Northamptonshire somewhere

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I had a fab Mother’s Day yesterday, alone! Children were scattered around the globe so I took myself out into the sunshine, drove until I found a nice view, set up my easel and painted Plein-air which I’ve been promising myself for a long time. I thought I was all alone until I got caught by a very quiet cyclist, rather embarrassingly, boogeying at the easel to Marvin Gaye on the car CD player……one of those ground swallow me up moments but he thought it was hilarious. I got home and the son not on a field-trip or working abroad turned up with flowers and supper…aw. So, anyway, I’ve no idea where it was I ended up and this painting is too bitty and definitely not a finished product but it was a lovely day. I loved the acid green bark you get at this time of year and the start of the rape flowers peeking through.

Northamptonshire

8″x6″ oil on gessoboard


Newly-crowned favourite child and my supper

Newly-crowned favourite child and my supper

Sweetpeas in a beer glass

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Cases are packed and ready to go. It’s almost a shame to leave all these sweetpeas that are everywhere at the moment but hopefully they may still be struggling through once I get back. I can’t find a decent vase here so I’m getting more resourceful with my receptacles…..oooh er Matron. I’m gearing up for daffs now and long bracing walks……lovely. I have had a few walks up through the Margalla hills which surround Islamabad but alas, there is no pub at the end!

£1416 sweetpeas in a beer glass

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard

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Sweet peas in an ink pot

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I just plain forgot to post this yesterday. The sweetpeas are still coming thick and fast but torrential rain yesterday and the day before have flattened them a bit. Getting ready for coming back to the Uk very soon.

1415 sweetpeas in an inkpot

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard

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Sweetpeas in a jam-jar

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Look what I found! The place is teeming with sweetpeas. Obviously March is the month for sweetpeas in Pakistan – strawberries too but that’s another story. I convinced the site gardeners that they would grow all the better for being picked which was possibly just in time as it is positively teeming here today and I fear they may not survive the onslaught.

#1414 sweetpeas in a jam jar

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard-SOLD

 

Golden syrup

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As a child, every Sunday I was given a teaspoon of this to wash down the truly disgusting tablespoon of cod liver oil that preceded it. Not a fair deal at all in retrospect. Have a great weekend.

#1413 golden syrup

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard

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Aubergines and blue china

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#1412 aubergines and blue china

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard-SOLD

The last of the aubergines for a while maybe. I can feel a baba ganoush coming on. I thought you might like to see my makeshift studio. I have commandeered the “conservatory” part of the living area in our house. This has meant switching from cheap household turps to the low-odour stuff which is difficult to get here. Hence my baggage allowance is suffering. It’s not as wonderful as my beloved studio at chapel cottage but it serves it’s purpose while I’m here. The wider bowl is a Pakistani piece. There is a name for this type of ceramic here but it escapes me at present.  
Studio islamabad
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Aubergine pair

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I had to stop painting this morning as I couldn’t see for teary eyes. Went round to the clinic to have an eye infection diagnosis – pants! An eye infection to a painter is bad news! No painting for the next few days whilst the antibiotic kicks in. Good job I have some to hand.

Aubergine pair

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard-SOLD

I must attribute this composition to the most marvellous Julian Merrow-Smith. There’s only so much one can do with an Aubergine! 

Aubergine

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I love the colour of aubergines which makes them such a pleasure to paint. The cracked plaster shelf was an import from a photo I took outside. There’s a lot of cracked plaster here. Come to think of it, there’s a lot of cracked everything.

Aubergine #1410

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard-SOLD


 
Jobbers and I went shopping for a few things for the garden on Saturday. Delivery isn’t possible to the enclave so we had to bring it home ourselves. Believe it or not, both jobbers and a neighbour are in the car!
A little shopping

A little shopping

Pot plant

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#1409 pot plant

8″x8″ oil on gessoboard

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I’ve absolutely no idea what this plant was, could be a primrose, but a friend brought it when she came to supper before I left for Pakistan last week. This morning when I was out and about on the compound, I spied some sweet peas in a community area. In a not-very-community-spirited way – I intend to pinch some at the first opportunity – maybe under cover of darkness less my excuse of encouraging more blooms meets with scorn.

Portrait

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Please excuse the prolonged absence. Things got on top of me but I’m back in Pakistan now and up and running at the easel. It’s getting hot here too! Last week, if you remember, I was in London doing a portrait workshop which was great fun if hard work. I made new painting buddies and we are hoping to meet up for some Plein-air painting later on in the year. So, I thought I’d show you a couple of “progression” photos of the work in hand. Of course, I forgot to take an ” end” photo is will have to show you that in April when I return. These two are the first pass (ie finding the major tonal shapes) and the nearly there stage. The model was called Namushka with the most amazing head of hair and the patience of a saint.

First pass

First pass

Almost there

Almost there

. My favourite portrait at the moment is by one of my all time favourite painters dairmuid Kelley, called “a forest” for reasons best known to himself. Not only is it a magical rendering of light and texture, it also features one of my favourite props – yes, wallpaper – great minds?