Plums and Apple

I hope everyone has a great new years eve tonight.Stay safe people and I wish you all a great New Year.I do feel my art is improving all the time.I find myself thinking in colours and compositions and light and shade even when I am not painting.Since November is the first time in my life that I have been able to put in a regular effort into painting and its been absolutely amazing.Today I spent three hours scanning my paintings and replacing the paintings I posted.Scanning is as close as one can get to the original painting,well with my photography skills anyway!So here's to a Fantastic New Year and better and better art.

Sugar Plums

SOLD

Holidays really are the worst time to keep up with a painting a day.At this rate its a painting every now and then!Maybe I should change the name of my blog?So,another plum painting with more glass.With anything anyone loves to do,I would say to you just enjoy the process and leave the results to God.I love to paint and thats it,the rest is out of my hands.I feel more relaxed already.

Plums Elevated

Another three days have gone by without painting,I suppose its that time of year.Everyone is on holiday,so many distractions.....Anyway I did mention that I would attempt painting glass,so here it is..

Three Clementines Sold

I hav'nt been able to paint or post for three days,I've had some more pressing issues.Anyway I'm back and this is my latest painting.Using fabric as background really seems to lift the subject and actually not that hard to do.I hope everyone has a great holiday and a wonderful New Year.

Hearts and a Tart

It was -7 last night! Summer seems so far away,but sitting down to a lovely cup of tea and a jam tart,what could be better? I've realised that the flash is causing a glare on my photos,so they may look a little washed out.I'm trying to work out the best way.Surprisingly the tart was easy to paint,cups are always difficult,its the elipses more than anything.

Chilly tomatoes 2

This painting was a real joy to do.It came together quickly and easily,which makes a change.These cherry tomatoes were a little more expensive than the usual ones I buy but they had a real deep red colour that just begged to be painted.They certainly taste sweeter as well,I guess you get what you pay for.

Purple Pansy

Yes, you guessed it,another little vase I picked up in a charity shop.I used to think clothes shopping was fun.Now I really enjoy looking through these shops for my next subject to paint,and also picture frames as well.The sun is so bright today,but we are expecting heavy snow by tomorrow,not something I'm looking forward to! I'm not sure who was the first person to start a painting a day but its such a brilliant idea and I am really enjoying myself.

Forgotten Hyacinth

Ever bought a hyacinth and left it in a corner?!Well it sure needs the light and will bend over backwards to get there.Such an amazing perfume these flowers have,honestly it is such a heady aroma .

Pumpkin trio

Autumn has been and gone,it really is my favourite season.I went to Camden market back in October and one stall holder had nothing but pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.I picked these three tiny ones,they looked so cute.I have kept them,I really can't cook them, they look too good.

Fruity (Donated to Community Needs)

This is one I painted a few weeks ago. Hopefully I should be back on track tomorrow.

Indulgence

What could be more indulgent than tea and a leaning tower of biscuits?!

Jelly bean soup

This one was fun to do,although the background was originally another scarf, but it was clashing with the colourful beans.So I opted for a simple background instead.

Blue vase 3

This is the third vase I bought as a set from the charity shop.   "Life is a great big canvas,and you should throw all the paint on it you can." Danny Kaye

Robin

"The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.The more we care for the happiness of others,the greater is our own sense of well-being." Dalai Lama

Tea for one

Its still so cold all I can think of are things that keep me warm.With this painting I tried to tone down the colours to create more serenity,although some subjects benefit from more punchy colours. I have now put the previous two paintings on ebay,the category being acrylic painting and then the title of the painting.

Chilly tomatoes

It is so cold,the cherry tomatoes are trying to warm up next to the chilli.This one was fun to paint,but my biggest challenge is to paint glassware.Maybe in the next few days.

Twos company....

When you first look at an object it all seems one colour,so how do you define its shape? Sometimes with great difficulty.Have I achieved what I set out to do? I think so.

Apple solitaire SOLD



 "Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness" ,I love this quote by George Santayana.I loved painting this apple,art does'nt have to be panoramic scenes or anything spectacular,beauty can be found in the simplest of objects.

The Clem Special SOLD

I have  been posting for two weeks now and I am loving every minute of it.Each painting I do presents its own challenges,but each time I stick it out and finish,I feel I have taken a step up onto the next rung of the ladder.There is always something to learn and something to be grateful for.

Fig revealed SOLD

Figs are one of my favourite fruits and such beautiful colours.All you bloggers out there do you find that you keep wanting to look at the stats every so often to see how many people have been looking.Its so exciting,I hope the novelty does'nt wear off.After all its people that make this whole process of life interesting.We do need each other.

Only room for one

Apples are always a brilliant subject,and always available,remember Cezanne! Having a creative bug in you,I do believe we are born with,but what you do with this compulsion is your choice.I have spent most of my life wanting to paint,the circumstances,lack of confidence,so many issues can get in the way.If you don't find a way round these issues,a way to be selfish and do what you love, you can spend an awful lot of time being downright miserable.I truly feel a weight lifting,at last I am on my creative path.

Tea and a biscuit

I really enjoyed painting this,especially the biscuit,which was'nt as hard as I imagined it would be.Being commited to painting one a day I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration.So far its been easy because I always pick up interesting pieces from charity shops,little jugs,teacups and vases.Its all part of the fun of creating art.

Tea and a doughnut

I found this fantastic retro teacup and saucer in a charity shop in Harpenden.Teacups a simple subject!Don't be fooled.I spent hours trying to get this right,but I did'nt give up.Also I had a wonderful aroma coming off the doughnut,which only made things worse, because out of sheer frustration  it was all I could do not to pick it up and eat it!

Let me lead you to the dance floor

It looks like the apple is very proud to have the flower as its partner.I am so happy to be painting and getting some very positive feedback.The Wardown Art Exhibition is running from 11 December  until 27 February 2011.I hav'nt taken a photo of my entry which is called "storm in a teacup" but if you do live in the area do pop in and have a look.

Blue vase 2

I bought a set of three little vases from a charity shop,this is the second one I've painted.I would say the simplest shapes are the hardest to paint.Capturing the roundness of a vase or teacup for me is a struggle at the moment and yet its what I want to paint the most.I finally got a call from the museum,one out of the two paintings I submitted for the competition has been shortlisted,and it will be part of the exhibition until February.

Clem in Love

This is one I painted last week,todays is proving to be a real struggle.I certainly like to challenge myself but I think its been worth it.I will post it tomorrow.There has'nt been any news from the museum,hopefully they will put me out of my misery tomorrow!

Lunch at the park

I love feeding the birds in the park,especially in winter.Only this time I took my camera with me.I would dearly love to adopt a more loose style of painting,I think this time I have achieved it.Mostly though I'll paint something and then can't resist neatening up the edges.Hopefully the more I paint the more relaxed I will become in my style.

Orchid Tea

I have been biting my nails all day, because I entered myself in our local art competition and should have heard something today!This competition is open to artists in the Herts,Beds and Bucks area so its fairly big and has been running for about seventy years if I'm not mistaken.In fact judging was on Monday so its really quite a long time to wait.Anyway  here is my painting for today,my friends brother very kindly picked this orchid from his greenhouse.Thanks for that.I can't pretend that if I don't get in I won't be disappointed but I will take it on the chin,and keep trying.Painting for the shear pleasure of painting is fabulous anything else is a bonus.

Red Apple on Green

I sat this beautiful red apple on a big cushion I have at home and it just looked so good that I had to paint this composition.So we've seen the first snow this winter.It looks so lovely,but and there is always a but,its horrible when it drags on for days.Everything seems to come to a standstill,even the kids don't bother having snowball fights once the novelty has worn off.I am getting into the swing of painting one a day,with anything you love doing it feels more like play than work.

Clem on bowl 6x6 Acrylic on watercolour paper

This blogging business is'nt as easy as I thought it would be!I managed to let two days slip by without a post.Resolving to paint one a day is indeed quite a commitment.I think I'm back on track now,I finished this last night but it was too late photograph.Actually it feels like I'm talking to myself because as yet the word has to be spread.

Blue Vase 6x6 Acrylic on watercolour paper

This is my second painting on my journey as a daily painter.Giving an image shape and form is not easy.I think painting on a daily basis should certainly help things flow better.

Salt and pepper 6x6 Acrylic on watercolour paper

Hi,this is my painting for today.I am trying to loosen up my style and put a bit of my own creativity into it.This is so exciting,creating a painting a day.I do believe we are put on this earth to learn and this is a life long process.If I can learn on a daily basis to fly through my paintings I will have fulfilled one of my ambitions.