A Meeting Of The Clan... PPF

This is how I left my studio on Wednesday morning... I'm missing it, but there's work to be done. 

My daughter is flying from one nest to another within Edinburgh, so the Clan is meeting up to give her a hand!

As you can see I decided to revisit painting the wildflower meadow with acrylic paints before I left.

I feel much happier with this one, especially with a few more little additions, but I've still got a lot to learn.

Because I've been hanging on to summer for as long as I possibly could, I thought I'd include a butterfly and swallows.

Autumn has arrived... so now on to the glorious autumnal colour display.
Before I go Muffin wanted you to see her on holiday.
I think she's totally confused with what's happening, but coping.

Enjoy your weekend everyone and I hope to see you back at the studio again soon.
As usual I'm linking up with Paint Party Friday.

Wildflower Meadow and Doves...PPF and Sunday Sketches

Morning everyone... or whatever salutation is appropriate for you at this particular moment.

It's Friday once again which means it's time to party! 

Yesterday I decided as well as working on my other 'project' (to be revealed at a later date) I'd have a play on a new canvas. 

Firstly, I need to explain that I haven't really used acrylic paints before... so as the photos show... I need help!

As you can see from the view from the studio window, it was a great day for playing indoors.

I decided to revisit the wildflower meadow experiment that I'd had fun with a few weeks back.

Perhaps it's my last attempt to cling on to summer, because I distinctly heard the robins twittering and felt a rather chilly feel to this mornings air.

Needless to say I dashed straight away for a thick warm cozy jumper.

I'm taking no chances.

Who knows I could self-combust by lunchtime... with any luck!

So on to the painting...

Now in my defence it isn't finished and I intend to knock back the sky and yellow later. 

I'm not sure that 'knock back' is the correct term, but I think it's too bright and needs to be toned down.

I like the grass and flowers, although I will have a further fiddle with these no doubt before I'm done.

If you have any tips or advice I'd certainly love to hear from you.

My quick sketch today was inspired after visiting Alexandra's blog post over at Bluechairdiary.

I had a good chuckle reading about the pigeon cooing away every morning and it reminded me of the doves that come to visit me each day. I have no idea where they come from, but they seem very happy to stay, resting on our chimney pots. 

I know when they arrive, because they coo loudly which reverberates down the chimney!

They know me so well now that they have actually started to come onto the decking and peer in the patio window where I am working. 

It's we're here, waiting and why aren't you feeding us!

I will be linking up with Alexandra for the Sunday Sketch on Sunday, but if you would like to visit her before then just click on the Sunday Sketch logo in my sidebar.

Before I leave you this morning, I would like to say that I really would love to visit each and every entry for the Paint Party Friday and Sunday Sketches, but unfortunately, I have only managed that for one week...so far. I have the best intentions, but time is just whipped away from me. 

If you visit and comment here, I always try to return the compliment.

I also answer your comment here and try to copy it to your email account, but many have a no-reply comment address... so in that case the reply is only on my blog. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I hope to see you again soon.

xoxo

Experimenting... Wildflower Meadow... PPF

Now this is actually beyond a Tail-End Charlie entry into the Paint Party Friday link... I've almost missed the boat! 

As usual I thought I'd manage to do at least one piece of artwork during the week, but alas this morning I realised that it was actually Friday and I hadn't got anything to show for the week! 

Where did that week go?

It was actually the bin men arriving that reminded me... so after dashing the wheelie bins out into the lane at record speed, I decided that I would make some time today for art.

I had seen an artist a few weeks ago, using a technique that I've been wanting to try.

So I decided today was the day to give it a go....

This is only the draft piece hence the substandard paper. 

I just wanted to see if I could make the same effect that the artist had. 

It's a wildflower meadow by the way just in case it's not clear.

Firstly, I wet the paper (hence the wrinkles and curves... see I told you it wasn't the best quality paper)

Then I started to paint a sunrise. 

As you can see... not very well at this stage, but please bare in mind as I waited for it to dry I had been nipping in and out of the garden to tidy a few borders and pull yet more weeds.
It's not the best way to produce a masterpiece, but it's the best I could do.

This incessant rain makes the weeds grow like triffids!

This was only a trial so at least I was able to do something, which is better than nothing at all.

Next I mixed various colours and flicked the paint onto the paper. 

Then I added some details to give the effect of wildflowers.

The wildflowers are so important in helping to keep the bee pollution thriving and is so topical at the moment.
We are actually thinking about having our own bee hive because we already have our own meadow (it's actually a patch of garden left to whatever wants to grow ie wild flowers and weeds) so we're almost there. 

I'll hopefully be linking up as usual with Kristin and Eva over at Paint Party Friday if I'm not too late.

Thanks ladies for hosting such an inspiring linky.

Plus this week is the second week of Alexandra's Sunday Sketches from the UK. 

Alexandra has moved over from the US to England for a temporary period and she wanted her link to Sunday Sketches to reflect that it is being hosted from England.

She had a competition to design a logo to reflect the move and I'm thrilled to say she picked my design. 

Please tap on the logo in my side bar to nip across to see lots of Alexandra's brilliant illustration work, but also lots of other artists work too.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and thanks for stopping by. 

I hope to see you again soon.