WA - Charcoal

Sarah  16" x 16"  Charcoal

I didn't need telling twice to get the charcoal out...I love it! Rubbing, erasing, swishing it about with a brush, getting my fingers in and pushing it every whichway! This is from a photo taken at a HAS life drawing session, of the delectable Sarah. Needs a little tiddling yet, but I shall post her here when done.

Happy painting, everyone!

I have been fiddling with this all day, and now I am fed up with it!

Blakeney 20" x 16" Oil

Finished! 

Waiting 12" x 10" Oil

It didn't need much tiddling, after all!

Waiting 12" x 10" Oil

Some refining of shapes to do, but you get the idea?

WA - Cartoons

Cartoons! No I didn't do cartoons, not many of us did!

I took along a painting to carry on working on.

Blakeney  20" x 16"  Oil   WIP

So far, so good...lots to do yet.

Sunday Morning

I was routing through my paintings and found this one.

Sunday Morning  20" x 16"  Pastel  1997

And I took this photo on Sunday morning! 15 years apart and a different house, but nothing much changes around here! Don't mention the hair!

WA - Spring Flowers

Time to Reflect 20" x 28" Oil

I have been working on this all afternoon, and thought it just about done, but can you see a difference from yesterday? !!

Update. Lovely title suggested by Peter Kavanagh, who also pointed out that the skirt was not quite right, so I have made amends and tiddled up a few other passages that were bugging me.

WA - WIP

The program had been rearranged for today, which I had forgotten about, so while everyone else was having fun painting roses, etc, in the style of the travellers decoration of utensils, I took along this WIP to carry on with. Everyone produced stunning work, which I would have loved to show you, but, oh-oh, something else I forgot.....my camera!

Untitled (yet) 20" x 28"  Oil

Fiddled!

She cetainly looks less like a cardboard cutout!

Turn Away 20" x 16" Oil

Some fiddling still to do, probably, and it's just about done.

But I like it even better cropped!

WIP Turn Away 20" x 16" Oil

Back to portraits, then. I love painting portraits....until I get to about here! Then the fussing and fiddling starts. It is my aim with this one to get where I want to go with a minimum of F+F.

Thanks again to Carolann for the photo reference.

Terrys' Challenge

Cityscape  12" x 16"  Oil

This is my response to the challenge set by Terry Miura to SIMPLIFY! Go here to find out all about it.

I have long been a fan, especially after his 'eureka' moment! He has had an amazing response, so many paintings and all so different.

I knew I would find it difficult and you can see I got in a muddle in the middle. I maybe took the simplify thing too far! I'm glad I persevered, though, because I like it and the lessons learned. Not only about simplifying but about perspective too. I have thoroughly enjoyed this so maybe I shall take up more challenges!

Finished!

Flower Power 24" x 20" Oil

Orchids

Orchids  7.5" x 9.5"  Oil   x 2

That's better!

Flower Power

Watercolour Orchids....or Not!

The plan was to paint purple orchids, in watercolour, as a gift for my niece. Well, what happened there then!

I might see how they look in oils tomorrow. 

Cliff 30" x 20" Oil

Hertford Art Society Life Drawing

This was done on Saturday at Hertford. To see the sepia ink drawing I did please go to my other blog,  here .

Usually I reach for French Ultramarine, Transparent Red Oxide, Raw Sienna and Titanium White....blue, red, yellow and white. For this study I decided to be adventurous! Cerulean, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow and Flake White. I am struck by how much lighter and fresher the painting is, compared to my usual offering.

WA - Pen + Wash

I thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon. I discovered pen + wash to be a very good medium for nudes and hardly believe I haven't tried it before. I really like it, and wish I had more control! But that is easily learned with practise.



Where's Them Lads? 16" x 16" Oil

SOLD

With all the spring exhibitions looming, I have been having a sort out. The day has been spent tiddling up some paintings, one of which was this one, which I hope is now less scrappy!

Hat 12" x 16" Oil on Paper

Love that hat!

Got Rhythm 16" x 20" Oil

Another of Carolanns photos. 

WA - Cityscape

I always promised myself that I would post everything, whether success or failure! I had the worst afternoon ever at the WA yesterday, painting wise. Everything was wrong, colours, drawing, size...way too big, soooo....this is how it looks this morning

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Well you can't win 'em all....and I WILL paint something good on this canvas!

Pensive 12" x 16" Oil on Paper

I told Carolann the colours I had used yesterday, and admitted that they were the colours I always use, no matter the subject. How stick-in-the-mud awful is that! So today I used different colours....and I like it. 

Vincent 12" x 16" Oil on Paper

 

A discussion with the wonderful Carolann at the weekend, about portraiture, has got me all fired up to paint some. It has been a while. This is Vincent, from a photograph kindly donated, along with a few others, by Carolann.

I really enjoyed painting this and I think it may be because I don't know the gentleman and  it isn't a commission. Purely for my own pleasure.

Tomorrow another one! Thank you Carolann.

Nude Too 8" x 10" Oil

Nice model, from one of the Hertford sessions. It would be nice if she would sunbathe nude too!

WA - Ballet Dancers

I don't have my own photographs of dancers so downloaded a reference from the internet. I do hope that Martin von den Driesch would not mind my using his beautiful image for practice.



Nude 8" x 10" Oil

I have been fiddling with several large paintings lately, but today I needed a play.

WA - Mixed Media

I forgot to take my reference photo! I used acrylics, ink, and oil pastels.  I learned that I cannot make it up, and although I had a good idea what I wanted to do, I got very confused and couldn't understand why it didn't work! All became clear when I returned home........I had printed two pics and had been trying to incorporate them both in the same painting!!

I have made amends....well....so far so good.