Wednesday 22 February 2012

Dark Field Microscopy


When I was at Plymouth University I did some work using a dark-field microscope and these are the images I took by screwing a camera onto the apparatus. I really like these pictures. The microscope did all the work though. Who would have thought a Forget-me-not could be any more beautiful?!
Day off today. I wasn't planning on it -it just ended up that way. I think I need a day off from them to refresh. Will be back painting tomorrow though.



Forget-me-nots



Campanula

Thursday 16 February 2012

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)


One blunt F pencil, one sharpened F pencil, one normal B pencil and a very sharp 4B pencil used in this study

Monday 6 February 2012

More sketchbook pieces


Rosa sp.
Using 9B, 5B, B and F pencils - some blunt and sharp


Tulipa sp.
Using 5B, B and F pencils - all very sharp.

Saturday 4 February 2012

Runner beans and a postcard


So I have done a bit more sketchbook work. Tried to find some flowers to paint for the next assignment, but everything is pretty much dead, even the poor Daffodils that came out too early. So it looks like I may have to resort to the supermarket after all. Pity, as I prefer to paint things that I find. I did find some beautiful cherries in the frost all plump, semi-transparent, a burgundy red and juicy. They were surrounded by a thicket of cripsy, curled brown birch leaves. The contrasting sight was quite extraordinary and I really wanted to paint them. However, I worry I'd loose marks with there not being any flowers, so maybe that's for another day...



My mum came to visit me on Thursday which was lovely. She arrived with this postcard which she bought on ebay. It's a fabulous painting of a Narcissus poeticus. Both she and I like the grey-blue background. Oddly enough, she hadn't looked at the other side until arriving in London and on the reverse was an address to Bognor Regis. This was my home town (and her's one time). Don't you just love it when odd things like that occur? I do like a coincidence and a bit of serendipity.


Narcissus poeticus



Friday 3 February 2012

Another Magnolia

Work in progress

I'm doing lots of Magnolias to catch up on sketchbook work that should have been done for Assignment 2. Next: leaves. This is like time travel playing catch up.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Sketchbooks, Borris and a thank you

Magnolia sketch 30.01.2012 (work in progress)

So, I have been busy trying to get some work done, but as usual it's slow going! Sadly I have really hurt my left hip and left shoulder trying to get the work done and this is slowing me down. I am planning on seeing an acupuncturist this week to begin sorting it out. I think both are probably a mixture of some emotional blockage as well as a physical problem. Not sure if a drawing board would help. I was fine in Bali, all screwed up with a pad on my lap, then I return en Angleterre and bam! :(

My two notebooks - these make up the bulk of my sketchbooks. More writing than watercolour work! I found this much more useful than practice painting, but if I had the time I'd have done both. Here I am analysing other artists work, saying what I like, what I don't like and trying to learn from their mistakes. I think this is a vital part in all art work and feel that the SBA course needs more of this in its syllabus. In book one I am analysing a painting by Lilian Snelling before doing assignment five. In book two I am looking at a waterlily ready for assignment 11.

I also wanted to thank you all, as not only was January 2012 a bumper month for me (I had the most visitors I have ever had in a month), but I have also passed 16,000 visitors since I began this blog in 2009! I can't begin to describe what a boost your visits and comments give me - so thank you. I hope you find Inky Leaves a fun and inspirational place to visit.

Boris - I was going to post a picture of him after my work on Sunday, but alas my camera has just ran out of battery and I am not at home, so I will have to do this later. I am starting to work on the pale yellow flowers and am finding this a difficult task. If anyone has any tips for me, I would be grateful. I am using a greenish-grey for the shadows and am hoping that this will work.