Have Dogs, Will Travel

iPad stand for the artist

2012-01-28T14:49:00.001+01:00

Sennelier Watercolours in John Pike Palette

A while back Sennelier gave me some of their beautiful art supplies for helping out with some colour tests. The generous sized tubes of watercolours were perfect for filling my new John Pike palette. Now I'm all set to paint some BIGGER pictures.

I like to be able to supplement my sketches with reference photos on my iPad 2 but it's been awkward to prop up so I can see the image while I'm painting. Problem solved! Today I bought a little wooden plate stand.

For 1.5 euros, that's less than $2, I have the perfect iPad stand.

Portrait format

Landscape format

Now I'm ready to paint. But actually I'd better go and do the ironing.

Still life with Robin

2012-01-19T11:34:00.000+01:00

Robin on Toast - 24 x 30cms oil on panel

Impossible to photograph this at the moment and it's a little large for the scanner so the scan is a little soft. But I haven't posted any work for ages.

The robins are constantly in our garden this winter so a lot of time evaporates as I sit at the bedroom window with binoculars. To date I've had no luck inviting them inside to share my toast!

Robin - watercolour

2011-12-15T17:08:00.000+01:00

Watercolour on Bristol Board 24 x 16cms

Anyone wondering when I'm going to get sick of robins? I'm still experimenting with watercolour on different grounds. Bristol board loves graphite and pen as I recall but it didn't allow me to achieve the effect I am after with watercolour. So now I'm painting some acrylic gel on hp watercolour paper. I might spare you the results.

Robins - watercolour on gold ground

2011-12-12T14:30:00.000+01:00

Robins - 18 x 18cms

transparent watercolour on gold acrylic ground

Exploring abstraction and still obsessed with gold grounds. Finally settled on a combination of abstract and figurative styles for this favourite subject. The presence of robins in our grey garden at this time of year is such a joy.

I decided to limit myself to transparent watercolour for this painting but I'm really missing a touch of white gouache. Sometimes just putting a painting up on my blog gives me enough distance to decide if it's working. Perhaps you can help me decide? The scan doesn't do justice to the richness of the gold shining through the transparent colour.

Driven to Abstraction!

2011-11-27T12:09:00.000+01:00

Volare - acrylic on paper 38 x 28cm

Gouache on a Gold Ground

2011-11-21T12:18:00.000+01:00

Gouache on HP paper - 28 x 38cm

After Giovanna Garzoni - still life

2011-11-07T15:34:00.000+01:00

After Giovanna Garzoni - oil on canvas 34 x 50 cm

(Click the painting for a larger image)

This could be called 'Biting off more than I could chew'. I started the painting a couple of winters ago trying to come to terms with oil paints. I chose for the exercise to copy a combination of two tempera on vellum pictures by Giovanna Garzoni (b. 1600 Ascoli Piceno, Italy, d. 1670 Rome). This Italian female painter was among the first to paint decorative still life and gain fame and fortune as a professional artist.

Giovanna Garzoni - 35.5 x 49.5 cm

Firenze, Galleria Palatina

Giovanna Garzoni - 27 x 35 cm

Firenze, Galleria Palatina

And what have I learnt from this exercise? That Giovanna Garzoni is an inspiration and not to bite off more than I can chew!

If you'd like to see some more of Garzoni's paintings, I found this delightful video on You Tube.

Granada Gouache

2011-11-04T14:55:00.001+01:00

Granada - 33 x 35cm gouache on Khadi paper

Some of my favourite things about Granada.

I didn't actually see a Song Thrush in Granada but there was what looks like a tiny one on a beautiful tin of Pimenton Picante that I had to have. We have thrushes in the garden here in Tuscany at the moment but they refuse to sit and pose for me. I owe the reference for this little fellow to the generosity of photographer Dick Daniels - Birds of The World - An Online Bird Book.

Owl in Watercolour

2011-10-24T12:29:00.000+02:00


Watercolour

I painted this little owl to celebrate the birthday of a special friend who shares my love of birds, particularly owls.

Every May, as part of the medieval festival in Castiglion Fiorentino, there is a brilliant opportunity to get up close to these beautiful birds of prey.


The Usual Suspects

This year for once I had my Nikon and my sketchbook.

Talk about a patient model!

So my watercolour for Felicity was made from my sketches and photographs.

Sketches in Spain

2011-10-19T12:28:00.003+02:00

Watercolour postcard - Alcazaba, Alhambra

In September we were very fortunate to have three days in Granada, Spain with dear friends from Sydney. I took the opportunity to climb up on to the roof of their holiday house to paint a postcard for Alison S, who was next on my list in the A Postcard from My Walk exchange.

Granada is a stunning little city blessed with beautiful scenery, wonderful weather, great food and the fantastic historical Alhambra palaces. Of course three days and only one visit to the Alhambra was not nearly enough! Anyone planning a trip to Granada, make sure you book tickets for the Alhambra well ahead of your visit. We only scraped in at 7pm on our last day.

The city has the best bus system in the world. Sydney take note. See the M.C. Escher Sky & Water print on the back of the bus. He was inspired by the fantastic Moorish art of the Alhambra, particularly the patterns of tiles. I almost wept when I saw how much there was to see and how impossible, in the time available, to absorb even a fraction of it.

I didn't attempt any sketches of the Alhambra apart from the postcard for Alison but I know it will be a powerful influence on my future paintings and prints.

Meantime I did manage another couple of quick sketches.

Collage can be scary

2011-08-29T11:58:00.005+02:00

A cage is a cage - gouache & collage on Khadi cotton rag
25 x 30 cm

This painting was always intended to be collaged. It's the fourth in a series. Then I got to the point where I thought, I really like the dove. Am I going to ruin it with the fan tail? Thank goodness for Scotch Magic Tape - in the short term it will allow me to change my mind.

Tuscan Farm in Gouache

2011-08-25T12:09:00.003+02:00

My Nonna has a farm in Toscana
Gouache

Framed and Sold - Gouache

2011-07-10T12:54:00.004+02:00

This gouache/collage was sold at Christmas but has had to wait until now for its owners to return to Tuscany to choose a frame. Now it's deciding where to hang.

There are few things that make me happier than to see my work beautifully framed. I'm inspired to have the other two in this series framed in exactly the same style.

Artist reflected in her own work!

Still life with bottle and apricots

2011-07-03T11:21:00.003+02:00

20 x 18.5 cm oil on Canson oil sketch paper

The little stoneware bottle is one of my treasured finds at the antique market at Isle sur la Sorgue in Provence. The apricots are Italian.

I've been inspired to give oils another chance after the delight of watching Sarah Wimperis painting with them in Bedoin. Before I left, I crept into Julian Merrow-Smith's studio in the hope that I might find a mote of brilliance floating in the shifting light. It would appear that I now need to apply myself for twenty years or so.

Watercolour Pot, Mug and Apple

2011-07-01T12:00:00.003+02:00

Watercolour sketch - David Garland pottery

These beautiful pieces of David Garland pottery are now a vivid part of my memories of Ruth and Julian's house in Provence. This was a quick sketch to treasure since I couldn't carry away the real thing.

Those of you who know Julian Merrow-Smith's wonderful still life pictures Postcard from Provence will know how he celebrates these objects in his paintings.

Still Life in Provence and Antique Market

2011-06-21T19:05:00.003+02:00

Gouache on handmade rag paper
21x30cm

This still life was painted in the dining room in Julian and Ruth's house, where I'm cooking dinner in their beautiful and extremely well-equipped kitchen while I write this post.

The turquoise pitcher is my new favourite object (along with two others yet to be revealed) that I found at the famous Sunday market at L'Lsle sur la Sorgue here in Provence.

I could have shopped until I dropped but I kept it within reason. Below are a couple of photos of the beautiful town.

Painting Provence

2011-06-18T11:05:00.003+02:00

'Home' in Provence - Watercolour

Here I am living the dream in a beautiful artist/writer's house in Provence. I could stay a year and still not have time to appreciate the ambiance, the art, the books, the cats (sorry Dermott!), the terrace, the view, the mountain!

If you want to share the dream buy Ruth Phillips beautiful new book, Cherries from Chauvet's Orchard, about how she and her husband, Julian Merrow-Smith made their wonderful life here. My limited edition copy was waiting for me when I arrived. I'm reading slowly, not wanting it to end.

Quite a lot of sketching and painting is being fitted around a great deal of eating and talking with Sarah Wimperis, Katherine Tyrrell and for four delightful days, Ronell van Wyk.

There are great days and wonderful days and there are Watermelon Days....

Ochre Bluff - Watercolour

This magnificent feature is a short walk from the house. Like a little Uluru in Provence. Sadly I made it look like a wedge of watermelon.

I'm having enormous pleasure and great luck to have the opportunity to look over Sarah's shoulder as she paints a couple of oils before breakfasts, and a few watercolours before bed. Inspiring. Katherine is keeping us entertained with wonderful sketches of our restaurant meals and making a great fist of her first oil paintings - ever! All of this you can see on our group blog Four Go Painting in Provence.

The Ruin - Watercolour and pencil

If any of you are wondering how La Bianca is getting on in France - she headed straight for the nearest vineyard. Like owner like car!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2011-06-11T21:28:00.004+02:00

Tomorrow I set out to find my artist friends in Provence. Nervous as hell!
What am I worried about? I have an Italian drivers' licence. I'm legally entitled to drive as badly as the rest of them!

So as they say, see you when I'm lookin' at you!

Dream Car - Fiat 500 watercolour sketch

2011-06-03T18:51:00.003+02:00

La Bianca - pen & watercolour

I've been wondering how I am going to get to Provence for my two week painting holiday this month. Anyone who has tried to plan a train journey from Tuscany to Avignon, France will have a fair idea of the problems. Of course I could drive, if I wasn't absolutely terrified of the Italian Autostrada and if our old Mitsibishi would make it.

Anyway, since I first laid eyes on the revamped Fiat 500 or cinquecento, as she's called here in Italy, I've been in love. Now La Bianca and I are an item.

Anyone who wants to follow us to Provence - not too closely, please - should follow the blog, Four Go Painting in Provence.

Sweet eh?

EDM #131 - Draw a Spray Bottle

2011-05-31T12:16:00.002+02:00

Last day of May. Last sketch of the EDiM Challenge. I can't say I'm not relieved. Trouble is there are still a few empty pages in this sketchbook. I should have done more double page spreads.

Now I'm free to dream about Provence. We have a special blog for our painting holiday - Four Go Painting in Provence. If you fancy a free virtual trip to the South of France at this perfect time of year you could subscribe to the Blog or follow us on Twitter - 4PP

EDM 129, 130 - Nearing the End!

2011-05-30T17:24:00.005+02:00

This is the second last sketch of the Every Day in May Challenge - 2011

This is the sketch I am least happy to have in my book.

There was no shortage of models yesterday for 'Draw People Doing Something', it's just that none of the blighters would keep still! I settled on the annual brass band competition but even musicians are a fidgety lot. Took about six sketches to get to this one which I then copied into my EDiM sketchbook and added a bit of watercolour.

So I guess I have to practise sketching people. Groan. Or maybe I just sketch dogs. Dogs are the best people!

EDM 127, 128 - Skyscape, Doorway

2011-05-29T12:24:00.001+02:00

I have sketched this view from the terrace before - in gouache
It's not far to walk!

One more sketch to catch up and then two to go after that to the end of May. I haven't made it yet but I'd give you odds on that I will.

P.S. I forgot one!

EDM #125 - Draw a Bird

2011-05-28T09:11:00.005+02:00

It's taken a while but the collared doves are now happily at home in our garden, competing with the sparrows and pigeons for the food and bath. This one sits peering into the bedroom at me while I peer back through my binoculars. They are so dainty, I love them.

Still dragging the chain with my Every Day in May Challenge. You can see everyone's drawings on the flickr group: http://flickr.com/groups/edmeverydayinmay2011

I need to catch up by the end of the month so I can post #131 on May 31 and pretend I kept up the discipline of painting every day.

EDM #124 - Draw Something Yellow

2011-05-27T12:50:00.001+02:00

EDM 121, 122, 123 Coins, Shade, Bell

2011-05-26T14:54:00.004+02:00