No, no new art yet...

This is a sketch of a Life Class model from last term. I go every week for 2 hours and during recent months, it was my salvation, while times were difficult. You get lost for 2 whole hours , just concentrating on left-hand brain activity, no talking , no calculating or analysing, simply concentrating on shapes and tone.

Well, it hasn't worked so far.

These opium poppies were painted from life in the garden of a famous Berkshire potter on a Painting Day with the Reading Guild of Artists. I have presented this painting as I haven't got around to doing any painting today or yesterday or the day before so have nothing new to show. One of the purposes of this blog was to encourage me to paint , if not shame me into some action. 

I have some bright, burning orange begonias in a container, which are crying out to be painted ... perhaps tomorrow, eh? 

A new venture

This was painted from a photograph of Cuddles , the family cat, after a workshop with Jean Haines , who encourages painting without a preliminary sketch but with loose, vibrant colours and washes. 

The shape of the head is good and I like the pale pinky wash on the shoulders, perhaps alizarin crimson but the division on the body between white and black fur is poorly executed and overworked.