Autumn Leaves in jug - November 2019 I studied oil painting many years ago as a part of my fine art degree, but I got sidelined by having a family, working as a graphic designer, having a wedding invitation company, teaching and being a lettering artist. Moving to the UK from South Africa entrenched me further in staying with a secure form of income in a familiar territory. I have just completed an intensive year of studying oil painting with Martin Kinnear, a recent award winner of the … [Read more...]
Reflections – My year in paintings 2016: part 2
Each year I do a whistle-stop-tour of my entire creative oeuvre. This is for my records really, but blogging it files it neatly and gives me a chance to share. Part 1 is devoted to my 'daily paintings' which ended up being more like 3-day paintings. Here are the big vases that I started out with, lost my way on No.4 and came back to in December with something quite different. Looking at them now I can see what happened. I had an idea that I wanted to express - a concept of a large beautiful … [Read more...]
Daily paintings at work – 6 x 6 canvasses
I first came across the daily painting artwork as a sort of 'movement' earlier this year and thought 'Yes, this is IT'. I quite often try to discipline myself in this sort of way - I did a drawing a day for three months last year. I was also very inspired by Lisa Daria Kennedy who has done a daily painting for 5 years, getting up at 5am, even on Christmas day. I think that for her it is a sort of meditation and although this talented artist paints from observation, her 2600 daily … [Read more...]
The Long Journey
I have now been painting in oils since February 2016, for 8 months after a very long break with just one painting in 2010 since 1975. My mother (aged 87) had asked me to finish one she had started and I did so, then later gave it to the hospital in Dorchester, Dorset; for the visitor's room. She passed away two weeks after her request. I suspected at the time that she was really only trying to get me back into oils as I had not painting in oils since my fine art degree in 1975! In January … [Read more...]
Lone Tree near Wittenham Clumps
Here is my most recent watercolour study of skies, painted in Dorchester on the day I photographed the lone tree in the large oil painting below. I took some photos of the lone tree and dropped the family off (husband Dave and grandchildren) to walk over the Wittenham Clumps to Dorchester. I drove around the long way and did most of this little cloud-study while waiting for them, and finished it at home. Of course, we all had the famous Dorchester Abbey tea. You sit around a large table amongst … [Read more...]