Nevertheless IV

The lillies I bought  eleven days ago are now past their best but still beautiful.
I find with  flowers if you cut the stem really short it makes them last at least four days longer.

Luton Cricket Pavillion

This is where our son spends most Sundays playing cricket or football.It was a crisp early autumn day,the sky was so bright and free of clouds,just perfect for a photo.

Poinsettia 11

My present mood is taking me into  a direction that is opposite to my usual style.I have gotten looser over the last year but its hard to relinquish control normally.With this its more about emotions,I'm letting go of rules and allowing myself to make mistakes ,just to see where it will take me.As artists I don't think we ever stop searching for that perfect interpretation of our inner vision,in the process we find success at the most ,or at the least ,release from this constant need to express ourselves.

Fun

I had fun painting this,I'm not sure if its a success ,I'll leave that for you to decide.Today has been one of those steely grey days with a bite of frost.I felt like bringing some warmth and colour into the day.  : )

Apple and Toaster

This weeks DailyPaintworks challenge is to paint your toaster and reflections.Most of my toaster is white so  I chose to paint the top part.

A Walk in the Park

I painted this from a photo I took in Battersea Park.It was early autumn ,there was a slight chill in the air,the leaves were turning golden.It made me wish I had some plein air painting buddies.

Poinsettia

I buy a poinsettia every year and always try to keep it going for as long as possible,but they don't last very long.I wonder if anyone has any tips on keeping these colourful,festive plants going all year.

We All Have Wings

I'm borrowing a line from a song by Michael Hutchence from the group Inxs.The song is called" Never Tear Us Apart" ,Michael died when he was thirty seven and I think the world lost a huge talent and he is sorely missed.

This painting marks the end of my first year blogging.I've learnt so much and made some wonderful,kind and supportive friends.Before I started the daily paintings I spent more than half my life procrastinating,I did have small bursts of creativity ,but it never lasted.There were always good excuses too,and yet this past year has been filled with road blocks,frightening events and sadness too and yet I have kept on going.If there is something inside you that says paint then you can't ignore it,if you do it will make you miserable,so give in to this need to create,whatever it may be.

"We all have wings,but some of us don't know why." We are the lucky ones ,we know why .Onwards and upwards. : )

Best Shoes

Once again its nearly the end of this weeks challenge on DailyPaintworks.This weeks challenge was to paint shoes and I knew straight away which shoes to paint but because I picked a really difficult subject the trouble was starting it.As with any hard job ,once you start it should get easier .This though was difficult all the way through,and I'm not sure how well I 've done ,but its done.

Tea For Two

This weeks challenge for DailyPaintworks was a crowded cafe scene and I found it particularly hard.The main problem was what to include and what to take out and cropping.Today I was looking through some paintings by Matisse and felt inspired by his style.

Marriage Made in Heaven

 Lightly fry some onions and garlic,add chopped okra and pepper,cook for about five minutes.Season to taste and enjoy on naan bread or any toasted bread.

Unwrapped

These lovely fragrant lemons from Morocco were on sale at our local grocery ,some of them were wrapped in these lovely papers.Trying to paint the texture of paper and the pattern on it was hard but I'm always up for a challenge! : )

Fickle Chili

The chili has now forgotten about the beautiful rose and is enamoured by the baby blue butterfly!!

Walk The Path

"March on.Do not tarry.To go forward is to move toward perfection.March on,and fear not the thorns,or the sharp stones on lifes path."
 Khalil Gibran

Butterfly and Clementine

Yesterday I went to the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park with a friend.It was a last minute dash to London ,we had'nt made any plans to go anywhere but I realised it was the last day and I wanted to see what kind of art is popular.It was a real eye opener,because despite the recession art was flying out of the doors.There was some amazing paintings,I did find that there was a trend towards contemporary art.All in all it was a great day ,the only downer was the journey as alot of the underground was shut and buses are so slow in comparison.

The butterfly is a set of feathered ones I bought to add to flower displays.

(Red Onion) The Awakening

I've been thinking of all sorts of titles for this onion...split personality,buy one get one free....In the end I thought I would keep it simple unless anyone has any better ideas??

Common but Uncommon

I think most artists appreciate how beautiful peppers are.They are so common,available all year round and yet they are uncommonly beautiful. I have strived to capture the beauty of this pepper ,I had fun trying and of course my favourite dish too.

Yesterday I was peeved at not finding time to paint,I felt like throwing all my toys out of the pram !
Most people though have incredibly busy lives and can't find time to paint regularly,and each time there's a gap its harder to get back into it again.So I say" Bravo" to all those artists out there who do go back to painting after days,weeks or even months away from the easel.

Autumn Hydrangea

A couple of years ago the kids gave me a small hydrangea plant,its now a gorgeous large bush and has been happily blooming all summer in my front garden.Recently the colours have been changing and it looks even more interesting.

"Now Autumn's fire burns slowly along the woods and day by day the leaves fall and melt."

William Allingham.

Strawberry Split

I bought these strawberries yesterday from the supermarket,they just looked so good I could'nt pass this opportunity up to paint them.This dish is something I picked up from a charity shop last winter but the pattern looked so difficult I put off using it.It proved quite  a challenge but thats what you need sometimes,to keep pushing yourself.

Grove Farm Sunflower

For this weeks DPW challenge we have to paint something autumnal using a bright ground colour and allow some of it to show through,I painted a magenta ground . I did my "relax and and let the painting emerge" and I must say I have alot more fun doing it this way.Not worrying too much and just having fun,with some music in the background....Brian Ferry "More than this."

This weeks challenge was set by Ann Feldman.