Air-drying fish AKA Bokkoms

Fabulous title.Not! Nevermind, it's the painting that counts.I painted this over an old canvas and really like the texture it gives the new image. I realise this does not translate in the photo,but trust me, it's groovy!




 I took inspiration from a wonderful photogrpaher, Kathryn Stout, who is lucky enough to live near the sea and be blessed with a great eye for an image.She and her brother both take amazing photogrpahs and whilst they are art forms in themselves, I loved the images she took of fish being airdried along the coast and used her photos as reference.The name given to these dried fish is Bokkoms.

Anyway, back from school holidays and my trip to South Island (no words for how beautiful the land is down there) and back to work painting!

Leme know what you think...I think the break has done me good!

Fish on ice

The inspiration for this came from the cover of a Cuisine magazine, a New Zealand foodie mag. The original photo depicts these gorgeous fish, frozen in a block of ice, slowly thawing. I ripped the front page off and stuck it in my refrence file  and , alas, cannot credit the photographer, but if I ever find another copy, I will add it here!

I wanted to paint something with a limited palette: French Ultramarine, Creulean blue, white, yellow ochre and black.I added a bit of green , but it was a mere dab on the palette.Hardly counts.
As an excercise, I am happy. My mojo is still there and I like the end result. A good friday for me.

May

Hey, a helpfull friend (who collects the Cuisine magazine) told me that Aaron McLean is the photographer of I wanted to credit as inspiration for this painting.

Girl, interrupted.

I was just getting back into the swing of blogging when  KAPOW, no internet for 5 days. That put a crick in my neck, a stone in my shoe,a curse on the lips ..................and  allowed me no distraction for a few days.!!!

I painted this

Then I left it for a while. Then I wanted it to look the way it feels, just after a cloudburst. So I did this to it

I painted this whilst listening to the terrible news about the devastating earthquake in Christchurch.What a dreadfull few days it has been Cantabrians.

Quick studies and a view

 So, patience is NOT my middle name. Unpainted, I still moved into the studio. No doubt I will be chased away soon enough, but I HAD to do some practise work.Please note the commandeered furniture....the child's desk(I was kidding myself if I EVEr thought they would use it!), the hospital trolley and an old bookcase as a drying rack.

 2 days and 3 quick studies
The bottom two are birds eye view of the foodcourt from the cinema above(I felt very wierd taking photos but the perspective was great and I saw some great scenes.) the above one is of 3 old ladies resting on a bench at a local garden ramble fundraiser.

 and this was the view today. Amazeballs.

WTF happened to January?!

Sorry, but who stole January? Actually, I have been deep in the forests of Mommydom, playing wild things with my troll children and , frankly, enjoying myself enormously. We went camping(twice) and were chased home from camping(twice) by hurricanes/cyclones(not sure of the difference but please,do not enlighten me. I will forget all about it as soon as you do. Self knowledge). We went to movies, hung round home in PJ's all day, swam in the school pool,got really good at rip-sticking and I learned to shoot.O yeah. And I am good! But painting and small children do not mix. I tried. They just don't. So I set it all aside without resentment(I dug deep, folks) and gave myself over to them for their summer holidays. They are only 6 and 9 once...I am treasuring the time. Too soon they will be large louts who would have nothing to do with me!

The decor at the coffee shop on holiday.

Pelvis of a cow on slit logs and kindling

Brilliant!

Another excuse is the renovations(yes, dear people, shudder as I say this) of my house. Dear Man now has a Man cave,there is a designated storeroom(no longer the guest bathroom invasion) and a super-large family room. This means I get a studio in a few weeks. My own space. Sigh. I am almost paralysed with anticipation! I am painting the walls a neutral beige(it is at present kid-friendly green) and then I can move in..but we are 2 weeks from completion and my house is still filled with tradesmen. I shall exercise patience and go sniff my paints in anticipation.

For now, I am painting the walls....................

Practise time

Soccer game

My father sent me a lovely postcard of some boys of various ages having an impromptu soccer game in the middle of the veld.  As my boys are both soccer mad, I decided to paint this for their new room.I deliberately left the details of their faces out because a) I cannot paint them and b) it adds to the looseness of the painting. Detail is something I need to avoid.

At least I got a chance to paint today! 2 days till the summer school holidays....I might be gone awhile!

Waikawau bay 2010

I am preparing for the summer camping holiday by putting all of last years photo's in an album. O , the shame of being almost a year behind the photo albums!! Anyway, as I was sifting, sorting and reminiscing about our fabulous getaway(long drop toilets, no electricity at all,solar showers), I found a few photo's that I had deliberately taken to work up into paintings. As my computer has been bad(very,very bad) and in the shop, I found myself devoid of distractions and this is what I did.....

Waikawau Bay, Coromandel

Dandelions

As I look at these I am reminded of what an atrocious photographer I am! If you know how to photograph paintings and would be so kind as to give me a quick tutorial(bearing in mind I use a fairly simple Canon powershot a200is...whatever that means) , I would take it as a kindness.

This year I am taking my french easel and paints and ,hopefully,my wet canvas carrier that Ms.Toni is kindly making for me. I will keep you posted but, given the 11 month delay on the last holiday photos, I would not hold my breath if I was you!

Now I am off to bottle  the strawberry jam I am making.