Affinity

I hope everyone is having a great time over the holidays, we are heading for 2014 and a chance to renew resolutions. I have tried to paint true to what I want to express, which is not an easy task. For this coming year I hope to keep learning, exploring different mediums and techniques.
My overriding feeling is painting is a part of me, if I'm not painting I'm dreaming about painting, and when I'm painting I feel I'm in an altered state where worries, doubts, all of the disappointments don't exist. From when I can remember I have had the compulsion to create something, I tried my hand at many arts and crafts growing up. Resources were limited, clothes and shoes were hard enough to come by let alone art materials. I remember sitting by a village pond making little dishes out of the natural red clay in the soil before I was five.I've made quilts out of old clothes, collages, printing, calligraphy, sculpture, knitting, and more recently, cake decorating, and flower arranging.
 When we came to the UK and seeing illustrated children's books for the first time was just the most amazing experience of my life. It  felt like fireworks going off in my head, from then I could not get enough of the fairy tales and later on the classics like Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations.

Selling paintings has been a new experience over the last two years, the money has helped me to continue on my artists journey, I have been able to pay for art supplies, the odd trips to London museums and galleries. Not only that its a huge compliment when you know your painting is wanted, it gives me quite a buzz knowing that my paintings are on display all over the world, from London, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, to France, Holland, Italy, India, and all over the USA.

I am so grateful to all my blogging friends, your encouragement has been the highlight of the last three years. I wish you all good health and prosperity, to continue and learn from each other.

Affinity
Oil on canvas board 8"x8"
 

Tea and Roses

Tea and Roses
Oil on canvas board 8"x8"

My orange roses are falling apart on my mantelpiece and a previous painting is on display. I really enjoyed painting this composition, I think all artists thrive on challenges, and this one was my challenge for today.


Tranquility

Tranquility
Oil on canvas board 8"x8"

I would love to know what changes you would try to make regarding your art in the coming year.

All being well,  I would love to continue painting as often as possible and although I had every intention of trying different mediums I found that, because I am still a fairly newcomer to oils I couldn't tear myself away from them. Apart from roses and jars I painted some snow scenes and I think I had the most fun doing them. Since we are expecting a hundred days of snow I will have plenty of opportunity to do more!!


Cool in the Shade

A dear friend gave me three beautiful bunches of roses and I'm having fun painting my way through them.

Cool in the Shade
Oil on canvas board 7"x5"
 

Divine Intervention

Sometimes you can push for a dream to come true for a long time and then the minute you give up it lands in your lap, from nowhere it seems.

Divine Intervention
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"

Roses By Night

I'm still working through my reserve of photos. I find that the camera picks up colours that normally you would not see, especially at night in artificial lighting, spots of odd colours like blue on the vase.

Roses By Night
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

 

Last night was the preview evening for LutonArt which is a yearly exhibition open to artists over three counties. This year I had all three of my paintings accepted and they were on display last night among all the other wonderful paintings. I have been struggling with an eye infection and did not take any photos but the exhibition is running until February so I will have plenty of time to post some photos.

Just Floating

Ducks always look so serene on the surface.

Just Floating
Oil on canvas board 4"x4"
Available on DPW Auctions

Goosey Loosey

This hurrying goose reminds me of the fairy tale I loved to read.

Goosey Loosey
Oil on canvas board 4"x4"
available on DPW Auction

Dreaming

This little tortoiseshell kitten is a new addition to our family. My husband found her searching for food in bins and as soon as he called her she was all over him. We've had her for about two months now and she is a fluff  ball of fun.  Our  two year old cat Toni was very put out to start with but gradually they are becoming fast friends.

Dreaming
Oil on canvas board 5"x7"
SOLD

Sun Seeker

Whenever I buy a bunch of flowers I usually take a whole load of photos as well so when I am stuck for inspiration I can usually find something. This sunflower brings back memories of what a glorious summer we had this year.

 Lately I've also been economising by painting on top of paintings that have failed. I scrape  the surface to get rid of any texture and then wipe with some liquin. I find this gives a better surface than a new canvas board, also some of the under painting can be left to show through to give a more richer effect. Underneath this painting is one I did of wildflowers last year, at the time it looked ok but only when you look back can you see the errors. I am my own worst critic and I think most artists are but with experience you just know when a painting has failed or succeeded in portraying what you want.

Sun Seeker
Oil on canvas board 7"x5"
SOLD

Winter Woolly

This sheep looked so snug in its winter coat.

Winter Woolly
Oil on canvas board 4"x4"
Available on DPW Auction
SOLD

Surfing

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

I've called this painting surfing because that's how it felt to paint with a palette knife. The buttery paint glides under the knife, its an absolute joy and this quote by Mahatma Gandhi says it all.

Surfing
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
Available on DPW Auction
SOLD

Cheerful Countenance

I have posted" Promise Yourself" by Christian D. Larson before but I couldn't resist posting this gem again.


Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”
― Christian D. Larson,

Cheerful Countenance
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD


 

Rapture

Rapture
Oil on canvas board 8"x8"
SOLD

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
― George Gordon Byron

Zen Like Clem II

I feel blessed with all the lovely comments from yesterday....thankyou everyone.xxx

Its our day off, so no cooking, for me anyway, my husband is making me chicken soup as I write.
I feel better already. :  )

Zen Like Clem
oil on canvas board 4"x4"
available on DPW Auction

Zen Like Clem

I am down with flu, my throat feels like sandpaper and my whole body aches. I did  however, find the energy to paint this little clementine and for a short time I forgot everything, better than any vitamin C tablet.  :  )

Zen Like Clem
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
available on DPW auction

Three Roses in Turkish Jug

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
― George Bernard Shaw

Three Roses in a Turkish Jug
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

English Apple

These apples are little but packed with flavour and the most beautiful autumnal colours. Another good thing is when you're pushed for time but you still have paint because you can't live without it apples are just perfect.

English Apple
Oil on canvas board 4"x4"
SOLD

Pink Rose in Pink Glass

My poinsettia plant is doing well so I have some time to paint some more roses.
This bunch were looking very droopy in our local shop so I asked for a discount, cut the stems short and voila, they are as good as new.  :  )

Pink Rose in Pink Glass
oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Pink Roses in Ceramic Vase

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.
Napoleon Hill

Pink Roses in Ceramic Vase
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Poinsettia

Thankyou so much everyone for all your comments.
 I would love to reply to each one, but alas with my work commitments and family it is not possible.
The spare time I have is spent either painting or commenting on other artists work which is a great privilege.

I could be painting poinsettias for a while, you have been warned.  :  )

Poinsettia
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
Available please contact me on
azraiqal2000@hotmail.com

Reds

Poinsettias are in all the shops and they call to me everytime.  :  )

Reds
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
Available on DPW Auction

Leaf and Seed

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it.  While they are deciding, make even more art.” Andy Warhol

Leaf and Seed
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
Available please contact me on
azraiqbal2000@hotmail.com

Happy Hens

Its always nice to see chickens that are free.

Happy Hens
Oil on canvas board 5"x7"
Available please contact me on
azraiqbal2000@hotmail.com

Duck Among Willow Roots

I took this picture about two weeks ago and wanted to paint it but wasn't sure if I could pull it off. Willow trees surround the lake and many of the roots are laid bare and this duck was foraging amongst the roots for food.

Duck Among Willow Roots
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Transition

The red rose I painted a week ago has changed colour to a magenta and pink, nature is so fascinating to watch.

Transition
Oil on canvas board 7"x5"
SOLD

Autumn at the Lake

Today is a wet and windy day, it feels very cosy to be at home painting as today is my day off. 

I wish for every person on this planet to have warmth and food in winter, I thank God for all that I have.

Autumn at the Lake
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
available on DPW

Autumn at the Lake

These graceful Canadian geese have been a source of inspiration for the last three years, I could paint them all day long and love every minute.

Autumn at the Lake
oil on canvas board 6"x6"
Available on DPW auction

Snow White And Rose Red II

Snow White and Rose Red II
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

I grew up reading fairy tales over and over again, this fairy tale was a firm favourite.




Last of Summer

However much I love flowers sadly I have never had green fingers, I planted this rose bush and it has barely survived the first year and produced only two roses, one at the beginning of summer and one just a few days ago. I picked it yesterday because Of plummeting temperatures.


Last of Summer
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Wardown Park

Autumn at Wardown Park
Oil on canvas board 9"x12"
Available please contact me on
azraiqbal2000@hotmail.com

A half attempt at a plein air painting, until the wind started blowing!!


Float On

I paint to music, I find it uplifting, inspirational and combining my two most favourite loves is heavenly.  :  )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT_9OUvmb5I  This song by the Floaters is sublime.

Float On
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Happiness

Happiness
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
Mahatma Gandhi

This is a song by Disclosure and I love it.....enjoy       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBW9VEE29W4

Possibility

Possibility
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.
Golda Meir

Deer Park After the Rain

Last month we were invited to a neighbours wedding, it was in a hall set in the most beautiful surroundings at Woburn Abbey Safari Park, in the evening and there was a last glow of sunlight before dark. It had been raining all day and everything sparkled in all shades of green.

Deer park After the Rain
Oil on canvas board 8"x8"
Available please contact me on
azraiqbal2000@hotmail.com

Roses and a Fuzzy Peach

Red Roses and a Fuzzy Peach
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose, because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.
Henri Matisse

Deepest Red

These roses are such a dark red colour, in places they look almost black.
 I've found that most roses don't get much past the bud stage, I don't know how they are being grown and picked but they never seem to fully open up like garden grown roses, which is a little disappointing when I would like to paint them during all the different stages.

Deepest Red
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

The weather here is magnificent in all its glory, wind and rain with autumn leaves blowing in all directions.

Gladioli and a Persimmon

This painting is very much in my comfort zone, its what I love to paint...flowers, fruit and glass jars. When I'm tired and out of sorts all I have to do is pick up a brush and have my favourite props around me and I'm happy.

Gladioli and a Persimmon
Oil on canvas 6"x6"
SOLD

Autumn Bounty

Autumn Bounty
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
George Eliot

Appreciation

Dark pink roses mean appreciation or gratitude.

Appreciation
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Optimism

One of the meanings in flower language for this golden Anastasia is optimism. I bought this single flower from a shop in St Pancras train station in London last week. There is a definite art to presenting flowers and this florist wrapped my flower with flair and expertise, it was amazing to watch her at work.

Optimism
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
Available please contact me on
azraiqbal2000@hotmail.com

Souvenir

“Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.” -John Lennon

Souvenir
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
NFS

Reworking of Hope

I've decided to rework this painting because,  I tried a colour I don't usually use for the background and I wasn't entirely happy with it. I think this works much better.

Hope
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Sunflower in Blue

This is another painting I completed about three weeks ago and didn't post. There is an abundance of sunflowers in the shops and they are definitely compulsive painting.
 The weather is magnificent at the moment, lots of sunshine but there is a slight chill in the air which heralds Autumn. I've been so busy with work and family and home that my painting has taken a backseat temporarily. I'm hoping to try different mediums, it was one of my resolutions, nine months have flown by, which I always say is a good thing because its in hard times, or in boredom that time stands still and every minute drags.
As far as my art journey is concerned, yes I would like things to move quicker, to improve my skills, but one thing I'm learning to do is go with the flow and enjoy it as much as I possibly can.

Sunflower in Blue
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD

Independence

The last exhibition I entered is now under way and today I shared the stewarding with a fellow artist. I enjoyed the day, met a few visitors to the gallery. Here is a selection of work that was entered, the first photo is most of my work.
I think everyone made a valiant effort to promote the exhibitions but on the whole it was not a great success. Sadly it is more to do with the economic climate at the moment, but it makes me more determined to keep trying, this is just another step on this artists journey.

My painting for today is another rose!! My husband bought me a mixed bouquet yesterday, the roses were magnificent and I had to paint one to begin with.

Independence
SOLD

Orange Roses in Blue

I painted this little one about two weeks ago but did not have time to post. Sometimes a painting comes together like a dream without any problem at all, this is one of them. Its already sold to a very nice buyer in Italy and is winging its way there as I write.

Orange Roses in Blue
Oil on canvas board 6"x6"
SOLD