Tomatoes in progress - on the computer

I am only just beginning to realise how useful a programme like 'paint' can be. I never could get on top of Coreldraw or Corelpaint , and don't have them on the computer any more.
But with the simple paint programme, I could draw in a missing tomato, some stripes, some shading. Magic. Some copy and paste .. it is fun!
I also realise the colour pick tool is great for assessing a shade or tone. If you have never done this... try selecting the colour of your teeth in a photograph ... across the whole smile. It is a revelation! And enough to send me to the dentist for whitening treatment.

Garlic, stripes and geraniums

Here are some oil sketches I have been working on with a limited palette and smallish canvases. I've been trying to loosen up and improve the immediacy of my painting and colour choices.I've also chosen a dark background(burnt umber and ultramarine blue), which is a change for me. I think it adds a bit of drama. The photos were taken on a dark and stormy afternoon, and are very subdued and a bit fuzzy, but they are not too far off what the paintings look like.
I may put these on a fund-raising show later in the year, as they want some small and saleable pieces. Garlic? Hmmm ...... not everyone's cup of tea.

Stripey purple WA garlic, with geraniums and an edge of my much-loved old striped linen jacket (I'd wear it but for the 80's shoulder pads.... not a good look! I painted this sitting down. Only when I finally stood back did I realise how my composition had bunched into my line-of sight, leaving a big dark void above. I think the stripes balance this out a bit. Standing to paint suits me much better.
More purple garlic cloves on an ochre board, that gives a sort of sulphurous air, I think.

This one is still very much in progress... vine-ripened tomatoes and a basket, in which I will put more tomatoes. I put in the dark background after painting the fruit, and it certainly changed the feeling. Obviously the light coming through the weave will have to change. But there may be more stripes.

A trip to Langkawi Island

I was lucky enough to go with my husband to a conference at the weekend on the beautiful island of Langkawi, in Malaysia.

I have done so little sketching and painting of late, I felt very hesitant with pen and aquabrush, but got as far as recording the view from our room on one of those Daler-Rowney watercolour postcards. I may send it to our hosts to thank them .. or try a few in colour first, perhaps.

Dante Gabriel Rosetti painted this wonderful image of Proserpine or Persephone. Thanks to A brush with colour, who kindly supplied the artist's name.

I am not sure how the image posted yesterday is related.

I am sorry I have forgotten how to make all the right links.

Persephone

Thanks to Laura, I had an interesting time reading on the net about Persephone, and I found this wonderful image of her (artist not acknowledged... pre Raphaelite? Anyone know?). She is clutching the pomegranate offered to her by her husband and uncle, Hades (who was foisted upon her by her father, Zeus),and of which she ate just 7 seeds. Having tasted the fruit, she was bonded to spend part of each year in the underworld with Hades. Her mother Demeter, Greek goddess of the abundant harvest mourned her absence each year by withdrawing her favours from the Earth. Hence winter. With Persephone's return from her marital and underworld duties, Demeter restored growth and fertility in Spring.
"In Greek mythology Persephone, goddess of the soul, is the possessor of its dark and frightening wisdom. But the goddess Persephone is also the harbinger of spring . . . and a reminder of all the growth and hope that it brings. "
Interesting parallels with Eve? Without the concept of sin... the polytheist vs the monotheist approach? I find it all very interesting, and love the stories.

Pomegranates again

Hello blogging world. I have been absent from my page for quite a while.

I left thinking about pomegranates, and my thoughts return to them now, with a little story!Well it might ramble on a bit...

A few years ago, I asked a painting group if anyone knew where I could find a pomegranate to paint. Lovely and talented Liz turned up the next week with two beautiful, ripe pieces of the fruit . She had visited her sister in the town of Dwellingup at the weekend, to find her tree full of pomegranates, and kindly thought of me.

I was touched by her kindness, but also by the thought that Dwellingup is a pretty little forest town in Western Australia, which was almost completely destroyed by fire, over 20 years ago .

The fruit seemed to me a symbol of resurgeance and new life.

I think I am right in recalling that Liz's sister's family had experienced the whole trauma. Recent fires have devastated similar towns in the state of Victoria, on the other side of the country. Far worse as so many lives were lost. WA has been less affected of late, and I am sure our preventative burning of fire breaks is the reason. Greenies, beware of what you wish for!

Anyway, back to the pomegranates!

I painted them in oils.

This hangs in our dining room , with some quince and fig paintings, each 12" X 16".......................................................

Then we ate them.

But I kept some seeds to plant.

They grew into tough, thorny little bushes.

I had bought two cast iron urns for my husband's birthday, which got so hot and dry in the sun, that almost nothing would survive in them.
But I thought of the pomegranate that survives in the desert and is in so many Middle Eastern recipes.

Two bushes went into the urns, where they have done really well, and after a couple of years there, have started producing fruit.

I have almost killed them a few times, when they have been deprived of water while we have been away,but they keep coming back. One is being nursed back AGAIN as I write, so I thought I must photograph the other for posterity, just in case. My husband just ate the biggest pomegranate!

I have every intention of painting the daughter fruit, and hopefully growing grandbaby pomegranate trees for the Dwellingup parent.

My photo shows a very sparse lookng plant. The leaves are small, and it has lost quite a lot in our recent absence, but looks better in real life.

Excuse the messy area.. ahem... that is where I should be at work, not on the computer.

The dog is Harrison, licking his lips. He probably would eat the pomegranates, as he has just consumed our pretty crab apples, green tomatoes on the bushes, and is eyeing the ripening passion fruit..

Pomegranate - a quick one

I have been long lost in admiration for people like Julian Merrow-Smith whose wonderful archive of his daily painting of daily delights in Provence is testament to his talent and discipline.
In that spirit, I thought to do the occasional very fast oil painting of simple subjects that appeal to me... minimal tweaking and overpainting... an effort to get a fresher result, and to learn to 'see' better, first go.
I doubt I will ever be able to do a painting a day!
I prepared a dark background ..another new experience.. I am never that organised.... and found that to be very helpful and satisfying. In this little painting ...10"X 12", on linen, I am happiest with the plate. And guess what? It was the only bit truly painted without further tweaks. Lesson to self.
Barack Obama is about to make his victory speech (Wednesday2pm our time). My prayers and best wishes go to all my American family and friends for this new era in your wonderful country.

Sunflowers for Kate

We had some lovely friends from England, (now living in France, lucky things) to stay last week.

We were not the best of hosts. One crook back (P) and a weird lurgy (me) were unwelcome visitors at the same time. But it's always a spur to get out and about, and show off our lovely, very different part of the world. I wanted to show Meg the Fremantle Arts Centre which is a great resource for learning, teaching, exhibiting and community events, housed in a magnificent and historic limestone building.

In the bad old days, it was used as a lunatic asylum for women. You could be incarcerated there for the slightest of reasons, menopausal, PMT-related, perhaps - your husband / doctor just had to write a convincing enough letter. There is misery in those walls!
But today it is a thriving and happy place.

I took some photos of a little display of those whizzy-dizzy mobiles-on-sticks, planted into a little garden. They were made from old plastic water bottles, and looked so amazing, whirring around in the breeze.

This is what the accompanying sign says.

"Sunflowers painted by students of Fremantle Primary School.
Mobiles made using recycled materials by Michael Alvares.This project celebrates the 30th anniversary of the gift of 43 artworks by Kathleen O’Connor to Fremantle by the artist’s family in 1978"
Cathy Gatland was doing something with children in her church, using these mobiles, and I hope she'll enjoy the images.

VSD for October A Trio of Pears

A trio of pears: I think they might call them that in a restaurant.
I was not going to enter a sketch this month, having had a week inconducive to creativity, but hey! - a lazy wettish Saturday afternoon, a lovely photo of three pears with interesting shadows and suddenly I am on a mission.
Thank you Belinda (aha, see my linking skill!) for the irresistible subject.
Mine is watercolour, 12"X9", on Arches rough 100%cotton 140lb.

Linking

Thanks, Cathy, I think I have got it. Never looked at those symbols before.
I will try.
My sister Cathy is a fabulously talented artist. Everyone should see her work.
Gillian leads a busy life with her young family and hardly ever picks up a pencil. When she does, she knocks your socks off.
Oh this is easy.
I owe links to lots of people... especially Claudia and Kari and Laura.
Now I will link away with the best of you.
Cartwheels!

Cobweb in the leaves

Laura has had to say goodbye to her old cat.
Thinking of her put me in mind of cats we have known and loved, and who have graced us with their presence.
Cobweb was a pretty calico cat who loved to sleep in a pile of dry leaves, where she was well camouflaged, and from which she would emerge smelling all sweet and leafy.
She was our eldest son's 12th birthday present, and, gratifyingly, always loved him the best, tolerating the rest of us, probably because of our competence with a can opener.
I did this painting of her for our son.

Tagged and mystified

Great Scott! I have been tagged by a Scot!
Thank you to Claudia Massie, (http://www.blogger.com/profile/12668693477996054929)a very talented young artist, whose blog everyone should visit, as her Scottish landscapes are throat-catchingly sublime, (and often brrrrrr). I am honoured to be nominated by Claudia, but a very poor choice as I still can't work out these links.
When I "copy shortcut" to her blog (and some but not all others), instead of her name, up comes a long blogger number. Can anyone help? How do I just get the name to highlight and link back to her? GPH you gave me some steps earlier, but I can't find them, and I don't have my children here to lead their poor old mum through the techno fog. Also , if I put in say Matisse, how do I get this to link to Matisse-world out there?

Anyway, having been tagged, I am obliged to follow the 'tagging' rules, namely:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

OK here are 7 facts. This is very difficult. Easy to find 7 facts about husband, children, grandchildren, incredibly talented nieces and nephews, similar dogs, but moi ? Oh no!
1. My best ever dancing partner was our last dog.
2.As a kid I could have lived on peanut butter and golden syrup, spread thickly in just the right proportion on bread (no butter). Would love to indulge now, but the waistline forbids it.
3.Favourite artist varies, probably Matisse or Diebenkorn (this week).
4. Currently reading Julian Barnes "Nothing To Be Frightened Of" ... his amusing musings on death, which sounds macabre, but does not reflect a problem here .. except I like J Barnes .
5. I do not always follow the rules.
6. I can really hold a grudge.
7.When I travel I seem to come home with lots of photographs of trees.

Weird enough?
Now for 7 poor people to tag on.
I don't think I will do this (see fact number 5.)
But please do refer to my rather short blog list for some I admire , as well as http://shiftinglight.com/archive.php

I have been working away on this, and it has changed a few times ... whizzing round the colour wheel a bit while I try to remember and find the warm golden light and lavender shadows of Vichy! The lawns were certainly not so lush and green! There are still lots of rough bits... lady's left hand and duster, bags, bike, etc., but I am 'over' it for now. I always wanted it to be 'broad brush', so should not have to tweak detail, but I am SO inconsistent, so the background is more fiddly than it should be, if the faces are not described!
Overall, I have to say I like the jolly nature of the scene, though it is a bit of a caricature.
I like stripes very much, and a grid, and am pleased to have incorporated these.
I THINK I have achieved a bit of a triangular composition, though the apex could be better emphasised (I want it above the red head). And I think the white bits provide a bit of dance and movement.

3 blue bottles

Cathy G put a great image of 2 blue bottles on her website, and I thought they had a certain queasiness about them.

So I could not resist trying to paint one of the many stinging coelenterate 'bluebottles' washed up on the beach at the weekend. I brought one up to the house in a bag full of sand, as I didn't want to be stung ... the main stinging tentacle is some feet long! I put it to wash in fresh water with salt, where it immediately shed a huge quantity of blue stuff. It was already dead, I'm sure.

Not in great health anyway, because after trying a couple of watercolour portraits, it smelt so bad I had to go and pop it and bury it!

For the sake of the record, but not posterity, here's a photo of my terribly bad efforts, and the model. Not such a great idea after all!

Virtual Sketch Date for September Tree Peony

Well here is my effort for the September VSD. It's a bit of a quick one, just for fun; I think I will feel rather embarrassed when I see everyone else's magnificent watercolours, pencil drawings and other creative works.
When I saw the photo, I somehow could not get past the idea of an Art Deco effect, with just the three colours (pink, 2 greens, and black and white. So I've reduced it to fairly geometric elements.
I was thinking enamel, (plastic/metal/glass/ a piece of jewellery perhaps).
In my sketch, I used oil pastels to get the colours I wanted, on fairly rough paper, which means I do not have quite as clean an edge as I'd like. Anyway, here it is - rather rough and ready!


It's Saturday here, though quite early in the morning. I've posted my VSD attempt now, as we may go down to our beach house at Yallingup for the rest of this long weekend, if we can get organised. It's a beautiful spot, in the SW of WA, near the famous Margaret River wineries, and with stunning forests and coastline. It's been hard to get there at all this yearand now is a lovely time, especially as spring wildflowers are still in bloom, and there is a good chance of seeing migrating whales close by. A 3 hour drive makes it a bit of an expedition , but it's always worth it.
35 years married on Monday!

Some paintings revisited

While my current painting was out of the house, I did not want to start anything new, so I went back to a couple of unfinished oils.
The first one , the view from friend, Jean's studio was a still life in which I was using Ray Crook's work as teaching aid and inspiration. (I still can't do that link thing. ) I was pleased with the fruit and the fact that I resisted the urge to paint more into the flowers. I had made the container ship on the ocean far too prominent, and have knocked it back here. So I think this one is done.
I started the other one ages and ages ago, after a visit to Vichy, where I enjoyed watching the boules players in the Parc aux Sources. I've just got back into it, revisiting the building behind. I have to make those shadows on the ground less woozy. It looks as if they're playing on a very wavy woozy surface! I am rather fond of the man in the bumble bee stripes, and the bandy-legged lady.

Nasturtiums again

I am much happier with this second composition. My friend Jill gave me this wonderful hand made glass work, with its amber colour and bright red rings. It is similar in shape to Matisse's vase (in my last post), so makes a happy container for the trailing stems of nasturtium. I like the repetition of the elliptical form as well as that of colour. I put in a blue sky and the ochre of the wall, to reflect Matisse's palette.

My Nasturtiums

I love nasturtiums! Apart from anything else they always remind me of the joy of Matisse's paintings.They grow wild in my garden .. more leaves than flowers, it must be said. Our neat neighbour hates them, as they are so 'messy'(and wild), but I just love how they wind their bright way through and over everything that looks better smothered, and rather a lot that doesn't. But the time always comes when they must be 'thinned out'. Inevitably the piece I pull belongs to a rope several metres long, and suddenly the show is over.

So I put some pieces in a vase, and there they carry on their busy-ness, bending and twisting this way and that. Watercolour magnet; awfully difficult. Everytime I come back they've all shifted position. So here is a very busy, over worked and unsatisfactory vase of nasturtiums.I should not have put in the ochre wall behind. Especially as I left out the lovely bright window in it! I might try again. This was a bit ambitious anyway.

I must say that for once the painting is brighter than the reproduction I think. Why?

I've been adding to it this worrisome weekend, while Ketchup Sketchup sister Gillian sits out Hurricane Ike near Houston. Have had news that they are fine ..lost just a fence, and power, of course, which will mean days of heat, humidity and mozzies. But they're OK!

Matisse's Nasturtiums

Ah well.

Black parrot tulips in progress

I've been working on this oil painting for weeks now, but really only once a week, mostly. The light is bouncing around a bit in the photo, and the canvas is on a bit of an angle on the easel.
It's getting there! I think I need to work more on the leaves. I have been increasing their complexity, improving them from first efforts. I'd like to keep the darks as much as possible. The background is slightly greener than this image shows (just terre verte and white). I think I will use a transparent dark brown glaze over most of it once I feel happy with it. It's 4'X4' ... large for me, but I have found that fun and quite liberating, as little details don't matter so much.
I'd appreciate criticism!

No time to Paint

I'm longing to do some painting again, and I will. Just seem to have a few things that have got on top of me... mainly the garden, which is rather out of hand, so I've been hacking and dragging and pulling and getting scratched for what feels like ages. I hope it counts as exercise, as I am pooped!It feels like a good project while PKRP's away, and I did have some help on Thursday from a lovely man called Tony, who will return next week. Thank goodness!! It all seems very urgent at this time of year, when things are gearing up for growth, and before it gets too hot and dry to be bothered.

I just took the dogs for a walk, and would have loved to be painting, though they would never allow it.Nice to be out with them both again, as No1 dog has recovered from her surgery. The Swan River flows past the bottom of our street and there is a most lovely walk beneath limestone cliffs, along the river's edge. The spring flowers are wonderful. Lots of native plants ... quite dark and sclerophyllous through the year, but the new green growth at the branch tips is like little green lights . And the flowers! Some have the sweetest honey smell. The 'wattle'(acacia) is covered in yellow puff balls, and white freesias have gone crazy to form a heavily perfumed ground cover along the banks. To add to the delight, a resident pair of Ospreys, whose nest sits in a dead eucalypt almost overhanging the river, have successfully raised this year's youngster ... a big, rather dopey looking fluffy creature, sitting waiting for dinner alongside a sleeker, smaller looking parent. Such fun.