Back In Time...

 I am working on several things at the moment, but unfortunately - and frustratingly - nothing I can show.  So here's a trip down memory lane to a few of my early paintings which still hide in my portfolio.  This is a pair of scarlet ibis - I just love painting birds in any shape or form, but particularly brightly coloured ones.

 A scarlet macaw - again with the red!  I don't wear it, rarely have anything in the house that is red, but I do like a red bird or two!  Another watercolour.

 A sleeping rhino getting a bit of grooming.  This hangs in our living room - I like the nuances of colour and texture in the rhino's skin.  It was great fun to paint and I think that shows.  Watercolour also.

A very long time ago, we went to St. Lucia for an unforgettable holiday.  W took a trip in the rain forest there and this painting is one of a few that I did when I got home.  Watercolour again, but with a very limited palette.

Having looked at these, I think it is time I went through my portfolio and put some of the oldies but goodies up for sale rather than have them languish hidden away.

On the needles - still that big cardigan
Sewing a tree (as you do...)
On the easel, a dog portrait

I Don't Know Either....

It's been a funny old week.  I've been knitting this - it was a bit worrying initially when I had what was basically a badly made grey sock, but with some folding and stitching, it did take the shape I was after. I quite like him, he has an air of resignation about him...

I've been putting in as much work as I can on this - I expect to the uninitiated there doesn't look to be much difference from the last picture I posted, but I have been painting - outer edges mainly, sleeves, horse's neck and a bit of the mane.

I've already lost the tomato race with Soggibottom blog - I can't compete with Devon climate!  My poor home-sown tomatoes have had to put up with torrential rain, chilly nights and a catastrophic hailstorm, so the fact they are still standing is a miracle.

My shop-bought plants have flowers on them at least!

We had a visit from Midge of Soggibottom this week, just a quick one.  By way of compensation she gave my daughter a birdbox her husband had kindly made.  Stacie could not wait to start painting it!  I do think any bird planning to nest in it had better have a pair of sunglasses handy though.

I have paintings on show at the Fleet Art Society exhibition being held at the Church on the Heath, Elevetham Heath, Fleet for the nexy couple of days.  It's a new location for the society and hopefully will bring in more visitors as i is right next to a large Morrisons and has a free car park.  We shall see - come along if you are in the area!

Have I Shown You This?

I'm not sure if I have blogged this painting before.....I did it quite a while ago, before I had a blog...before I had a computer perhaps. It has been painted in watercolour, with a few touches of coloured pencil to add texture here and there. It's not for sale, as I used a photo from a book or a magazine as reference and really don't want to fall foul of copyright. Instead, it graces the wall of my living room - I really like how the watercolour has worked on this and it was a huge pleasure to paint at the time.

In the meantime, I have nothing current to show at the moment - the double horse portrait is ongoing, quite near completion. I am knitting a shawl, which is painstaking and only half way there. I am awaiting a new Japanese pattern book for felt animals.....if it is half as good as it looked on the computer screen, I'm going to be having fun over the next few weeks!