A Little Painting ...............

Back home for a couple of days between French holiday and the Somerset art retreat and have realized that what with all the pack and unpacking, son packing for university and general stuff do do after a holiday I am not going to get a blog post written about France anytime soon. So instead, and with the upcoming art retreat in mind, I thought I’d share with you some of the painting I have been doing over the last few weeks. 

The inspiration is Mati Rose McDonough’s book Daring Adventures in Paint.  Mati takes you through a series of lessons and techniques, each building on the last, until in the final lesson you can use all the techniques in the book. I think it works very well as a guide and like most good things you can take from it what you need, adapting the techniques to your preferences and tastes.

 

So far I have done three pictures all of which are new departures for me, building on the techniques in the book. I would welcome your comments. 

Back after the art retreat so excited about it!

Liberate your Art Postcard Swap

I got really excited by the postcard swap as soon as I read about it on Kat’s blog. The timing was perfect I was planning to have some postcards printed anyway as a way of showcasing some of my photos. An offer I couldn't refuse from MOO dropped into my inbox - I was away! Post cards arrived I choose a variety and posted them of to Kat in plenty of time -  mistake  - I didn’t make  note of the cards I choose so I have no idea which of my pictures are out there! 

They could include this picture

Or this one 

Or any of these

I didn’t realise this would be a problem until cards started arriving and some people put the ones they had sent on the FB page as well. Good idea! I thought,  especially as no one seems to have received any of my cards. Rather a problem for me in practice thought.

Getting other artists cards through the post was just great. First to arrive was this beautiful portrait from Dana in Michigan,

soon to be followed by this slightly surreal wooly mammoth from Katrin in Germany.

Next came this beautiful flower from Stephanie

 

and this textured flower from Phoenix and finally ( apart from Kat’s lovely card) this building in San Juan in Puerto Rico from Cheryl - memories of Westside Story abound. (sorry these 2 are on the same photo I am having some technical problems!)

In all a beautiful and varied selection of art to pin on my notice board in my study / studio 

I hope to be able  to visit and leave comments on others blogs during the blog hop, but am off to France on Friday and will have limited internet access - please forgove me if I don't get to you.

Finally please, please, please if you did get one of my cards - get in touch I would love to hear from you

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap Blog Hop

13-16 September, 2012

Please use a permalink to a post on your experience with the Liberate Your Art 2012 postcard swap, not general blog links. Thanks!!

1. Kat  2. Pam Bowers  3. Tracey Fletcher King  4. Rinda  5. Linda Ursin  6. Jan Smith  7. Candace Porth  8. Lisa Wright  9. Becs  10. Chelle  11. Bernice  12. Karen Walker  13. Sarah Naumann - The Mailmonster  14. Catherine Thomas Creative Designs  15. Kara - IWannaBeMe  16. Darlene Cunnup  17. Karen @ Life Needs Art  18. Leanne  19. Ana Eugénio  20. Weekend photo warrior  21. DebC  22. Linda  23. Terre: Creative Explorer  24. Marji  25. Lynn Richards  26. Karen  27. Cathy H.  28. made by nini  29. dana  30. Kate @ {K]Mericks  31. Judy Salcedo (heyjude)  32. Elise Wormuth  33. Terri Porter  34. Deanna@Snippets from Springdale  35. Barbara  36. Jo Murray  37. Linda Breshears  38. sarah s. - redlinedesign®  39. Pointypix  40. Elaine Millar  41. Sassyangelac  42. Christina Yates  43. Linda R.  44. Deborah  45. sasifricious (molly)  46. Natasha Papousek  47. Christine Create  48. Jo  49. ShellyG  50. justine gordon  51. Elaine  52. Lori Moon  53. Marilyn Lamoreux (Chased by Beauty)  54. Anna @ Alchemy of Art  55. janith  56. Valerie-Jael  57. Adrienne @ My Memory Art  58. Donna  59. Chandra  60. LeAnne  61. Lorinda @ Everyday Endeavours  62. Tangerine Meg  63. Carolyn  64. Linda Kittmer  65. Elizabeth Gonzalez  66. Linda  67. Lisa Schwinghammer  68. Anshu Ahuja  69. Cheryl  70. Robin Scanlon  71. Lynn Bishop  72. Jen@small matters  73. Siobhan Wolf  74. Kathryn van Rooyen (ArtyKat)

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

September on the Blog

Hello

Welcome to September on the blog. The news is that I am suspending the Friday Five for the month. This is because I will be in France without much in the way of internet access for two of the Fridays  and at my first art retreat on the 4th Friday - so excited about this - find out more here. I will be attempting to post via my iPhone while I am away but haven’t tried it out yet  - so watch this space!

 In the meantime enjoy this quote from Henry Ford inscribed on a colourful flight of steps on the Southbank.

A Photo Walk in Steephill Cove

As usual we spent the holiday weekend on the Isle of Wight and taking advantage of the long weekend we decided to go over to Ventnor, with the aim of visiting Steephill Cove, a charming spot that can only be reached on foot via the coastal path or by boat. We had only been there once before out of season and were keen to see it in its summer glory. 

As we rounded the bend  we saw the cove was a hive of activity with kids digging on the beach, in the sea, and generally having a good time.

 

For grown ups there is the additional bonus of the Wheeler family’s foodie offerings in their restaurant the ‘Boat House’ and the ‘Crab Shack’. We hadn't booked for the Boat House  but managed to get a seat at the Crab shack where we enjoyed delicious crab pasties which are the shack speciality, washed down with a glass of cold Muscadet.

Apparently the Wheeler family have been longshoremen at Steephill for 500 years. Nowadays they sell their fresh seafood, look after the beach and hire out deck chairs. 

 The cove itself was colonized as a resort in Victorian times and boasts a few pretty cottages together with sometimes dilapidated, but ultimately picturesque shacks and huts. Some of these have been turned into attractive holiday accommodation.

 

It is hard to describe the ambience of the cove which is an attractive  jumble of flowers shacks, lobsterpots and cottages. 

 

Don’t miss it if you take a trip to the Isle of Wight.