CHECK OUT MY PORTRAIT GALLERIES
Thursday, 31 May 2012
31/01: COMMISSIONS UPDATE
Existing commissions, Gift Voucher redemptions and exhibition work will completely fill my work schedule for the next few months. As at 1st February 2012 I cannot accept any new commissions for completion before end June. I will update this message regularly.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
06/03: LONG DAY!!
I had an early appointment at the spine clinic and then we had to shop for essential DIY supplies in readiness for picture hanging tonight. Spent a couple of hours sticking photoprints onto backing/mounts and sealing them in cellophane wrappers (I've only had 4 months to get this done ..... why on earth did I leave it till the last minute)??
David printed off all the labels - we loaded the car and got to the gallery in good time - to discover the tape measures had been left at home .... so a quick dash back in the car then we were all set. My piece of wall wasn't quite the size/shape we'd expected as it has a corner so we had to do some juggling and it looks a bit uneven ... never mind - they're up and thats how they are staying.
I've hung 13 here and have one very large pastel in the Main Gallery window which faces out onto the street - so quite a decent number.
For the first time I am offering photoprints of some of my originals - in presentation cellophane envelopes with mount and backing board, or in a selection of frames I had at home - it will be interesting to see how they go. It was Peter (Mighty Fine Art) who recommended doing these to appeal to customers who perhaps can't afford an original piece of art, or want something smaller.
Here are a few I've put in frames, stacked against the wall at home this afternoon
and a few pics showing the work of some of the other exhibitors - This exhibition is being staged by the Made in Whitstable Group .... open to anybody from Whitstable who is creative. So we have knitters, felters, jewellers, glass workers, photographers and artists sharing this exhibition which offers a diverse range of products to the visitors.
Can you see what it is yet???? :-)
David printed off all the labels - we loaded the car and got to the gallery in good time - to discover the tape measures had been left at home .... so a quick dash back in the car then we were all set. My piece of wall wasn't quite the size/shape we'd expected as it has a corner so we had to do some juggling and it looks a bit uneven ... never mind - they're up and thats how they are staying.
I've hung 13 here and have one very large pastel in the Main Gallery window which faces out onto the street - so quite a decent number.
For the first time I am offering photoprints of some of my originals - in presentation cellophane envelopes with mount and backing board, or in a selection of frames I had at home - it will be interesting to see how they go. It was Peter (Mighty Fine Art) who recommended doing these to appeal to customers who perhaps can't afford an original piece of art, or want something smaller.
Here are a few I've put in frames, stacked against the wall at home this afternoon
and a few pics showing the work of some of the other exhibitors - This exhibition is being staged by the Made in Whitstable Group .... open to anybody from Whitstable who is creative. So we have knitters, felters, jewellers, glass workers, photographers and artists sharing this exhibition which offers a diverse range of products to the visitors.
I love Alma's glasswork - especially these little fishes and birds, each one is different (so cute)!
and just to keep me on my toes, my Polychromos coloured pencils turned up today (I had a bit of a 'spend-up' on eBay at the weekend). I have mainly Prismacolor and Derwent Coloursoft coloured pencils (hundreds of them it seems) but I really wanted to try the Faber-Castell Polychromos and I got a set of 24 and a set of 12 for very good prices at auction.
This is a reference from my 'to-do doggy list' - its a standard poodle I photographed at one of the many funfairs/dog shows on Tankerton Slopes (close to my house) - It was a very bright sunny day and a lot of my dog photos were a bit 'bleached' but I got a few of this poodle where the sun has created some interesting shadows. I don't know the dog's name but have seen her in the area frequently. If Vic is looking in (Pencil Wizard) she will probably be able to help as she knows so many of the dog owners who frequent the beach path.
Anyway this is on dark grey pastelmat using polychromos. Must admit I'm struggling to get the white to look as bright as required in places - but I'll persevere. Here I've just put a few squiggles in to suggest hair length/direction. She has such a mass of curls and frizz it will be fun to portray.
Apart from the very quick drawing I did recently of my Grand-daughter, its been a while since I've used coloured pencils so this is not going as quickly as a pastel picture would ..... but I find that using coloured pencils on pastelmat does speed the process up a little as I use fewer layers but do more blending with a cotton bud (I am not using solvents on this picture as I know that will really dull the white too much). Its a very different way of working than when I use coloured pencils on (say) Fabriano watercolour paper where I use many more layers of pencil to achieve the colours/depth I want.
Monday, 5 March 2012
05/03: I'VE EARNED MY STRIPES!!
Well I think I've earned my stripes over the last couple of days .... I find working on the zebra markings quite relaxing - easier than spots on leopards certainly!
This is the final zebra (well for this exhibition anyway) ... Its cropped down from a larger group picture I took at Fuerteventura Zoo where 3 members of a family group obligingly posed for lots of photos - actually I think they'd fallen into the Canarian way of life and it was all kind of manana and 'chill out' so they couldn't be bothered to move away from the camera. Their dark stripes were much 'browner' than I wanted so I've used a bit of artistic licence as I wanted to keep to a black & white theme :-)
and Yes, its another of the square Hobbycraft frames .... silver with black mount. David (bless him) braved the squally weather conditions and went to the glaziers for me. They cut glass to fit 8 frames (and were kind enough to cut two of them in non-reflective glass for the same price as ordinary glass as they had some pieces spare). I like non-reflective glass, although it does slightly dull the colours but to my mind thats compensated for by the lack of distracting reflections. Sadly non-reflective glass is not allowed in some exhibitions/galleries.
and a close up
Now down to the nitty gritty - final framing and sorting out of all the photoprints etc .... then very 'scientifically' we lay out all the potential exhibits on the floor to work out a hanging plan, sketch the final selection very roughly onto a worksheet so (in theory) when we get to the gallery tomorrow evening we know exactly what we're doing .... Yeah Right !!
This is the final zebra (well for this exhibition anyway) ... Its cropped down from a larger group picture I took at Fuerteventura Zoo where 3 members of a family group obligingly posed for lots of photos - actually I think they'd fallen into the Canarian way of life and it was all kind of manana and 'chill out' so they couldn't be bothered to move away from the camera. Their dark stripes were much 'browner' than I wanted so I've used a bit of artistic licence as I wanted to keep to a black & white theme :-)
and Yes, its another of the square Hobbycraft frames .... silver with black mount. David (bless him) braved the squally weather conditions and went to the glaziers for me. They cut glass to fit 8 frames (and were kind enough to cut two of them in non-reflective glass for the same price as ordinary glass as they had some pieces spare). I like non-reflective glass, although it does slightly dull the colours but to my mind thats compensated for by the lack of distracting reflections. Sadly non-reflective glass is not allowed in some exhibitions/galleries.
and a close up
Now down to the nitty gritty - final framing and sorting out of all the photoprints etc .... then very 'scientifically' we lay out all the potential exhibits on the floor to work out a hanging plan, sketch the final selection very roughly onto a worksheet so (in theory) when we get to the gallery tomorrow evening we know exactly what we're doing .... Yeah Right !!
05/03: WIND FROM THE NORTH ....
Wind from the North, do not venture forth !! and what good advice that is. We are having horrible gusty, wet weather here in Kent but at least the seagulls are having fun (playtime for them, battling against the wind)
Spare a thought for our friend Debbie from Ellie's dairy. With around 120 kids due imminently (some arrived in the last few days) she is spending her nights sleeping in a caravan alongside the barn in order to be close to her 'Mummy' goats when they need her. How about that for dedication. and she gets up at the crack of dawn to feed them, milk them, make cheese, sell milk and goats cheese at Farmers markets etc .... puts us to shame. Here's a link to her Blog if you'd like to take a peek at some of the new arrivals
Ellie's Dairy
Although I stayed indoors keeping warm and dry, I was also busy yesterday and here's an update on the new pictures for the exhibition which starts Wednesday (hanging tomorrow evening)
I recently bought several frames and mounts from Hobbycraft who were selling off stock because they plan to reduce their framing section. There were no packs of glass/backing boards available for these so a trip to the glazier is required today. Colours were restricted to silver and black - hence my latest works have been produced specifically to fit these frames.
Cat ... in pastels on black Canford card with double mount - black and silver, in silver frame. I struggled with this as I've got used to using pastels on heavier textured/sanded papers and found the Canford too smooth for my liking. However the 'black' sanded papers I have at home are really dark grey rather than black hence my decision.
and, because the zebra pastels have proved popular (and sold) at previous exhibitions I'm unashamedly producing a couple more. Here's the first - the second will be finished later today.
Pastel on black (dark Grey) sanded paper. Black frame with silver trim and Black/white mount.
and a close up:
and here are a couple of pictures now that the black tabby (Dyson) and the collie are framed:
I found the missing trim so didn't have to cannibalise one of the other frames for the collie's picture
Spare a thought for our friend Debbie from Ellie's dairy. With around 120 kids due imminently (some arrived in the last few days) she is spending her nights sleeping in a caravan alongside the barn in order to be close to her 'Mummy' goats when they need her. How about that for dedication. and she gets up at the crack of dawn to feed them, milk them, make cheese, sell milk and goats cheese at Farmers markets etc .... puts us to shame. Here's a link to her Blog if you'd like to take a peek at some of the new arrivals
Ellie's Dairy
Although I stayed indoors keeping warm and dry, I was also busy yesterday and here's an update on the new pictures for the exhibition which starts Wednesday (hanging tomorrow evening)
I recently bought several frames and mounts from Hobbycraft who were selling off stock because they plan to reduce their framing section. There were no packs of glass/backing boards available for these so a trip to the glazier is required today. Colours were restricted to silver and black - hence my latest works have been produced specifically to fit these frames.
Cat ... in pastels on black Canford card with double mount - black and silver, in silver frame. I struggled with this as I've got used to using pastels on heavier textured/sanded papers and found the Canford too smooth for my liking. However the 'black' sanded papers I have at home are really dark grey rather than black hence my decision.
and, because the zebra pastels have proved popular (and sold) at previous exhibitions I'm unashamedly producing a couple more. Here's the first - the second will be finished later today.
Pastel on black (dark Grey) sanded paper. Black frame with silver trim and Black/white mount.
and a close up:
and here are a couple of pictures now that the black tabby (Dyson) and the collie are framed:
I found the missing trim so didn't have to cannibalise one of the other frames for the collie's picture
Friday, 2 March 2012
02/03 : COLLIE FINISHED, CAT NEARLY FINISHED
I'm calling the dog pastel finished now
This frame may not be to everyone's taste but I love real wood, oak in particular. A local art group I used to belong to was given a selection of framed pictures to dispose of as they wished (the owner having passed away). Three pictures were in a very sorry state - damp had penetrated and they were generally old and dirty - looks as though they may have been hung in a pub at some stage. So I took pity on them and rescued them from the bin. They've been gathering dust at my house ever since. I've scrubbed the top layer of grime from the wood. The inner bars are wood painted to look like brass but I seem to have mislaid one - I'll have to cannibalise one of the other frames. The great thing is that the bars will prevent the surface of the pastel from touching the glass so I won't need to double mount the picture.
I've laid the frame and 3 bars roughly in place to show how it will look
and this is the frame side by side with a non-cleaned one: oops: sorry its upside down, but you can see just how grimy the frames were.
I hope the glass will clean up - but if not we have a good glass cutting firm nearby so it shouldn't be a problem.
I nearly finished the cat today - this time I've used pastels on light grey Clairefontaine Pastelmat to give my sore fingers a rest (they're suffering because I use them to blend pastel which isn't a good idea when using sanded paper)!
OK .... this photo was taken tonight but the colours have suffered a bit as I've lost the natural daylight. I'm not 100% happy with the eyes so will work more on them when back at the drawing board on Sunday.
and a couple of WIP photos:
I have the usual Saturday round of visiting the 'three old ladies' ..... Mum, Mum-in-Law, and Roxy (horse) so that means no art till Sunday. I have lots of photo/prints to put into mounts/cellophane wrappers ready for next week's exhibition so its going to be a busy couple of days - fingers crossed the public are in the mood to spend money :-)
This frame may not be to everyone's taste but I love real wood, oak in particular. A local art group I used to belong to was given a selection of framed pictures to dispose of as they wished (the owner having passed away). Three pictures were in a very sorry state - damp had penetrated and they were generally old and dirty - looks as though they may have been hung in a pub at some stage. So I took pity on them and rescued them from the bin. They've been gathering dust at my house ever since. I've scrubbed the top layer of grime from the wood. The inner bars are wood painted to look like brass but I seem to have mislaid one - I'll have to cannibalise one of the other frames. The great thing is that the bars will prevent the surface of the pastel from touching the glass so I won't need to double mount the picture.
I've laid the frame and 3 bars roughly in place to show how it will look
and this is the frame side by side with a non-cleaned one: oops: sorry its upside down, but you can see just how grimy the frames were.
I hope the glass will clean up - but if not we have a good glass cutting firm nearby so it shouldn't be a problem.
I nearly finished the cat today - this time I've used pastels on light grey Clairefontaine Pastelmat to give my sore fingers a rest (they're suffering because I use them to blend pastel which isn't a good idea when using sanded paper)!
OK .... this photo was taken tonight but the colours have suffered a bit as I've lost the natural daylight. I'm not 100% happy with the eyes so will work more on them when back at the drawing board on Sunday.
and a couple of WIP photos:
I have the usual Saturday round of visiting the 'three old ladies' ..... Mum, Mum-in-Law, and Roxy (horse) so that means no art till Sunday. I have lots of photo/prints to put into mounts/cellophane wrappers ready for next week's exhibition so its going to be a busy couple of days - fingers crossed the public are in the mood to spend money :-)
Thursday, 1 March 2012
01/03: BAD GUYS AND GOOD GUYS
I've been hard at it today (drawing) and trying to get organised for next week's exhibition. Ideally I'd like to have a couple more cat pastels ready to exhibit/sell but am fast running out of time as pictures have to be hung on Tuesday evening.
I've nearly finished the collie/Shepherd today so hope to start a cat tomorrow. It will be pastel to fit a 10" x 10" square mount so shouldn't take too long if I don't have any disasters :-)
The reason for my Blog heading is that I've still got the pastel portrait of Shona sitting on a display easel in the corner of my studio so I see it every day - its taking up valuable space. I had previously drawn a portrait of Shona (adult) in graphite for her father who works overseas. On one of his 'home' visits he collected the graphite portrait and asked me to complete a pastel portrait of Shona as a child (drawn from a school photo). I didn't take a deposit this time. I finished the portrait, he approved it via internet but didn't collect it (and pay) when planned in December. He hasn't answered my emails and although I know where he works I don't have an address for him in the UK. So 3 months on, I have to assume I wasted my time and it leaves a bad taste ......
Its a great shame as I now don't feel inclined to 'take chances'. The couple who commissioned the portrait of Lottie (lab I have just finished) are absolutely lovely, but they will pay by cheque and I will wait till the cheque has cleared before shipping the portrait - even though I know they're itching to get the portrait framed and on the wall. I know they are 100% genuine but one bad experience has caused me to be very cautious.
Anyway ... the good guys... I needed to restock on pastel pencils and at the moment I'm favouring Stabilo Carbothellos. I didn't want to buy a set which will contain colours I don't use so I found Pullingers Art Shop online - they supply the pencils individually. I ordered 13 colours and they turned up yesterday. Unfortunately one of the pencils had a hairline crack running the length of the wood casing which probably means it can't be sharpened. I emailed them today and they responded really quickly and a replacement will be winging its way to me. My hubby (bless him) always says that the sign of a good company is the way they deal with problems/complaints ... and so full marks to Pullingers !!! I shall definitely use them again and recommend them highly!
Some pictures :
I'd intended this to sit in a square mount/frame but tonight when I tried it for size it just didn't quite work. So I will extend the background colour to the right of the dog and it will be framed into one of the very old solid oak frames I restored recently. They were all nearly black with age/grime so I've cleaned them up a little and they are wonderfully rustic so great for 'working dog' portraits I think.
This is where I finished today - oh, and its pastels on Fisher 400 paper
I've been using Fisher 400 for a lot of recent commissions and my fingertips are SOOOOO sore from blending the pastels on this sanded surface. I've tried using cotton buds and pastel shapers and kitchen towel etc but nothing works the same way - most of them 'lift' colour from the surface rather than blending it.
To save time (and fingerprints) I experimented this time with putting basic colours in with pastel pencil and using an old paintbrush to spread it. This method still lifts/removes some of the colour, and it does create a lot of dust, but it gave me a good grounding for adding detail so I'll definitely try it again on larger pictures.
This is the first stage WIP. Colours roughly added, paying attention to fur direction
The same picture after a light brushing
Finer detail added with pastel pencils. Background colour added to left of picture - I'd intended the crop to be close to the dog's left ear (our right as we look at the picture) so hadn't bothered with background colour. I will now have to extend colour to allow for more background showing in a rectangular mount (landscape orientation).
I've nearly finished the collie/Shepherd today so hope to start a cat tomorrow. It will be pastel to fit a 10" x 10" square mount so shouldn't take too long if I don't have any disasters :-)
The reason for my Blog heading is that I've still got the pastel portrait of Shona sitting on a display easel in the corner of my studio so I see it every day - its taking up valuable space. I had previously drawn a portrait of Shona (adult) in graphite for her father who works overseas. On one of his 'home' visits he collected the graphite portrait and asked me to complete a pastel portrait of Shona as a child (drawn from a school photo). I didn't take a deposit this time. I finished the portrait, he approved it via internet but didn't collect it (and pay) when planned in December. He hasn't answered my emails and although I know where he works I don't have an address for him in the UK. So 3 months on, I have to assume I wasted my time and it leaves a bad taste ......
Its a great shame as I now don't feel inclined to 'take chances'. The couple who commissioned the portrait of Lottie (lab I have just finished) are absolutely lovely, but they will pay by cheque and I will wait till the cheque has cleared before shipping the portrait - even though I know they're itching to get the portrait framed and on the wall. I know they are 100% genuine but one bad experience has caused me to be very cautious.
Anyway ... the good guys... I needed to restock on pastel pencils and at the moment I'm favouring Stabilo Carbothellos. I didn't want to buy a set which will contain colours I don't use so I found Pullingers Art Shop online - they supply the pencils individually. I ordered 13 colours and they turned up yesterday. Unfortunately one of the pencils had a hairline crack running the length of the wood casing which probably means it can't be sharpened. I emailed them today and they responded really quickly and a replacement will be winging its way to me. My hubby (bless him) always says that the sign of a good company is the way they deal with problems/complaints ... and so full marks to Pullingers !!! I shall definitely use them again and recommend them highly!
Some pictures :
I'd intended this to sit in a square mount/frame but tonight when I tried it for size it just didn't quite work. So I will extend the background colour to the right of the dog and it will be framed into one of the very old solid oak frames I restored recently. They were all nearly black with age/grime so I've cleaned them up a little and they are wonderfully rustic so great for 'working dog' portraits I think.
This is where I finished today - oh, and its pastels on Fisher 400 paper
I've been using Fisher 400 for a lot of recent commissions and my fingertips are SOOOOO sore from blending the pastels on this sanded surface. I've tried using cotton buds and pastel shapers and kitchen towel etc but nothing works the same way - most of them 'lift' colour from the surface rather than blending it.
To save time (and fingerprints) I experimented this time with putting basic colours in with pastel pencil and using an old paintbrush to spread it. This method still lifts/removes some of the colour, and it does create a lot of dust, but it gave me a good grounding for adding detail so I'll definitely try it again on larger pictures.
This is the first stage WIP. Colours roughly added, paying attention to fur direction
The same picture after a light brushing
Finer detail added with pastel pencils. Background colour added to left of picture - I'd intended the crop to be close to the dog's left ear (our right as we look at the picture) so hadn't bothered with background colour. I will now have to extend colour to allow for more background showing in a rectangular mount (landscape orientation).
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
28/02: FINISHING TOUCHES
I had very nice feedback regarding Lottie's WIP photo so have now added the final whiskers and photographed the picture in a selection of mounts awaiting the final verdict:
With the stern words of Peter Barker (wonderful artist and fellow Blogger) ringing in my ears, I am trying to avoid truncating my animal subjects when portraying them. ... Peter has a strong dislike of heads being chopped off at the neck ... and doesn't hesitate to say so - he has given me some great advice over the last few weeks :-)
So with Lottie .... although I was working to my 'mid size' portrait I extended her chest further down the paper than normal. This gives my client the choice of having the mid size mount where there is little background showing behind Lottie, or having a larger mount with more background/chest showing. They have a lovely spacious farmhouse with lots of wallspace so I'm pleased to give them the option of making a 'larger' framed picture of the portrait.
this is how it looks with the smaller mount 18" x 14"
and in a larger mount - this is ivory with plum inner (but I also showed the portrait in a white mount with black inner) - to fit frame size 20" x 16"
Whilst awaiting a decision on Lottie I finished the coloured pencil portrait of Sophie-Louise. Not really sure about this one; the pose that I liked in the photograph looks slightly strange in the cropped version but I finished it anyway. It was a very quick coloured pencil work and if I don't have time to complete anything before the 10th March deadline for the UKCPS Keswick exhibition I may just submit this ... entries are drawn by ballot rather than selected by Jury so its always worth a try :-)
Originally I'd planned to use a square mount/frame but had a change of plan today and selected this frame which is a dusky pink/grey shade. The mount/frame are just loosely laid over the drawing, hence the shadows.
With the stern words of Peter Barker (wonderful artist and fellow Blogger) ringing in my ears, I am trying to avoid truncating my animal subjects when portraying them. ... Peter has a strong dislike of heads being chopped off at the neck ... and doesn't hesitate to say so - he has given me some great advice over the last few weeks :-)
So with Lottie .... although I was working to my 'mid size' portrait I extended her chest further down the paper than normal. This gives my client the choice of having the mid size mount where there is little background showing behind Lottie, or having a larger mount with more background/chest showing. They have a lovely spacious farmhouse with lots of wallspace so I'm pleased to give them the option of making a 'larger' framed picture of the portrait.
this is how it looks with the smaller mount 18" x 14"
and in a larger mount - this is ivory with plum inner (but I also showed the portrait in a white mount with black inner) - to fit frame size 20" x 16"
Whilst awaiting a decision on Lottie I finished the coloured pencil portrait of Sophie-Louise. Not really sure about this one; the pose that I liked in the photograph looks slightly strange in the cropped version but I finished it anyway. It was a very quick coloured pencil work and if I don't have time to complete anything before the 10th March deadline for the UKCPS Keswick exhibition I may just submit this ... entries are drawn by ballot rather than selected by Jury so its always worth a try :-)
Originally I'd planned to use a square mount/frame but had a change of plan today and selected this frame which is a dusky pink/grey shade. The mount/frame are just loosely laid over the drawing, hence the shadows.
Monday, 27 February 2012
27/02: WIN SOME, LOSE SOME
That just about sums up the day nicely I think.
Firstly the 'lost' items .... A complete folder of photographs taken at Port Lympne animal park has disappeared from my computer - presumably during the recent fiasco when the TechGuys were trying to resolve the many problems my computer was suffering from. When the computer allowed us to, we backed up files/folders onto an external hard drive but it seems this one slipped the net. It had 100+ photos of meerkats and lions/lionesses which I planned to use this Spring. Sooooooo looks as though another trip to Port Lympne is called for, and hopefully the animals will be as obliging as they were last time.
The 'better loss' is the excess weight which is reducing nicely. At this morning's weekly weigh in David and I each registered a loss of 11lbs since starting our healthy eating/drinking regime 4 weeks ago. Our target is to lose 14lbs each before going back to Fuerteventura on 14th March, so 2 more weeks to shift the next 3lbs ... then we can celebrate with a curry at our favourite Indian restaurant on the island :-)
and the Wins ...... we went tenpin bowling for the first time in more than 3 years. David and I used to bowl regularly and belonged to a couple of leagues but we had to give up when we moved to Whitstable - just too far to travel back to the old centre twice a week. We have a small tenpin bowling centre nearby so we dusted off the shoes and balls and gave it a whirl. I was a bit nervous about making a fool of myself but I managed a credible 160 average over the 3 games .... to David's 147 average I hasten to add YAH BOO!!!!!
No more work on Lottie the black lab today until I get feedback from her mum and dad about whether they want any changes made before I add final detail.
I've been 'playing' with a photo I took of my 16 month old grand-daughter at the weekend. I did take lots of more 'usual' poses of her laughing but I kept getting drawn back to one picture where she is looking back over her shoulder at the camera and the light from the nearby window has emphasized lots of blue tones in her skin. This is what I've been trying to capture today - coloured pencils on light grey pastelmat paper - at one stage she did look a little like a SMURF ... but I've toned the blues down a little so if her mum does happen to see my Blog she won't be horrified. This is the first child/grand-child and everything has to be perfect ... I don't think this is a portrait she'd particularly like .... but its a challenge for me and may well end up in the bin yet :-)
Sophie-Louise ... and yes, her eyes really are as blue as that!
Firstly the 'lost' items .... A complete folder of photographs taken at Port Lympne animal park has disappeared from my computer - presumably during the recent fiasco when the TechGuys were trying to resolve the many problems my computer was suffering from. When the computer allowed us to, we backed up files/folders onto an external hard drive but it seems this one slipped the net. It had 100+ photos of meerkats and lions/lionesses which I planned to use this Spring. Sooooooo looks as though another trip to Port Lympne is called for, and hopefully the animals will be as obliging as they were last time.
The 'better loss' is the excess weight which is reducing nicely. At this morning's weekly weigh in David and I each registered a loss of 11lbs since starting our healthy eating/drinking regime 4 weeks ago. Our target is to lose 14lbs each before going back to Fuerteventura on 14th March, so 2 more weeks to shift the next 3lbs ... then we can celebrate with a curry at our favourite Indian restaurant on the island :-)
and the Wins ...... we went tenpin bowling for the first time in more than 3 years. David and I used to bowl regularly and belonged to a couple of leagues but we had to give up when we moved to Whitstable - just too far to travel back to the old centre twice a week. We have a small tenpin bowling centre nearby so we dusted off the shoes and balls and gave it a whirl. I was a bit nervous about making a fool of myself but I managed a credible 160 average over the 3 games .... to David's 147 average I hasten to add YAH BOO!!!!!
No more work on Lottie the black lab today until I get feedback from her mum and dad about whether they want any changes made before I add final detail.
I've been 'playing' with a photo I took of my 16 month old grand-daughter at the weekend. I did take lots of more 'usual' poses of her laughing but I kept getting drawn back to one picture where she is looking back over her shoulder at the camera and the light from the nearby window has emphasized lots of blue tones in her skin. This is what I've been trying to capture today - coloured pencils on light grey pastelmat paper - at one stage she did look a little like a SMURF ... but I've toned the blues down a little so if her mum does happen to see my Blog she won't be horrified. This is the first child/grand-child and everything has to be perfect ... I don't think this is a portrait she'd particularly like .... but its a challenge for me and may well end up in the bin yet :-)
Sophie-Louise ... and yes, her eyes really are as blue as that!
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