STILLMAN & BIRN EXPERIMENTS

I've heard many artists mention Stillman & Birn sketchbooks that I just had to have one as of now!!!  But there are so many to choose from. Got mine from Jacksons Mail Order in the UK, though they are not in their catalogue. I got my beautiful spiral bound Zeta Smooth paper book. So hot here (a British heatwave) that I decided to walk into town and sketch early morning.

 First project was to use my Stabilo 88 water soluble pens black and brown.

(Southport has a lovely wide tree lined main street and they are building a Travelodge at one end.  It used to be an old Station, then the Ribble bus Station now Morrisions at the back.  They were taking down the scaffolding).  The paper reacted really well to the Stabilo and and I got some nice shadows using my water brush. The pen felt smooth against the lovely smooth paper. Was happy with experiment 1.

Second project was to use my Elegant Writer water soluble pen black. The ink spreads far more with this pen than the Stabilo.

I am particulary fond of this pen when I want to work really quickly.  Quick pen lines and a gentle touch with the water brush pen is all you need.  This sketch was a 'whoosh' sketch whilst waiting for the bus (not much more than 5 mins and a touch here and there on the bus (which wouldn't keep still) !  This process was perfect, the reaction of the ink and the brush pen, just what I wanted. Was happy with experiment 2.

Following day (actually this morning) there were some lovely clouds making the temperature a little more pleasant for my 45 min walk into town. Sat down at 8.45 am raring to go. Set out my mini watercolour travel set with my plastic double dipper (used for oils) as my water containers, that I can clip onto my paper, if required.

Third project was to use watercolour and pen.

Lord Street again with it's lovely glass verandahs and this is Costa Coffee. Did quick pencil sketch then put on the watercolour.  Here I came unstuck.  Even though it was hot the watercolour stayed on the surface of the silky smooth paper and wouldn't dry. It was in globules.  I did manage to mix colours on the paper, but my patience was tested even more when I tried to do the peoples clothes, the fine detail just were blobs. Consequently took me longer than if I had used watercolour paper.  Eventually, I added some waterproof ink marks. Good news is it didn't cockle.

Results mean that I will be restricted to my water soluble pens, otherwise the book might be flung to the far corners of the earth! Perhaps I should have ordered the Beta series.  Could anyone give me their opinion on what I thought was the ultimate sketchbook.

BEST THINGS SINCE SLICED BREAD

Oh, I do suffer from bad feet, no not smell, cheeky!  The balls of my feet cripple me after an hours walking, as I have claw toes on both feet.  When I first tried crocs I couldn't believe how comfy they were. Summer is heaven, as I do not care what I look like, comfortable crocs are my friends, and I wear them when I can get away with it. These have been painted  for my 'something from each room in the house' series, and we are in the conservatory now.  I have several pairs of crocs and have some for the garden.  These are very splendid, having a (plastic) diamond stuck through one of the holes.  You don't need to hold your nose when you look at these, they are anti smelly!!!

Hope my blogging friends are having a wonderful weekend, and that those in the UK are enjoying this freak heatwave.  Best weather for 7 years!!!

LIVERPOOL IN WAITING

Went to Liverpool today, to eat 'en plein air'.  The main shopping area is already decorated and waiting the the Royal Baby to arrive.

While at Zizzi's, an Italian Restaurant, I used my mini, mini sketch set to do, yes you guessed, a quick sketch (Thanks for your information Cathy Holtom  http://cathyholtomdustylane.blogspot.co.uk - check out her really interesting article on materials she uses for painting outdoors).  I now have mini mini set, mini set, and compact set and full monty set.

Here used my magic wondrous Elegant Writer Calligraphy pen, just a touch of water to the lines that I have drawn and the ink does the rest.  Notice the sexy hair band to keep the pages from blowing about.

Royal Baby decorations ready and waiting. The clothes have HRH on them.

Hey, you Brits, enjoy this amazing heatwave while it lasts and no whinging.

WIMBLEDON WANDERINGS

WELL DONE ANDY MURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (on the 7th day of the 7th month, and 77 years since a Brit last won the mens final - spooky or what).


I am a hermit during the tennis tournament at Wimbledon. Rarely leaving my abode, glued to the tv watching my heroes. One of them being Kenny Eckerslyke.  Now some of you will have met him on my other blog http://pollyluvspaintingetc.blogspot.com  along with my other northern England friends and their activities (if you would like to meet them and Kenny go to my blog and click on the label 'friends of mine' or click on my link at the top of the right hand column of this blog)

Now Kenny is an avid tennis player who reckoned he could whup Andy Murray at Wimbledon this year.  How, did he get on, well he lost on Monday. He reckons the linesmen, umpire and crowd were against him 'cos I'm a reet ordinary lad from up north and I'm not posh, eeh by gum.  I'll be back again next year and by ecky thump I'll be the first northern champ!"

Well I were in the crowd. Poor Kenny lost his rag at the end and threw his ball into the crowd, with such venom.

Followed by his shoes, one of which I caught!  I immediately threw it back because the smell was knocking me out.

Poor Kenny, he thought he could win, but can 'ee eckerslyke!!!!

He drowned his sorrows by drinking a pint of bitter and eating some lancashire hot pot and an eccles cake.

Let's hope he qualifies again next year.  Good luck Kenny

AMAZING I'VE DONE MORE FLOWERS!

Yes, folks, I've been at it again, more flowers!  Strictly Dancing with flowers again.  I cannot believe it, but I now have been taking photographs of flowers, thinking of dull winter days!  In tribute to Wimbledon, and to quote John McEnroe, 'You cannot be serious?'.  Yes I am!  Here are my two latest very different paintings of the petally, leafy things:-

Painted the background with gay abandon, then thought the flowers were  all to pot, so added ink.  I did NOT like this painting, but so many have on facebook and my teacher too, that I now think perhaps it wasn't too bad after all.  This Strictly Dancing with flowers was perhaps a stop start type of dance, a fandango of a dance. 

Very freely painted Alliums.  Definitely not for framing, just painted for fun.  A bit of an irish jig I think.

PUFFIN WITH PRIDE

This lovely little fella is this month's challenge from Sharon Whitley at http://sharonwhitleytheramblingartist.blogspot.co.uk (go to her site or look on facebook, Sharon's Art, if you want to paint this lovely puffin)

There are some really brilliant ones that have been done of him. I hope you like my version.  I so enjoyed painting him. Better than painting flowers any day.

Apparently they are very small, I have never seen any, but would love to one day.

(Photograph by Gary Jones)

HOTEL NOROVIRUS!

Well most of you know by now that I got the delightful (NOT) norovirus while on holiday at a Warners Hotel called Littlecote house. Has a tudor mansion at the side (when you book you think you are staying in it and you are not) which has connections to Jane Seymour, one of Henry VIII's wives (well the original building has been replaced by this tudor one which is apparently haunted - likely story) A couple of mornings before breakfast, while my fitness fanatic of a husband (sick making) was in the gym, I secreted myself in a corner or two, and painted these en plein air sketches, exercising my right hand vigorously. Little knowing that the virus could have been landing on my very lovely sable brush as I wafted it on the paper. 

This was in a little courtyard, where there were various farming implements.

This is the old tudor house which is next door to the hotel

And here is a pot of 'don't know what they are' flowers, that were in the courtyard

I'M GETTING REALLY EXCITED

I would never, ever have thought when I started a blog, that I would be saying this, but it's true.  Nearly 10,000 looks at my Watercolour Blog.  How wonderful is that.  So, may I say to you all out there what fun I have had, how much I have learned from you, and how much you have inspired me.  You see I had reached a safe plateau with my painting, never thought I could improve or find so many subjects to paint. My enthusiasm was waning.  You, yes you out there, have given me the joy of painting that I had when I first started. So a big and heartfelt thank you!!!

Right, back to the business of painting - here are some more of my 'things around the house'. I decided to find things around the house that were simple to paint.  I have already done a candle and some hand cream.  (See previous post)

Ok so it's a toilet roll holder, what else is there in the downstairs  loo?  And everything in there is white anyway so I thought that was a good challenge

This is from the Hall, supposed you would say it is 'retro' but it  is a family  memory item.  We used to have a red carpet in the hall but now it's neutral.  This doesn't really go but I just don't care!

Anyway, I again send you a REALLY BIG THANK YOU 10,000 times

Luv' from Polly xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

HENRY VIII, BOOBS & SKELETON

We holidayed for a few days in Surrey and visited Hampton Court, famous for chimneys and Henry VIII.   We met King Henry HONEST! (Searching for Anne Boleyn) and Anne Boleyn (Running from Henry, wonder what she had done wrong, watch out for your head girl).  She said she hated her sister Mary (nope she was ye olde mistress afore yon Anne) and she said she loved her brother very much (yep later accused of ye olde incest) What a rip roaring Palace. Thinking of bodies entwining leads me to a life drawing class (how subtle was that).  We went on to visit friends in the New Forest, where Mike asked if I could attend his life drawing class.  It is yonks since I did a life drawing, never in a large regular class, so was nervous and felt out of my depth.  There was so much brilliant talent and an interesting mixture of media used.  First we did very quick sketches 2 - 3 minutes and ending with a 30 minutes or so one.  Interestingly,  part way through the teacher brought part of a skeleton and pointed out the spine in relation to the pelvis etc.  The model was petite and very good, though she had very pert false boobs and I tried not to make them too obvious.  Here are my efforts, and for once I was quite pleased with my attempts.  That shocked you didn't it? Here are most of them ............................

2 min sketches - one crossed out nbg. She looks very tall!!!!

Still looking 6ft though more like 5ft

Did the skeleton first quick,  then added the model

Can see now that her bum is not right, but then whose is????????? This was the final long sketch. By now I was bodied out.

WHAT A TO DO!

Guess who has been thrown out of a hotel, well two actually! Not for being drunk and disorderly I might add.  Beware if you go to a hotel and they are deep cleaning the corridors, and you are met at the door by someone thrusting an antisceptic hand wash in your face, and people wearing rubber gloves.  There is the noro virus hidden down those lovely corridors and searching you out.  That lucky person was me!  After a lovely holiday we arrived at Littlecote Manor and had super three days, when I was struck with the sickness.   The hotel really wanted us out asap! And they cancelled their hotel we were due to go the day after. After I had finished throwing up we travelled 4 hrs home.  What a worry that was with a sick bag on my knee.  What's this got to do with watercolour, I ask myself.  Not a jot, just having a moan.

Right, to start the holiday, we went to Surrey to watch Lee Slattery try and qualify for the US Open (Golf) at Walton Heath (he missed out by 1).  What a prosperous county. What fantabulous properties.  I digress again.  I had a little break from wandering the course and did some sketching using my elegant finewriter pen. Not wanting to appear obvious I tucked away in a corner under a tree. Blinking cold and windy it was too.

I have lots to look forward to now, catching up on your blogs.