I finished this double dog portrait last week before attempting the fish stencil. I didn't want to show it here until the owners had seen it first - they have now and are very pleased, thank goodness. I always worry before showing a commission just in case I have totally misinterpreted what was wanted.
This was drawn/painted in Derwent Drawing pencils with white acrylic highlights. It is always such a pleasure to paint a retriever, they are such classic looking dogs and the fur is nice and easy to define on paper - it would be hard to go wrong (although not impossible!)
Next on the drawing board, a fine looking horse.
I just couldn't leave the fish stencil alone until I felt it was right. After a couple of days looking at it every time I went in there and mulling it over, I knew where I wanted to add extra fish - just a few but they break up the square line of the original stencil design. Now I can put all the paint away with a happy heart!
The garden is also finally in order, everything planted that I wanted to plant, seedlings growing in the greenhouse, veggies distributed all over the place in the ground and in grow bags, potatoes chitting on the windowsill, and everything weeded and tidy. The tomatoes are growing well and are now in their final positions on the sunniest part of the patio. I still have quite a few tomato plants left over - just can't give them away. Perhaps I will just squeeze them in somewhere and live off tomatoes all summer.....
Whilst gardening I have been annoying a couple of residents - can you see one of them? This pair of robins nest in the ivy every year, last year having three or four batches of chicks. They started early this year before I could trim the ivy but I did it anyway, putting up with being glared at and constant angry chirps from the pear tree.
Don't worry Mrs. Robin, I've trimmed the bits I wanted to and will leave your nest well alone until all chicks have flown.
Just a little reminder - the paintings from the previous post that are on sale in order to
raise funds for Japan are still on sale and will remain so indefinitely. Despite being out of the news, Japan is still in need of our support, so if you see a painting you like, do get in touch.
4 comments:
Good to see your tomato plants doing so well Caroline :-)
Also love your Robin family. Cute little guys.
I will give you a link from Soggibottom to your paintings for Japan during the week . As for your fishes ha ha. I love the idea of a shoal. Dogs are, as all your art work, JUST GREAT.
:-)xxx
Great dog portraits. The fish stencil looked good too.
I scared myself one year by planting the entire packet of Gardener's Delight tomato. Oh la I think every one of the 200 odd seeds took and I had them everywhere in pots. I took some to jumble sales when they were little enough but eventually I had to boil them up and turn them into bolognaise sauce. When I ran out of jars, it got frozen in bowls! Scarey things tomato plants!
Oh Houseelf I know! We still have jars of tomato chutney left from last year's bumper crop! This year I planted 3 varieties and I think every seed came up - I can't give them away now, no-one else wants them. We do eat a lot of tomato-based food so I'm sure we'll struggle through somehow....
Midge sent me over to meet you and I'm so glad she did. I love the drawings and the knitted (crocheted) pug I'm very into dogs having a pack of ten and I admire your work. This afternoon I'll scroll back thru your blog so I can see more.
Sue
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