John + Sally

 I'm off to the life drawing at HAS tomorrow, where I shall be chatting again to my very good friend, John. He is a lovely man who is so helpful, even popping home to fetch me oil paints when I was moaning about having no money and running out of fave colours! Friendly, full of suggestions and he makes me laugh, so I have done the only thing I can .......paint him!

I wasn't happy with Sally on Wednesday as I didn't get enough of a likeness, as I did with Doris + Paul, so I have spent a few minutes tiddling her up. I'm happy now, even though, now I have posted, I think her nose is a tad too big!

Thanks for visiting, and have a fantastic weekend.

WA

 DORIS

 PAUL

SALLY

Today, at the WA, we did 20 minute portrait studies of each other. You might wonder why there are only three! Well, we were celebrating Pennys' birthday....with TWO chocolate cakes! My idea of heaven or what?

Sally was done first as a demonstration of how I set about drawing a portrait. Paul was working in the building and Penny persuaded him to sit for us.....for chocolate cake! And Doris agreed to stay and sit when we were all debating whether to go home or do another drawing.

No other member 'does' portraits, so I am not only impressed at everyones willingness to have a go, but also by their efforts. One day I will photo them as well.

A very enjoyable afternoon. 

Lara

The finished portrait of Lara. I thoroughly enjoyed painting this portrait and I think a big part of that is because I really didn't 'fiddle' with it, and agonise over every tiny detail. I would like to thank Penny, for letting me paint it and for being thoroughly thrilled with the painting.

More Balloons

Another figure in place on the HUGE painting. I swear it is getting bigger and bigger! I am going to have to get down to some serious work on this if I am ever going to get it finished.

Lara WIP

At the Wa last week, the delightful Penny brought along fantastic photographs of her granddaughter, Lara. I asked her which she would like a painting of and she chose this. I've not quite got her yet....I feel some fiddling coming on. I have to say how much more difficult it is to portray a young beautiful woman than a scabby old bloke with a beard!

Tomatoes 10" x 8" Oil

The WA started their meetings again, after the summer break. It was so good to be back and catch up with  everyone. The theme was tomatoes, so here they are........tomatoes. I enjoyed painting them.
The club is having an exhibition throughout September at Hendersons Art and Framing, in King's Lynn. Wish us luck...fame and fortune is beckoning!

Mary Too

My first painting of Mary was gifted to Merle, Marys' sister and my very good friend, and to Stan, Merles' husband. This one is for another very good friend Myra, who is Marys', sisters', sons', wifes' mother, and her partner Alan. Yeah, I have trouble keeping up too! Myra chose her favourite photo of Mary for me to paint.

Balloons (detail)

This is going to take a long time! Another small piece of the large painting for the hospital. Hope they like it!

Snettisham Beach 12" x 9" Oil

On Tuesday I met up with my very good friend and fellow artist Carolann, who was taking a camping break at Snettisham. We had a brilliant day, chatting arty stuff, obviously, and we took the dog for a (very long, I discovered that my legs do work!) walk on Snettisham Beach.
I tend not to do landscapes, but Carolann inspired me to have a go, but I am not competing, her landscapes are awesome.

Balloons (detail)

I have not painted for weeks! And it is so hard to get started again. This week I have begun the large painting for the hospital, blocking in all the elements in the local colour in acrylic. Nothing easy to get me going again! I might have to finish in oils because, as you can see from this face, I've forgotten how to manage acrylics. This is a small corner of the painting, just to whet your appetite!

Front Page

Denise Fergus

I have begun to post on my other blog again, Front Page, take a look, if you want to.

Underpainting

The initial blocking in for a new portrait, of my niece, Kathryn. It WILL look like her by the time I'm done!
A few people have asked what board I have been painting on. You were right, Vern, it is MDF, 2mm. Although, this one, is on hardboard.
Have a great weekend, happy painting!

Listening 16" x 20" Oil

Another Rose 30" x 161/2" Oil

Painted with a knife, most unusual for me, must have been feeling adventurous! Very enjoyable as it makes it easier to eliminate detail. No fiddling here, which is good for my soul.

Cherries 14" x 10" Oil

Cherries from my garden.....they were delicious!

Escaped! 18" x 19" Oil

I thought I would try a beach scene on the bare board. I like it!

Rose 11" x 13" Oil

Took a rose from the garden to paint at the WA. I have to say, again, how liberating it is to paint something not quite so exacting as a face! I enjoyed this, and I really like the bare board for background.

Five Years Old 13" x 13" Mixed Media In Progress

I wanted to draw a quick charcoal portrait to exhibit with the reference photo in the hope of generating portrait commissions. Good idea....yes? No... not so quick and it's getting messier as time goes on. How do people make nice CLEAN drawings? It is mixed media because I have used charcoal, pastel, conte and carbon!
You may remember I painted this last year, see here, and I have to say that I prefer her in colour, so I might do that again, instead.
Sorry about the photo, don't know why it is 'stripey'.

Sunset at Gayton 12" x 8" Oil

Only five of us at the WA today, where the theme was 'skies'. I borrowed this reference from Penny, which is a photograph taken from her window. I have never painted such a thing and adored how easy it was compared to a portrait! It really doesn't matter if it isn't exact, no nose in the wrong place or too big....wonderful! I enjoyed this immensely......might do some more!

Played Too Hard! 15" x 12" Oil

Upside-down 16" x 20" Oil

Turnover 20" x 16" Oil WIP

One of the lovely ladies at the WA, Judith, makes compositions from several of the same object, i.e. pumpkins, coloured pencils, keys, deckchairs and produces really fascinating images.

If it works well for pumpkins...why not people? So, having spent the morning playing in Photoshop, I came up with this. Needs some work, but I really like it, so far. Thank you Judith.....and photoshop.

Stretch 20" x 16" Oil

I have painted the background and cropped this, but I can see, now on the computer, that the figure will need a lot more refining....ok 'fiddling' with......before it is ready for exhibition.

Mary

A beaming light amidst the gloom

Was Mary,

Gave heart and soul, and more, to all

Did Mary,

For cheer, remember that savoured life,

the things she said and did.

Our Mary.

Rest in peace, dear friend.

High Jump 12" x 15" Oil

No theme today at the WA....no cake, either! We did have very nice biscuits, though.

High Pose 35" x 23" Charcoal + Pastel

Roll 24" x 20" Charcoal

At Ascot 8" x 12" Oil

'Horse racing' was the theme for the WA afternoon, but I didn't fancy painting horses, though everyone else did. People watching is my thing, so I found this image on the internet. I liked the simplicity of the composition and, of course, the limited palette.
And the cake was divine!

Shoreline 24" x 18" Oil

I have been sorting out which paintings to submit for two local exhibitions because the forms needed to be posted today. This one,which you may or may not remember, needed brightening up, which is what I did. I am happy with it now.

Best wishes for a very happy weekend, everyone, and happy painting!

Flip 24" x 20" Charcoal

Playing, today, with charcoal.

Bread + Water 12" x 8" Oil

The brief for the afternoon at the WA was 'Bare Necessities'. Well, I've been humming the tune all week! I couldn't think of a better idea than bread and water, so took a photo of this set up. Among the ideas were a nude, a pair of boots, a row of coloured pencils, a matchbox and a cute child with a bare bottom. Maybe I could photograph the other work done in the group and show them here in future. An amazingly diverse group, and endlessly fascinating how folks minds work! The star of the show, though, was the delicious home made cake, presented by Pat, of which I had two slices. What diet??

Beginings

Stretch 20" x 30" Oil

Tumble 20" x 30" Oil

I have had a splendid day! I think I have mentioned it before, but I love these trampoline images, especially the initial drawing/blocking in stage. Slapping on the paint and moving it around to get what I am after is something I find particularly exhilarating, and even more so after the intense 'fiddling' of trying to get Janice right.

Welcome to all my new followers.....enjoy! Happy painting everyone!

Janice

I shall let this be for a couple of days. I can't see for looking!

Janice 12" x 16" Progress

Janice in progress

This is my sister, Janice. I have painted her before but yesterday I wanted to do a perfect lovely pencil drawing. I had a wonderful afternoon, taking my time and thinking it was going very well.


This morning I notice that everything was 'out' because her face was too long, and several times I sat, eraser poised...but I couldn't do it. It certainly brought home to me how important it is to keep drawing, hand-eye co-ordination sure suffers if you don't.

Not to be beaten I took her to the WA this afternoon and, so far, it's better. I find oil paint is far more forgiving than graphite, but because I forget to erase before correcting and I hate that shiny thing that happens! Her features are better proportioned anyway, and her face not too long, but there is some work still to do. I vow to get back to the pencil....one day.

Next week at the WA the brief is ' Bare Necessities', which no one will own up to suggesting, and which caused a lively discussion. Judith said she expected me to do one of my nudes and perhaps she could draw a statue, and everyone else confessed to being stumped for ideas. Of course 'Bare Necessities' can be interpreted in many ways, bread and water, anything you couldn't live without (like painting), etc, and Judith thanked me for broadening her thinking, and breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't HAVE to do a nude! It should be interesting to see what they all come up with.

Idea 2....(Carolanns')

This wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and I had to stop before I wanted to. But you get the gist? I had thought that I would do two figures but Carolann suggested 'lots more children and lots more balloons'. Three is getting there.

My heart wasn't in it today as my niece has posted 60 photos on Facebook of herself and her sister on the trampoline! Fantastic photos, and with her permission, I can't wait to paint them. Luckily, they tie up nicely with my ideas for the hospital paintings. Life is GOOD.

Have a brill weekend.

Friends

MARY

The task today, at the WA, was to draw each other, a 20 minute sitting each. Penny asked me to give a few pointers, as I do portraits, but the the others generally don't. I decided to demonstrate, but did my usual thing of concentrating on the job in hand and forgetting to talk!
I chose a carbon pencil because it looked like mostly everyone else had pencils. I prefer charcoal, though, as I find it easier to work and far quicker to get a good result.

IRIS

JUDITH

PAT

A jolly enjoyable afternoon, as agreed by all, even those who found the subject difficult, and we vowed to do it again. I would like to meet outside one week and do a landscape. Now, THAT would be a challenge for me!

Idea!

I have been thinking about the HUGE painting for the hospital and this sketch was my first idea. I felt that even coloured in it would not be happy enough! Ilike the idea of balloons and a figure, so......

This is the very rough sketch of of the next idea. I wanted to keep it simple, but attention grabbing! On the balloons, which isn't very clear, will be depictions of ice cream, jelly babies, cats + dogs, dolls, ballet shoes, things that create happy memories. If I go with a boy it would be scoring a goal, boating, trains, skateboards, etc. Maybe both? I would very much appreciate feedback. Do you think it will translate to huge? Would cartoon depictions on the balloons be better than realistic? So much to think about and I really want it to be GOOD!
Happy painting!

Re-visits

UNSURE 16" x 20" Oil

No theme at the WA yesterday but painting for the exhibition we are having in September. I took 'Unsure' to liven it up a bit as I had felt it was tonally dull. I am happier. It was a weird afternoon, everyone was totally silent, totally engrossed in their work.... there is usually someone chatting, or asking for guidance. Then the kettle went on and it was all change...everyone talking nineteen to the dozen! That's better. No cake though!



AT CAMBRIDGE STATION 9" x 14" Oil

Remember this from last year? I had painted it on very smooth board and the paint had not adhered very well. I painted it over it, today, which reminded me of painting by numbers, but it certainly is better for it.
I did think I would tiddle up some of the paintings I have already started for the several exhibitions looming, but I am having second thoughts. I find it very difficult to go back. Sometimes I don't see what got me excited in the first place, and to rekindle past feelings is impossible. You can end up with a totally different painting, so you might as well start fresh anyway! So all the paintings have gone back in the shed and a naked ( should that be bare?) canvas on the easel.
Thanks for your visit, and I appreciate all comments, good, bad and indifferent!
Happy painting.