29 August, 2012

Goose step

I have been distracted this week by a new member of the household. Julius, my nearly 8 year old son, requested a puppy for his birthday. This has been a request many years in the asking , and at a very responsible 8, I think he is ready for one. I am not.

The dog already has paint on him and has burst a tube of acrylic, eaten a roll of painters tape and shat in my studio on more than one occasion .He also gets under my feet and I have stood on him as I have stepped back from the easel. The guilt at the yelp is enormous.

He is cute, so he might survive if he learns to be a painting companion. His name is Freddie. Think Mercury, not Kruger.

So, as a consequence, not much painting getting done.

I still like the collective theme but need new subject matter. I saw some geese at the lake last week and they seem like a good new subject to try and get the hang of, plus I love their collective noun..... A gaggle!

Acrylic on canvas
75cmx35cm unmounted

26 August, 2012

23 August, 2012

Landscape with bonfire

The ploughed field. The lack of green trees. The winter sunset sky. The bonfire smoke trapped in the inversion layer at the foot of the mountain. The chimney, with its ever present winter exhalation of smoke. Yes, it is winter.

20x40cm
Oil on canvas board

Now are the days of bonfires

( you have to say the title out loud, with a deep, serious voice)

One of the real highlights of living in the country are the sights and sounds of seasonal activity. Winter is the time of bonfires. On any clear day, a trickle of smoke can be seen rising from n number of farms ( look, I used maths reference! O weird).
There are great piles of old hedges, trees, broken fencing and other perfect bonfire material stacked up in perfect teepee shapes in most fields,just waiting for pyromaniacs such as myself to toss a match to.
They make for a great spectacle and wonderful smoke-skies.

These are all in oil and 20x20cm on canvas

20 August, 2012

Soothing landscape scenes

I am painting cows.....still! The colours seems to be getting increasingly riotous. It is a lot of fun but quite hectic. I am trying to increase the scale to which I am working and, dear friends, it is a lot easier said than done! Some things just do not translate and then some things do and so one has to experiment and experiment and then experiment some more. If they work out, I will show them to you.

After a few days of working with purples , reds and oranges , I wanted a soothing palette and an undemanding scene, so I have painted these two Robert Roth inspired landscapes. Still practicing my skies in oils. I love how oils feel and work but they are unforgiving and I have enjoyed working with the quick drying acrylics this last few weeks.

8x8inch
20x20cm

14 August, 2012

Jealous cows

My husband , Charles, has departed on his 6 week adventure to the USA today. He and his mate Dave are riding their motorbikes off-road from Arkansas to Oregon on a trail called the Trans America trail(TAT). What an adventure! I am so jealous of his experience but motorbikes are not really my thing, so I am jealous in a supportive way! You can follow their journey on his blog www.daveandcharles.blogspot.com

This journey has been a year in the planning and there has been a LOT of talk about it. Still, It feels strange to sit in a quiet house, devoid of all the motorbike paraphernalia . I am wondering what MY next adventure should be.....but I will wait till he is back!

Till then, I shall paint . I know I said no more cows but they make me happy and allow me to play with new ways of painting. The subject matter is now moot and I am enjoying experimenting with different paints and effects.

40x50cm
Acrylic on stretched canvas

11 August, 2012

Reading in peace

This young couple were reading the Sunday papers on the grassy pre-beach area . I envied them their indulgent read. I was scanning the waves to ensure my two did not drown or get caught in a rip or eaten by sharks( yes, I think these things , all
Mothers do).
So, I sneaked a few photos and resolved to paint them whilst my children wrestled a surfboard into submission.


25x20 cm
Oil on board

09 August, 2012

End of the cows

This is the end of the cows in this format for now. I am over-cowed, bovined-out, going dairy free for a while, at least in terms of painting, that is.

It has been fun for the last week and that is what I wanted. Thank you, universe.

Acrylic on canvas
60x30cm

Foxy portrait

My son wants a dog. Every little boy should have a dog. I am thinking about this whilst painting....but what dog!? He thinks all small dogs are puppies, including Jenna, the fox terrier next door.

20 x 20 cm
Acrylic on stretched canvas

Bovine bravado

I think one of these cows has the makings of a leader.

40x50 cm
Acrylic on stretched canvas

07 August, 2012

Mooo........ost enjoyable

Pathetic title, really, but sad thing is ....I thought it was hysterical.

30x 60 cm acrylic on stretched canvas

Cows on acid

Well, that title gives my age away, doesn't it!?!

I
Am
Loving the freedom to throw colour at the canvas and experiment with the result. I am really good at seeing shapes in the clouds, monsters in shadows and inkblots are nirvana for me, so a random blob of paint to you becomes the starting point for an abstract cow for me!

I am listening to my inner voice that is telling me to have fun and stop being so precious about painting "seriously" and to enjoy the process as much as the end result.

This is big for me in terms of size
60 x 45 cm
Acrylic on stretched canvas


04 August, 2012

Sunday psycho cows

I have really enjoyed the acrylic experience these past two paintings. Acrylic dries quickly and allows for layers and the application of colors on top of each other with no muddying of the base layer. What would become
Overworked in oils is possible in acrylics due to the quick drying time.

I worked with the colors straight from the tube, used one paintbrush only and clean up was a doddle....with water. The house is full of children and most of them are not mine ,so I tried to keep the use of turps to a minimum, hence the foray into acrylics.
30 x 60 cm acrylic on stretched canvas

02 August, 2012

Freaky Friday cows

I am in the mood for wild color, loose paintwork and fun subject matter.

I think the freaky Friday cows are just the tonic !

30 x 60 cm
Acrylic on stretched canvas


Early morning walk with dog

Sometimes, a quick paint with a glass of wine in hand is surprisingly rewarding. I was trying out some cobalt blue from various brands, marveling how different they were from each other, and this little painting popped onto the canvas. Let's not kid ourselves, it was not the first glass of wine of the evening, so not bad, considering.

01 August, 2012

Farmhouse on the hill

There is a lot of peat in the surrounding farmlands. Many farms were once quite waterlogged and settlers drained the peat to enable them to be farmed. A common sight in my area is a yellow digger methodically clearing the drains or waterways that are still in place to make sure the paddocks and fields do not become flooded or drain well if they do. Farmhouses are built on the highest part if the farm. This is just such a farm with the farmhouse perched on a hillock, surrounded by reclaimed part paddocks for grazing cows.



20 x40 cm oil on canvas panel
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...