Don’t forget the Homeworks! An amazing body of work in itself diligently done by most. Because we were drawing and painting big with chalks and paints in the studio/location I set focused drawings mostly using the gorgeous Van Gogh coloured pencils, but sometimes inks or crayons. Funny to hear the weekly groans of “but it’s terrible”and then see fabulous drawings reluctantly revealed!
Back inside for the last session of Springmix…didn’t feel bold enough to insist they all perched up on the hill looking down the loch in this cool wind. Cathy brought in a slice of her garden, which I tried to get painted boldly in shapes rather than detail on 2 pieces, making 2 composition viewpoints into one, different task to painting a vase of flowers, this was a slice of flowers…chalky colours, surprising results which have given me an idea…for Summermix. Well done team! Another incredible series of images.
Inside Kirsty’s polytunnel due to threatening cloud and despite midges! It was so cosily warm in there, and boy, what a lot of things growing compared to my vegie patch. The beautiful even elegant grey light made the greens and beetroot radish reds sing, but chalk sketches lacked form due to no obvious light source, lack of dark tones, curious to see…but oh so warm… Continue reading
Finally a warm calm day outdoors! The acrylics kept drying, but the rhythmic sound of the water and no midges was utter nourishment. Looking at the bay view in shapes…trees and rocks, ovals and angles…if only the weather would be good every tuesday…
No more trees they cried in now weekly mutiny! But you have to catch them in season before that zesty lime and mustard green darken in to blousy summer bloom. At least it was warm as they painted, aiming to paint the trees in shapes…though some thought this was just too childish. Great abstract results without you knowing Team! Continue reading
I was determined to get to the Bluebell woods this year…Last year the sweeps of May Blues were decimated by the freak salt storms which frazzled every Spring thing to a crunchy dull brown. But it almost made mutiny. What was hot and sunny in our village, proved to be the coldest wind whipping down from Jura through the woods only 15 minutes drive away. We weren’t prepared for the freeze, and the thermos coffee was luke warm…
This time we drew live local crab (from Sea-o-shell again) big on A1! (It was raining again.) Gutsy drawings in chalk and charcoal. I was too squeamish to put the crawling crab in the pot to cook, but stoic Topi did during coffee and Pam’s dairy free berry slices whilst I set the scene for a crab feast to inspire to paint with acrylic…I learnt to pick the meat and made a crab bisque later…a lot of palaver, but felt I needed to do the crab justice…
Stunningly hot! Inspired by a Van Gogh painting of blue trees and roots…before the leaves unfurl into flat summer green and lose their zest… Using rectangles to help get your eye to select a dynamic composition, to draw then paint, see blue in those trees!…what a gorgeous day down the other end of the peninsula, by the newly dug graveyard…
Unplanned rain meant a spontaneous change of subject…popped in to our local Sea-o-Shell seafood exporters for a kilo of mussels in an inspiring red net bag. (Every week they ship huge container trucks packed high with crabs and lobsters from our west coasts to Spain…don’t believe it when they say it’s local Spanish produce.) Continue reading
It rained…indoors to explore our local produce in this 10 week block which is meant to be looking at landscapes..growl. But I love Rhubarb; the only thing growing in my vegie patch at this time of year. I LOVE the colours as much as I love cooking and eating it. (Always up for another recipe.) Continue reading
