SHARON'S CHALLENGE!!!!

You see, it's like this.  I knew early on in the painting that it wasn't going to work. I am not a flower painter and so admire people who have that delicacy of touch. So in I goes, no tracedown for this challenge. Wasn't happy with the colour, not having many pinky colours in my repertoire! Working on smaller paper (for me) A4 so smaller brushes (thinking of that poor horse in the stable waiting to be painted - another of Sharon's Challenges) oh dear me.  I couldn't control the paint.  Nothing going right.  Decided to woosh in with the background and make it dark to make the naff flowers stand out.  Too dark! Added salt, more colours, kitchen sink, cuddly toy.  Left it overnight.

Gordon Bennet! Or words to that effect I used the following morning and immediately began the highly technical technique of, wait for it ................ washing out.  Too many staining colours. Well I sank into deeper fits of depression.  Only one thing I could think of to attempt.  Dewdrops.  Yep probably the best thing I did but too big and not enough.  End of story.

Wonder if I will let the horse out of the stable to paint?

If you'd like to have a go at one of Sharon's monthly Challenges, go to her blog sharonwhitleytheramblingartist and browse her site, look at her paintings which are superb and follow her travels in the mountains and her wonderful photo's of  breathtaking views.

GUESS WHO?

At the weekend I went to visit a good friend of mine.  He does have a bit of a chip on his shoulder but boy can he sing.  He really fancies this girl called Christine.  Haven't met her yet.  It's about time he met someone and settled down.  He spends all his time underground. He's very pale so I've told him he needs a good holiday in the sun. As he loves opera I suggested that he goes to Sydney Opera House.  I painted this while he was asleep.

BRUSHO PAINTINGS

I have returned the Brusho to Enid  The adventure is over for now!  In August I go to Joanne Boon Thomas for a day workshop, so that should be fun, fun, fun. Here are three paintings and a pic of the box, especially found on the internet for Renate.  I have found you can buy it from Amazon uk 12 colours £17.13 and 8 colours for £12.50 (+ postage ofcourse).

Ok here goes - First one is entitled The Angel of the North West.  Based on the Angel of the North in Northumberland. You can just about see her tiny face

This next one is Under the Sea 

This was Marion's idea (my art teacher) because I wanted to preserve the beautiful bursts of colour.

Finally, this one ended up really dark, I think this is a problem to be aware of when using a dye based medium. And no way can you wash it out.  I didn't want to use bleach as I figures this may damage the paper. I had sprayed it and dried it vertically and then added crumpled up cling film, and lo and behold these trees appeared from nowhere, not only trees but little creepy faces and animals have been added. I have called it The Sinister Forest.

I do hope you have enjoyed sharing these experiments with me. They are all 16 x 10 inches and on rough paper.  You haven't seen my hands dirty with picking up just a few crystals and dropping them on the paper, or my cuffs bright orange from touching the paper when painting my mostly negative shapes. We have a door handle that is red, and I did try and paint outdoors when I created the first starbursts. When I go to the workshop I will need overalls, gloves and who knows what will happen.  What fun!

LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD

I was so thrilled when Sharon Whitley nominated me for this pass on award (something like a chain letter) that is awarded by fellow bloggers to blogs they follow that inspire, inform and entertain (my words) These three words definitely apply to Sharon's blog, whose animal and bird paintings are lovely and her tales of her ramblings in Wales and the Lake District are amazing.  Do wander over and journey through her blog.

I follow many blogs and have in turn decided to nominate 5 blogs that are different to my watercolour blog. They are all busy bloggers, all versatile and all under 150 followers (the criteria being 200).

http://pencilpix.blogspot.co.uk - Sue Clinker. Her drawings of animals and her portraits literally take your breath away, there are a few interesting articles there too.
http://carolebaker.blogspot.co.uk - Watercolour and guache. I particulary admire her still life and her work in January when she did a beautiful work of art every single day! Amazing) (she also runs another blog)
http://cotswoldsketchbook.blogspot.co.uk - Nigel Fletcher. (you may notice it as Painting adventures in the Limousin, it's the same blog). I love these fluid oil paintings anything from landscapes to flowers and even Noddy and Big Ears. If a painted in oils this is how I would like to paint.
http://gardenartjournal.blogspot.co.uk - Kat Farmer/vanHookens (this site is similarly called an artists journal) and is a delightful personal diary of exquisite paintings plus description, and a variety of other paintings too.
http://nuggletonbythesea.blogspot.co.uk and yes it a friend of mine.  Lesley Nugent.  If it wasn't for her I would never have started blogging.  Her blog shows the power of blogging and facebook as she now has work in an online gallery. She paints naive paintings in watercolour  and you can follow every step of each fun filled painting.

I hope I have introduced you to blogs you perhaps may not be aware of.  Please pop over for a visit and I hope you enjoy my choices.

May I take this opportunity of saying how wonderful it is that people like and follow and comment on my blogs. I love it!  I follow many and while I may not comment very often, I do look at each one and take inspiration from them. So I thank you for looking and thank you again Sharon.

BRUSHO

I've been having such fun this week, experimenting with Brusho in class. A friend brought some in for me to try that she had used for textiles. Here is a taster of Brusho. Polly style. You may have heard of it. It is like table salt.  I am going on a course in August with Joanne Boon Thomas (check out her site, her work is fabulous). Well I had no idea what to do with it.  I soaked the paper and picked up a few grains and dropped them onto the wet paper like you would salt on watercolours. Woosh! It  looked like fireworks on the paper.  But what to do with it next?  The first pic I made into a tree from La La Land.  I realised that if I put the paper upside down it would run and look like grass, well sort of.  The second I just used two colours, or was it three, and then when dry I used negative shapes to make flowers and added some raw sienna watercolour.

It's a happy tree! (Brusho w/c branches)

Brusho colours Turquoise, red and blue then added raw sienna watercolour

I took the Brusho home and was so worried about the mess I painted outside. I did the same but decided not to use my fingers as they were still blue and purple so picked up a few grains on a brush and dropped them on the wet paper (my hands were still a mess when I'd finished) sprayed some water on the painting and put it vertical. Then I put screwed up cling film on the top and left to dry. My hands were cold and painful by this time but I was determined to finish.  This painting is in progress ......

My idea was that I didnt want to use it like watercolour, what's the point, might as well use watercolour! So wanted to do something completely different, for me!  Talk about exciting.

Brusho explosion! This is what it looks like after dropping in just a few grains of and dried flat! I didn't have to do anything else.

Cling film added


Hope you enjoyed reading about brusho.

OX GALL

I saw on facebook someone using ox gall when for an effect when painting a beautiful red cardinal bird. So, what did I have to do, go and buy some!!!  Here are my exercises and comments, for anyone who hasn't come across it.  Don't ask me what it's made of I've no idea.

The above were dropped into mainly dry washes, staining colours and non staining.  I found different speeds and reactions with different colours.

Getting more adventurous here.  These were all wet washes.  The best reactions were the bottom two, where a softer line is shown using ox gall on a brush directly into the mixed colour wash, and the second a mixture of ox gall and water wash, where I put in lines of fairly neat paint or pen.

I painted this black bird then painted  neat ox gall on his back and head for highlights.  

This was playing with brush strokes into a wash of  water and ox gall.  All the lines are soft and haven't dispersed very much.

As far as I am concerned most of what I tried could be done with water.  Probably there is less risk of a run back. But sometimes I love those cauliflowers that you get.

 Conclusion: Possibly a waste of money.  Would be pleased if anyone has something more to add.

PIGMENT SHOP VENICE

Just look at this delicious shop window!  Isn't it scrumptious.  Found it down a side street in Venice.  Was devastated cos it was our last day and and it was Closed!!!  These pure pigments took my breath away.  Had to take the photograph, but it's taken me over 18 months to pluck up the courage to tackle it.  Took me longer than my usual paintings, had to concentrate and be fairly accurate with the drawing.  But oh I have enjoyed painting it.    In fact, I didn't use as many colours as you might think.  It's 16 x 10.  I think it may be finished!

Don't know if the background is OK

I've been spending far too much time on  facebook, and decided today was the day to start my withdrawal from the addiction!  I have put this on facebook to prove that I have done some painting.  

If you are going to Venice you must at least look in the window of this wonderful shop.  It is near the Rialto Bridge

MY DIDDY STUDIO

What a difference a few weeks make.  This is our conservatory now rebuilt and showing my own little corner.  I overlook bird feeders and used to overlook the dreaded Leylandi trees that for years have depressed me, just a few feet from the window and so high as to block out our light. Unexpectedly the neighbour has chopped them down, for his own reason and not because we asked him (I had in the past).  Whatever the reason I am over the moon.  I can't explain to you what a difference it will make.

I can see the sky .......... we will have the sun in our garden all afternoon and into the evening.  For 2 days thick white smoke has been blowing our way, and I have been burning candles to mask the smell of the burning in the house.  But I don't care about the burning, the trees are gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   WOW

ELEGANT WRITER PENS

Hi Mike and Barbara Roth, I hope you see this post.  Yesterday I received my Elegant Writer Calligraphy pens from Amazon UK via Jeffersen USA, with no delivery charge!  Have done these quick sketches in a small A6 sketchbook and I definitely love these pens already.

They are lovely to use, with thick and thin edges, each stroke of the pen releases lots of colour and the colours are soft blue with hints of pink, less harsh than the grey of the stabilo pens I use now.  The pack had 2 fine, 1 med and 1 broad, so they will last me a while. £7.98 is a bargain.  I will put them in my little sketch pack for when I travel near and far.  I am ever so chuffed with them.

Thank you so much for bring them to my attention, and also for the offer of help to obtain them.

SHARON'S GEESE

A good old challenge for me as I don't like painting animals really, because if you have say the eye in the wrong place you ruin the whole thing.  Well Sharon Whitley has a monthly challenge (check her blog great animal artist)  This month it is these geese.

Because I struggled with the drawing I used trace down paper.  I painted in some of the markings of the feathers and others I washed out (I think this worked better).  You can see I tried a small picture without drawing, just for the fun of it.

I splattered snow, which you can't really see.  Too late as the sun has now melted the snow !