Difficult Daffodils

I don’t like painting daffodils!

These are my two paintings from todays Art Class. I wish I had chosen Primulas instead of the Daffodils.

I like Dafffodils but they are very difficult to draw and paint. I tried my best but I started in the middle of the paper in the first painting and found myself running out of room when I got to the edge. (think ahead!).  The second painting was a closer study of one flower.

Next week we are doing a larger (A3) study of a flower.  I will, if I get to class early enough, choose a Primula!

Different Reflection

London Skyline at Dusk (acrylic on board)

My effort today at Art Class.  The subject was a continuation from last week on reflections.

My first painting today was this though:

Reflection on Lake (acrylic) – I’ve given it a title.  I don’t really know why I gave it a title as it is destined for the bin!

A bit of a disaster this one. So much wrong with it. Reflection don’t match the mountain, the trees are just a blob of colour and the whole reflection is skew-wiff and, apart from that, doesn’t look anything like the thing it is reflecting.  I gave up on trying to correct it and turned my attention to the London Skyline.

This was not as easy as it looked.  I went a bit ‘Turneresque’ on it.  It is passable but I will not be doing another painting on reflections on my free will.

Next week is flowers.

A Grand Day Out

On Saturday we, that is Mae, Janet, Sharon, Tony and the boys went to London for the day.

Mae and I travelled by car to Sharon’s and then by train to London. We were going to the Royal Albert Hall to see the Cirque du Soliel.

Photos: Royal Albert Hall; Prince Albert Memorial; Displays at the Natural History Museum; Frankie’s Knightsbridge Restaurant (taken on my iphone)

Our first stop though was a scooter shop for Callum who wanted a thing-a-mee whatsit for his scooter (I didn’t understand his description of what he was looking for) but although the shop has it on it’s web site it didn’t have any in the shop.

We met, quite by chance (we had planned to meet them for lunch), Janet, Tony, Joseph and Henry, in the Natural History Museum.  We were taking the opportunity of a free ‘comfort stop’ and bumped into them.  They were visiting the dinosaurs so we took a look at the Blue Whale and other mammals with them.

For lunch we went to ‘Frankie’ Knightsbridge’ (the restaurant of the chef Marco Pierre White and  Frankie Detorri). The boys thought it was fabulous. I had Sea Bass, which was delicious and the Cheesecake was to die for!

Afterwards it was off to the Royal Albert Hall to see the Cirque du Soliel’s ‘Totem’.  We had seats right at the front of the upper circle so a good view was assured.  The boys, as we did, thought it ‘brilliant’.  I have always wanted to see the Cirque du Soliel and was not disappointed.  Henry wanted to know whether we could see it again. I certainly would.

We arrived back home at not too late an hour, tired but happy.  The boys say it was their best day ever and I have to admit it’s the best day out we have had in a long while.  I’d do it all again, but not this year!

Green Bottle reflection

Another week, another art class.

Today was reflections.

Green Bottle and Spoon Reflection (acrylics)

This is my effort today.  It was done acrylics. The bottle and spoon were sitting on reflective silver card. Getting all the various light sources (we were under flourescent lighting which gave multiple highlights) correct in the main image and correspondingly in the reflection was a challenge.  I didn’t manage to get the handle of the spoon continuing behind the glass bottle as it was proving difficult as it was.

I’m pleased with it and the tutor asked to keep it to show to the afternoon/evening groups.

A pleasant mornings work on a project I would not have challenged myself to do, but then, that’s why I go to art class.

Next week is reflections, again, but more challenging.

Disappointing Venice

It was back to Art Class today and an easy start to the new season with a Venetian view.

Now, there are so many things wrong with this painting (in acrylics) that I almost didn’t show it.

The sky is too dark and the waters is too light meaning that I have lost depth. The boats are sitting on the water not in it. The water is dull and was only partially rescued by the intervention of the tutor.  I won’t go on.

I don’t think I am even going to try and rescue it.  This is one for the bin!

Not the best of starts.

Next week it is reflections. Let’s hope that it is not on water!

Sunbathing in Winter

The weather is doing some funny things these days.

It was a lovely sunny day on Wednesday so I took a walk round the garden with my camera.  I was surprised to see these three insects, close to each other, catching the sun.

They had better get back to their winter quarters because it is going to get colder I understand.

Another Oil Painting

This was effort yesterday.  It looks a bit lop-sided but that is just the way the photo was taken.

Could do better!

Mountains in Oils

This Christmas I got some oil painting equipment from Mae.  A large palette and brushes and canvas boards.

Today I tried my hand at painting in oils.  I have tried oils before but never with much success as I found that all my colours mixed on the board and all I was left with was a mess. A bit impressionistic without an impression of any recognisable.

Here are my efforts today:

Mountain Scenes (1 and 2). Oil on canvas board. approx 12x 10inch

Not the best of photographs as they were taken on my iphone.

The placing and painting of the clouds need some work and I couldn’t quite get the hang of using a palette knife for the mountains. For a first effort I am reasonable happy though.

Another try tomorrow as I have one more of the canvas boards left.  I might try a small one if I have time.

Show and tell tomorrow then!

Viking Bay on iPhone

We went for a walk along the shore this morning from Dumpton Gap to Viking Bay.

Mae was surprised when she saw I didn’t have my camera with me.  “No problem”  I said “I have my iphone” and with it I took this photograph of Viking Bay, Broadstairs.

I am very pleased with the result. I haven’t done any post-editing. It is ‘as was’.

I tried to create and post this using my iphone but couldn’t find how to insert the image from the phone memory.  I could do it if I was using Facebook or Utube but not wordpressblog so I have had to do this on my PC.

Maybe I’ll have to move to Facebook.

Anyway, that’s for next Year.

So, Happy New Year to you all.

Merry Christmas

Another year done and almost dusted!

‘Snowy walk home’  Watercolour by David Clare

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year.