I have a friend who paints stunning still lifes in oil – and she does love to paint quails eggs. I spotted some in the local supermarket and bought some, meaning to do a pastiche in watercolour of her type of painting, but ended up doing a couple of little paintings from a different view to hers.
She was horrified when I said I’d bought them – but she has nothing to worry about – though I am quite fond of these.
I love the pale primroses that peek out from amongst the dead leaves from the autumn, and tell us spring is on the way. A watercolour from early 2021…
I’m sure those on twitter know about TAE. Artists from around the world donate an original work of art, postcard-sized, which get put up in an exhibition and sold for charity. I’ve organised 3 ‘Secret Art Sales’ in the past where I live the only difference being that the artist’s name is ‘secret’ (bit of a giveaway in the title) so that it encourages people to buy work they love rather than buying as investment or trophy. It was wonderful when someone bought a Maggi Hambling as the colours went with his new kitchen! He had no idea who she was.
I’ve entered TAE previously and when I spotted it was being held again I thought it would kickstart my painting this year. For some reason the painting took 6 weeks to arrive (UK exhibition – UK post) but it finally got there.
Look it up (www.twitterartexhibit.org) – the exhibition & sale starts 25/26 June. Next year maybe you’ll enter too!
Long time since I used a paintbrush…
It is almost a year since I posted anything. I haven’t fallen off the planet but been distracted and only doing life drawing… But one of the ‘distractions’ has come round again. I organise a ‘Secret Art Sale’ in my home town for our local hospital charity and 2020 will be its 3rd year. I started as my late husband spent a few weeks on and off in there and they were good to us. A new Cancer Care centre was to be built and paid for by fund raising and I wanted to do something to help. I dislike sponsored events so took the idea from the RCA Secret Postcard and held our own Secret Art Sale. It’s a win/win/win situation: artists exhibit their work, art lovers buy original art at a good price, and the charity gets the money! So far the Secret Art Sale has raised just over £20,000. I have works from local and national artists – including Maggi Hambling!
If anyone fancies joining in you would be most welcome – but not obliged to! For more information the website is secretartsale.co.uk…
I did also enter the local Art Society Winter show and sold something. Bit amazed.
And I have put my name down for a show which is happening later in the year so that I do get out and back to painting!
I was going to title this bottoms up… but now I see that it looks like the same pose as a couple of posts ago but from a different viewpoint. Same model!
I went to a workshop – it was the last in a series of workshops looking at different ways of drawing. I hadn’t been to the others and this was the last one… we used ink and bleach. Interesting – as it is so difficult to control tones. The ink is painted on to the paper and the using the bleach (and a bit of water on this one) the figure is drawn. A worthwhile workshop!
I started life drawing at the beginning of the year. Was interrupted by an accident and the school holidays for about 3 months. It’s nearly two hours of untaught drawing, with the first half given to quick (4 or 5 minutes), very quick (1 minute) and even 30 second poses to warm us up. It is the time to experiment and I have tried out all sorts of different drawing mediums; pencil, charcoal, brush pens, soluble graphite pencils… We have some great models, and wonderful cakes provided by the teacher (you can ask for help, and she will proffer suggestions). The second half is usually a couple of longer poses (20 minutes) for even a very long pose (40 minutes).
This is Kaz. She has red hair.
Two sketches of the south Downs…
My partner and I have an old (very large) wooden boat that we (he) are restoring. I recently had a bad fall and have a broken wrist, nose and teeth… which prevents me from doing much. But I can (just about) draw. So here are two quick sketches of him sanding part of the hull – which I had washed! The paint in the background was already on the paper – and aborted attempt of something.
designsweet 