A Mothers Bond

A mother bond - Graphite Sketch


When I was little, I used to love watching my mother sit at her dressing table with all her make up laid out in front of her.
She would go through the same routine each time, foundation, mascara, eye shadow, blusher etc. Until finally she would apply several layers of lipstick, finish of with a good dowsing of hair spray all over her hair and face then quantities of expensive perfume.

My mother as a young woman was really beautiful like a pin up but with the stress and strain of bringing up 4 children and pretty much working full time it took it's toll on her she also smoked heavily like so many of that era.

One day I sighed and said I can't wait to get older so I could wear make up....

My mother stopped what she was doing turned to me and said, ' Darling you are so pretty and clever you will never need to where make up'

I looked at her for a while longer, trying to work out what she meant
Finally I gave in, as to me my mother was pretty and clever too ( all mums are)
'So how come you wear make up then?'

Once more she stopped what she was doing swung round to me, opening her arm's calling me towards her

'Because my love; 'When I was a little girl, No one told me I was pretty and clever!'

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As I grew up and still to this day I hardly ever wear makeup
beauty is not what you apply to your skin, it's what makes you.

I have never had time for superficial men or women
In today's world people spend a lot of effort trying to be what they are not just to fit in..

I don't want to be like every one else... I am Cosmic...

Stonehenge On Tour?

 

Stonehenge - Acrylics On Large Boxed Canvas.

Every Year when I was younger we would wake up early and walk across the fields to watch the sun rise over Stonehenge
sometimes we would sit on horse back on the brow and look across the chalk downs to the stones, watching the hippies and druids chant / dance between the stones, like native Americans on the prairies edge just observing quietly.
Other times we would go join them in our over sized woolie jumpers and flip flops
I have always had a bonding with the stones and enjoyed the times I was able to sneak in with a book and nestle between the stone, enjoying the immense magical energy they radiate.

The last time I stood between the stones was about 14 years ago I gain special permission from English heritage to photograph the stones as part of my course but it was winter and although we had a sharp frost the mist soon
descended and the photo quality was poor, especially in black and white.
Since moving to Wales I haven't been able to do my annual solstice pilgrimage

So this Summer solstice I was delighted to read that the stones hitching their skirts up and coming to me!

Stonehenge is going on tour and its first stop is the National Botanic Garden of Wales on Thursday (June 21).
‘Sacrilege’ is a life-size inflatable replica of Stonehenge, created by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and is part of the Cultural Olympiad.
The once-in-a-lifetime experience of having an Olympic bounce on a replica of the world’s most famous standing stones
The 100ft ‘bouncy castle’ The Garden is the only Welsh stop on the 26-date ‘Sacrilege’ UK tour in the run-up to the Olympics

 

Here are some other photos I took at the National Botanic Garden of Wales

 

 

 

Back To Basic's

Iris Sketch

Garlic Sketch

Break In the Skies
Acrylics On Canvas

Every Artist has confidence issues, I get them all the time.
my problem is I can't always get whats in my head on to canvas
I am not a natural artist, I have a natural artist eye.
I see art, colours and beauty in everything I see but I have to work really hard to
project what I see on to canvas

When I hit a rut, I always go back to basics, working on quick colourful
piece's, sketches and trawl through reference photos

I think I am always going to have these hiccoughs but I guess as long as there's always someone out there
to spur me on I will always get through them.
Although I think I might have to give up painting because I can't afford the materials or course fee's anymore,
I am spending more then I am getting back and one thing I learnt right at the beginning you can't cut corners
on quality, this will only reflect in the work.

Dryslwyn Castle - Castle In The Mist

I Love Castle's... No I really love castles
If I have to go on a road trip, I try to makes sure I go via a new castle, anyone comes to visit
I drag them around castles ( I think that's why they don't visit often!)

So you would think this is a natural marriage.. Art and castles, so did I..
Wrong!!!
I worked and re worked this piece and in the end
I had to force my self to step away from the easel!
End result - Castle in the mist
It's a cosmic piece!!

More Info on this castle
http://www.castlewales.com/dryslwyn.html

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Today is Fathers Day.... I am thinking of you both
He would have been 78 this month..
RIP..

And Finally
Saw this today, thought I would share....

Blossom Bird

Acrylics on Canvas
About A4 in size...

I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds and bowers,
Of April, May, of June, and July flowers.
I sing of Maypoles, hock carts, wassails, wakes,
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes.
I write of youth, of love, and have access
By these to sing of cleanly wantonness.
I sing of dews, of rains, and, piece by piece,
Of balm, of oil, of spice, and ambergris.

Eiffel Magnifique

First Layer On..

Eiffel Magnifique - Acrylic on Stretched Canvas 20 x 24

Original Photo I used...


I have never been to the Eiffel tower or central Paris
as a child we would drive past the outskirts of the city often and I would just catch a glimpse of it in the night sky
I begged my father to take me, next time he would say, it never happened!
Again in adult life I tried to go so many times and always failed.

However I have painted the tower a few times

This one I did a few years back

I hope one day I will make it to Paris!
I will stand underneath it's pillars marvel at it's existence and enjoy all it's romantic glory.

All About Tree's

Indigo Winter
Acrylics on Canvas Roll

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Voices From The Shadows
Pastels On Colour Fix Paper

I have this week been playing with light behind tree's
I am a natural born tree hugger! I love tree's
but painting them is no easy feat, I spend a lot of time
studying them, I particularly like the way light filters
through them, the shadows this leaves on the ground
more so in winter when the sun is low in the sky.