30/04: NOT MORE BL**DY TULIPS!!

Not more bl**dy tulips!!

That was David's reaction upon turning a corner in the Keukenhof Gardens (Holland) last week and finding yet another stunning display of colourful bulbs stretching into the distance.

The Spring Gardens are wonderful but the sheer scale of the place is slightly overwhelming and although we both love pretty spring flowers we were getting bored after 2 hours.   Photos really don't do justice to the gardens (or the bulb fields surrounding the gardens).   We decided that the best way to view this spectacle would be from the air - it would be an amazing sight from small plane or helicopter (perhaps there's an idea for a business there)?

Unfortunately we weren't able to see some of the indoor displays as they were being rebuilt.

The Gardens only open for 8 weeks each year and so get absolutely packed with visitors from around the world.  Too many people for my liking I'm afraid!

Here are a few pictures which give an idea:

You can see from this photo just how crowded some of the walkways were ... not my idea of fun really

I tried to get some close up photos - just in case I get the urge to try my hand at a 'still life'  :-)

Now by this stage I guess you'll all be in total sympathy with David and groaning ... not another bl**dy etc etc .. so I'll call a halt here - but there may be more tomorrow :-)

28/04: LOVELY WEATHER FOR DUCKS

That well known saying is very appropriate for the filthy weather we've had here in Kent for a couple of days (and forecast to last tomorrow also) .... wind, non-stop rain and low temperatures YUK!

I photographed this wonderful duck family at the Zoo in Antwerp a couple of days ago.   The ducklings were very tame and very, very cute.  Proud Mum and Dad were very happy for me to stop and talk to their little ones and Mum joined in the conversation quite noisily herself

Mum, Dad and a few of the ducklings

The little ones ...

The family wondered off, but Mum stayed behind to 'quack' a few jokes  .......  oh dear, sorry :-)

Right this was just a quick post as we're off to a birthday bash being held at the Hotel on the nearby Tankerton seafront.   We'd originally planned to walk there and back (only 15 mins walk each way) but the weather is so dreadful, I've volunteered to drive so David can enjoy a drink.   Fizzy water for me then :-(

26/04: ANTWERP ZOO (and other bits)

Blogging took a bit of a back seat whilst I was busy with projects (arty and personal/family) but I hope to be posting regularly again now.  
To summarise the past few weeks, I've produced and displayed pictures in two local exhibitions but sadly I'm not going to be able to retire on my earnings from picture sales :-)  

We have been back to our holiday home on Fuerteventura where we enjoyed lovely warm weather and caught up with our friends out there.  It was carnival fortnight so lots going on each day and a brilliant Parade of floats and marching/drumming bands on the final Saturday afternoon/evening (which coincided with St Patricks Day so there were lots of leprechauns and green attire on display).    The carnival season always finishes with the 'Burning of the Sardine' parade on the  Sunday after the big parade.    A huge effigy of a sardine is wheeled through town followed by the townswomen all dressed in black (widows attire) and crying/lamenting.   The sardine and its entourage end up on the town beach early evening where the sardine is ceremoniously burned.  Then there is a fantastic firework display and everyone stands around saying ooooh  aaaaahhhh (as you do)!!    All this is done with a great deal of noise - they do love their drums and drumming bands on the island :-)   Although I have lots of photos from the Carnival, its a little late to post them now I think.

We've just returned from a mini break in Belgium and Holland.   Living on the Kent Coast means its a very easy journey for us to cross the Channel to France by Ferry - or train/tunnel as we did this time.  From France its easy to drive to Belgium/Holland.

 When my computer went horribly wrong a couple of months back it had to be almost rebuilt and although my data was backed up I seem to have mislaid some folders of reference photos taken over the years of meerkats, hoopoe birds, domestic dogs/cats etc.  I still have hundreds of photos but nothing really inspired me - I guess they're too 'familiar' as I've viewed them so many times.   So our trip to Belgium took in Antwerp Zoo which was a great place to visit.   It is situated in the centre of Antwerp next to the Railway Station  in beautiful mature parkland -  and I got lots of good ref. photos.      

Starting with a selection from the (very many) big cat photos I took.  I have a soft spot for these wonderful animals.

 The male lion barely moved from this spot, dozing with his back to the 'human' passers-by but he did briefly raise his head to look around so I got a couple of quick pics

The females were a little more obliging:

Yawning lioness

Just look at the intensity of the stare

 

I have more tiger photos than anything else - but I kept hoping one of them would actually go in for a swim.  Too cold maybe??

or just can't be bothered!

Curious

Bling!

Drying off

 

Shoving Match!   This is obviously a game they play often but for a while there I fully expected the middle elephant to end up in the 'swimming pool' as the larger elephant was really pushing her around :-)

PORN!!!
Viewers of a nervous disposition should look away now .......   this is a photo that went wrong when I was trying to get a shot of the armadillos who were racing round like maniacs.  Then I realised that Spring was definitely in the air and the male was trying to 'jump' his fast moving lady friend.    I'm no expert with the camera so shutter speeds were wrong but I thought it made a fun picture :-)

Enough animals for now ....  I have many more taken in the aquarium, aviary, monkey houses etc but don't want to bore you all.   Just a few more pics showing the beautiful grounds/gardens.  It is a very tranquil, well maintained park.

I wasn't allowed to spend too long in Antwerp once we left the zoo.  You may know that Antwerp is famed as the Diamond capital of the World with more than 80% of the world's rough diamonds passing through the district.   Hubby (and accountant) dragged me swiftly past the jewellery shops!! 

From Antwerp we visited/stayed at Dordrecht (Holland)  in a lovely waterside B&B - very quaint town with cobbled streets and lots of galleries/chocolate shops/restaurants and bars.

Yessterday we drove to Keukenhof gardens in Holland to see the displays of Spring bulbs/flowers (mostly tulips).    The anticipated bad weather held off till mid afternoon yesterday so we were very lucky there.

I'll post some photos in small batches over the next few days ...

23/04: WETTEST DROUGHT I'VE EVER KNOWN!!

OK - after weeks away from Blogging my first post is a complaint about the weather!!  I must be a True Brit!!

Hosepipe bans have been imposed on many parts of the UK and here in Kent we're told the ban will probably be in place all year.  So we decided not to grow as many vegetables as usual this year, and not to grow/plant bedding/border plants and hanging baskets/tubs.     It has done nothing but rain here for more than a week (with the odd thunderstorm/hailstorm thrown in for good measure!!

I've seen more rainbows this past week than I remember seeing in several years - yesterday:

 

photographed in our garden yesterday ... just look at the filthy colour of the sky!

and then hailstones yesterday - not a great pic but these are lumps of ice landing in the grass (which incidentally was mowed a week ago but is just loving all this 'wet stuff' and growing at a great rate of knots ..

 

anyway, I know I've been quiet on the Blog front for a while - we have been very busy with projects (arty and non-arty) but should be back to normal fairly soon.     Off to Belgium/Holland tomorrow so will catch up soon.

 

12/03: LAST MINUTE RUSH (AGAIN)

We're going to Fuerteventura early on Wednesday (6.30am flight) so tomorrow will be a rush to get everything organised and clean the house ready for the 'house-sitters' ...

I have a double session at the spine clinic in the morning, then we have to throw a few things into our handluggage (we travel light as we keep a wardrobe of clothes etc at our holiday house).     Roxy, my retired horse, has gone lame for no apparent reason so I need to get to the stables to meet the vet in the afternoon so he can check her over, then back to the Gallery here in Whitstable to take down my pictures following the week long exhibition. 

Sadly, for the first time at this Gallery I've had no sales - at previous exhibitions here I've sold at least 4 pictures each time so not sure whether its the recession finally kicking in or whether this just isn't a good time of year - I have another week long exhibition in April at a smaller gallery along the street ... so fingers crossed for a better result then.

Anyway, its going to be a busy day and just a couple of hours sleep before we set forth for the airport at around 3am :-(

This is a coloured pencil picture I've been 'playing' with.   I'm not really enjoying it but I can't leave it alone.   Does that happen to you?     Common sense says 'ditch it' and get back to commissions or at least a different subject that can be used for exhibition/competition entry .... but there's a sort of morbid compunction to keep plugging away at it to see if it gets any better ...... weird :-)

Its carnival month in Fuerteventura and the festivities end with a big parade on Saturday evening which the locals prepare for all year.   Lots of children/teenagers participate and this was a girl I photographed during the carnival a couple of years ago.    I struggle to 'draw small' and much prefer to focus on portraits rather than these 'full body' pictures where the features are inevitably much smaller.   I'm also unused to creating very dark backgrounds in coloured pencil.  I could speed up the process by using solvents I guess but for the moment I'm simply adding more layers of dark colours and trying to avoid making a solid 'black' background.

Looking on the bright side, at least I'm getting to use some of the brighter colours in my coloured pencil collection

This may be the last post for a few days ... but my next one will hopefully be from a much sunnier place.

11/03: BITTY WEEKEND

Its been a busy, but bitty, few days and I'm quite exhausted with not much to show for all the dashing around.  Thursday evening was the late open/view at the Gallery so as the evening was mild David and I walked to the Gallery and back (about 30 minutes each way) so we could enjoy a glass of wine or two without worrying about driving.    Sales in the first couple of days weren't good - very few red dots to be seen (and certainly none in my corner) :-(     But the weather has been good this weekend so I hope that will have improved footfall/sales - I'll know more tomorrow when I do my 'stint' manning the exhibition for the morning.

On Friday as David was out I decided to tackle the garden and I dug up an expanse of lawn  in the front garden.   We've recently had a horse chestnut tree cut down from this section as we hope to build a car port there in due course.  The newly dug area will be turned into a wildflower bed with an assortment of colourful flowers selected to attract bees and butterflies.    Bees have declined to a dangerously low level due partly to use of chemicals and partly because of the fashion to plant showy flowers bred for their appearance but which don't have much nectar ... the culprits are plants like double begonias, geraniums, marigolds etc.

I've sprinkled several packs of wildflower seeds onto the soil and will sow more in a few weeks time to prolong the flowering time.    It may not look very large (the area is around 16ft x 16ft) but we have heavy clay soil which stuck to my garden fork and my boots and made it very hard work.    This is the 'before flowers' view ... and I hope to photograph it in a few months when it should look very colourful - although I think some of the seeds won't actually flower till next year.

Whilst digging I found several of these seed pods.     Our neighbour has a wonderful display of Physilis and a couple of years ago I cajoled her into giving me a few cuttings, which have been very slow to establish.  But this year we did get a few 'blooms' and now I have lots of seeds to plant.    I know this plant is generally considered to be invasive but so far its behaving itself so I think maybe it isn't too keen on our soil and that may slow its spread. 

But the seed cases are so pretty and delicate aren't they?

Then last night we went to a cockney theme fancy dress supper .... this is the 'Old Pot and Pan'  = Old Man = husband ..

so obviously I'm the 'Trouble and Strife' = Wife

Looking very 'Mary Poppins'  don't you think?

 

My elderly neighbour loaned me a fantastic hat with a wonderful long ostrich feather attached .. why is it that little old ladies have cupboards/attics full of fancy dress outfits .... ??  Her hat was too small for my head and I was worried about damaging it so I bought a very inferior feather from Hobbycraft and pinned it with a flower to a plain hat and I think it did the trick - at least it fitted!  I'll return her hat tomorrow and she'll never know I didn't wear it - she was so insistent I wear hers.

This was my home made creation

We are going back to Fuerteventura on Wednesday which means we won't be here for Mothers Day (next Sunday) so we celebrated early by taking the two mums (plus Stepdaughter/partner/Grand-daughter) out for lunch today - expensive but it got us off the hook - you know how sniffy mums can get about missing 'occasions' and I didn't fancy 12 months of little 'digs' 

So ... not much done on the art front.  I don't want to start anything major till we get home, but I have been playing at a coloured pencil work (on Pastelmat again) which isn't really going very well.  I may post it tomorrow when I decide whether to carry on or just abandon it - the subject matter is quite different from my usual stuff and I'm not finding it very inspiring

Anyway, enough waffle.   Off to watch Country File on the TV which we've recorded.  This week they visit Kent and part of the programme will feature our friend Debbie and her goats (Ellie's Dairy) so I can truly say I've rubbed shoulders with the 'famous' .... well her goats are famous anyway :-)

08/03: AMAZING GRACE

Yesterday was my usual day working as a Volunteer for Pilgrims Hospice eBay office, so no artwork done ... but today I cracked on with the Standard Poodle, Grace.    A timely reminder has been emailed from the UKCPS Blogmaster advising that the entry deadline for the members' Spring Exhibition is 10th March - this isn't a juried exhibition, because space is limited only 24 pictures can be hung, so selection is by ballot.

I've decided to submit Grace's picture just for fun.  I think this is one of the fastest coloured pencil drawings I've done but I have a problem knowing when to stop and I've spoiled too many practice pictures by overworking them in the past.  Now its 'finished' I regret not moving her more to the left side of the paper so her eyes are more central in the picture ... but it can't be changed as I cut the pastelmat from a large sheet at the beginning.      So I'm sending this image in straight away and then I can't make any alterations!
 

and if she is selected, this is the mount/frame I'll be using (another of my 'on sale' purchases from Hobbycraft)

 

 I'm pleased to say that the weather has improved today - we managed to spend a couple of hours this afternoon mowing grass and tidying borders.   I hope this bodes well for visitor numbers to Whitstable in the next few days.  Our Open Evening at the Gallery starts in about an hour's time so must dash and get ready .... going to break the diet with wine and nibbles tonight ... I think we've earned them.   

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.

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.

Can you see what it is yet????   :-)

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.