still sketching

I'm almost at the end of the bit of time I decided to take off study, but haven't got around to any oil painting at all. I seem to be chasing around catching up on the garden, the house, the kids and the dog, in no particular order. I'm still sketching though, so at least I'm still getting some practice in.

 

Still doing the weekly veg box. Yippee for spring, the veg are getting more colourful, less root veggie, and more tempting. Also still doing hellebores.

 

 

I find it a bit funny that I want to be a big and bold painter, but I am possibly more of  a delicate and  finikity painter. I have to make a conscious effort with the watercolours to try and get some proper dark in there, like in the shadow of this chair.

 

 

This was nice to do, I just had a nice lunch on a tray outside, the dog fell asleep under my bench, the sun was divine and I sat there happily sketching, squinting and improving my wrinkle count. I have used artistic licence and left out most of the weeds on the patio.

Finished a whole sketchbook

Ta Da - one sketchbook finished. Keeping one is one of those things I always wanted to do but never quite got around to it, so I'm a bit absurdly pleased with myself for actually doing it.

 

It's nice to look through - not necessarily for it's artistic merits, there is a lot of rubbish in there - but I like the way it's a little visual diary that reminds you of certain times. It's got the dog, the kids, the husband, the food, bits of the house and garden etc. I'm going to try and keep doing it, especially as painting is just not possible for a while.

No painting, only sketching

There doesn't seem to be any hope of any painting time, Easter hols, kids, dog, study, looming essay and after that looming exam conspire to take up all available time. I have serious study guilt permanently.

 

I'm still trying to keep up a bit of sketching,  I seem to be honing excellent wonky perspective skills.

 

It is an appallingly cheap notebook, 99p for 70 sheets! So the paper is rather rubbish if you want to lift colour or if you go too wet. Having said that, cheap makes you nice and careless.

 

 

Much though I love the veg box arrival, I don't think I want to see another wintery parsnip or swede. They don't exactly make the heart sing.

 

 

I quite like my onions. It's still bitter with the cold outside there,  not a leaf or a sign of spring. I'm quite looking forward to a bit of warmth and maybe going outside to sketch. There may be something more exciting than veg out there. I may even treat myself to an ever so slightly better sketchpad for the occasion.

Fast Flowers

This was a bit of a rush job - I just wanted to paint something, anything. Both the set up and the painting were very hurriedly done.

Sometimes there is some nice quality about paintings done in a hurry. The whole thing may not work, but sometimes there is a bit more life in them than there is in things you labour carefully over.

Lousy photo - also a rush job.

Rain and the dog

It's hard to get bothered or excited or interested; this endless rain and lousy Spring sap the life out of you. I took the photo for this last October in West Witterings. I'm not entirely sure we have seen the sun since!

 

I utterly forgot to post about the other main distraction that has arrived in out lives:

 

Max, who is about 9 months old. He's a Collie/Labrador. Daft as anything. Also rather nice. At about lunch time every day I have a think whether I should spend the next hour painting or walking the dog. He wins. Walks are tedious stop/start affairs as he is slowly learning to walk nicely on a lead. He does extraordinarily well until we see a dog/child/bike/lorry/leaf/clump of grass. It would be so so much nicer if most of this  walking wasn't in the bloody rotten, persistant, unwelcome, relentless, dull an perfectly horrid rain.

 

Forgotten which end of the brush to hold

It's been an age since I've managed to paint - so much so, both the brushes and myself have gotten old and stiff in the meantime. I had the essay from hell to write ( re the role of religion in the construction of political identities in Israel/Palestine) which entirely engulfed my life for the last few weeks... and now I'm free! Yipee! Well, for another week or so.

 

Nothing special. But it was nice to get painting again. I adore Hellebores but did it no justice. It's a wiper. I was happier with my sketchbook/watercolour attempt.
 

 

I've been trying to at least keep up sketching, it's nice to feel you are doing something a bit creative, or at least still looking and drawing. Doing it has made me realise just how much my life revolves around the kitchen.
 

 

It also revolves around food - I've been charting the weekly veg box arrival.
 

 

What a narrow little life I lead! Which is not a complaint, it's just the way things are at the mo, study,family, food. Then some more food. Anyway it's cold and wintery. I  like having my sketchbook. It's something I've always meant to do, this time the commitment is lasting nearly to the end of a book.
 

 

The only other bit of oil painting I've managed to do is a copy. I tried to copy a Roos Schuring painting that I've got in one of her calenders. I think the way she simplified things and captures moods and weather is amazing. I thought copying would give some idea of how she goes about it.
 

 

And I did learn from the experience, I learnt I certainly can't paint like Roos Schuring !

Someday maybe.

Paul's side of the Room

I'm quite chuffed with myself - I did the whole easel on location thing - no photos -just plein bedroom air.

The mirror is actually old and streaky, well, mebbe not that streaky. It took oodles of concentration, more than usual. I'm not sure is that because it was from life or just because Pauls side of the room is a bit busy. I can see bits I've drawn wrong, but I'm happy with the experience.

 

I was full of trepidation about the tray on stool set up on a light carpet, so I hauled up an old mat and tried to keep nice and calm and not send everything crashing down. I'm a very messy painter at the best of times.

I feel this is a bit of a step, which is why I'm documenting it, but the room looks bloody messy.