PEACE - HOW WE ALL LONG FOR IT

The awful terrorism attack that happened in Paris, the fear that surrounds us in places where lots of people gather together, and the horror that is happening in Syria, brought me to a place of longing.  This longing is for peace and is reflected in my Seasonal card to all those who read my blog.  The words are by J. Hendrix but the concept is mine and I wish you all a healthy , safe and peaceful 2016.

TURKEY - BEAUTIFUL LAND - MY SKETCHES

I have just returned from an amazing two weeks in Turkey.  It is a beautiful country with modern , dynamic cities, crystal clear water with the gentle waves of the Mediterranean Sea lapping the kilometres of beautiful beaches.  The highlight of my time there was a tour through Cappadocia.  The landscape was a bizarre mixture of strange rocky outcrops , endless plains ,the distant volcanoes and of course the majestic Taurus moutains forming a backdrop. We travelled to remote villages where folk lived simply and it seemed to me contentedly.  The polite and friendly Turkish folk, many relying on selling their wares were a joy to encounter.  A simple 'no' sufficed when an over-zealous sales person followed us through the markets of which there were many.  We were able to watch the intricate and delicate work of the women weaving extremely difficult patterns into the silk oriental carpets.  Their dexterity lasts only until they are about thirty years of age when their eyesight and hand co-ordination becomes less than perfect.  Here are the sketches I managed to do.   I would have loved to have spent more time with my sketch book but our schedule did not allow that indulgence. 

This was our very careful and experienced bus driver.

 

  

The lovely colours of the steppes with the Taurus Mountains the the background.

    

We spent an evening in a type of Monastery where we watched the Dervish dancing. The spin around for over fifteen minutes always in the same direction , wonderfully elegant and seemingly in a trance.

CLICK ON THE DRAWINGS

IMPORTANT.  I am not sure if you all know this.  Please click on any of the drawings or paintings on my blog if you would like to see a larger version.

CYCLING AND SKETCHING ALONG THE MAIN RIVER - GERMANY

We have just done a wonderful cycle trip along the Main River in Germany.
Nights were spent on a small ship with 10 very cramped cabins.  Each day we would cycle a stretch of the 250 kilometre cycle path.  The ship would steam ahead and we would find it moored at one of the charming villages along the river. This is really the best way to do a week's cycling holiday.  One does not have to cart all one's luggage on the bicycle. A simple meal and a fairly comfortable bed awaits one in the evenings.  There was not a lot of sketching time as we had to meet time deadlines but here are a few I managed to complete.

This was the route we took.

The lovely church steeples on the other side of the river.

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Our small ship and her trusty Captain.

A rainy day along the river . The shapes of this industrial site fascinated me.

This was a really quaint very old Town Council building. It was higgledy piggledy and totally charming.

SKETCHING TIP : Sometimes there just isn't enough time to colour your sketches.  I always use a pen and never a pencil. You can't rub out pen marks and little mistakes give a drawing more life.  When time is at a limit, I quickly sketch the subject , make some colour notes in the margin with a few remarks as to the light direction, wind, weather and ambience of the place. I then add watercolour when I have time.  This avoids a sense of panic and I relive the moment as I paint the colours.






      

REJUVENATING THOSE DISMAL PAINTINGS

How many paintings do you have lying around gathering dust?  Is there any chance of them being used for exhibitions?  You might be dissatisfied with the end result.  Something is missing - just doesn't have any 'umphh'.  

Why not haul one or two out and have a go at collage.

Repaint a watercolour in acrylics.  Darken some of the darks with a colour you would never use normally.

Lighten some of the lights to make them come alive.

Choose some adventurous light colours that really glow.  Bright yellows and greens.

It is only a piece of paper or a canvas lying dolefully in a cupboard or drawer.
Make the experiment fun and enjoy yourself.  Free yourself from the necessity to have everything perfect.  Use a big brush or a painting knife and let all that built up frustration and creativity have its way.

I would love to know how you get on.  Please share.

PAINTING HOLIDAY

It has been a while since I last posted.  However, I am back again and feeling better so here we go.  

I have just been on a week's painting holiday to a beautiful village not far from Valencia in Spain.  My friends Loli and Harold own a beautiful villa where they offer painting holidays.   The garden is a joy for any painter. It is full of interesting corners where one can sit and sketch or paint.  What a pleasure it is to be with like-minded folks (artists) and to chat about the things that mean a lot to us.  

Loli is a wonderful cook and produces meals that are guaranteed to get one's mouth watering.  Paella, unusual salads and delicious fresh fruits.  

Sue Ford, from England was the tutor for the week and she brought a group of delightful ladies and one gent who are avid followers of her art holidays. Sue is an lovely lady with infinite patience and an excellent artist in her own right.  We had a lot of fun together.  Each day we sketched in various locations.  I do so enjoy line and wash and sat quietly on my own just soaking up the atmosphere and filling my sketchbook with drawings. 

I learned a terrific technique (something I hadn't tried before) - collage with acrylic and line.  My work is shown here. I so enjoyed the process. It was absolutely therapeutic and I intend doing more.

                                          Loli and Harold's lovely villa Las Orguideas
                            where Valencia Painting Holidays take place
 

                                          Sketches of some of the plants in the
                            garden.
  

                                         
                                          A large and beautiful cactus plant over
                            a small stream.  I loved the rocks.

 

                                              The church in Benigánim

                            Here is my collage of Valencia.
                            I really loved doing it.

SKETCHES OF THE SEYCHELLES

Here are a few sketches I did on the Seychelles.  I tried to capture a little of the atmosphere and colours.  Sketching could only be done early in the morning as the heat was unbearable later in the day.