A Leopard & A Bit About Clovis...

I don't know why, but 2016 has been quite difficult so far - things around the house have broken down, my dog is very sick, and there have been all kinds of paperwork and meetings to deal with.  Consequently, there has not been either the time or the inclination to paint or make much.  Last week I really wanted to paint something, anything, because painting gives me a few hours respite from the trials & tribulations of reality!  I didn't plan to paint a detailed leopard, I wanted to do something much splashier & loose, but this is what came out instead.  It's a small watercolour, detailed in parts, looser in others.  It kept me sane this week.

This week's turbulence was caused by this chap - I've had difficulty getting him to eat over the past couple of weeks, but he has done so each day eventually and other than that has been OK, enjoying his walks albeit at a slower pace.  A couple of mornings ago he was gently cantering up a field and suddenly came up short and couldn't put any weight on his front leg.  Not sure if he slipped, twisted it, or what, but he was in a bad way.  We slowly got him home, but for the rest of the day he was barely able to walk and obviously in a lot of pain.  He also barely ate - which carried on until yesterday, with him refusing to eat anything so I couldn't get his heart pills down his throat either. Seeing him incapacitated like that was scary and upsetting and made me think that perhaps this was finally the end and I made an appointment with the vet.  To cut a long story short, after trying almost the whole contents of the fridge & food cupboards, I discovered he would at least eat a few Swedish meatballs - so I whizzed to the shops to get some more, and he ate half a pack.  The vet prescribed Metacam (painkiller) and was not as pessimistic as I was - I'm not good when those I love are very ill.  By the afternoon Clovis was able to walk round the block and ate a plate of tuna & pasta.  This morning he positively ran in from the garden, has eaten his pills and another plate of meatballs, veg & pasta.  So a reprieve for now, thank goodness.

In the meantime, I knitted him a coat - his doggy raincoat flaps about and slips off half the time, so this seemed a good idea.  After the past couple of days, putting a skull & crossbones on it seemed a bit macabre, but I always wanted him to have a coat like this as he is a bit of a pirate!

It fits well, doesn't slip off, and got a compliment on it's first outing at the vet's.

We'll give it a proper trial this morning on our walk - and no, he's not coming off the lead today!!

Leopard & Lace...

I've not touched a pencil or paintbrush for a couple of weeks due to other commitments and it has driven me crazy!  No that I had anything particular in mind to paint, I just wanted to paint - it's an oasis of calm in a frenetic world.  This week I managed to find some spare time and started this small watercolour of a leopard.  I had in mind to keep it loose and splashy, but that's not happening - just not in my nature.  We'll see where it goes...

This is the first half of the lace shawl I have been working on - I now have to knit an identical piece which will then be grafted on down the centre.  Not sure why, I think it is so that both ends have a pleasing wavy edge.  It's been put on hold for a short while as I have started knitting a coat for Clovis as wearing his raincoat every day is just not working out - one sprint from him and it ends up hanging off, flapping in the breeze.  It's not a quick project, he's a rather large dog.

He's doing well on his various tablets - he has good days and bad days. Last week it was difficult to get him to eat properly, this week he is shovelling his food in.  As long as he can still canter around a field without keeling over, we're doing OK!

Camouflage...And a Very Over-Excited Artist!

I put some serious hours into this today and finished it satisfactorily.  This was one of those paintings that came together with very little effort on my part - well, it didn't feel difficult, let's put it that way!  It's watercolour on paper.

I'm surprised it got done at all today really - a couple of weeks ago I entered the open exhibition for the Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries in London, thinking what the hell, I'll never get in but if you don't try, you'll never get anywhere.  Surprise, surprise, today I find out my painting has made it to the final selection !  So I have to take it up to London next month to see if it will make the cut - I'm just so happy to have made it this far after years of being unsuccessful.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Progress Report

I'm a bit taken aback at how well this one is coming along - I've not spent that much time on it to be honest, probably no more than 4 hours in total.  Sometimes a painting just flows, other times it's really hard work.

This is in watercolour and I'm trying not to get fixated on the detail too much.  I also received a bright orange Graphik Line Painter pen by Derwent in the post yesterday and am wondering if it could be used in the final stages for grass stems...

On the needles: bits and pieces, a mini dog set, a shawl and I really must get around to finishing off that summer t-shirt before summer ends!

A Leopard & The Best Named Yarn Ever...

I'm still in the big cat zone after the tiger last week.  I searched out a cd full of reference photos that a friend of mine gave me after her trip to Namibia, and chose this leopard resting in the undergrowth.  This is in watercolour and still in the very early stages - you can see where I have marked out grass stems & whiskers in masking fluid, and the only complete part of the whole painting is the eyes.  I'm hoping to put in a good few hours on this over the next few days as I have no paid work on at the moment....not sure if that is a good thing or not!

I bought this yarn at Unravel in February this year, firstly because of the deep vibrant colours (which don't really show in the photo) and then I was completely won over when I found out it was called Toxic Bog!  I've been looking at it for months, waiting for an opportunity to start using it.  I found a pattern that I really liked for a lacy cowl, but after three failed starts, I decided the pattern and the yarn were just not compatible.  So I began again with a different shawl pattern called Dragonfly Wings, which hopefully will compliment the yarn perfectly.  At the moment it looks like nothing much, but give it time!

For the first year in quite a while, the garden is producing nicely.  Yesterday I gathered this lot, as well as some rhubarb later on.  We may look like runner beans come the end of the summer, but they are delicious.  The tomatoes are doing well (hooray!) and I am picking quite a few cucumbers, as well as courgettes.  The apple tree survived falling into the pond and is still laden with fruit, and the grapevine is yet again full of grapes even after being pruned very severely during the winter.  It's wonderful to be able to get out there and work it all without being disturbed by builders as in previous years.

There's a bit of sewing going on - more later.

Leopard

Yesterday was finally a productive day and this painting got finished at last.  I think I could spend another week on it if I am honest, messing about with finer details, but it needs to be left now as I have other things to be done.  I also want to enter this into the Derwent Prize this year and there aren't many days left to do so!

This was using Derwent Drawing Pencils on a light brown pastel paper, with copious amounts of white body paint as white pencils just don't show up.  I wish someone would invent a white pencil that did the job properly.

The leopard is one I photographed at Marwell Zoo last month - I had to 'edit out' the wire from the enclosure.

Next up - a horse and his girl in acrylics.

The Last Leg....

...literally, just one leg to go on this painting.  Half term has not quite worked out how I planned - life has a habit of getting in the way and we have had things beyond our control to deal with.  So I have not managed to put in as much work on this as I had hoped, but the end is definitely in sight.  Today should do it however, and the next painting is aready in preparation.

I've been knitting away too, trying to replicate wicker and tartan in miniature for this dog bed.  It took a bit of thinking and experimentation, but I think I got there in the end.  I like the wicker effect so much that I may well use it again in the sets I make for my shop.

On the needles...a church door!

Give Me Just A Little More Time......

It is very hard trying to combine running a house and family, a part-time job, painting, and knitting work.  Usually it is the painting that suffers from being left until another day, which is so frustrating as painting is my favourite thing to do in the world.  Despite trying very hard, I still end up only spending and hour or two per day (and not every day either!) on this - there is always someone needing something from me!  But I have to make a concerted effort to finish this picture by the end of the week as next week is half term (no day job!) and really want to spend as much time as I can on a commission. 

I also need to finish this - not due to any time constraints but because it is driving me crazy! I could not believe that after nearly three hours last night I had sewn so many tiny triangles together and still did not have enough.  This is why I do not do patchwork, it would send me barking mad.  Hopefully, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the next batch of triangles will be the last.

This is for the animation - next on the needles, a plane!?

Some of my problems are self-inflicted - last week I put ny name down to have a stall at the annual local dog show in July....then thought I had better actually have something to sell while I am there.  So amongst everything else, I am trying to make as many little dog sets as I can - I found some wonderful Rowan fine boucle yarn on sale at Black Sheep wools, ideal for small furries.

And then of course there is the garden, which calls me like a siren when the sun shines.  Sunday was spent potting out tomatoes and clearing out the greenhouse - another time consuming pastime.  I love this time of year, when everything in the garden is full of potential and there is the excitement of finding out what made it through the winter - plenty this year, survivors include geraniums, agapanthus, canna lily, and Vietnamese coriander.

Of course, I must also learn not to get distracted by things like this - a leopard with three babies on webcam. I have been watching them grow for a couple of weeks now - absolutely fascinating!

Sew Happy!

I've been after this book for ages...years.  It has always been rather expensive as I think it is no longer in print.  However, a couple of weeks ago I looked at it again on Amazon and found a used copy at a price I could afford - yay!  It arrived yesterday and I really want to make some of the wonderful animals inside, like this:

...or this:

But first I really have to finish this:

Paint, Knit, Garden....

The leopard is taking shape - I am trying to hurry it and I really shouldn't as it won't be hurried.  I was going to make it purely pencil, but I just couldn't get the whiteness for the whiskers and around the eyes, so have started to use white acrylic ink.  It seems softer-looking than acrylic paint and easier to keep accurate.  I also had a bit of a problem with the tonal values against the background colour in places which was easily rectified by some gentle shading in a soft green which actually adds some depth which I rather like.

I've had a bit of fun this week knitting these chunky bracelets from a pattern in a past Molly Makes magazine.  They look plaited but are in fact a triple cable.

I've been wearing this one ever since I made it, it's so cool!  A tricky knit in thick aran yarn on quite thin needles but  that way it keeps its shape.

This stained glass window is a fiddly knit too - each little piece is made separately and sewn together.  I could have made it in one piece, but that would mean the yarn being carried behind the work and as this will be back-lit, I wanted there to be nothing showing through that might spoil the look of it. Lots more little pieces to knit and sew and then the black outlines to be embroidered over the top.  It's on hold at the moment as I have a rush job, kitting out one of the puppets.  Spent last night figuring out how to knit very small tools.....

It's that time of year again when Midge from Soggibottom blog and I enter into fierce competiton in the garden.  Yes, the Tomato Race is back on!  This year I decided it was kill or cure as far as growing seeds was concerned - no mollycoddling in the house, just sown straight out in the plastic greenhouse to weather the elements.  They seem to be doing all right - this is half of them.

Here's the other half.  If they all grow to size, I have no idea where to put them as my 'tomato space' has enough room for about 6 plants.

I've also cheated a little - the seeds I planted were for normal size tomatoes, no cherry tomatoes.  So I have bought a couple of plants today from the garden centre.

Who could resist these stripy beauties?  Let's hope we have a better growing summer than the past couple of years. Fingers crossed!

Lace, Leopard & Love....

 

This scarf has been a  long time in the making - I started it months ago thinking it would be a quick knit, but what with various other projects on the go, it kept getting side-lined.  This is a simple repeating lace pattern that once I had learned the stitches, was easy to get on with.

I've knitted it in a pale blue/aqua wool mix yarn which is soft and pretty, working well with the lace.  It will be in my Etsy shop later today.

The leopard is still making slow progress - mainly because I keep getting distracted with other things.  However, as I have a paid commission to do, I will have to hurry up and finish this!  It's good to have some incentive after such a long gap in between commissions - without it, I get very lazy!

Finally, three reasons why I love my sister:

She sent me a big tub of Kalamata olives and two tsoureki - one of the main things I miss about living in Greece is the food, so it is lovely when I receive a care parcel out of the blue.  So we have had a bit of a Greek theme running through our meals for the past few days - yum!

On the needles - that stained glass window!  It's fiddly but definitely not quite as hard as I anticipated, although will involve a great deal of sewing together when I have finished knitting all the little pieces of 'glass'.

 

Leopard...

This is making slow progress, probably due to the fact I keep getting distracted by the garden in the sunshine! But it's making good progress and I am pleased so far.  I'm using Derwent Drawing Pencils, which is what I use a lot for pet portraits but not often on wildlife art.  I like the effect though, but it is very painstaking.

I'm noticing that my new Splender Blender pencils are slightly different to the old ones I have - the blender pencil is an integral part of these pictures, it not only blends the pencil marks together, it brings the colours out.  I prefer a waxy blender pencil which is what these were, but now they seem harder and not so forgiving on the paper.  Other brands have never pleased me - either too hard or too powdery, so I am hoping this is just a blip on Lyra's part.

On the needles....nothing!  I finished the thrush, managed to finally get the wings right and get him assembled to my satisfaction.  I'm dying to show you but have to get permission first as he is technically not mine!

That Was The Week That Was...

Well, it's been another eventful week in our house - my partner managed to write off his car on Tuesday and has himself a case of the concussion.  So quite a lot of time has been spent sorting out another car and sitting in A&E - all fine now, thank goodness. I still managed to find the time to start this painting though - this is the leopard from Marwell the other day, and I am drawing him in Derwent drawing pencils on a light brown pastel paper.

Another parcel of knitted film props has been sent off, including some matching pot plants.

I have knitted a little yellow duck for the Little Yellow Duck project and now have to find somewhere to leave him where he will be found safely.  Do take part in this if you can - it's a worthy cause, costs nothing other than a little bit of yarn and about an hour of your time.

Still pondering on how I can achieve a lifelike fully animatable knitted thrush.......

When's The Best Time To Go To The Zoo?

The weather forecast for this weekend was abysmal - rain and more rain.  Despite this, we decided last night that we would chance a day at the zoo today. It was clear skies at home, but as we drove to Marwell Zoo, the heavens opened and everywhere was flooded.  However, as we pulled into the carpark, the rain eased off to a light drizzle and we picked our way through the mud and puddles and had the best day at the zoo I think I have ever had.

Some of the animals preferred to stay snuggled up indoors, but the majority were outside and the best part was, we just about had the place to ourselves!  There were some places where we were the only people, no-one else in sight.

My camera perfomed well today - I got some great reference shots.  As well as some unexpected bonuses:

A crow photobombing!

Do you ever wonder where pigeons nest?  This one has found a lovely spot.

The zebras were curious and friendly today without hordes of people passing by.

Unfortunately, it was so quiet that my favourite animal and the reason I wanted to go to Marwell, the snow leopard, could not be bothered to wake up. Oh well, you can't have everything!

I managed to get some sketching done in the giraffe house too - usually it's impossible with lots of people jostling for a view.

So a good time had by all, and well worth taking the chance.

I Think We Got Away With It!

Every year the Year 1 class trip to Marwell Zoo is scheduled for January - I always feel that's a bit of a risk to take with the British weather being what it is.  Our first date had to be cancelled due to snow, then it was re-booked for today.  I've been watching the weather reports with great trepidation as heavy rain was predicted since last week and the forecast didn't change.  The idea of traipsing round a deserted zoo with 90 wet and miserable children was not appealing....

However, the weather gods smiled on us today - it was damp and a bit drizzly, but we managed to stay dry and most of the animals were out.  I got quite a few reference photographs - these will be put in the 'future paintings' folder.

We were subject to time constraints so didn't manage to see everything, but it was still pretty good.

My favourite animals were willing to pose for pictures, so I'm happy!

On the creative side, there is another snow painting on the board; I've been labouring for a week over a knitted Alsatian dog;  there will be another little dog set going in my shop soon, and I just received something in the post which will be the perfect prize for my 1000th post giveaway!