Have Dogs, Will Travel

Tulip Oil Painting

2008-10-11T12:16:00.002Z

Tulip 18 x 24cm oil on board

Our Wednesday afternoon oil painting group has reconvened after the summer. I'd been working on the tulip painting before the break and it languished in my studio all Summer. I did get bored looking at it. Apart from varnish, it's now finished and I face my usual problem - where to sign it. I always think my signature spoils the painting.

I took the photo of these way back at the beginning of the year and if it looks familiar it's because I did an earlier study in watercolour pencil, posted here.

Flowers for Glen's FP Sketchbook

2008-10-06T09:03:00.004Z

Watercolour & ink

This is my contribution to Glen Heath 's beautiful flower theme Flying Pictures Sketchbook. Flowers are a favourite subject of mine but inspiration was scarce - and I went as far as Venice trying to kick start my imagination before settling on subjects right outside our back door!

I think this wonderful shiny blue insect is a Carpenter Bee. He was a regular visitor to our sweet peas this year.

And finally a sprig of ivy to create a transition to Casey's contribution.

My spread follows Lindsay's - you can see the entire book so far on the Flying Pictures Blog.

Vivien Blackburn is a British artist who is part of our Flying Pictures. She's just written a marvellous post about taking part in sketchbook exchanges.

Nina's sketchbook with Lindsay's Leaves

2008-09-23T17:06:00.004Z

Nina's Flying Picture's Sketchbook is here in Tuscany. I've been feasting on it for the last couple of days and getting rather stressed because I don't want to add something that will let down the stunning standard of work already done by Nina Johansson, Glen Heath, Vivien Blackburn, Ronell van Wyk and Lindsay Olson. It is worth going to the Flying Pictures Blog to see all the beautiful painting already posted from this particular book in our sketchbook exchange.

Nina's theme is Polychromatic Behaviour and it has inspired work of the most glorious colours. Lindsay's multi media painting of Cambria Leaves knocked my socks off and I'm sure anything I put beside it is going to look 'faded' by comparison.

I've got lots of juicy colours on my desk - if I can just squeeze them.....

Tuscan Village

2008-09-21T10:29:00.002Z

Detail - Pen & Watercolour for FP Sketchbook Exchange

Finally, I have finished my pages in Glen's Flying Picture Sketchbook. Glen's theme is Flowers but you'll have to wait until Casey receives the book to see where I've put them. Meantime this is a tiny peek at my contribution.

No chance for a breather once I've sent Glen's book flying off to Casey, Nina's Polychromatic Behaviour is now waiting on my desk - it's another stunner! Photos will be posted shortly.

Glen's Sketchbook

2008-09-03T17:07:00.006Z

Lindsay follows Ronell in Glen's sketchbook

Glen's Flying Pictures Sketchbook is now with me in Tuscany, impatiently waiting for my muse to turn up. The book is already stunning with the latest contribution of a beautiful collage by Lindsay. I've posted a BIG close up of Lindsay's picture on the Flying Pictures blog.

Now I'm off to Venice for four days, hoping to find my muse to help me come up with something for this beautiful book.

Summer Fruit & Todi Sunset

2008-08-31T15:06:00.003Z

A basket of plums from a neighbour - watercolour.

Todi, Umbria in the late afternoon - watercolour

What a long, hot and largely unproductive summer I've had. If it weren't for the Flying Pictures Sketchbook Exchange, I would have had precious little art to show.

The watercolours above are my contribution to Vivien's sketchbook which has since touched down with Casey in France and is now off to Nina in Sweden. You will see from my previous post how much I loved the opportunity to contribute to Vivien's beautiful book.

Glen's book has now arrived so I really do have to get up and give myself a good shake and start trying to make some art. I'll post some pictures from Glen's book in the next few days. As you would expect it is stunning and challenging.

A Feather for Vivian

2008-08-12T12:24:00.005Z

Wood Grouse Feather - watercolour pencils

Vivien's Flying Pictures Sketchbook contains some beautiful feather sketches by Vivien. She tucked a real one into the book with an invitation for each of us taking part in the Flying Pictures sketchbook exchange to have a go. When Vivien's book arrived here in Tuscany it had already picked up additional feathers by Ronell and Lindsay.

The same week Vivien revealed her feather theme I found myself caught up in a flurry of feathers, one of which (above) landed at my feet. I decided then and there it was a feather for Vivien.

This feather did not come directly from a Wood Grouse (Capercaillie) but from one of the flamboyant hats worn by members of the famous Italian Bersaglieri army corp.

A couple of hundred current members and veterans of the corps were in our little Tuscan town for a reunion.

Our first sight of them was when an officer ran into the piazza where we were enjoying a local concert. He called the concert to an abrupt halt and then gestured to his troops waiting in a side street. A whole militatry brass band, sporting spectacular hats, festooned with Capercaillie feathers, dashed past playing their instruments on the run. I learned later that the Bersaglieri (sharpshooters) are famous for doing everything on the run. An unforgettable and totally delightful sight. Of course I didn't have my camera!

I caught up with them later when they paraded through the town.

After the First World War the Bersaglieri rode bicycles. Today they move in modern army vehicles, but when they're on foot they're still on the run.

Vivien's beautiful sketchbook is now with Casey in France and I'm sure she is already on the track of a feather or two.

It was wonderful to have your book for a while, Vivien and I loved the opportunity to see your beautiful original art.

Fa Caldo

2008-08-09T14:15:00.002Z

Sorry - this blog is just too hot to do anything! Except studying Italian - that's a bit like the postal service - it has to go on no matter what weather.

Butterfly and Dermott Dormant

2008-07-31T15:09:00.005Z

4" x 4" watercolour on HP paper

Gel pen and sepia ink wash

Bears are dormant during the winter.
Volcanoes are best dormant.
Dermott is dormant after too much Tuscan sun.

Vespa Dreams

2008-07-28T11:47:00.005Z

Sepia ink, white gouache on brown paper

We stopped at Bar 2000 at 7am on Friday for a calming cup of coffee after I took the first step to fulfilling a dream.

The dream is to buy a Vespa 50 - egged on, I might add by Katherine Making a Mark who suggested it was the ideal vehicle for me to sketch from in the Italian countryside. Up until Friday all I had actually done was sketch a Vespa 50!

On Thursday night our friend Chris called me to say he had hired a couple of motor scooters for the day and didn't have to return them until later Friday morning. This was it! My big opportunity to see if I actually had The Right Stuff to actually ride a motor scooter - and ultimately, a Vespa.

I did!!!!!!!!!

Not very fast, and suitably humbled by being passed by an octogenarian woman with her handbag dangling off her handlebars.

Anyway, I'm still only dreaming about the Vespa at this stage - it could be a fatal folly.

Arrivederci Vivien's Flying Pictures Sketchbook

2008-07-24T08:42:00.006Z

Sneak preview of my addition to Vivien's Sketchbook

Vivien's Flying Pictures Sketchbook is winging its way to Casey in France. I do hope you like my additions, Vivien. If you don't, just send it back ;) I'd love to keep your book with its beautiful art.

This marks the half way point in our Flying Pictures Sketchbook Exchange - only three more books to go. Only three more panic attacks to suffer!

Along with my other Flyers, I'm the proud recipient of two awards from Casey. Thank you Casey!

Althought I spent the best years of my life rehearsing my Oscar acceptance speech, I'm ashamed to say I have been slow to acknowledge these generous awards which I have also recently received from Clare and Sharon. Thank you again!

Now I have to follow through with the requirements of accepting these awards.

1. Put the award logo on your own blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate 5 to 7 others.
4. Add links to them.
5. Leave messages for nominees.

Do you see now why I've been so slow? First of all many of the people I would award have already received their awards and delivered their acceptance speechs. My other reluctance is that in making these awards, one can't name all one's favourite blogs - many are left out, overlooked, heartbroken. There are also blogs I visit regularly, and adore that aren't even in my blogroll because I feel it would be pushy of me to associate myself with such talent!

So today's awards go to:

Katherine - Making a Mark & Travels with a Sketchbook (who is not required to fulfill the above tasks) but without whom, any art blog list would be incomplete.

Lin - View from the Oak - for her watercolours and being the most generous and active of bloggers.

Joan - Watercolours by Joan - who inspires with her dedication to the art of watercolour.

Toni - A Spattering for her wonderful blog of nature tales.

Robin - Rednews Another inspiration both for her talent and dedication to her art.

Wendy - Quirkyartist - for her adventures with new mediums and memories of home

Janie - Ragamuffins - for her gorgeous paintings and great photographs

Liz - Liz Patterson Art Journal - who always surprises and delights

Anyone who doesn't have time to participate, I totally understand!

Some Tuscan Rainbow Moments

2008-07-19T12:15:00.009Z

In Jean's Garden - Watercolour CP paper

These are my additions to Ronell's Flying Pictures Sketchbook. The book is now with Casey in France. Ronell's theme is Rainbow Moments so these are some that sprung to mind. Above, a corner of a friend's garden here in Tuscany. The Rainbow Moment is actually when that old bell calls us to lunch!

First Scarce Swallowtail on our lavender

Our lavender bloomed on the terrace for the first time this year and attracted our first Scarce Swallowtail butterfly. Apparently this butterfly is so named because it is scarce in the UK, not here in Tuscany.

My Summer Desk - Acrylic, pencil & Stabilo fine liners

We are each attaching our own choice of paper to the concertina sketchbooks and it can be a challenge to carry an image across two different grounds. I resorted to an acrylic undercoat to try to pull this one together.

You can see the entire contents of Ronell's sketchbook, get a preview peek at what Casey is adding and follow its journey on the Flying Pictures Project blog.

Vivien's Flying Pictures Sketchbook Update

2008-07-15T13:35:00.004Z

Cover ⓒ Vivien Blackburn

Vivien's Blackburn's Flying Pictures Sketchbook is now in Tuscany. It has become a daily treat for me to open out the ten beautiful concertina pages of original work by three artists - Vivien, Ronell van Wyk and Lindsay Olson.

You can see my post about Lindsay's stunning additions to the book HERE at the Flying Pictures Blog.

Scroll through the blog to find Vivien's and Ronell's earlier spreads. The artful journeys of all seven Flying Pictures Sketchbooks in this exchange are being constantly updated on the FP blog.

I have now started work on my addition to Vivien's book. It is a daunting task, as you can imagine.

Looking at a Red Onion

2008-07-13T16:22:00.004Z

The Gardener grew it, I painted it. He'll cook it, I'll eat it. Isn't life perfect?

Editor's Note: I actually meant to post this in Our Tuscan Garden. I should not be in charge of a blog!

An Onion on my Desk

2008-07-13T12:17:00.008Z

Watercolour & WC pencils - A4 scribble block

HWEM has started pulling the first onions from the garden. I want to do a proper watercolour but thought I had better catch one at least in a sketch before it loses its leaves. All the sketches I'm doing lately are on a cheap sketch pad I bought from the supermarket. It is so liberating! ( Note to Sharon - I've used some Perylene Maroon in this. Sharon has been painting onions as well.)

Watercolour & Pen - Val di Chio

Inspired by looking at some lovely loose pen and ink sketches in our Flying Pictures sketchbook exchange (see Casey and Ronell) I've started playing fast and loose with the local scenery. This is a detail from the view over the valley from our carpark.

Watercolour, Acrylic ink and pen

Acrylic inks I bought on special in London and not sure if I really needed!

Roman building - Pitt Artist Pens & ink

Two Hot Dogs suffering the Tuscan Summer

Sunflowers Seated

2008-07-10T11:19:00.003Z

Gel Pen & Pitt Artist Pens

Who was I thinking of? He made icons of both these objects.

I'm doing a lot of quick, loose sketches on scrap paper, trying to loosen up my style.

Ronell's Sketchbook flies on to Casey

2008-07-07T17:18:00.003Z

Detail of my contribution to Ronell's FP sketchbook.

Ronell's Flying Pictures sketchbook left me today for Casey in France. I'm thinking Rainbow Moments may well take the opportunity to check in with her creator while she's in France.

Above is a peek at what I have added to Ronell's book. Of course it's not the bit I had so much trouble with ;)

As usual I'm so sorry to let another of these beautiful books go, knowing it will never return but I know Casey is going to add something wonderful and we will all get to share the images on line.

Ronell's book rewrapped and ready to go.

I know most of you have seen how Ronell packaged her book, but it is so pretty I had to post it again.

Flying Pictures - Rainbow Moments

2008-07-01T16:08:00.002Z

Oil Pastel - ⓒ Lindsay Olson

I didn't think I'd ever be posting an oil pastel painting on this blog. I'm hopeless with oil pastels myself. They are, however, Lindsay's great love and forte and she has chosen them for her spread in Ronell's Flying Pictures sketchbook exchange called Rainbow Moments which is now with me in Tuscany.

Beautiful work Lindsay and a sublime mood you've created with the still, reflective water and the lovely island trees. A 'rainbow moment' indeed. I keep glancing at the picture, waiting for you to come paddling by in your canoe.

It's also a great delight to finally have some of Ronell's beautiful original watercolours . Ronell has created a gorgeous polished wax finish on her cover. There is also a special personal gift from Ronell to keep, which I won't reveal because it will spoil the surprise for the other Flyers.

Flying Sketchbook Cover ⓒ Ronell van Wyk

If you want to peek inside, you can see Ronell's pages HERE on her blog Africantapestry or at our Flying Pictures Blog, where the journeys of all seven books are being recorded.

Lindsay enclosed a secret First Aid Kit to assist with the anxiety that quickly follows the delight associated with receiving one of these beautiful books. Anxiety because one now has to come up with something to add to this beauty. I painted half a spread before I realised I was using the wrong size paper, so I started over ... and over... Don't hold your breath Casey, I may be a while!

London Sketches

2008-06-25T10:36:00.011Z

Watercolour 17.5 x 24cm Canson sketch book

On a whim, last week, I brutally decided to leave HWEM at home with the dogs and accept my friend Jean's generous invitation to spend five days in London. Our base was, in my opinion, the sweetest address in town, within walking distance of my dream galleries, restaurants and art shops. Any of you who've visited Jean's blog will know she's a keen gardener here in Tuscany. In London, their courtyard boasts the only tree in the whole street. I sketched it (above) the morning I left. The watercolour was added later.

When I started making my 'Must See' list, I began with my blogging friend, Katherine Tyrrell of Making a Mark. Until now Katherine and I had never met face to face, so we exchanged a couple of candid photographs and arranged to meet outside the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly. Katherine had offered me an incredible choice of itineraries for our day and we settled on visiting the Summer Exhibition, preceded by coffee and conversation in the Friend's Room at the Royal Academy and followed by lunch at Fortnum & Mason's across the road. We were chatting like very old friends from the moment we met.

Katherine has described every smashing, wonderful moment of our day on her second blog Travels with a Sketchbook in ... HERE. You can also read about every morsel of the gorgeous lunch she treated me to, which I hoed into while she sketched.

Since Katherine has been my sketching inspiration and mentor since I met her through WetCanvas, it was impossible to concentrate on a sketch of my own while I had the opportunity to watch her technique. I'm hoping when she visits Tuscany the lessons will be resumed!

Since Katherine had already seen the Summer Exhibition, I couldn't have wished for a better guide. It was so exciting and stimulating to see such a feast of contemporary art in one place. There was also quite a lot of gentle prodding about directions I could take with my own painting.

Statue of Sir Joshua Reynolds at Burlington House home of the Royal Academy

While I waited for Katherine in the RA courtyard I sketched St. George's Horse. (To my shame I don't know the artist's name and to the Royal Academy's shame I can't find any reference to this beautiful work on their website. If anyone can help, please let me know so I can credit the sculptor). Thanks to Katherine this has now been corrected.

2B mechanical pencil - Canson sketch book

St George's Horse - fibreglass Michael Sandle RA

When I realised I wasn't going to finish my sketch before Katherine arrived, I took a couple of photos. At the time I didn't spot that other sketcher at work in the background.

View from the Portrait Restaurant
(I hoed in yet again instead of sketching!)

Our artist friend Jani joined us from Italy on Tuesday and became my companion for the rest of the London galleries. We were grateful for Katherine pointing us both to the BP Portrait Awards and the Portrait Restaurant atop the National Portrait Gallery.

In spite of an unplanned throat infection, I also managed to visit the Tait Britain (with it's wonderful Turner collection and room dedicated to his experiments with Colour & Line) and the National Gallery where I finally saw Turner's sublime Fighting Temeraire.

As well as a blissful visit to Waterstone's art book department with Katherine, I also hoed into two art shops - Cass Art (Charing Cross Rd), with a fantastic range and great prices and my old favourite, Green & Stone of Chelsea, where I couldn't resist a sheet of handmade Turner Blue watercolour paper.

I'm ashamed to say I returned with only two sketches. A lot of time was taken up eating fantastic food, culminating in Jean treating Jani and me to a delightful lunch at Mosimann's in Knightsbridge. Feeling a tad guilty about HWEM stuck at home with Snowy and Dermott, I did buy him a copy of Mosimann's latest recipe book. Some of you may put this down to self-interest since HWEM does most of the cooking and I, most of the eating!

So that was it - five days - three wonderful friends. Bliss!

Flying Pictures - Venice

2008-06-14T07:57:00.007Z

Watercolour, gesso, ink & gouache on grey paper (click for larger image)

Lindsay's Flying Pictures sketchbook is now in France with Casey. Since the theme of Lindsay's book is water, my contribution is Venice (above). It's the view from Piazza S. Marco across the lagoon. To the right, detail of some buildings on the Grand Canal.

Lindsay commenced her book with a beautiful and striking collage. I continued this theme, taking her little canoe through Tuscany and on to Venice. Will Casey be tempted to paddle the little canoe on through France? We'll have to wait and see.

You can follow the adventures of all seven books in the Flying Pictures Sketchbook Exchange here.

Fritillary in Coloured Pencil

2008-06-10T13:19:00.003Z

Fritillary Snake's Head
Derwent Inktense Pencils on grey paper

It's a year since I've sketched anything in my little multicoloured Fabriano Artist's Journal. I had resolved to use it to record everything that bloomed in our garden. Well the garden's blooming away and I'm way, way behind! I have painted a few flowers since but usually in watercolour sketchbooks.

I bought a tin of 12 Derwent Inktense pencils quite a while ago because so many people love them. I've hardly touched them since because they always look so gaudy to me when I add water. I was so disappointed in the sketch above I was really regretting that it was in my garden journal. I think I've rescued it slightly by adding some touches of white gouache.

Does anyone else have reservations about these pencils, or is it just me?

Watercolour Poppy

2008-06-06T09:40:00.005Z

The poppy I painted for my darling daughter's birthday.

Today I posted Lindsay's Flying Pictures Sketchbook on to Casey. Below is a peep at what I got up to.

You can follow the adventures of all seven traveling sketchbooks here.

Editors Note: Since a lot of people seem to have the idea that I came up with this clever collage concept in Lindsay's book I had better explain.

You will see from my previous post that all congratulations are due to Lindsay. She created the collage of the little canoes traveling along a mountain river and then left me half a page with some river, a sun and half a canoe. As a transition to the two pages I was adding, I simply added a Tuscan flavour with a couple of pieces of paper Lindsay had left over.

Flying Pictures First Sketchbook Exchange

2008-06-01T09:54:00.004Z

Lindsay's sketchbook has arrived in Tuscany. I thought it was going to take forever as most of our incoming mail does. Lindsay resisted the temptation to decorate the envelope so it couldn't be termed 'package' and end up in that Poste Italiane black hole in Milan.

What a surprise to find not only a beautiful collage by Lindsay but an envelope full of treasures for my own artistic adventure.

I love the little canoes passing through the mountains of beautiful Japanese printed paper.

Lindsay's Cover

Now I have to carry on Lindsay's water theme into the two pages I will add to her book before sending it on to Casey.

You can follow the journey of all seven handmade Flying Pictures sketchbooks HERE.

Inside Story - FP Sketchbook Exchange

2008-05-30T13:45:00.005Z

I sent off my handmade FlyingPictures concertina sketchbook, Different Strokes on Monday. It's now arrived safely in Casey's studio in France.

This has been the most beautiful Spring for wildflowers since we moved to Tuscany. I painted them in an olive grove outside the village, then added detail of the flowers.

I felt the painting turned out a bit too much like a chocolate box illustration but it's a weakness of mine, not knowing what to leave out. The bee was an attempt to show I'm not taking myself too seriously!

The book is 18 x 26 cm and I started it with 300gm HP watercolour paper. It is up to each artist in the exchange to choose the paper for the pages they add. The cover is a chocolate brown embossed paper. The bookmark lists the artists and their location.

Now it's over to Casey. I can't wait to see what she brings to Different Strokes.

Sketching in Val di Chio

2008-05-29T10:35:00.007Z

Lamy pen and wash with W&N Sepia ink

This week Sarah and I walked and sketched along the Old Mills Trail in the Val di Chio. Sarah has a post graduate interest in the ancient Etruscan waterways of the valley and her art is influenced by all things Etruscan.

Sarah sketching

Sadly we didn't find any old mills still standing but we did find grape vines growing in the traditional manner wrapped around the trunks of maples.

Lamy pen & watercolour - Canson 17.5 x 24 cm sketchbook

I'm still having trouble getting anything but very diluted colour with my waterbrush. Next time I think I 'll try the coloured pencil approach inspired by Katherine Tyrrell's lovely drawing in a vineyard not far from here.

Old stone structure in Val de Chio

I had to balance on a rock in the stream to take the photo above, so I didn't risk a sketch.

All sketches look a little drab here because I've had to scan the sketches because the light isn't great for photographs at the moment. Does anyone else have disappointing results with scans?