Exhibition

These two paintings are displayed at the Milton Art Gallery, Crathes nr Banchory. It's a beautiful little arts and craft village and the exhibition is a good one - the KDAF - Kincardine and Deeside Arts Forum; and I like the way it has been hung this year.

This Morning's Life Drawings

https://picasaweb.google.com/117317598469372222202/20120417

Well if you're lucky you might find photos of them on that link but I'm fast losing the will to live regarding this blog site and photos - they don't seem to appear for me!

There should be 6 different drawings there :)

Pastel Painting

This is just a quick pastel picture - well diptych - of the northern end of Stonehaven Bay, which I did in between waiting for some oil paintings to dry... and turning my studio upside down to make space for a plan chest. More on that to follow!

Study for Abstracted Life Pose

You see what I mean?

The Poetry of Rest

This painting is for me.

It looks so right in my studio and lifts my spirits every time I look at it, I simply love it.

Loosening Up Two

Loosening Up

After spending some time on the detailed work of two commissioned pieces (*very* special), I let loose on colour and whatever I could find in the studio to create these.

I Wish...

I've just relaunched this beautiful little book. It's only £5 and it's for anyone who wishes they could paint, or draw, or create things like an artist or wants to nurture talent in their children or grandchildren.

And for those who wish they were more inspired, motivated and could climb out of their creative block.

See it on my gallery where you can buy it quickly too, with no delivery problems! (It is much smaller than 1MB).

Written and designed by yours truly, with sumptuous illustrations...

My Biggest Canvas Yet

Using a roller and my new printer roller for the pink contrast, I've been experimenting on a large canvas with my favourite 'five brush strokes' figure. Alas, it didn't really work out on the large scale (but I had fun finding out) and I'm now happily covering it with textures and colours galore to turn the painting into something I really like.

Seated Nude

This isn't finished but I like the way it's coming along so I'm letting the oils harden in readiness to give it the fine, final touches.

Library Display

Here is a photo of my library display which I'll be taking down today. (Sorry about the reflections of houses across the road.)

It was a surprise opportunity as I saw the window was empty and went in to ask ... a few hours later I received a phonecall to say I could use it for the whole of December.

As far as I know, at least one of these pictures has sold. :-)

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.

Moving On

It fills me with joy and pride to know that other people enjoy having my paintings and creations around them. I've no lofty expectations of being a Turner Prize winner or any kind of esteemed name in the realms of High Art: I create therefore I exist happily, that's all.

I don't always create beautiful things. Sometimes they go wrong. Sometimes the colours are far too rustic or dreary to be loved - that's fine. Art is a process. Sometimes I blow even myself away with producing something great, so the adventure goes on.

Quite by surprise I sold this lovely little textile, tactile canvas last week. The buyer was in my studio for something else (buying a semi-abstract similar to For Ever and Ever at the top of this blog) and wanted this too. She has found a perfect home for it in her house: hanging on a mirrored alcove.
This person enjoys having things she loves surrounding her in her home and I'm happy she's chosen some things I've produced. That's what art is all about.

Three Cosy Dogs...

Here are the three little snoods - or perhaps you could call them dog-cosies (as opposed to tea-cosies) - for my friend's three greyhound dogs. I hope they'll fit and feel comfortable.

When I go to fit them I'll take some buttons to sew onto the dogs' outdoor coats, to ensure their snoods will stay in place.

Mmm... very cosy on a wintery day...

Snood for Grace

This could be wishful thinking and the photos are only a rough guide too, but I'm hoping this piece of knitting will fit gracefully over my friend's beautiful greyhound dog, Grace, when she's out in the snow and cold wind. She'll be wearing her winter doggie coat but needs something to keep her ears warm, so hopefully I can sew a button on to the coat to hold this in place.

Not having a dog  nearby to model it, I used someone's leg to show how it'll bend to the right shape!

If this turns out to be OK, Ros, then hopefully the slightly bigger one that I'm working on, on the 15mm knitting needles with 8 yarns, will be about right for Henri... and then all they'll need is some very cold weather!