Blue Crab

Another watercolour, I ended up painting six altogether.

Blue Crab
watercolour on heavy paper

Strength

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.

Charles Spurgeon

I found this quote today and felt comforted by it, because I worry about everything.

 

Strength
oil on oil paper

A Spring Day

One of the first joyful signs of spring, daffodils popping up everywhere!!

A Spring Day
oil on oil paper

Nothing Stays the Same

Painting flowers over the last few years has taught me that flowers are ever changing. From the bud stage to when they are wilting, each stage is so beautiful. The same could be said of life.

Nothing Stays the Same
Oil on oil paper

I've been listening to Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap....bliss


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU

Seaweed

“A fragrant breeze wandered up from the quiet sea, trailed along the beach, and drifted back to the sea again, wondering where to go next. On a mad impulse it went up to the beach again. It drifted back to sea.”
― Douglas Adams, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide : Five Complete Novels and One Story

Seaweed
Watercolour on heavy paper.

A Mothers Day Bouquet

My son bought me this bunch of flowers, a perfect opportunity to get back into painting after nearly a week off.

A Mothers Day Bouquet
Oil on oil paper

Light III

Still exploring the joys of abstract art. :  )

Light III
Oil on oil paper

Windswept

Sometimes life has a way of pulling you into directions that normally you would not have dreamed of.

Windswept
oil on oil paper

Light II

I'm going more with my feelings and this is helping me be more and more abstract.

Light II
oil on oil paper

Light

Light
Oil on oil paper

Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.

Rabindranath Tagore

Space

That short space of time when you just wake up and everything is alright with the world, and then you fully wake up.

Space
oil on oil paper

Spirit V

A rose representing life, part returns to earth and part travels onto the next life. 

I've been listening to Sade most of my adult life, love her songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRl9Av95Uck

Spirit V
Oil on oil paper

Spirit IV

We have beautiful sunshine with blue skies today, but its cold and windy, well we can't have everything right??

Here's a better photo from last night. Still not abstract enough so I may keep going, but loving the experiment.

Spirit IV
Oil on oil paper

Spirit IV

I have realised its harder to let go of the real and recognisable than I thought it would be. I ran out of daylight so a better photo tomorrow, all being well.

Spirit II and III

I thought I'd try an experiment to  turn a realist  painting into an abstract. So far they still look like roses, lets see what the next one looks like.


I've been listening to Elvis a pocketful of rainbows, where would we be without music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Itvu1XkDIY

Spirit II
 oil on oil paper

Spirit III
oil on oil paper
 

Spirit

I went out and bought roses for the first time since Pisho, I feel her everywhere, her spirit is with  me.

I've been listening to this beautiful song by James Bay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqiH0ZSkM9I

Spirit

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.