Hummingbird II

Every season has its beauty, but I find myself craving warmth and colour.

Hummingbird II
Oil on oil paper

Hummingbird

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.”
― Jean Cocteau

After two weeks I felt I had to paint and do something different.

Hummingbird

I Salute You

Thank you so much for all your comments my friends.
 I appreciate every word of comfort sent to me, and I salute all the brave people of this world who have loved and lost a dear one, be they a pet, friend or family.

I have vowed that every time I buy a bunch of flowers, one of the flowers will grace my Pisho's resting  place in our garden. I say my Pisho because I used to talk to her as I went about my work around the house and often I would ask her if she was my Pisho, I think she was because out of all the family members she was attached to me the most.

I painted these tulips about two weeks ago and forgot to post. Hopefully I will be able to pick up my brushes soon.

Red Tulips in Vase
Oil on oil paper

My Pisho

The four month old kitten my husband rescued about sixteen months ago died Friday night, killed by a car. She has been a huge part of our lives, my constant companion. I can honestly say that I have never felt so much pain. I see her everywhere, every corner of the house, the garden. She was fun loving and fearless, she fought the neighbourhood cats who were bigger than her. Our older cat is missing her too, they did not always see eye to eye, but were together.
When my husband brought her home she was a little scrap of a thing and clung to me for dear life. I fed her, groomed her, got her medication when she needed it, bought toys and played with her these long winter nights when it was too cold and wet to be out.
She has left a huge hole in my life, I can't get my head around the fact that she will never sit in my lap, follow me around the house, run up and down the garden, lay on my chest with her face so close to mine.

My Pisho

Soft Like Snow

Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.

Quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Soft Like Snow
oil on oil paper

Wheatfield in Winter II

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

Wheatfield in Winter
Oil on oil paper

Wheat field in Winter

The snow didn't last long, but it was enough to make some hay, so to speak.  :  )

Wheatfield in Winter
oil on oil paper

Peaceful Quiet

Something about snow when it falls, it seems to cut out all the excess noise and a quiet descends upon the land. Or it might just be that people hesitate to travel as much so you don't get as much traffic noise. I prefer to think its the first. :  )

Well the long awaited snow has arrived, not a lot, but enough to take some photos and paint in the warmth of my home. I ran out of daylight and I do so love to post something most days so here's an early photo and hopefully a better one tomorrow.

Cheers my dear blogging friends for all your comments. xxx

Peaceful Quiet
 

Orange Roses and Irises

This is the last of this series, for now anyway. I will be taking plenty of photos as the roses and irises open and change colour so I can get back to them.

Orange Roses and Irises
Oil on oil paper

Orange Roses and Irises in a Different Vase

I'm still enamoured with this combination of colours. :  )

Orange Roses and Irises in a Different Vase
Oil on oil paper

Orange Roses and Irises

Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.

Claude Monet

 

 

 

Orange Roses and Irises
Oil on oil paper

 

Fresh Eyes

For a change I asked my daughter to choose a bunch of flowers for me to paint. WOW!!! She picked this magnificent bunch with burnt orange colour roses and irises. I think I should ask her more often. :  )

Fresh Eyes
oil on oil paper

Space

Painting suits people who like to have their space, like this solitary lily.

Space
Oil on oil paper

One Green Bottle

Its blowing gales with heavy rain, but I just took this photo before the heavens opened up.

One Green Bottle
Oil on oil paper

One Green Bottle

I've managed to get hold of the most difficult flowers I could think of to paint.....ranunculus and thistle. I ran out of daylight again so all being well I will post a better photo tomorrow.

One Green Bottle
Oil on oil paper

Peace Lily

Today I felt in need of visiting our local flower shop, its not something I do very often because they are quite expensive. I love walking in and smelling the flower shop smell, something that is lost in a superstore. They wrap everything in  a pretty way and are so polite. I ended up buying this little peace lily plant and painted a watercolour listening to John Lennon's Imagine.....ahhh bliss.

Peace Lily
watercolour on cartridge paper

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8

More Pheasant Sketches

I'm in the middle of a larger tulip painting, I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow. For now, another pheasant sketch.

Pheasant Sketch II

Stairway to Heaven

I took this photo at a friends who keeps chickens as pets, I can tell they are loved.

You can guess what I was listening to when I drew/ painted this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcL---4xQYA

Stairway to Heaven
line and watercolour on cartridge paper

Orange Rose With Cherries

I love the shape of this jam jar, I confess to buying the jam just so I could use the jar.  :  )

Orange Roses in Blue Vase II

These orange roses begin as a uniform orange colour, but as they age the centre becomes a peachy pink, so beautiful!!

I was listening to John Legend when I painted this one, very chilled out.  :  )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOmnGzAKLvge

Orange Roses in Blue Vase
oil on oil paper

Warmth

Tropical fruit such as mangoes conjure up images of palm trees, and warm breezes.

Warmth
Oil on oil paper

Pink Rose in a Glass

I think the day roses come easy to me is the day I stop painting them, until then its something I enjoy immensely.

Pink Rose in a Glass
oil on oil paper

Summer Sailing

Summer Sailing
Oil on paper

I'm conflicted, part of me wants some snow to paint, but I'm remembering the long hot summer we had last year with fond memories.
Talking of long hot summer, this song by The Style Council is one of my all time favourites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CAzwewVjZ0

Joyful Message

Apparently yellow roses mean a joyful message and a perfect gift for friends.

Joyful Message
Oil on oil paper

Orange Roses in Blue Vase

As promised, a much better photo of yesterdays painting.

We have snow, not a lot though.

Orange Roses in Blue Vase
Oil on oil paper

Pisho seeing snow for the first time
 

Orange Roses in Blue Vase

I ran out of daylight again so I will post a better photo tomorrow. We're expecting snow tomorrow, I have been itching to paint some snow scenes, we haven't had any snow for about two years!!

I have a question for you....which is more pretty, our cat Pisho or the flowers??

Our cat Pisho posing with a vase of roses.

Floating

This rose was broken but not finished, I placed it in a glass full of water and it thanked me by opening and shining for me. I ran out of daylight, so all being well I will replace this with a better photo tomorrow.

Floating
oil on oil paper

Floating
oil on oil paper

Polar Bear Sketch

Polar bear sketch

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
― Charles Darwin

Yellow Rose in Blue Vase

Yellow Rose in Blue Vase
Oil on oil paper

Still love to paint roses and this vase was another bargain from a charity shop.



Progress

As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward." Vincent van Gogh

Progress
Oil on oil paper

Stork Family

Stork Family
sketch with biro and tombow marker

What I wish to show when I paint is the way I see things with my eyes and in my heart.

Raoul Dufy

Rush Hour in the Pouring Rain

We were driving our son to an interview for a job last week. It was rush hour and the visibility was very bad because of the spray coming off the tyres as the traffic sped by.

Rush Hour in the Pouring Rain
oil on oil paper

Focus

Focus
Oil on oil paper

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.

Dalai Lama

Solitude

Solitude
Oil on oil paper

Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.

Barbara de Angelis

Early Tulips III

I have a new vase I bought from a charity shop, I love the shape and its so nice to use something different.

Early Tulips III
oil on oil paper

Early Tulips II

Early Tulips II

Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Andersen

Early Tulips

These were expensive, but since I'm not into buying clothes, jewellery, handbags etc,  I justify my flower purchases. :  )

Early Tulips
Oil on oil paper

Beach Huts

We had an incredible summer last year, I'm missing it, although I wouldn't mind some snow to paint.

Beach Huts
 oil on oil paper

Dalmatian Sketch

Dalmatian Sketch

I have the sketching bug!!



This is a painting by Edward Seago

Winter Landscape, Norfolk
by Edward Seago

I have admired the work of Edward Seago for the last few years and have been doing a little research on his life. He was an English artist, he worked in both oils and watercolours, his style was impressionist and he painted mostly landscapes. He was loved by the Royal family and the public would que for his exhibitions and always sold out. He was a prolific artist and has more than 19,000 paintings in circulation worldwide. He was self taught which is what impresses and inspires me because I have no formal education in art.

Red Rose

Red Rose
Oil on oil paper

I've never seen so many petals on one rose, I couldn't paint them all so I had to use a little artistic license.

Lone Wolf

Happy New Year to all my fellow bloggers and artists.

A new year and a new start, it feels good to paint.

Lone Wolf
Oil on oil paper

Leap of Faith

Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing. Believe in yourself. And believe that there is a loving Source - a Sower of Dreams - just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

 

Leap of Faith
Oil on paper

I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year, keep painting everyone.xxx

Hope

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'

 

Quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

Hope
Oil on paper

 

Stargazer Lilies

I have so many photos to work from, I vow to use them more as fresh flowers are a pleasure, but not cheap. This painting is from a photo I took about three years ago.

I heard this song by Ben Howard today and I felt goose bumps, that guitar is out of this world!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYR6A47DK-Q

Stargazer Lilies
Oil on oil paper.

Peaceful Slumber

Our Sleeping Cat
charcoal on cartridge paper

It never ceases to amaze me how many hours cats sleep.