The day beckons!

Here I am, sitting at home on yet another day when a child is off, this time due to illness. Fortunately it’s the eldest and he lets me get on and work. I’m a heartless woman!!!!! More snow forecast for later on in the week. Let’s hope they’re a bit more organised with the gritting this time. Talking of snow here are some of the pictures I promised last week.

I think I need to work on lighting!

Today has been far more productive than I expected. I’ve managed to finish some abstracts and a couple of sketches today. A quick one of the dog, amazingly he stayed still long enough, and it’s a paint sketch. So here is Arrow asleep.

I also did one of my paintbox and brushes. It’s a bit more stylised and controlled than the one above

Fishtank

This is a quick sketch I did of my fishtank! There are fish in it but they’re very small, kept moving around and, when I did draw them, they blended in with the background.

I’ve nearly finished the commission, hooray, just struggling with low light levels and the red hair!

Two children returned to school today and the last one returns tomorrow… I hear freedom beckoning!

What's this?

I've been neglecting blogging for the past few days. I have been creating artworks though, so not a total loss of direction. I'm adopting a very lazy posture though. After sparaining my foot last Friday and overdoing walking around I thought I should keep it raised as much as possible, and I haven't worked out a good way to do that at the computer.
So to pictures, I've just done another quick one of Michaael Jackson, not really happy with it so might redraw and post next picture. So here's another exhibition entry, no idea which picture was commended yet, hopefully will find out soon.
It's called "What's this?"

I can't stand it anymore!!!!!

Nothing drastic, but the level of mess at home has finally freaked me out. Spent a long time tidying and cleaning today - ugh! This photo of the cat will explain why!

Well OK, I just put it in because she's so darn cute! Dominic is feeling much better today so I could finally use the vacuum cleaner! I think I'd prefer dynamite!

I did allow myself a couple of hours to mono print in the morning and this is one of the nicer results. Some need some work as they haven't turned out as anticipated but that's all part of the learning curve.

Had a phone call from Google about website optimisation. Nice because he didn't rabbit on in techno-babble!

Finished doggy pic

This is the picture I've been working it. I think it's finished but I'm waiting on the client's approval. I've already altered it once as the dog is very shy and won't keep her ears up when photographed. So the ears are 80% guesswork but apparently correct.

Tiger, tiger...

I've had a productive day today. I finished my tiger picture - see below. I'm thinking it should be called "Blake's inspiration". I've always been fascinated by tigers but I wouldn't want to meet one without a cage. It was started as an abstract but I didn't want to finish it as one, maybe I'll try again... I've included the poem, it's too good not to. I've also nearly finished an abstract - waiting for it to dry.

I've had the subject of my commission over for a photo shoot. A camera shy mongrel, she's lovely but terrified of cameras. Eventually got some useable pictures and one the client wants a copy of! Just need to finish the picture now.

William Blake. 1757–1827

The Tiger

TIGER, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And water'd heaven with their tears,

Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?