29 September 2009

College again today.  Another charcoal drawing - this time framing the 'best' part of a composition, and adding light-, mid-  and dark tones, also texture.  I'm proud to say this ended up on display in the corridor!

28 September 2009

27 September 2009

My prize tomatoes (!)

26 September 2009

So next a series of domestic objects while I'm waiting for the trees to look autumnal.  I will also be doing some tree photography for a Tree Wardens competition as the colours change.  As I need to get ready for the HAS exhibition, I spent the morning framing paintings - Boring!

25 September 2009

A sketch of Ollie.  I also thought I would post the result of my felting workshop last week, which was based on a painting, which was based on a previous sketch!  I need to decide the best way to mount and frame this.

24 September 2009

I think I'm getting there now.  I wanted to show the lightness and transparency of the bird, so painted the sky colour all over first, then lifted out the flight feathers.  After I'd painted in the body colour, I used the same sky colour for shading.

23 September 2009

Pen and wash.

22 September 2009

The big day!  Started a Fine Art course.  Back to basics with this sketch, using just the outline of the objects and concentrating on the negative shapes in between.  We used a grid to get the relative size and position correct, then added dark tone where necessary to add interest to the drawing.

21 September 2009

This was my second attempt.  As usual the subject was trickier than it looked!

20 September 2009

I'll be doing some bird studies over the next few days,  starting with Sky.  Enjoyed a brilliant 'painting with felt' workshop today.  My picture will be on the website.  Can't wait to do more.

19 September 2009

So here is the result - a bit twee, I think.  Picked up my hire car today.  Brand new with only 4 miles on the clock.  Very smart with lots of gadgets, so I feel very awkward in it. 

18 September 2009

Brickendon.  These are copied:

and this is my own:

I'm trying to just capture 'the essence' but again these are just mini paintings, so I'm going to set a timer next time.  

17 September 2009

A difficult day for sketching.  Someone ran into my car on the way to work.  Lots to sort out as a result, and then a meeting to attend in the evening - ending with a 2 hour walk home!  So here's a quick one of Chester.  (Still managed to fit his walk in as well!)

16 September 2009

Practising parasols in preparation for finishing yesterday's painting.  They are deceptively tricky, with their 8 slightly asymmetric segments - but I think that is part of their charm.  I'd never noticed the curious shadows they cast before.

15 September 2009

A mixed media sketch in preparation for a painting.  

14 September 2009

Chinese brushwork practice - my take on a famous, beautiful painting.  This is my second attempt, after I'd discovered it is necessary to build up in layers, each shade darker than the last.

13 September 2009

Future Gardens - butterfly world.  I tried to capture the people drifting about with the butterflies circling around them - an ever changing scene.  Glad we managed to visit during the short time this amazing place was open this summer.  Looking forward to the next phase.

12 September 2009

Later, at the Basketry AGM.  I can sketch and listen at the same time - honestly!  Just took a few seconds over each of these, so I'm getting quicker.  The meeting was followed by a brilliant cord-making workshop.  I used maize and iris leaves; grass, and raffia.

12 September 2009

I tried to paint the beautiful mallow flowers which have sprung up by the front door, but just don't seem to have the right colours in my kit.

11 September 2009

A little happier with these today.  So engrossed I forget to cook tea, and set off a little late for the Oyster Festival at Woburn.  The Barron Knights were great!

10 September 2009

These flowers look more like mini paintings done with inadequate resources than sketches.  I re-read my Anne Blockley book.  

9 September 2009

A collection of leaves from the garden.  Interesting how they all contain the same colours, but in different proportions.  Looks like autumn.

8 September 2009

Painting class today, so here is a sketch of an artist at work.  I also managed to finish a mixed media painting of blue and green bottles, which will be on my website.   

7 September 2009

Back in Hatfield Park, and the problem is fitting a huge tree onto a tiny pad.  Afterwards I have great fun measuring 3 enormous oak trees for the Ancient Tree Hunt:  One is 34 ft in circumference!

6 September 2009

A charcoal sketch done while walking Chester.  I like the background best, so that is the style to aim for.

5 September 2009

Braving the outdoors again today - Symondshyde.  Have chosen these tall, straight trees because they will help with a painting I've started at home.  A man comes by looking for his lost Golden Retriever, Rupert.  I hope he finds him, but knowing Goldies, he'll come back wagging his tail behind him - eventually!

4 September 2009

Giving it another try.  This is better but I'm sure I could get the same effect with black paper and white pastel, so I'll try that sometime.  It's still very windy out, and getting colder now.

3 September 2009

Using a mid-tone all over, then lifting out with a rubber.  Not sure I like this result at all!

3 September 2009

Charcoal pencil smudged with the finger.  I watched an artist at the Country Show using this method, and I think I could get to like it.  The proportions of her face are wrong, and I need lots more practise.

3 September 2009

Still trying to sketch very quickly to capture the moment without having to ask anyone to keep still for me.  Here are 3 views done in quick succession, each using a different technique. 

2 September 2009

A busy day - a long INSET day followed by archery, so only have time to finish one I had started previously.  Subject is something completely new for me using moistened watercolour pencils. 

1 September 2009

Last day of the school holiday, and a visit to St Alban's Cathedral for lunch.  We like the temporary statues of modern martyrs, like Martin Luther King, so decide to sketch them.