Finished and framed..

Finished framed and hanging in the Fannie & Fox Gallery Penryn. 

Just for the record.. A

 last update before the painting was framed by my clever hubby.

(*The lightin the studio was very bright that day)

Here I've marked final adjustments with white chalk..

Slowly slowly..

Quite a bit to do but the painting is beginning to work for me.

On my easel...

This is the beginnings of a new painting about love.. Under painting is cadmium red. I nearly always paint a canvas red or a red'ish brown to start start with.. It's at this stage when all I'm doing is looking at it standing back and re-drawing. 

Strandlines

It's four weeks now since we watched the film.

I picked it up in Falmouth Library because I liked the title, knowing nothing of the history we watched and were transported onto the north Cornish coast.

The film was called. 'The wrecking season' by Nick and Jane Darke. 

Since then I've read 'Held by the Sea' by Jane Darke. If ever there was a book written for someone who has lost (a strange term but this morning I can't think of a better one) someone they love dearly this is the book to read. Not all of those crappy bereavement books that people seem to think are the right thing to give you. This book is the one to read or give to someone who needs it. I wish I had had it 13 years ago, it would have helped. It has helped.
This wonderful writer is so eloquent in the way she describes the total isolation that you feel even with your family around you.

We have since watched 'The art of Catching Lobsters' by Jane Darke. With silent tears flowing down our cheeks.

I now have a hundred and one paintings twirling and swirling around along the strandlines in my head..

With a little gold leaf..

 The paper boats are finished..

 

And now hung in the Maritime-House, Art-Space, Falmouth, Cornwall.

 In collaboration with Fannie and Fox Gallery.

Paper boats.. Almost finished..

A long last look and a final tweek and I'm done.

 Then what to call them, and what price to put on them.. Always a dilemma..

Oh and yes... I did paint over them... In cadmium red!

Paper boats

I've been working on two large canvases this past week, enjoying the challenge and working with one of my favorite subjects... Boats.

 

But this time they are made of paper.

Not the easiest thing to capture on canvas but all good so far.

The flag is finished

Painted for a special friend of mine as a moving on gift..

(unceremoniously stuck to the door with blue tack so that I could photograph it for this blog)

 This was a very special piece made for a very special person with layer upon layer of meaning painted into and onto the canvas.. Significant only to it's new keeper..

At the last minute I decided to add a little poem, if you can call it that.. It will help to explain the flag to future generations of the family. Or may be not!

 

On reflection.. Perhaps I should have painted my full name..

Another little update.

Working on the little flag at the moment..

A little more progress..

With a visitor staying with us from where we used to live, work on this piece is slow. We have been out and about visiting Penzance and St Michaels Mount..  It is so good to have visitors great to hear news of where we used to live and of the friends that we share.

 

Yesterday I sent them off to St Ives so that I could actually get some work done in the studio.. I know, I know, missing an opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful places, the one that tugged my heart to move here to Cornwall.. But there is work to be done and decisions to be made.. I was intending that this piece would be less 'colourful' and a little more monochrome than my normal way of working, but colour creeps in when I'm not concentrating..

Slow, slow progress

..I found a few minutes to do a little more work to this piece..

Two new projects

Oil pastel on cardboard.

Cups of tea and a box of old oil pastels found whilst looking for something else led to having a few minutes of fun.. Listening to the radio heard of Tony Benn's death. So sad, a man and politician with strong views and who wasn't afraid to say what he thought.. A great speaker, a great writer.

 

'Anguish'

 

This is my other project, a leftover piece of canvas, treated with rice glue and pva.

  

Then using up old acrylic from my pallet to get rid of the white. Yep! Sunshine here in Cornwall, flip flops are officially out of the cupboard.

All going well, turned it over and painted the other side, left in sunshine to dry..

It all goes wrong.. Glue and paint dry and 'STICK' to newspaper.. 

Sugar!!!!........... (I really want to say another word!)

Harlequin fish

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"My artist has asked 'me' to pose for you first, she said that the others must wait for 'their day' as today was to be mine".

The harlequin fish was so pleased to be chosen for the first proper photography session. She kept walking about on the tablecloth which was draped over the little coffee table out in the conservatory... it was the only place which was bright enough on this cold, grey and damp day.

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"My artist is saying" 'keep still' "while she takes my photographs", 'please harlequin, stop wiggling about, your like a fish out of water....... well I suppose that is exactly what you are.......... right, please turn a little to the right....perfect..... now I shall take a picture of your fin..........your brick work and planking are looking good ... and I'm very pleased with your scales, they are beautiful shades of green and blue'... "she continued chattering away to me, 'a little to the left now' I'm sure that she expected me to answer her, I was too busy posing for my photographs". 'Please keep still just for a few moments the artist gently asked, I need a photo of your stern, please turn around',"but I say how can a girl keep still when its her 'fishwalk' debut?"

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£155.00
SOLD

(The Harlequin has gone to live in Santa Fe)

"Well I'm finished, and I'm off to see my fishy friends...... my clothing has been designed and painted many times, and my varnish is now quite dry. My artist seems very pleased with the results, she says that she now has to find somewhere or someone to buy me. I wonder where I shall move too?.......

The fish walked off with great dignity before I could show you her wonderful feet...... another day perhaps........

Greek mythology inspires me

I've been playing with an idea, fabric and paint (this time no paperclay), I'm not sure where it's going yet.

It all started with a children's book from the library, I just caught a glimpse of it in a child's hand, it was about exploring Greek mythology, how exciting, something clicked...... here is the tiny beginnings of an experiment.

As you can see it's ended up about textures, you know what its like you start of with one idea and end up with a million others and going along a totally different path than the one you had intended. I will get back on track, I promise....

I am meant to be working on my fish..... still no names for my beauties buy I'm working on it, the dictionary is very heavy and has a lot of pages and I'm still on the A's.

In the mean time can you guess which Greek God I've been focusing on?

The Rescue

(close up)

(Close up)

(Close up of the boat and how tender the man

holds the fish despite the huge waves)

Tuesday and it's cool damp and lovely

Here are a couple more pictures of Sarah, I have borrowed my son's camera so hopefully the results are a little better.

I love this lady, there is an enigmatic quality about her, is she sad or is she observing us? she kept watching me while I was painting her and when her picture is hung in the house she becomes part of the family, a long lost sister, or maybe someone that used to live in this old house of ours.

Sarah

This is another Icon picture that I'm working on its a slightly bigger canvas than that of late 18"x15" here is just a little peek of who is in the left hand corner.