FUR COATS - WHY ? WHY? WHY?

WHY? WHY? WHY? do people still wear animal fur collars, on their boots, hats, gloves etc.  There are the most amazing artificial furs on the market . I admire one of our German designers Guido Maria Kretchmer who never uses animal fur in his beautiful creations.  He is adamantly against the slaughter of animals for purely vanity purposes.

Here are one or two animals I have painted who deserve to keep their fur on!!!

These are acrylic paintings and here are a few tips for painting animals.

   Try to do the background first and always integrate the hair into the 
   background so that the animal does not look cut out and pasted.

   In my opinion I feel one should give the background at least a semblance 
   of the environment in which the animal lives.

   The eyes are the most important of all.  The reveal the soul and character 
   of the subject.   


I WOULD APPEAL TO YOU TO PAINT FUR - DON'T WEAR IT.

GAY FRIEND

A girl needs a gay friend.  Most of my life since being a teenager, I have had a gay male friend. The first was when I was seventeen.  His name was Lukas and he came from a very conservative background.  He was an apprentice hairdresser.  I remember when he 'came out', the despair and pain he suffered when his family completely rejected him. Today he has several salons and although he never reconciled with his Dad, he and his Mum and two siblings are a very close family unit.

A gay friend is one who is always there for you through disappoínting love affairs, shopping sprees (always honest) and someone with whom to share a good weepy romantic film. 

I still have gay friends but they are far away.  Well I now have several new ones.  Who would have thought that I would enjoy their friendship in Luxembourg and Bavaria.  Lucky me.

My husband and I are of the opinion that tolerance and acceptance are absolute criteria in a world so full of hatred and bias.  

Keep smiling and don't forget to give someone a good hug today.

POLE DANCING

Today is misty and chilly and a good day for painting and drawing.  I had just done this pen and wash in my sketchbook a day or two ago and thought it would give you a little giggle.  I am enjoying thinking up captions for my sketches - always with some humour. 

 Our world is so full of brutality, hatred, racialism and everything that causes one to feel helpless and depressed. We cannot change the wider world but we can change the little world around us. The way I can change things is by buying fewer plastic bags.  How about getting a cotton one and decorating it yourself with fabric paints.  Nice way to get your artwork noticed too!! 
I also feel that many elderly folk are lonely and neglected often by their own families.  A visit of maybe half an hour a month could make all the difference to that loneliness. 

We are such a 'throw-away' society.  Do we really have to own the latest model of everything?  My mobile phone is several years old and does the job just fine thank you!!  

It saddens me to see young people with eyes glued to their tablets and i-phones etc, ears plugged and fingers constantly in motion. They are missing the sound of birds, the ocean, the wind through the trees, a glorious sunset,  animals, plants and flowers and sometimes even the sound of each other's voices.

How can we as artists help.  How about the possiblity of giving a few free lessons to the kids in your neighbourhood.  Take them out into a park and dish out some free paper, a few markers or watercolours and let them enjoy a little of the nature to be found around them.

PUFFIN ISLAND - (with fond memories of reading Enid Blyton books)

When I was a little girl, I was a total Enid Blyton fan.  I lived vicariously all the adventures of the Famous Five and Secret Seven.   The story of a mystery on Puffin Island was my favourite.  The puffins were the most delightfully colourful and funny creatures.  I longed to see one.  Eventually I did. It was on a trip to the far north of Scotland.  I was totally enamoured and still am.  There was an interesting article about these birds in the National Geographic and I soaked up all the information with much interest.  The puffins depart in winter and nobody knows where they go.  They are excellent at flying with a large wingspan and are also extremely proficient at diving.

This diptych is my tribute to these birds.  It is the second of two fairly large works.  The first just did not work out and is now covered in a mix of teracotta and gesso giving it a nice soft pinky look as a base colour for my next painting.

A tip when painting these large works is, get the sky in first.  It sets the scene for the light and ambience of the entire work.

Hope you enjoy it.

PEN AND WASH SKETCH

As you can see, I love doing sketches in pen and wash.  This is the ideal medium for my journal and sketch book.  A small watercolour travelling set, one or two waterproof pens in sepia and black and one or two watersoluble pens, a brushpen, watercolour brush and my sketchbook and there you go.

We often have challenges in the Animal and Wildlife forum and this month, this sleepy bear took my fancy.  I was rather short of time as I am getting ready for an exhibition in early November.  However, taking a break from my canvas and paints did me a lot of good. It was back to the old pen and wash and this was the result.

It is pouring with rain here in Bavaria and snow is falling on the mountains. There is no temptation to go out of doors and take a ride on my bicycle to visit the Chinese Running Ducks and the Highland cattle nearby.  It is a good time to get down to good hard work on my easel.

 

FRANCE IS SO BEAUTIFUL

I have just returned from a short holiday in France.  Not far from Bordeaux lies the lovely Biscarrosse area.  We were lucky enough to have  charming bed and breakfast accommodation.  Marie-Hélène and Eric were the wonderful owners . Nothing was too much trouble and breakfast was delicious - warm bread, home-made cakes and aromatic coffee.  They were a mine of information and we walked many kilometres along pristine beaches, visited an enormous sand dune and enjoyed watching the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean.

The highlight was the Teich Bird Sanctuary.  It was nature in its purist sense with hides tucked away amidst natural vegetation.  We spent hours watching the birds - spoonbills, cormorants and stunning white herons, amongst others. This painting was inspired by my visit to this area.

SKETCHING ON HOLIDAY

I am never without my sketch book when I am away on holiday.  Sometimes, I just do not have the time to open it but it is there just in case!!!   I really get upset with myself because this is just a mundane excuse.  Of course there is time.  It only takes five minutes for a sketch.

I am going on holiday to France next Friday and will be in a huge nature conservation area.  Arriving at Bordeaux Airport and then finding one's way through traffic jams is apparently on the agenda.  We will survive!  The destination will be worth it.

Getting back to sketching.  If there is one thing I loathe, it is having an audience.   I tend to shut my book, stare fixedly into space until the intruders leave.  This is crazy.  There will always be the odd spectator. One thing I have discovered is that there are more people out there who do not , who cannot draw and have the utmost admiration for those that do.  Whilst sketching on the island of Crete, I was so absorbed that I hadn't been aware that a couple were watching my every line.  As I began to add watercolour to the sketch, I suddenly became aware of them.  I was about to shut the book in my usual way, when the man asked if he could buy the sketch as he really liked it.

Wow, what a compliment.  It gave me a lot more confidence and although I wasn't prepared to sell the sketch, we got chatting.  I gave them my card as they were interested in buying a painting of exactly that scene on Crete.  Unfortunately , other things took precedence and I never got around to painting a larger version of my sketch.

Good places to sketch are cafés and bars, particularly if you can find a nice secluded corner table with your back to the wall.  Another favourite of mine is a sea wall or rock.  You might get the odd really curious person but folk tend to leave you alone if they can't get behind you to look over your shoulder.  

 I am going to share with you one or two of my sketches of Crete.  Please take your sketchbooks with you wherever you go.  Sketching has a profound effect on your painting.  Perspective,  colour, everything improves the more you sketch.  Photographs are a great help but there is nothing like a sketch to indelibly imprint an image in your memory.

                        You can click on the images to enlarge them.

A LOVELY PLACE FOR PAINTING

I went for a nice long ride on my bicycle.  The Algäu (Bavaria) where I live has the most wonderful cycle paths.  I decided to go wherever the bike took me.  One of the loveliest, peaceful places was this small monument.  I spent some time just sketching and enjoying the absolute quiet - just me and the fields and the wind.   It restored my soul. I had been feeling restless and over-extended.  I felt renewed and full of creativity again.  This painting was done of my special place.

I always enjoy my acrylics. They are so forgiving. Make a mistake and you can cover it up with gesso.  I always start with a value sketch, making sure the composition is right - no telephone poles cutting my painting in two!!!! One tends to want to put everything into the painting. My new motto is 'cut out the unnecessary detail'.  It is hard as I am an animal painter and tend to paint in every hair .  I am also setting myself time limits for my work and that helps a lot.  

Everyone seems to want to paint loosely and the in-word is 'painterly'.  However, I have great respect for the amazing realism that some artists manage to produce.  It takes a great deal of concentration , a keen sense of colour and immense technical skills to produce such amazing creations.  

There is no correct way to paint as long as you know the basics, understanding colour, composition and have a little talent.  So, whether you like to paint realism, impressionism or any other 'ism', just enjoy yourself and it will show.

CYCLING ALONG THE RHINE AND NECKAR RIVERS IN GERMANY

I have just returned from a wonderful cycle tour along the Rhine and Neckar Rivers in Germany.  Sleeping on board a simple but charming ship called the 'Patria' meant not worrying about dragging luggage along on the bikes.

The Patria was a joy.  The crew and captain became almost like family members. This is a second trip on this ship so we already knew them pretty well.  
 
300 kilometres in a week was not all that strenuous but at times , the area particularly along the Rhine was rather industrialised and crowded with traffic and tourists.  However, there were compensations with lovely vineyards sweeping down steep slopes towards the river.   Ancient castles stood like sentries on the high hills.  Reading some of the gruesome tales surrounding these fortresses, gave them a creepy sense of foreboding.

We were fortunate with the weather - There were just a few drops of rain during the day.  We had some heavy rain at night. There was a slight scare that the ship might not be able to navigate the Neckar River due to high water but fortunately the water level dropped.  The Neckar is a very unpredictable river and flooding is a serious problem.

Here are one or two photos and a sketch from my sketchbook.  There was little time for sketching but soon I will be going to France for ten days and hopefully my sketch book will see more action.

 

REMEMBERING THE KALAHARI GEMSBOK PARK

I have visited the Kalahari Gemsbok Park on two occasions both of which were fantastic.  As you drive along the river beds, there is a flash of colour and suddenly a Lilac-breasted Roller bird appears. Under a tree are two lions recovering from a heavy meal.  Further along there is a sight I shall never forget.   A leopard had killed a cheetah and hung it from a tree branch. Three young cheetahs were peering from behind a small hill looking for their mother. It was incredibly sad and sometimes the cruelty of nature is more than my sensibilities can cope with.

At night the black-backed Jackals creep around the campsite hunting for scaps.  They are shy and nervous.

When there is a short spell of rain, the park takes on a new cloak of green grass and wild flowers pop up from nowhere.  

A sandstorm is not a pleasant experience.  Within minutes one is surround by a red haze and visibility is non-existent.

Here are two paintings I have done of this park . Hope you like them.

Click on an image for a larger version.

SHOW YOUR WORK ON SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS

I have been busy the last week showing my work on several forums.  I belong to one here in Germany called Mygall which has a lot to offer German artists.
The others are Wetcanvas (really worth joining as a member).  It costs nothing just a little discipline and commitment.  Painters Online is the other - also a worthwhile forum.  Take a look and see what you think.  Any questions you might have, please feel free to ask.  I would be happy to help.  I love to see artists showing their work instead of shoving everything into boxes or the cellar.  Who knows, you might find buyers.

I am still busy with a painting which is rather large.  I have changed it once or twice but am now finding my way and am happy with what is happening.

Happy painting.  Enjoy the process. 

WHEN A PAINTING COMES TOGETHER

I haven't been blogging for a few days.  The reason, I have been painting!!
Sometimes I do my pre-painting sketches and mull over which composition I prefer, whether the tones are okay, etc. etc.  It is a process that drives me a little nutty. Why?  Simply because, I am putting off the actual painting process.  I am sticking in my comfort zone, sketching, popping things into my journal, looking up references and to be honest, PROCRASTINATING!!

Well, I decided to set myself a time limit for this painting.  I had a good idea of what I wanted - tried mixing a few colours on scrap paper, did one preliminary sketch and simply got stuck into the painting.  It flowed from my brush - the colours worked, the brush strokes were free and exciting.  I enjoyed every moment of this work.  At the end I was satisfied , a feeling that is definitely rare in my life.  

I have learned a valuable lesson which I would like to share with you.  Set yourself a time limit and start painting.  You would be amazed at the freedom this gives you.  You don't have time for fiddling and correcting.  So what if it isn't perfect.  You will have enjoyed the process, I promise you and maybe a pleasant surprise at the finish.

Have fun painting.

 

   

                                               FLAMINGO VLEI

ENDANGERED WILDLIFE

I have been thinking so much about Endangered Wildlife today.  I have just posted one or two of my paintings on Wetcanvas relating to the subject.  I don't want to go into the horrors  carried out on these wonderful animals.  I think we are bombarded with so many photos and television documentaries showing graphically these atrocities.  It almost makes us immune to the pain caused.  I believe this immunity stems from a natural protective instinct by  our brains to preseve us from the agony .

For this reason, I would like to present to you the beauty rather than the horror , so here are some of my paintings for you to enjoy.  Perhaps these will encourage you to explore the  wonderful world of Wildlife.

These are just a few and if there are any of you out there who would like to share your experiences in the world of wildlife,  I would love to hear from you.

WORLD CUP BRAZIL

I am still busy with my sketches of characters both on and off the field.  Tomorrow night all Germany will be celebrating or mourning.  I hope it will be the former because watching dozens of men in our community walking about with faces down to their Lederhosen, is not a pleasant thought.

GOOD LUCK GERMANY

ONLY GOD CAN MAKE A TREE

When I was a small child, my grandmother would play this song on her piano. It was my grandfather's favourite poem.  He loved trees and his farm reflected that love in the beautiful willow trees he planted along the river.  

I loved those trees and would spend hours reading beneath their drooping boughs.  When it was hot, my cousin and I would use the branches to swing from one side of the river to the other our legs dragging along in the cool water. 

On a recent bicycle trip around the lovely Bodensee in Bavaria, I was enchanted by this old willow.  It reminded me of my childhood and I had to put both poem and sketch in my journal.  Lovely to share that with you.

 TIP :  It's a good idea to sketch trees in winter where one can see the
           underlying structure more easily. 

TIP FOR THE DAY

Today we have a rainy day with short bursts of sunshine.  I know as artists that being stuck inside means checking out reference sketches or photos or maybe painting a still life.

Why not try something new.  I used masking tape and taped a landscape format with it on my sitting room window. You can use a portrait format, square, long , even a round porthole - anything you like ! I now had a view through this window of the roofs above our village .  You can either sketch your own particular view freehand or tape a piece of paper over your masking tape window and trace what you see.  The light shining through your paper will make the outline easy to follow. 

Then , just to make things more interesting, paint everything you see through your 'window' in its opposite colour on the colour wheel - in other words, its complement.  

Hope you give it a go and have fun.

BRAZIL IN TEARS

I have never really been interested in Soccer or football as it is called here in Germany.  

I grew up in a sports crazy family.  Both my parents were excellent tennis players, my Dad played soccer for his province and swimming was a daily joy for the family.  Being typically South African, rugby and cricket and tennis were our favourite spectator sports.  The only one who ever watched the soccer was my Dad. 

Whoever would have believed that I would be sitting in front of a television set at 10 pm and watching the Germans and Brazilians play each other.  Granted, it is the World Cup!!  What a game it was!  A totally bizarre semi-final , to put it mildly.  The first goal was fun and so was the second and I yelled my head off in delight at the 2 - 0 lead of the German team.  By the time they had kicked the 7th goal, I was feeling desperately sorry for Brazil and hoping they would at least get one goal (which they did - thank goodness).

Which brings me to the point of my next Art Escapade.  I have decided to push the boundaries and today I will be filling my journal with the faces of defeat and victory.  The emotions of the players and the spectators reflect the intensity that they feel about this World Cup.  I will attempt with line and wash to capture some of these expressions.  Wish me luck. 

Watch this space.

Hope you are all having a good day. Take care.

APOLLO - A DREAM OF A GUY!

Apollo was the son of Zeus (ruler of all the Olympian gods) and Leto (one of a number of the fleeting love affairs of Zeus).  Between them they produced Apollo and his twin brother.  

Apollo was the epitomy of masculine beauty.  His perfect body, longish curly hair and probably 'bedroom' eyes made him irresistable.  He also had other attributes besides the physical.  He could make beautiful music, was a master archer, never ever told even a tiny white lie.   Naturally, he was in charge of the sun and drove it daily across the sky.  His healing gifts were renowned and what more could a girl want;  his animal was the gentle , lovely Dolphin(sigh!).

He was a really catch and had numerous love affairs, all completely above board, of course.  Remember he was honesty personified!!!

Here he is, this paragon of virtue in all his glory!

                                                                   The 'wow' factor!

Now for my Apollo......I was nine or ten years old, an avid reader of the 
Children's Encyclopaedia.  No doubt I had a crush on the delectable Apollo and thus a pet slug was named after him.  Whatever entered my childish fantasies in adopting a slimy slug is incomprehensible to me today.  It was probably a moment of rebellion against my mother (who loathed slugs).  It might also have been a rescue operation when the slug was about to be fed to the neighbour's pet duck.  Whatever the reason, Apollo Slug ended up living on the top of a water drum where he dined copiously on lettuce snitched from my mother's garden.  He disappeared mysteriously a week or so later and the family dealt with my period of mourning with insincere sympathy.

                                                    He does have rather nice markings!!

TIP FOR THE DAY  Remember some of the things that made up your childhood, sad, happy, fun, adventurous, a special pet, a special person.  Sketch or paint that memory.  You might be surprised at what develops.  I was!!

BLOGGING IS FUN

I have had a lot of fun redoing my blog.  It is all part of the path of discovery - an exciting new escapade.   I certainly never expected to actually enjoy myself.  However, Google have made it so easy, even for someone who is happier with a paint brush rather than a mouse!!  

If you are reading this, I would really appreciate some feedback as to whether you like the way I have redone the title.

Tomorrow I will be chatting about the most adorable, revolting and unusual pet I have ever owned.

VANDALISM - WHY? WHY? WHY?

I am feeling helpless and angry.  A few days ago the beautiful open air swimming bath in our village was vandalised.  Garbage was tipped from bins and thrown into the pool.  Not being satisfied with that, surrounding benches were also tossed into the water.  The baths are in a large park with beautiful old trees where folk can picnic and enjoy nature.  Many families who cannot afford to go away on holiday use the facility .  The vandals climbed over the fence at night and caused havoc making it necessary to close the baths for several days.  This happened during the school vacation.

Vandalism is defined as malicious, mindless injury to or destruction of public or private property.  

I believe there is an underlying frustration and lack of direction in the minds of these perpetrators.  Peer pressure, alcohol and boredom are probably the main culprits.

I am so grateful to be an artist where boredom is never an issue - where my frustrations can be assuaged by drawing, painting, experimenting with colour and brush strokes.  

Wouldn't it be nice to have art centres where culprits (if caught) would be sent to for a set number of hours.  Paints, brushes and paper would be available for them to vent their feelings and maybe in the end become real artists.

Bad Wörishofen

 

BIG EYED AND SPEEDY

The lovely Brown European Hare inspired me to do a little display in my journal.  I just love my journal.  It give me the chance to explore colour, ideas and do a little research now and again.  

I am angry about an act of vandalism which took place in a beautiful setting in our little town.  I am going to use my journal to vent some of the anger by painting the scene.

I would recommend keeping a Artist's Journal to all of you.  It is the place where you can conjure all sorts of ideas, memories and experiment with new mediums, new colours. 

See you when I vent!!!!!!!!

 

THE END RESULT

The end result of all those little thumbnail and tonal sketches - a painting! Yippee!  It is completed and I had a lot more confidence having worked out the composition beforehand.  So here it is.  This is a lovely area of Bavaria called the Chiemsee - a large lake which is a popular tourist attraction as it also boasts a palace on one of the islands. 

Must admit, I am not too keen on drawing or sketching another palace or Schloss as they are called here. Although I try to make my sketches loose and fun, those windows and statues need to read correctly and there are an awful lot of them.


 This was painted with Liquitex acrylics and is 42 x 25 cms.  Hope you like it.

IS MY LATEST PAINTING GOOD OR IS THERE SOMETHING LACKING?

Today I almost finished my painting.  Just a few finishing touches - (hopefully, I won't start fiddling!  You have seen my preliminary sketches and this is the result.  I will share it with you when it is completed .  Another three days should do the trick.  

What I really wanted to say today is that it is so important to belong to a group of fellow artists, whether in a physical way or on the internet. I am rather isolated here and the only group available is very into abstract art.  I enjoy seeing what others come up with in that field particularly, my friend Howard Cowdrick.   It is worth taking a look at his videos and his work if your path lead towards the esoteric and abstract forms.   I am a guide on Wetcanvas, a very large and successful website where artists can show their work and get good feedback.

Mums, Dads, friends and family tend to rhapsodise over one's paintings.  This is all very well but unless you are one of the lucky ones, none of these are painters.  Their opinions are very subjective and sometimes not very realistic.
Of course, it is nice to get positive feedback but being part of an artists' community will help you to move along a more successful painting path. 

Get going, join a group.  Doesn't cost a cent, just a little 'bravery'.

Hugs to all those fellow artists and those beginning the adventure into the world of the artist.

EBONY AND IVORY.....GETTING A VALUE SKETCH DONE

Well here I am again after having done a few composition and value sketches for my painting.  Excuse the scribbling but when I am in work-mode, my hand-writing definitely takes second place in the scheme of things. Hope you can read it! 

You will see that the process of pre-sketching really does help.  I now have an idea of how I would like my painting to sit on the canvas.  I have chosen a tall 'portrait' format which gives me a chance to make the reflections an integral part of the work and the give the whole thing more 'elegance'.

 

PEOPLE BUY YOUR JOY

I read this quote today by Lila Rogers and it really made me think.

I have seen so many works by artists who attempt to please everyone else but themselves.  'What would my family like?'.  'What can I paint to get compliments from other artists'.  

This is stressful and removes all the pleasure in making art.  I am always in awe of many of the impressionists and expressionists who threw themselves passionately into their work.  They enjoyed the process, the challenges involved and totally forgot about their critics.  

It is time for many of us as artists, to let go, have fun, enjoy new colours or the ones you love.  Experiment with techniques you have never tried before. You might just find that this is your new love in the artistic journey.  

Have fun and see what happens.

OFF TO THE CELLAR

It is such a hot day here in Bavaria.  My studio is in the cellar (a lot cooler there) where I intend working on a landscape using impressionistic colours and techniques. Should be fun and a challenge.  I will post a work in progress as I totter along.  I have done a few thumbnail sketches to sort out the composition.

I feel when starting any painting, pre-sketches are very important.  Have you ever started a work and discovered the darned thing doesn't fit eg.  the steeple of the church ends up a tiny stick of a thing instead of a nice tall proud pole with a weathercock or a cross on its tip.  Believe me, it is very frustrating and off putting.  

These sketches don't have to be perfect but scribbling in the areas of dark and light tones also helps a lot to give your final painting more umphh!!!

So, off to the cellar. See you.

This is the lovely Schloss Linderhof in Bavaria, built in the late 1800's.  It was built for King Ludwig and was his favourite residence.  He also owned the famous Neuschwanstein Castle which you have probably seen as a symbol of Bavaria and was the inspiration for Disney's Cinderella.  I hauled out my sketchbook and had a go!!  This is the result.  Pen and wash in my Moleskin Sketchbook.

 

From the above sketch of the castle , you can see a golden statue in the middle of the pond.  I sketched the face and part of the body.  Covered in gold leaf, she was quite a lady!!!!

Hi from sunny Bavaria.  This is my first posting on my new blog.  This will be my latest escapade. I will share my successes (hopefully plenty), my failures (not too many - please!, please!) as well as the many aspects that contribute to my paintings and sketches.