Crazy Holly

Have been working on this today.... my hubby said do some fiery colours!!!! I have actually bought some new colours, some fiery ones amongst them and as you know from my last blog I wanted to do something different with the sea holly as I was getting a bit fed up with the same colours but wanted to try a new composition. I was concerned that it would just look odd and maybe it does but I actually quite like it!! It hasn't photographed terribly well........ the colours are a bit more vibrant and there is more texture than shows up on here but I do like the colours and I think the composition works, decided to do this landscape and got a bit lost with the fronds but that is one beauty of painting loose, it doesn't always matter if some of the details "disappears."

Am not sure this is finished but will leave it a day or two and see what I think and of course if any of you reading this see anything please feel free to let me know

I think I will frame this in black, and maybe take to the exhibition on Saturday..... might try yet another combination using more complimentary colours, rather than these harmonious ones, so need to work out a new composition now as well..... I don't feel I have finished with the sea holly yet and I can't tell you what a useful exercise it has been to do all these different studies, I have got to know the subject so much better and I have more idea how to paint the flower so that I can now concentrate on the other aspects of the piece.

I think I will do this a lot more from now on, explore different subjects, find my way around them try out different compositions and colours.

This is my third try at the Sea holly , the second might have to bite the dust, though I am still working on it!!! I am trying a few different compositions so have started using a sketch book to get some ideas and this one evolved,. I like this composition and I do like the extra texture, check out my first go at these, then you can compare and see which you like best. The first one is much smoother and though I think it does look better in real life and of course framed,  I definitely prefer this one.

First blog

Now another question...... have done 3 of these all with the same colour scheme so for the time being although  I want to try other compositions am thinking of trying another palette. I know I am all for using imaginative colour schemes but have never seen sea holly anything other than varying shades of blue, purple and sometimes white and not sure whether it will just look silly so what colours do you think I might be able to do this in without it looking daft.......alternatively I might have to try and find another flower which has this sort of look........... any ideas?

What am I up to?? And is it finished???

This is my first ever blog and has been prompted by some changes which are going on in my life at the moment the most significant one of which is that I am about to retire in the next couple of months. This means I can devote more time to my art which has become quite a passion (and one of the reasons I am retiring)

I have been a member of a local art group for about 3 years and am about to start running it in a teaching capacity. Over the last year, I have done 3 workshops for them and had some surprisingly good feedback considering I have never done anything like this  before and now have another group who would like me to run some sessions as well. 

Hopefully this will fill my time and I won't know how I found the time to do my proper job in the first place!!! Somehow I can't see art as work at all, seems too much fun and pleasure to be considered anything other than a treat, pure indulgence... to be able to pick up a brush and paint as well as helping others share in this amazing hobby just seems too much joy to be considered work!!!

Is it Finished?????  

This is an image I have been working on for a few days now with the help of a pretty special artist and am wondering if it is finished... I think I am going to add a little more contrast to it yet... we'll see, am quite liking how it has progressed and I have learned a lot by working on a piece for a while, not something I am used to doing, but will be doing more of in the future.... definitely the way forward if I can curb my errant tendencies!!!