Blackberries

Now that the exhibition and my stint at Invigilation at our local University are over , it has been lovely to have a couple of clear days to pick up a paint brush again. I wanted nothing too complicated or thought provoking, so I picked up a branch of blackberries from the lane down which I walk every day whilst collecting our morning paper and spent a few very happy hours painting the lovely fruit.

I put on a wash of Quinachridone Magenta and Indigo to start with. I left it to dry completely before adding a little Apatite Green Genuine. Adding the green too soon can make the other colours go very dirty.

Without ant more preparation, and no drawing, I painted the fruits with a combination of Quinachridone Purple, Ultra Marine Blue ,and Indigo for the dark fruits and Opera Pink, Qiunachridone Coral, Sap Green and Yelloe Ochre for the unripe fruits.

A bit of splatter and I felt it was finished. One of those paintings where perhaps less is more, and I think lots of white in the background helps to keep it fresh.

It was lovely to be painting again, especially as there will be little chance over the next couple of weeks as I have been called for Jury Service.

                                                                     'Blackberries '
                                                           Cornweall 450g Matt Paper

Now that I see the painting on screen, I think the two pairs of dark fruits are too similar but not sure how I might rectify this. I will give it some thought, but might, in the end, leave it as it is.

Catch-up

Things have been a bit hectic over the past few weeks, getting ready for and stewarding our exhibition in the Cloisters of Wells Cathedral. It was a great success and despite our anxieties regarding the change of venue within the Cathedral, we were very pleased with how it all looked and visitors seemed very pleased with the standard of both the display and the paintings.

Towards the end of the week it was a bit chilly and damp, but that was a small price to pay for such an impressive venue.

During this time I have done very little painting, with one exception.
My daughter and her partner went north to watch the Tour de France cycle race and profitted from their time there to do a bit of exploring. They came across a lovely village with a ford and a row of traditional cottages.
My daughter took a photo and presented it to me saying that she thought I would enjoy painting the garden!

Because she had gone to the trouble of getting the photo I did not like to say that the main subject of the image was the buildings and really buildings are not my thing! I did feel, however that I should at least have a go on the premise that all objects are just a series of shapes and possible to paint in a reasonable way.

With tongue in cheek and a bit of trepidation I did my best and sent a photo of the finished painting to  daughter and son-in-law.

The next thing I know, son-in-law, Dave, has managed to track down the owners of the property, sent them a copy of the painting and they appear to be totally delighted with it and would like to own it.

The photo looks as if the building is leaning badly to the left and the water runs up hill to the right! Sorry about that.....my poor photographic skills

It has now been carefully packed and dispatched for them to see, and I await either their approval and a small cheque or a return of the painting. I somehow think it will be the former, and I am flattered and delighted that one of my few attempts at buildings has achieved some small success.

Having said all that, this week at AVA, with a free choice of subject, it was back to painting flowers!