ANGLESEY ADVENTURE & ANNIE

I was privileged to be asked to join Joanne Boon Thomas and a group of other like minded people, just to paint together on the Isle Anglesey (North Wales), this included Judith Farnworth - and do check out her blog, her story of the holiday makes very interesting reading.

Joanne is the Queen of brusho, but there wasn't any brusho in sight,  as she is a queen of watercolour too. Thanks for asking me Joanne.

Judith was my partner in crime if you like.  She was my chauffeur and my nemisis at the same time, as I had to be nice to her or I wouldn't have got a lift home!  Well suffice to say I got home in one piece.

First day, we visited Moelfre a lovely small coastal village just long enough to do a painting and visit the pub, before we had to scarper because of a storm. So finished off sketching back at the hotel.

A quiet corner of the tiny harbour, grey clouds gathering

Sketching back at the hotel.  Yes you guessed the sun came out as we returned!

Quick sketch of lavender and my most fun of the holiday, sploshing and splashing about

Second day, First stop Church Bay where there is a restored very old thatched cottage at Swtan. Followed by a stop in Caemes Bay (I think that is what it is called) where I battled on painting buildings and boats - boy was it a struggle.  I was perched high on a sea wall to get the view I wanted.

Large Heavy rusty old kettle done on khadi paper with watersoluble pen going to paint it again with oomph this is proper pastey

Khadi paper but this time with Elegant Writer Pen, which is so quick

The lovely restored cottage, much longer than this section, with a roaring fire inside

Back to my Elegant Writer and Khadi (small pad) a view of an old cottage from the garden of the restored cottage.

You can see why I battled - multitude of house AND boats

Finally we went to a Hidden Garden which are near Beaumauris. Cant find the name of the place, but it was lovely, like a small Bodnant Garden. And then home. Such fun painting with like minded people.  I think there is a market for this as well as proper art courses. You learn from each other and don't feel an idiot painting on your own.  A wonderful few days. Thanks for your hard work Joanne, for organising such a great trip.

Oh and finally Annie Arkwright from Accrington, popped up at the hotel and loved the Cricket gnomes in the grounds, well you know what she's like where there are men, any kind, she couldn't keep her eyes off them.  Can you spot them??

Hwyl fawr - goodbye on Welsh

SWITZERLAND & WOBBLY TRAINS!!!

I have been trying to spend less time on the internet and my blog is one of the things I have been neglecting.  I can't believe how long it is since I last did a post.  Sorry, because that also means I have been neglecting my blog friends.

Recently spend 2 weeks by trains visiting mainly Switzerland.  So long on the train I did some painting and sketching.  Not easy.  It is amazing how wobbly train journeys are when you are trying to paint some detail.

Here is some of the work done on the journey and that one at the end done from a photograph since we came home.

  Stresa on Lake Maggiore, some wobbly people cos of the train!

On the Bernini Express on the way to Turano

Painted from a pic in magazine.  Mint ice cream cake. 

From a magazine

Again, from a magazine

From the Bernini Express brochure  The red is the train

For sale on the Glacier Express this little mountain goat

Painted since our return.  This was the view from our hotel.  One of those 'special' memories that I just had to capture

FELT PICTURE AND A SORE FINGER!

A while ago I had a go at a felt picture. It's made with lovely soft wool tops (I think that's what the wool is called) a piece of blanket and a barbed needle, and you repeatedly stab the wool into the blanket with the needle.  Occasionally you may catch your finger with the barbs, on doing this you say "####++******" in other words - oh dear me!  It does take longer than my watercolours, but was nice to do for a change. It is silver birches reflected in water (thought I had better let you know what it is supposed to be).

Has anyone else tried this?

Have a lovely week and take care each and every one of you. xx

AUTUMN & NIGHT TIME W/C

One of these paintings was a battle and the other a pleasure.  The agony and the ecstacy (well that is a slight exaggeration!).

Last week at the Art Club I belong to, a member brought in a pile, and yes I mean a big pile, of autumn things that she found in the park very near the club.  So here is the composition I came up with.  Did a quick pen sketch (so no rubbing out which speeds the process up) and then in with my trust big brush and some loose washes and salt.  Such fun.  Nothing planned, no pressure!

Last New Year we were in Amsterdam.  I took a night scene picture that I just knew I wanted to paint.  Now you know painting doesn't work out that way,  So this is the nightmare painting. I did the under painting a while ago and knew it wasn't working, I couldn't put my finger on why. Stuffed it in a box and left it, as you do!

I found it this week, was going to paint on the back but persisted in my endeavours.  Still don't like it, but when I sloshed on the sky (technical term) I just had to finish it.  Now I have got it out of my system and have a nice fresh piece of watercolour paper on the back to start something new. A positive out of a negative.  However, I do like the lady in the foreground.

Happy Sunday to one and all.  Keep smiling through.

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!

SCOTLAND AND SKETCHES

Here's a continuation of my Scotland trip.  One day I threw a tantrum as I didn't want to go on a long, climbing walk in mud and bog.  So, yahey, I had an afternoon all to myself to paint.  I found a lovely spot by the edge of a Loch with a nearby shelter.  I had to dash in a couple of times because of a storm!  It was so quiet and lovely and I enjoyed every second.

We went on a steam train - pic sketched on the train from a brochure

Just had to paint this little red boat (can you see his smiley face).  My hubby was in a panic as we had just over 15 mins before the train left!

View from the corridor outside our bedroom. We stayed in a little castle complete with old baths, turrets but a beautiful garden full of rhodedendrums (can't spell it)

This is what I painted when I had my free time.  The Loch is a sea Loch and is Loch Shiel.  Apparently there were otters and deer nearby, but I never saw them.

Have a lovely Sunday!

MEMORY SKETCHES

Had trouble getting into my blog!!  Wonder if anyone else has had problems today.

Anyway, here are some personal sketches of my recent visit to the Lake District in the North West Corner of England.  Six of us hired a lovely stone cottage and these were all sketched around Grasmere (of Wordsworth fame, the poet) I wandered lonely as a cloud ta da. Also there is a wonderful Artist and his father  well know in this area. If you like Lakes and Mountain paintings do check out this artist, sadly no longer with us, William Heaton Cooper.

Here are me little ole sketches.  Done in a small W & N sketchbook using water soluble stabilo pens and a touch of an Elegant Finewriter pen too.

View from the Daffodil Garden across the River Rothay towards a lovely tea room with outside space.  This Village is built in Lakeland stone which is a beautiful colour, similar to the water in this picture.  

Right in the centre along side the small green, there is this Gallery of Heaton Cooper's paintings and also a well stocked Art Shop (I always buy something, can't help it)

Most of you know I hate painting flowers - so can't believe what is happening to me, I actually sketched a couple of wild flowers tucked in under a wire fence.  On the other side were new little lambs, black and white. Ahhhh

View from right near our cottage overlooking the fields filled with sheep and lambs

One of my favourite places in the whole world!

EASTER CHALLENGE

Well I have been overwhelmed by the interneters who have given me subjects to paint over the Easter.  And here are the ones and whipped through yesterday.  The hardest ones, though, are ready and waiting for me.

Helen H Trachy - Woman cleaning windscreen with broom.  This is no ordinary woman it is Me Grand Friend Annie Arkwright.  No ordinary broom for her!

Carol Davidson - Horse.  Actually it is Polly Panicking Painting Peoples Pictures

Beverley Wells - A banana that doesn't look like an ordinary banana painting - took ages thinking about this one, and created a kind of stained glass window. Brusho.

Rita Vaselli - she had seen on facebook a picture of real sheep but they had been coloured and also online there is a page about William The Lurcher, so asked his owner if I could paint him and here is the combination.  William dreaming of sheep and sheep having nightmares about William

Carol Hodge - Cream cake (no calories in this one)

Gill Fox and Martine Weare - I combined one here.  A nighttime scene with the moon and a painting in one colour - here I used Indigo.

There are a mixture of sizes from postcard size to 15 x11" and the challengers are from Blogland and Facebook Land, so thank you all for taking me out of my comfort zone.  All except the bananas are in Watercolour, the Bananas are in Brusho!

I'll be back with some more of these challengers.

Happy Easter everyone

LAST BRUSHO THIS YEAR

Yes, I am putting brusho away!  There's so much going on. I usually do my brusho at the art club because it is, or sorry, I am soooo messy, and it's our Christmas do today and then that's it til after New Year.  These two paintings I have concentrated on using bleach.  I sprinkled and sprayed the background colours on, covering the whole sheet of paper with colour and then picked out the white with bleach and added some darks.

Dark Stripes were just the background showing through.

This one is actually Sharon Whitley's December challenge, and is from a photograph by Gary Jones of the Ugly House in North Wales.  Just a note to Health and Safety, The snowman didn't suffer any harm from being covered in bleach!!!!!

GRASMERE HOLIDAY

Been to The Lake District for a week. Grasmere my favourite.  The Gem in the Lake District's crown as far as I'm concerned.  Six of us hired a cottage.  Many laughs, good food and even a little painting too, despite the wind, rain and cold.

The National Trust has taken over a house that had a bad fire in 2011 and has opened it up to the public.  It isn't a fancy mansion or a stately home but a large house that has been cleaned  and is now free from fire damage. (well some rooms are still closed off)  It is a hands on kind of place and one room has a long table, lots of drawing implements and even plastic aprons for little ones.  They let me sit and paint a view of the lake at Grasmere from one of the windows.  Not my best painting but painting on the spot is not the easiest thing to do, and to do such a view justice is an impossible task.

Here is my view from Allan Bank compared to the actual view.  A lovely memory, far better than any photograph!

The house is part way up a hill although it looks flat. I exaggerated the island, which is hidden by the trees, as it is an integral part of the Lake.  Yep, I have more muscles now from chopping down those old trees.

I came home to find I have lost my place on Joanne Boon Thomas's brusho course, as the email asking for my deposit came while I was away.  Talk about bad timing!  I was so looking forward to it.

I came back to so many lovely paintings by my blogging friends, and while I will try and look at them all, I doubt if I will have time to comment on them.  I intend to do more painting and less time on t'internet.  Wonder if I will keep it up, well perhaps the odd sneaky look now and then.  Happy blogging

PS Had to add that I have now heard that I am actually on Joanne's Brusho course.  So chuffed.

GRASMERE IN THE SNOW

We've recently popped up to Grasmere in the Lake District.  This is a view of Sam Read's Bookshop (yes it is called Read's)  This was painted after a previous visit.

It is one of those places that feels like a second home.  We are lucky to live nearby to either pop up for the day or a short break.  Grasmere is famous for Dove Cottage (Wordsworths quaint old home) and there is a really well stocked art shop (I always go in there) who sell prints of a well known lake district painter William Heaton Cooper, they are brilliant do check them out.  Apparently he would sit hours waiting for the right light to sketch from.

Oh, and by the way, I found my old school folder, going back .......... years!!!  If you want to take a peek I am putting some on my other blog http://pollyluvspaintingetc.blogspot.com  and comparing them to my work now.  I thought I'd mention it because although the schoolwork is in poster paint, the other work will be watercolour.

You may have your old school work or memories of painting when you were young.  I'd love to hear your stories.

LAKE DISTRICT

We've just come back from spending Christmas in the Lake District.  Typical Lake District weather!  Even so it was still very beautiful.  I never tire of the views. 

This is a view of the lake at Grasmere looking towards the village.   It's no wonder Wordsworth loved it so, and William Heaton Cooper painted it so often.   Every day and every hour the light is changing, never mind the changing seasons.  It is one of my favourite places.

AUTUMN

I have just been out, and on seeing the beautiful autumn colours thought I would share with you some of my autum paintings.

One day that we were in the Lake District (UK) I starting collecting these lovely leaves to paint when I got home.  I wrapped them up in wet kitchen roll.  I painted quite slowly for me!  A study really.  My art teacher suggested I put some trees in, so I did.  I got the idea of them from Viktoria Prischedko in a book called Realistic Abstracts.  Look at her site she is wonderful.

The photo for this was taken on the same holiday as above, its called Penny Rock Wood on the shore of the Lake at Grasmere.  I decided to paint the leaves using a natural sponge, and candle wax for texture on the near tree trunk.

We have friends who live in Carlisle who we were visiting when I took this photograph.  The little family group were what took my fancy. It is a place called Talking Tarn! They don't know how it got it's name.

Enjoy the beautiful autumn colours before they are blown away.