Jug and bowl

Aargh, rain. Well that’s put an end to my Plein-air painting plan. I’m only glad that my studio has an entire wall of north-facing window, it’s really murky out there. No blogs next week as I’m on a portrait workshop. Actually, if you can bear it, and my technology doesn’t fail, I could post a day-by-day update. This little bowl made it’s way to the front of my cupboard so I felt obliged to listen to it and put it in a painting.

Jug and bowl #1408

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard

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Snowdrops in a white pot

Yesterday was a great day. Some painting in the morning and then walking in the bright Northamptonshire sunshine with friends after lunch at my favourite pub, the Plough at Everdon. Should you ever be in want of some fabulous scenery to walk in and a delicious home cooked lunch in a cosy country pub, it’s the place to be but ssshhh… Don’t tell everyone! To top that, in The Furrow (a lovely bric-a-brac) shop in the pub garden, I found an excellent prop for paintings, an old petrol can with chipped paint. The sort of thing hat makes my heart sing. THEN, if that we’re not enough, I arrived home to find, on my doorstep a package containing the most delicious homemade jam and marmalade sent by one of my lovely readers, how thoughtful was that! I am always knocked sideways by extraordinary acts if kindness that come out of the blue – thank you Annie! After that, another delicious meal cooked by a friend I hadn’t seen in too long. What a great day indeed. If this continues, they will have to roll me onto that plane next week. Here are some snowdrops which were a belated Christmas present requested in November. It had to wait for the arrival of spring.

What a beaut!

What a beaut!

Snowdrops in a white pot

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard – SOLD

Red onions on a cloth

Just in case you’re sick of snowdrops, here are some onions I did before leaving Pakistan. The sun is shining and I’m off for a pub lunch and a walk with some pals…fab. Back to the snowdrops tomorrow!

Red onions on a cloth

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard


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Snowdrops 2

Snowdrops 2

8″x8″ oil in gessoboard

After a busy half-term, I’m back in  my studio and it’s all about the snowdrops since they’re in scant supply in Pakistan.  There are new lambs in the field behind our house and it’s all beginning to feel a bit like spring. ….yippee
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Snowdrops 1

Snowdrops 1

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard-SOLD

Aaah…snowdrops.  Yes, I’m back in the UK and spent last Friday happily pulling up snowdrops from the garden and painting them, despite the rain pounding on the studio roof  threatening destruction if not death. Wow, whatever has happened to England?  When the sun finally came out on Sunday I had a great day clearing out and cleaning the studio, something I don’t do often but it’s very cathartic.  Now half-term is upon us and many family commitments are keeping me out of my beloved studio.  Will do my utmost to fend them off.

 

 

Eggshells

12x16", oil on canvas

12×16″, oil on canvas

I’m looking forward to getting back to my garden studio this week (if it’s not underwater) and some inspiring fruits, vegetables and flowers, imported or not.  In the meantime, here’s a larger painting of the ubiquitous eggshells.  Right, off to find my flippers.

 

Sal

Sal

Sal – 60″x60″ oil on canvas

I spent last week on this large portrait instead of daily paintings before heading off on Friday for a weekend in Lahore.  This is Sally,  daughter of  Jobber’s cousin. She is a great girl, lots of fun, 10years old (when this was started) and has Down’s Syndrome.  She doesn’t let that or anything else hold her back and she has me in stitches sometimes! She loves making videos on her iPad and posing for photos.  Lahore was great. So nice to get out of Islamabad to somewhere where there is a bit of life and culture.  The traffic however is terrifying, more so than here on account of the fact that there is so much of it.  Astonishingly, I witnessed a tuk-tuk doing a three-point turn and then changing direction amidst bumper-to-bumper no-such-thing-as-a-lane traffic on what passes as a roundabout. Sorry, no photo, I had my eyes closed mostly. Home to the UK by the end of this week to rule-abiding drivers (mostly).