Back to Work.

We had a fabulous Christmas and received loads of lovely presents from our nearest and dearest. I wanted to entitle this post 'Back to Lovely Work' but it's a different kind of lovely, of course!

Here is an oil painting I've just finished (I think). It's called Splashing Free.

I've hung it high on the wall to dry so that I forget about it and don't get covered in oil paint when trying to move around it.

Happy New Year to all!

Success Story

Well it wasn't long before I made some finishing touches to that painting.

I had a bright idea and offered it as a replacement for a larger picture of the castle at Mearns Arthouse, where Fiona didn't have room to properly display my North Sea Diptych. She loved the new 'Through the Mist' idea of the castle and has taken it to put on the wall in the shop.


Maybe I'll be able to show you the display she puts up over Christmas.

No Snow Influence!

When you know Dunnottar Castle you'll know that it sometimes emerges from the mist like this on the warmest days or dullest days. It doesn't need snow to give it a magical feel because the ruin itself and the ever-changing coastal conditions make it an enchanted castle any time.

I'm not sure if this painting is finished but I want it to be slight and simple, light of touch but effective. Seeing it on my blog will help me decide and perhaps your comments will help me decide too, whether it needs more work. Sleeping on it (not literally!) will help, of course. What I don't want to do is overwork it so I'm exercising restraint and must do something else to take my mind off it.

Welcome to my new follower; and if this happens to be my last post before Christmas - Happy Christmas to all!

x x x

Ladies in colour

The black textured canvas in my last post was in preparation for an abstract expressionist version of this beautiful pose, sketched quite boldly last week in our Life Drawing session at Muchalls. We are giving the models and ourselves a break during the harshest winter months and I shall miss the practise; but it is a good chance to use the time for developing some of the drawings into great paintings.

Work In Progress

Here are a few photos to show you that I continue to be busy even though I don't post often on the blog.