Purrr

Getting There

I use that phrase a lot. A painting is 'getting there'; the dinner is 'getting there'; the garden is 'getting there; Amelia's reading; house cleaning; the packing for going away to Southampton this weekend. Maybe I should find another phrase. Anyway, here we are for today. I should be able to finish it on Tuesday if I get a few spare hours:

 

I'll unveil the name...when I've had a think! Often, the name doesn't present itself until the painting is completely finished, then i can find a title to fit the atmosphere of the piece, if that makes sense. Other times, the image and title appear fully formed in my mind and then I have to try to do it justice on canvas.

Have a fantastic weekend (hopefully a long one). If you didn't know, most of us Brits have a four day weekend due to this. I wish them luck and all the happiness in the world, but - UGH the hype!!!

xxx

 

Diane, when two events happen simutaneously, pertaining to the same object of inquiry, we must always pay STRICT attention ~ Agent dale Cooper

I've been working on this for a few days, having had a few little and sudden splashes of inspiration:

 
That fellow there...

 
...is one of this family . I think he's most likely a Northwestern Crow, but obviously, white. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Crow was originally white. The god Apollo asked Crow to watch over his lover Coronis. Unfortunately, Coronis fell in love with a mortal and cheated on Apollo. Crow told Apollo what had happened and in his anger, the god turned Crow black.

I find it interesting that Ted Hughes just happened to write an adaptation of many stories from Metamorphoses...and Crow.

I also painted Alaskan salmon yesterday, as part of a comission.

 
A strange coincidence. Then again, I have had many odd coincidences where this lady has been involved.

xxx

NB. Upon searching for a Twin Peaks quot for the title of this post, when I got to the quotes page under 'coincidence', instead of finding Agent Dale Cooper, there was Alice Cooper. Coincidence upon coincidence upon coincidence... it feels as though there's something strange going on today...

The Cow Jumped Over The Moon...and other stories

Yes! Buttercup (for that is what I HAD to name her) is finally ready :)

 

This is the image I have had for as long as I can remember of the cow who jumped over the moon. I've finally been able to capture her on canvas and thought you might like to see her too.
The original is on Amelia's bedroom wall, along with The Froggy Prince, who you may have met before. Buttercup is in print form now, too, and, if you really, really like her, she's in the shop :)

 
 
"The Froggy Prince" 5 x 7

Along with these two, I'm also putting up prints of the newly finished painting:

 
"Lady Of Science - Ellen" Original 12" x 10" painting.

 
and the print:

 
will be in the shop any minute!

Two are reserved already (one of them being Ellen), but I'm tentatively planning an originals update for the morning of Friday 6th May - there are a few more planned and on the way!

And onto the garden...

I've been quite pleased with the lovely little beauties popping out to please the bumblebees

 
 
 
 
I'm not usually a pansy sort of girl and have really not given flowers some of the credit they deserve. I've been guilty of seeing them as pretty, but ultimately useless in comparison to veggies, but oh how wrong I have been - do grow a few blooms to feed our little buzzing friends if you can - they need it!

 
 
I love a fresh, minty salad in the summer.

 
Mmmm. Chomp, chomp, chomp...

 
Some of our visitors prefer another speciality of ours - chocolate-mint flavoured aphids. Good choice, madam!

I was hearing lots of thunder earlier, but the storm seems to have passed. The other thing is - wine! I'd love some wine tonight, but if I'm to get on with painting tomorrow, I can't becaue I'll be a USELESS FUZZ HEAD. Hmmm. An Excersise in self-control...and tomorrow, I can snack on EGGS as a reward. Yep. That's a good plan ;)

Hope you're having a wonderful Easter weekend!

XXX

On being a little bit odd...

Today, I had a little overseer to my painting:

 
Quite pertinent, really, seeing as it's Earth Day and the rest of the canvas is creepy and crawly, but I like to hope cute at the same time?

 
It's taken a while to get right (over two years, on and off), but doing things like this helped:

 
It is a bit odd, I think, to take a photo of your hand in a mirror, but can you get away with it if you're an 'artist' (don't like that word - prefer 'painter', bit in this instance, 'artist' is more all-encompassing).

We're off for a wander this fine evening. Might find food and beer..or wine...or something.

xxx 

No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist ~ Oscar Wilde

Evening :)  I've finally returned to a piece I began about two years ago. There are still a few more hours to go, but she's almost there:

 
 
She has been heavily inspired by Victorain science and design - the beginnings of the Natural History Museum and ladies like Mary Agnes Chase and Mathilda Moldenhauer Brooks.

I've also been doing a bit more work on this lady:

 
I think it's going to be more like another couple of weeks before she's ready.

And here's a behind-the-scenes peek at the 'studio':

 
Have you noticed my unforgivable mistake?

 
NEVER leave a paintbrush brush-down in the water!

I was having fun watching new tendrils reaching into the sky yesterday:

 
 
Mmm I love this weather. There's still a cold breeze around though, which wafts through the house, chilling my toes. I find myself taking two-minute breaks to go outside and stand in the sun to warm up. Like a lizard.

xxx

"...endless forms most beautiful..." ~ Charles darwin

Would you like to spy my sketchbook?

 
 
 
 

Now back to the painting ;)

xxx

ModCloth Lady!

I've been meaning to do a few of these for weeks now, and this week, I should be able to finish off a few. When I say 'these', I mean little ACEO paintings very closely inspired by the amazing dresses at ModCloth. Really - you have to go and have a peek!

Here is the first in my mini ModCloth collection:

 
"London, 1959 - Annie And The Pre-Party Champagne. Mmmm." Original miniature ACEO painting on vintage book page (2.5" x 3.5")

She wears a dress inspired by 'What's Up, Buttercup', which you can find here!  Behind her hang some loverly garden decor - 'In Rose and Columns String Lights' Ooh I love 'em!

Painted onto a page from Vita Sackville-West's 'Easter Party'.

Really - I'm quite, quite OBSESSED with ModCloth and no - they're not employing me to promote them ;)

Annie will be sauntering into the shop in a minute...

xxx

 

I do not paint a portrait to look like the subject, rather does the person grow to look like his portrait. ~ Salvador Dali

So if I use myself as a model, improving on reality as I go, will I grow to more closely resemble that portrait. There might be traces of Dorian Gray here. Hmmm. Not so sure any of us want that.

This is the large (and I mean LARGE - almost 20" x 30") painting I'm working on at the moment. You may remember the beginnings from a previous post.

 
It's strange that although I am using very closely my own mirror image here, this is not what I usually see when I look in the mirror...does that make any sense?

xxx

We Got To Kew!

We finally got the chance to take a stroll around. Ahhhh! Here are a few pics from yesterday:

 
There's still a lot of cherry blossom around.

 
Temple of Bellona

 
A Secret Yew, from the outside in...and from the inside out:

 

 

The Temperate House

 
Ugh. What a show-off...

 
This won the prize for the shiniest plant!

 
 
The magnolia is still amazing, but just...overripe

 
 
 
 

 

 
SO inspirational. It makes me want to paint another of these:

 

"The Plant Hunter"

She currently lives with the lovely Carmen, who probably owns the majority of my work so far :)

xxx

Bathing Beauties and Party Gals

Before I post, yuou have to have a peek at this blog - you'll get so lost in it!

Looking forward to some warm days this summer so we can show off our lovely legs?

 
Maybe even enter a contest and win a prize!

 

Drive back home in style

 

Then back to your dressing room to freshen up a little

 

Then out to the flicks with your sweetheart

 

or out on the town with the gals

 

Don't forget to have fun, now!

 

xxx