Oh Poor Rudolph!

I liked this pattern I invented so much, I knitted another one for sale in my shop.  This one bears more of a resemblance to a reindeer than a stag - different yarn I think.

So if you'd like a mini hunting trophy for your mini stately home (he's roughly 4 x 4 inches, that's 10 cm x 10 cm) then come and visit my shop.

After a horrendously interrupted week which did nothing for my creative juices, yesterday I finally managed to make some decent headway on this painting.  I discovered that adding 'flow enhancer' to the paint water helps to get the colours blending as they should - I find canvas a very difficult ground to work on as it's rough texture does not suit my style of painting.  Thankfully this now seems to be going in the right direction.

Why I Rarely Get Bored.........

This week I have painted a silk tie with a picture of a water flea.......

.....knitted a television.........

.....and started a very large acrylic painting of a sunset.  This is just the blocked in painting, no detail or proper painting yet, just the basic colours and shapes in place ready for the hard graft.  It's been a very long time since I painted anything this bright or as large, so I can feel those rusty cogs creaking as I get back in the swing of it.

This is the last of the outstanding Christmas commissions (for now!) - I've worked very hard since coming back from holiday, but it's been worth it to get it all done in plenty of time.  If anyone is thinking about asking me to make/paint anything else as a Christmas present, grab me now while there are still a few weeks left!

The People's Potatoes - Now For Sale

After the book launch party of last week, I now have a box of books here for sale.  This book can be obtained through various other sources, but if you buy it here, I get to keep a little bit of commission!

As you can see, the book costs £20 (overseas buyers may like to buy it through my Etsy shop where the price is in dollars) plus post and packing. 

The book is a hardback, beautifully published with lovely glossy pages which show off my paintings really well.  Apart from the illustrations, the text is interesting and informative, with a first section telling you how to grow and look after your potato plants, and the second section containing a 'top 100' varieties of potato, with all my paintings.

There are 100 of them.....yes, 100 paintings which represent 18 months of my life!

I promise to sign each copy if you want me to, just let me know.  To order the book, either e-mail me at c_bletsis@yahoo.co.uk or go straight through Etsy.

Monty

Here is the other portrait in the pair, ready to go off to it's new owner. Once again, this has been executed using Derwent Drawing Pencils, with white acrylic for the highlights.  This picture whizzed along - sometimes they just flow and it is surprising how quickly they are completed.  Perhaps because I enjoyed it so much due to it's resemblance to my old dog.

Next on the easel is something totally different - a large bright acrylic, yet another Christmas commission.  It will be strangely liberating to paint something large and loose - all my work for the past year or so has been so tight and detailed.

Table for Two.......

....yup.

Christmas Bird...

I'd been asked to make a bird out of Christmas fabric, which gave me the perfect excuse in Boston to visit the discount fabric store not once, but twice.  It was hard to choose between all the wonderfully festive prints, but I had to go with small patterns and colours that coordinated best, so that narrowed it down quite a bit.

His wings and tail have been embroidered with gold thread, and he has a delicate gold crest on top of his head.

He stands about 6 inches high, so will be a fine addition to the Christmas tree next month.  I was hoping to make a few more before the festive season....not too sure whether that will happen or not with the workload I have!

I've been working on the other Cairn terrier portrait this week, which is coming along nicely - Derwent pencils don't like being photographed under artificial light however, but you can see enough.  This has been a bit of a poignant job - this dog's face resembles my late Jasper so much that I find myself getting a little tearful at times.  Silly I know, but drawing something is a very intimate process as you are exploring every aspect so closely.

Potato Party!

Last night I went to the launch party of The People's Potatoes which was held at the Waitrose Conference Centre in Bracknell.  It took us a while to find it - who knew that Waitrose own a trading estate the size of a small principality?  They even have their own sports and leisure centre....

No surprise to find the buffet was a selection of potato crisps and small jacket potatoes!  There was also lots of champagne on offer.

Copies of the book were everywhere, and the cover design had been made into placemats!

There was a small slideshow about the process of writing the book - and I got presented with an enormous bouquet!

After that, it was more mingling and I had to sign lots of books - that was the most peculiar feeling, people asking me for my autograph.  I think I like it!

So that is over, now we just have to sit and wait for the book to become a best-seller...talking of which, I should have my box of books for sale by the weekend, and they will be available for mail order through this site or my Etsy shop.  I promise to sign your copy too........