New Painting - In the Forge

This is a picture I started quite some time ago, but it got put aside while I dealt with other things.  The variety of textures interested me, the blue denim, the battered old wall, the metal and wood.  It's in pastels and is 17 x 42 inches (23 x 58 cm)

I've also switched from Windows to Mac, which has been a bit of a learning curve!  Still wrestling a bit with organising the nuts and bolts of image processing, but no way would I go back to Windows, the Mac is a beautiful machine.

I've got some more images to add once I've resized them, so watch this space.

My Textile Art

Although painting is my passion, my hobby is similar in a way in that I enjoy making textile art.  When I moved to Scotland I joined the local textile art club, and have learned a lot from the various workshops I've been on, and from the help of lots of friendly stitchers.  I've now added some of my work in a new gallery - just click on 'Textile Art' in the bar at the top of my blog page.  I'll be adding more pics in due course.

I've tried quite a few of the many varieties of textile work, some I like more than others.  I love working with silk because of the jewel-like colours, and I like to paint or dye my own fabric.  I find that many of my pieces end up quite painterly, can't help it!  I love machine quilting, free machine embroidery and contemporary textural work.  Hand embroidery is so soothing to do in the evenings.  I love beads and sparkly things too.

I shall be taking part in Angus Open Studios this year, and will have some of my textiles on display along with my artwork.

Picking Up the Threads

It's been a long time, and much has happened in the last couple of years.  After losing my mother, one of our dogs got cancer and was very sick, and we lost him, and then my brother was taken into hospital, where he stayed for some months until finally passing away two years almost to the day after our mum.  It was difficult as he lived 300 miles away from us.  Then there was all the hassle with selling his house and the legal stuff, which unnecessary complications made more traumatic.  I wasn't very creative during this period, and didn't have the heart to write on the blog.  It's very hard to be imaginative when you are heartsick, and levels of concentration and motivation are sorely diminished.

Still, one picks oneself up, as we all have too, and try to get back into the stream of life.  I was honoured to be asked to be one of the three judges of the annual UKCPS Open Exhibition last year, a humbling and responsible task.  There were some amazing paintings, and it's so heartening to see how far coloured pencil art has progressed in the few years the Society has been running.



















http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artist-Journal-Workshop-Cathy-Johnson/dp/1440308683/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391510442&sr=1-1&keywords=cathy+johnson

I got Cathy Johnson's book 'The Artists Journal Workshop' .  This is a super book, which encouraged me start drawing again as I wasn't able to manage to finish large paintings.  I found  that making small pictures, with no pressure to exhibit, and recording events and observations, was just the thing to gradually get me going again.  I really recommend this if you are stuck with that awful 'artist's block'.  I've been keeping little sketchbooks about our travels in our motorhome, and also illustrating poetry. I'll put some pics up soon.

So, I have started painting again, and will begin to upload some pics of my work.  I shall be taking part in Angus Open Studios this May after a gap of two years http://www.angusopenstudios.com.  Spring is coming and the old mojo is stirring again!  

Guardians of the Pass

Guardians of the Pass

Watercolour  12" x 10.5"

Been a while since I posted, stuff happens when you are making other plans, they say.  Have a couple of pastels almost ready to upload, but in the meantime here is a fantasy watercolour I just finished.  It's part of my 'Portal' series (you can see more of these paintings at http://gaia-art.co.uk/catalog.php?category=6 ).  My fantasy work often seems to involve pathways through gates and dooways leading to otherwordly country.  Often the terrain is difficult or forbidding, with distant mountains and steep climbing paths.  Make of that what you will!

UKCPS Exhibition, Westminster Gallery, London

I'm pleased that both the pictures I entered for this exhibition have been accepted. 
'Gatekeeper'

Gatekeeper - this is for the pure coloured pencil section.  This picture is about the gateway to the next world, based on Celtic mythology.  The knotwork symbolises eternity, and the little boat is the soul travelling to the Blessed lands in the west.  The oak and the raven are symbols of death and eternity, and the hare is for the moon.  The salmon has the pearl of knowledge in his mouth.

'Moonhare'

Moonhare - this is for the mixed media section, being watercolour and coloured pencil.  If you look at the full moon you can see the image of the hare , and the hare is associated with the moon in many mythologies.

Sea Lace

Mostly Unison pastels on pastelmat.  Have long wanted to tackle a close up seascape, and I'm pleased with the result.  13.5 x 11.5 inches.  All it needs now is smellyvision!

Stac Pollaidh

This is Stac Pollaidh, a very well-known mountain in Wester Ross.  It was a lovely bright breezy day when I was there last summer.  The single track winding road leads on to Achiltibuie and the beautiful Summer Isles.

Autumn Serenity

Loved painting the beautiful autumn colours and magical reflections.  The trees and undergrowth were a challenge, but I enjoyed every minute.  Many and various pastels on Pastelmat.

Highland Stream

Latest pic, pastels on Pastelmat, 16.5 x 12.5 inches

Smile

Couldn't resist this lovely little girl, Patti Patterson.  Thanks to Li Newton for the photo.  Pastels on pastelmat.

Cuillins Sunset

Another picture of the lovely Cuillins, this time at sunset.  The view from Elgol is truly awesome, and one I'll revisit at some stage.  Pastels on Pastelmat, 21x9.5 inches.  The picture is a bit dark, there is more detail in the distant mountains.

Sharbat Gula, pastel portrait

In the summer I took up my pastels again after experimenting on the wonderful new paper Pastelmat.  This paper is really marvellous, it solves all the problems that made me give up pastels years ago.  There is no texture to detract from the painting, and the paper grips the pastels enabling the build up of lots of layers, and none of it falls off.  So I treated myself to the Portrait set of Unison pastels, and this was my first experiment. This is the photo of the refugee Afghan girl by Steve McCurry, made famous in National Geographic magazine.   Steve has very kindly given me permission to upload this picture of my painting to share with my friends - thank you Steve!.   It isn't for sale, and copyrightof the photo remains with Steve.  You can see more of his wonderful photos at http://www.stevemccurry.com/.  I have his book of Portraits, if you can get a copy it is inspirational.
Unfortunately I'm not such a good photographer as Steve, and my photo of the painting is a little dark and has lost some of the detail in the hair, but it's there!  16x12 inches.
I have been using the Unison pastels and the Pastelmat paper quite a bit this summer, on portraits and landscapes, more coming soon!

Sad News

Going to be a break in the painting for a while, as my Mum died on Sunday.  Lots to do, funeral and things.  Guess the previous painting suits my mood.

Bealach na Ba finished

Well, it's been a while since posting, due to my mother being seriously ill and having to go down to stay in England for more than two weeks, with no internet access.  I had laid the picture aside, because it had gone slightly awry.  I wanted to paint the pale mist over the dark sky and blend it, but I thought it would maybe stay cleaner if I sprayed the sky with fixative first. Big mistake!  Don't know if the fixative was old, but a dark spray of speckles all over the sky was the result.  So I had redo the sky when I got back, and have now finished the foreground.  It is rather different from the reference, but an improvement on the photo I think.  I kind of lost the impetus with the long and stressful break, so it's not my best work. 

Still, onwards and upwards!  Have started on an altogether different picture, a sunset over the Cuillins, so lots of lovely colour and cheerfulness.

Bealach na Ba stage 2

I've done some more work on this, but the approaching North East Open Studios event is taking up time.  Hanging pictures, sorting prints, cards, organising publicity etc.is cutting down painting time.  However, when it starts on Saturday I shall be in the studio all day every day, so hopefully will get this finished in between visitors!

Bealach na ba stage 2

Bealach na Ba

This is a dramatic landscape of a drive we went on on our recent visit to the northwest highlands.  The road into the remote peninsula of Applecross goes over this pass, Bealach na Ba, which is Gaelic for the Pass of the Cattle.  It is the highest road in Scotland, and is quite hair-raising, with switchbacks and sheer drops.  It was a gloomy grey day, and we were so high we were in the clouds.  Once through the pass the views over the sea to Skye and Raasay were amazing.  I wanted to paint these huge looming mountains, and add a more dramatic sky.  

Bealach na Ba

 I've started on light grey Pastelmat.  Mostly Unison pastels, I lay in the dramatic clouds, which I have taken from sketches and other photos which I took on this holiday.  I have lots of reference photos of skies.  Later I shall add some drifting mist over the mountains.

UKCPS 2010 Annual Exhibition

I am delighted that my painting of 'Summer Hare' has been accepted for the UKCPS 2010 Annual Exhibition.  I had a lot of trouble scanning this one because of the pale washy background, which persisted in looking like an awful acidic green instead of a soft yellow!  It's still not quite a perfect scan, but here it is anyway.  Derwent Inktense and Artist pencils

Highland Landscapes

Back from our holiday in the Northwest Highlands, rested and refreshed (apart from the midge bites!).  Taken lots of photos of magnificent mountains and lochs for some landscape paintings, can't wait to get started.  Here's a taster, of the Cuillins from Elgol, a wonderful place on the Isle of Skye.  Pastel on Pastelmat.

'Cloud Over the Cuillins'