JANUARY 2021 (10)

An email from Lesley M (using her new laptop!), she says, I’m going to try to send you a “Portrait of an Iris foetidissima Seedhead” I have in my garden. But as I’m trying to email on my new laptop I’m not sure if I’ll succeed as I’ve no idea how to attach a file and I’m not even sure where I put the painting! (I’m certainly backing up paintings etc on the old machine just in case.)
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed painting it and most was done without the aid of Billy. I went to look for how to mix a very dark brown on her site and found that she’d done one as part of a study page. I had a very quick look but then decided to continue and will look at it soon to see where I went wrong! I have got another photo of a more complicated seedhead so I might watch the tutorial before attempting that. Crunch time – can I find my painting to attach????"

Well, Lesley you certainly managed to send the photo of your painting and a very good painting it is too. I really think you have cracked it, the darks are excellent and the berries juicy enough to eat (although I think they are probably poisonous)

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I was just adding Lesley M's painting to the blog and I heard two more "ping" in! This time from Lesley C. She says, "Hi Jean, Mud, mud, glorious mud!! now the river Severn has burst its banks; it's really high already and it doesn't peak till tomorrow afternoon!
I've attached a couple of portraits and a still life. The great grebe is an oil sketch from a photo I took on the Somerset Levels, I didn't get round to finishing it off as I wasn't very pleased with it. The next one is an acrylic of Kevin done for the subject of the week which was "Keeping Warm" The still life is a pastel done the other day just to try and cheer myself up on such a dreary day. Keep smiling."

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I love the Grebe, the water is so realistic and so are the feathers. Strangely enough I found some oil pastels yesterday and wondered if I could do something with them. I think it is good to try different media sometimes, I find it refreshes my take on things. 

The portrait of Kevin really catches his likeness although I have rarely seen him looking so  glum.   It also fits our subject of the month although you have already done the elephants for that. 

I love the plant study too and I hope it succeeded in cheering you up. It certainly cheered me, it is a great composition. Sorry to hear the Severn is still rising I will keep my fingers crossed it will not reach you.

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This is something I have been struggling with since before Christmas, it is in acrylic on board. I took the photo whilst playing around with the camera on my phone, the guitarist (I don't know who it is) was on the TV and I photographed the screen and cropped out the wall behind it, which explains the format. I liked the shot but found the out of focus left hand and frets extremely difficult. Decided enough was enough, time to get on with something else.

When Steve saw Lesley's portrait of Kevin he said, "why haven't you posted the one of me that you did?" As it was done in November, for his birthday card, it isn't really this months work and as I recall he didn't want it included on the blog then; but I am posting it as I think it is quite amusing.  It is in gouache and pastel on paper.  The photo I used I took whilst we were having a meal in the "Starting Gate" in Hereford. I was only really taking the sundae but Steve's image says everything.  Bear in mind that he is diabetic!

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Photo

Quite right Eva, well spotted!  I have added the portrait.  That is what comes of trying to do things too quickly!  My optician has asked me to arrange an appointment, I obviously need new specs asap!!!!