My Side of the Room

As I don't have the courage, equipment, courage, time or now that I think of it, courage, to go off outside and paint, I'm practising by painting indoor 'plein air' - ahem- well, it is a cold house, it's awfully like being outside.

 

I figure it must be good practise for actual real live outdoors stuff, but I'll have to come up with a better system than a kitchen tray balanced precariously on a stool.
 

 

That was a failed attempt at the sitting room, waaaaay to complicated - how on earth are you supposed to approach bookshelves.  Also, the light keeps changing - surprise surprise - that makes things a bit ridiculously hard.

The bedroom pic was a combo of initial sketching from life, sloppy watercolour sketches and photos. So not in the least bit plein airy at all actually.
 

 

 

Snow at the Moat, Elstead

We've had some wonderful walks the last few mornings in the snow. It's hard going, awkward, crunchy, thigh aching and slow , but rather otherworldly beautiful as well. Especially when the sun makes a rare appearance like it did yesterday at the moat.

Puddles, West Bexington

Although I quite liked yesterdays cloud, the land seemed seemed a bit smooth and careful. I wanted to try something a bit looser and less controlled.

Loose feels like it should be easier, but I find it a lot harder. I suppose because with fewer bigger bolder brushstrokes, each one matters more than lots of little faffy ones. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Big cloud from hill above Abbotsbury

Christmas in Ireland was fab, really really nice. We're back now and have to settle back to the dull routine of dark school mornings and I really have to try and get my study head back on.  But oops, I got  the paints out instead. I've wanted to attempt a bigger pic for a while, just to see what it would be like to paint, and I've wanted to try clouds for a while, to see how that would go, so:

 I absolutely loved painting this. While the plan was to keep painting small still lifes for practice and experience, I seem to be getting a bit tempted and waylaid by other subjects. I'm happy enough with the cloud bit. Less so with the land , I think I went at that a bit too quickly. I might go back and redo bits. It's 10" by 12" so was a bit intimidating compared to my usual small squares. Huge huge fun though.

(edit: this is version two now after going back and redoing some of the fields)

Puddle on Hankley Common

Hideously protracted essay writing and last minute dashes to the Irish Embassy in London to sort out passport panic have made it impossible to go near a paintbrush for ages. I have acquire a puddle obsession lately, so I thought I'd attempt to paint one.

I have no delusions about this, it's murky, too purple, plain wrong in places  & I haven't a notion how to paint trees yet. But I'll get there. Next years resolution: get outside and learn to paint.

( When it's warmer. And dryer. And when no-one is around)

 ( I went back and darkened some of the trees next day)

Riverside, West Bay, and hut aspirations

I drove down to Dorset last Friday. The kids went off on the bus to school, Paul went off to work, and I set off on a grey dull morning. Two and half hours later, I was walking by the sea in the sunshine - glorious waves -bliss.

I took lots of pics of these  sheds/houses which sit overlooking the river Brit just near where it goes into the sea. One of the houses is for sale -it suggests offers in the region of £200,000.There are fields out the back, river, then harbour, then sea out the front. If anyone is stuck for what to get me for Christmas........

Littler Lily

This time I was armed ( or legged ) with welly socks, a puffa jacket, a cowl,  plus I had  a pint of hot tea inside me. I moved the heater on to a stool, so it would burn my middle and not my ankles. The things one does to get out of studying.

I was nearly done , when the bit of paper at the back fell down (possibly it froze to death). In trying to get it back, the flower swung round, which meant everything changed. I couldn't get it back right, so that bit at the end where I adjust the light and the dark bits and do finishing touches was all a bit of guesswork. Otherwise , it goes without saying, it would have been a masterpiece . (Ahem).