Pen & Wash - Criccieth & St Nons

Criccieth Castle, North Wales

I first scketched Criccieth while I sitting having a ice cream, last year in March

St Non's, North Wales

I was first introduced to pen and wash in my watercolour class

I loved it straight away, I think I love the light and looseness of it!

I have gone back to playing with pen and wash again after break and now wonder

why I had the break!

A Plea For Help...

Poppy Meadow, Finished this today, it's been sat on my easel for 6 weeks, WIP.
The heart wasn't there although so many people have liked it.
Perhaps good paintings come from dark places?

Also a plea for help ..

At the beginning of the year I wrote a bucket (wish) list, One of the things listed was to work towards getting my artwork exhibited in a professional gallery, everything else on the wish list isn't going to happen because of health & lack of funds but there is this competition which one of the prizes is having your work hung in there tetbury gallery.. It would truely be a dream come true!
So if you have 5 mins could you go to my gallery page here ( currently in 2nd) and like each and every painting.. every 'LIKE' counts!!... thank you...xxx http://www.artgallery.co.uk/competition/ArtistOfTheYear.aspx

Carnet De Voyage

 I have a lovely 'Carnet De Voyage' Travel Book by Arches
From Past travels

‎15 x 25 cm 140lb Cold pressed
 14 beautiful paintings all signed all ready to frame

No Work!

I haven't been painting now for weeks, I can't paint when I feel so uninspired.
My work is not selling, therefore I can't purchase more materials

My studio is full, no one is interested in what I am doing, I am getting no where with it.

I am so close to giving up but I am going to give it until September to decide.

The Chapel & The Castle Tripych - Pride of Wales

I am delighted to announce I have finally finished my triptych called the chapel and the Castle. 'Pride of Wales'
I spent over 80 hours on the 3 Canvas Panels and although enjoyed it I am glad to be finished.

My aim was to bring across how lovely our land is and it's heritage...
I have worked completely from my head on this painting
trying not to take it to seriously, there are no straight lines just rolling hills and valleys!

Drawn out on the canvas

First Layers Go on

Scarecrow in the field

The Fox and the Robin

Boy sailing is boat

Bunting over the Cafe

The Church on the hill and the Welsh black Grazing

Boy Flying his kite

The Church

Walkies - Welsh springer spaniel

Lady Birds and Lemons

I have been sketching again that can only mean one thing, I am in a rut and have lost my mojo
again, I guess this is going to be a regular occurrence the more I paint the more ruts I am going to hit.

However drawing and sketching isn't a bad thing, In fact I should spend more time sketching.
I do sketch often, I go through periods where I draw every day and then I don't do
some fore a while, I have a few books on the go, One for rough sketches, one for Field work, and a leather bound one for top grade sketches / drawings..

I will have to sketch my way out of this dark period...

So In the  mean time I am off to buy crayons and paper to draw up plans for world domination!

A birthday gift from nature..

So Yesterday was the anniversary of my birth, I can now confirm I have been on this earth 37 years.
I always get a bit down on my birthday, I yurn for that family Bond, a party, cards, presents a bit of a fuss..

My parents were a bit long in the tooth to go through all the party stuff when I came along and if it wasn't for my
eldest sister I would never have had the few I did. All through my life, no one has ever thought me worthy or special enough to make the effort of making my birthday special and now still
I get no presents no cake, no candles, no parties no fuss just a couple of cards.

I spent my birthday sat alone on the sofa with my dog, it would have been all doom and gloom
until I fired up my laptop and logged into facebook.
There waiting for me; A whole page of birthday wishes from around the world!

Totally overwhelmed I spent the day replying to them all and saying thank you.

I started the year with a bucket list of all the things I wanted to achieve this year, 7 months in I haven't ticked one
of the list so I have crossed out the work bucket and it is now a fuck-it list

My only gift yesterday was from nature her self, this heavily scented velvet rose from my garden
So beautiful I had to photograph it and share...x

Up A Mountain, Down a Mountain

Both are Acrylics on Canvas Roll, my aim was just to play around with some idea's
I love Snow and mountains.. although it seems a bit odd to be paintings snow in July!

Jean Haines at the Stockbridge Gallery

Five In a Row by Jean Haines
I am told that most artist admire work of other artist's whether it's the great masters or current top artist.
I am not such a cult follower, I don't involve my self in the current art world or it's gossip, I am a artist because I live to paint and it brings me great joy. my artwork is a mere by product.
I do like some of Monet's work and studied this at college, I have even been to Giverny many years ago. I see art in everything and I love all forms of art some more then others, I see colours and beauty when other do not.

However I am very fond of one current artist one being Jean Haines who's exhibition in Stockbridge I had chance to see as this was my old village and I was passing through.
I have just completed my second year In watercolours and still have so much to learn, I love her style the colours, the looseness and concept, I have tried painting in washes and I can tell you it's not as easy as it looks.

She has a book out at the moment, Which I would love to own but my pennies do not stretch that far at the mo but it's on my wish list along with attending one of her workshops!

The Stockbridge Gallery
http://www.dogsinart.com/jean-haines-exhibition

Atmospheric Watercolours - painting with freedom, expression and style is a wonderfully inspirational book by renowned watercolourists Jean Haines

Also See:
http://www.jeanhaines.com/news?id=53


By The Way!

I also like local artist Anerurin Jones, I have never seen his work in person but would really like too, I admire the mistiness of his work, it makes you stand back and half shut your eyes to focus on it and then the magic does appear. it's very inspiring and he cleverly captures the welsh atmosphere too!
http://www.aneurinjones.co.uk/index.html

I used to love Leonids Afremov's work but now I see he's just selling his soul, To me this isn't a way of a real artist.
I am not wise enough to make a comment but I just feel it's wrong, However some of his work is still stirring.
http://afremov.com/index.php