop for watercolours, which was unfortunately cancelled!

Undaunted, I set about making myself spend a day doing an imaginary workshop at home.  I looked at books (not copied from them) for inspiration and youtube too.  Here is what happened. I did 4 in a day, which is what I anticipated would have been done on the workshop proper.

First painting I did was tulips. I was winging it here. Got the picture of a tulip from a gardening book. No influence here, just wanted to use a new orange I had (W&N transparent orange).  This was supposed to be very loose but got tighter and tighter and layer over layer.  So, was not happy with this method.  So Polly Birchall wasn't tutoring well in this instance!

I have great respect for an artist, now no longer with us, called Karen Simmons.  I received, on the day of my home self inflicted workshop, the book I had ordered for 1p plus p&p from Amazon. Painting Flowers in Watercolour (brilliant book).   So in tribute to her, I painted in her style, a Dainthus.  She uses what she calls blushes and I love that word, so used delicate pink blushes.  The book ends with a quotation from Marc Chagall - 'Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers - and never succeeding'.

Next a loose painting of Chinese Lanterns.  Influenced by a book by Jean Haines, and using that delicious colour W&N transparent orange.  I love this style of painting, so much harder than it looks, but it seems to be natural to me and this is the way for me to go when painting flowers some of the time.  I like to vary how I paint so sometimes fairly accurate and sometimes a bit crazy.  I had seen her do a demo so was imagining her voice and looking over my shoulder.

And finally, a papaver.  This is influenced by Joanne Boon Thomas, who paints wonderful flowers in watercolour and brusho (a very exciting medium).  This is in watercolour.  I heard her lovely Lancashire accent goading me on to paint this red poppy.

These are all 10 x 16 on Bockingford.  Mostly using big brushes.

I thank the artists indirectly, for passing on their knowledge, be it by book or word of mouth, for helping me to begin enjoying painting flowers.  A miracle in itself.  Phew I thought I would never say that.

Have a lovely week all of you and look at the beautiful flowers out there just a a little bit longer than you normally do, they are all masterpieces.

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!

ANNIE'S GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

Annie Arkwright from Accrington, Lancashire at the Commonwealth Games.

There is some good news and some bad news.

The Bad news first.  Annie turned up for the table tennis with her tennis racquet and table cloth, and was disqualified immediately. She was devastated. Her last chance of a medal (or so she thought).

The Good news now.  Annie got 2 gold medals but NOT for competing.  One was for being the most friendly competitor and one for trying the hardest.  She was in tears and received a standing ovation as the first medal was presented, by the President of the Commonwealth Games, Justine Time. Then the second put round her neck by the Chieftain of the McHaggis Clan.

Scottish BBC reporter Mick MacMuckle interviewed her and through her tears she smiled and said "Eeh lad I were only being me, a friendly Lancashire Lass, it's in our genes and I live by - Do as you would be done by.  On my 2nd medal, well I always tries to to me best, then I have no regrets".  And then she did the Usain Bolt stance for her official portrait!

Annie has been chosen to lead the singing of - I would walk 500 miles (not kilometres) a Pretenders song, and the final song - Old Lancs Sign.  Please sing along with her tonight if you are watching the Closing Ceremony.

Have a reet grand Sunday all of yee (Says my friend Annie).

ANNIE ARKWRIGHT/COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Annie Arkwright from Accrington, Lancashire is appearing in the Commonwealth Games in Bonnie Scotland.  She is representing England.

The first picture shows my friend Annie (the favourite), at the start of the Upside Down Doggy Paddle race.  The opposition, as you can see, have left her on the starting blocks.  And I wonder why?  Just look at those love lorn eyes.  Can you see the hunk in the background.  It's Bruce Brews from Australia, the winner of the Gold medal for the High Dive Board Belly Flop category.  Annie finished the 50m but it took her 39.58 mins as she was daydreaming all the way to the finishing line.  The crowd went wild as she finished, but Bruce was nowhere in sight.

Rumours have been abounding that Annie has been throwing up at the Games.  This is what happened.  She has been practicing Tossing the Caber for a long time (a Scottish sport) when it should have been Throwing the Javelin.  Anyway when she turned up with the caber (basically a tree trunk) they did let her throw up.  When throwing up she throwed up wrong and it bounced on the ground and throwed up behind her!!!!  So basically she threw up minus 4 feet.  It's sad to say another medal chance slipped away.  She was sooooo upset she actually threw up  ...............  poor Annie.

She designs and makes her own uniform and her sponsor is 'Polly's Lancashire Ice Cream'.

BRUSHO FUN

I keep venturing back to paint in Brusho.  It's exciting and unpredictable, like watercolour, but even more so, and vibrant as well.

These were painted in the garden.  Brusho is a powder that you paint with. Sometimes you sprinkle direct on the paper and spray first, so in the garden you get fun things happening when it's a bit breezy.

If you would like to know more about Brusho I will put some links on at the end of the post.

Venice in Brush! Sprinkled on the paper and sprayed.  Each colour has other coloured crystals in it, so you can get varying effects.  I did not draw the buildings in the distance just drew the horizon and where I wanted the posts.  You lose the drawing somewhat anyway.

And, of course, being in the garden I had to paint the washing.  The washing is NOT as dirty as it looks, honest!!!

Have a wondrous weekend one and all.

Now for some links for you.  Firstly, if you are on facebook, check out Beautiful Brusho Moments.  Also Joanne Boone Thomas's facebook page,  who is the queen of Brusho.  She has done a DVD and ebook. It's magic! These can be bought from the SAA (Society for All Artists). www.saa.co.uk. or a you tube clip of her using brusho  www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcs6NNczOqM   

PESKY FLYING ANTS

Firstly,  thank you all for following my blog and to those who comment a big thank you.  Please, if you follow me on facebook, don't feel you have to respond on both posts. I am trying not to spend so much time on the internet, but find looking at other blogs is inspirational and I hate to miss anyone, and really do try and catch up with them all.  Though I am sorry I don't always have time to comment.

This blog is annoying me, one minute I'm signed in then I am not!  What is going on?  Fingers crossed I can post this without any trouble.

Well it's hot here and muggy, so out come the pesky flying ants. Loads of them all at once.  Birds diving to catch this delicios bounty.  So I thought, perhaps they are not so horrible after all and proceeded to find a little picture of one in a 'spot that insect' type of book, and armed with a magnifying glass looked at one trapped in a spiders web. Here he is.

I decided to zuzz him up a bit, so he didn't look so creepy.

ROSES GALORE

Right well, I hate painting flowers.  Tried to paint a rose and it was awful.  So decided to master a nice loose rose if it killed me!  Here is my progress.  The way I did it reminded me of when I was at school, cramming just before the exams.

First of all I aplogise for duplicating some of the roses.  I have been trying out collage editing using Picasa and Photoshop.  It's taken that long that I have not bothered checking them!

First of all I sketched some roses to try and understand the form of these beautiful flowers, pencil, elegant finewriter and stabilo water soluble.

Here are several roses.  These are influenced in most part by Jean Haines, Hazel Soan and Janet Whittle.  I am using free paper that I got from an Art Festival (St Cuthberts paper) and have decided I don't like Hot pressed.  Also trying different colours (some not real) therefore trying to add more fun to the exercise.

Now progressing I feel and becoming more experimental.  The real word is winging it!  Most of all the above roses and the other collages are without drawing.  Some painted from roses in the garden.  Middle bottom is a bright brusho painting  which it is in fact quite large and is landscape format, as is the bottom right hand one which is on the impossibly unpredicatable Yupo paper.  Now I was getting to enjoy painting flowers, a feat in itself.

Ah, at last!  I feel I have made progress.  The first is loosely based on a Janet Whittle painting in one of her books and the second is a tribute to my lovely Mum, who loved her garden and her roses.  I picked two different roses from my garden and put them a glass top hat that belonged to her and which I turned upside down and put some fresh water in for the roses.

I actually painted over 40 roses!  I feel all the effort was worthwhile.

A serious post for once.

I wish you all a wonderful rest of the weekend. xx

HINT FOR PLACING PEOPLE

In case you haven't tried this idea, here is what I do sometimes when wondering where and how big to place people in a painting.

I often use a piece of acetate or see through plastic.  Drawing with a water soluble pen, or wax crayon I draw several sizes of people and then move them around the painting to see where they look most suitable. 

Simple idea but very effective.

This is a small piece of acetate, to show you how I used this idea on my recent Scotland painting. I do have a larger sheet.  If you use crayons you can also try different colours

This can be other things too, eg boats, trees etc

 I should have put the man in red on the right somewhere, but for now he is staying where he is.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.