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.

A to Z CHALLENGE Q-T

For those of you who don't know. I challenged myself to pick words that cropped up in alphabetical order while watching tv, didn't know what on earth I would be painting next. Here is the next batch. Nothing to Declare & Country File.

Well thought I would be ages waiting for a Q, but spotted this sign on the wall at Sidney Airport, on a Customs programme. Yippee!

There was this guy trying to get into the country, they were questioning him and he said he was meeting his girlfriend. So they said they would give her a ring (yep telephone ring though well you can't paint a sound) anyway, they did ring her and it was a him. But I got my 'R' in.

Right we are now watching Country File, and these are looking back at other programmes.  I saw an 'S' for sledge. Thought why not go the whole hog (get it farm animal) and do a big sledge i.e. a sleigh, using my beautiful Daniel Smith Pyrrol Scarlet!

Looking for a 'T' and in an empty field there was a trough.  Well that would be boring wouldn't it so |I added these two friends.  Polly and Penny (yes I do eat like a pig before you comment).

Have a great week everyone and thanks for calling by, it's so lovely to share what I do :)

A to Z CHALLENGE L - P

More from my self inflicted A to Z challenge.  Seen or heard on tv in alphabetical order, and now being painted in alphabetical order. We are currently watching a programme called Italy Unpacked, where a chef and an art critic travel around lovely Italy.

Ok you guessed, they were at a fishing harbour.  And what did I see but an 'L' for Lifebelt

Yuk, next thing the chef is cooking 'M' Mussels slimey things

Can't remember the link here but it's food again and 'N' Nuts (which is what I am doing this challenge)

Need I say more 'O' for Orange which was a pain to get right and is very flat now I come to look at it!

Of course, to cook  the chef needed 'P' for Pans - they were big chunky heavy pans, but I thought they were boring to paint so picked this limey coloured one.

And yes, honest, I did wait for them to crop up in correct order.  So much so that I lost the plot in the programmes I was watching, I was so busy listening and watching for a letter.

I am enjoying this challenge, for various reasons.  It is making me paint things I wouldn't normally paint.  I am trying the odd colour that is not one of my most used colours. Painting small and large. Using small and big brushes, different colour mixes and most of all experimenting with different techniques and textures.

I must admit that the next batch was difficult to catch something in certain letters and took a while before I had the final letters of the alphabet. Q, U, X, Y & Z. but I managed it!!!  In a fashion.

Have a wonderful weekend to all my blogging pals.

A - Z CHALLENGE, I to K

Latest batch of my self inflicted challenge.  To paint things that cropped up in alphabetical order, either seen or said, and drawn all of them in order, and now painting them in alphabetic order.  We have just left a crime programme behind 'H' handcuffs.  Now we are watching Italy Unpacked, where two chaps, one an art critic and one a chef, tour Italy.

'I' for Italy - this was easy as it came up on the introduction to the programme then I waited for ages til the next letter revealed itelf to me ...............

'J' for jacket that one of them was carrying (not like this one though, but thought his was boring to paint).

Next  the chef was cooking and chopping, so 'K' for knife.  But I confused people on facebook who thought my mind was still on the crime programme, or suggested that my husband better watch out.  Come to think of it, he has disappeared, perhaps he accidently fell  into the chest freezer in the garage (wicked chuckle here he he he)