Jenni Murray watercolour

Jenni Murray, who has presented BBC Radio 4’s long running Woman’s Hour for the last Thirty three years, retired from the show yesterday.

This painting is based on a photo by Tricia Yourkevich in the Guardian newspaper today. The painting is approximately the same size as the photo.

I hope Jenni Murray doesn’t mind me painting her. I have followed Woman’s Hour for years and have always found her to be an intelligent, warm and humourous host.

I also hope Tricia Youkevich doesn’t mind me using her photo, If she wants me to take this post down I will as I would if Jenni Murray objects.

I don’t do many watercolours and this is a quick sketch on on white cartridge paper in a small A4 sketchbook.

Attempt at a bit of Picasso

Trying to copy Picasso

With felt pens and a bit of watercolour. I can’t get the purple right, I had a purple felt pen but it’s too dark. So I tried some silver on it and when that didn’t work. I might add some brown to the blacks… With brown paint. This is part of a painting by Picasso that the Orme Group of artists are taking a section of for our autumn challenge…

Mostly finished….. But so many wrong bits!

Did I ever share my Boris Johnson cartoon here?

Hear no Art, See no Art, Speak no Art.

Cartoon created as part of a project on my college course. My copyright.

It was something I drew in July 2020 I think but it seems more valid now since the Arts are in such a perilous position and the question as to if something is a viable job seems to be a kick in the teeth to the creative industries.

This is Boris Johnson as a boy, based on an image of him as a teenager. I have then surrounded his face with hands and arms, which prevent him (apparently) from seeing, hearing or speaking about the plight of the arts in school, but also in wider society. Very clearly he can see what is happening but seeks to avoid giving the situation his full attention….. The fact that his own government, since 2010, have made cuts in spending totalling billions does not seem to matter to him. He talks about levelling up as if the damage done to society has nothing to do with him. As another yellow haired person on the other side of the ocean presides over crazy policies. I think it is the era of yellow maned fools!

Next Orme Art challenge.

One thing a bit more abstract. Thus is our autumn challenge. Each artist chooses a square and rgen we try and copy it as well as we can. I’ve chosen square two. Once everyone has done a square the picture is put back together and we see the results. Since this Picasso has such strong, bright colours I will probably use permanent markers to draw my square.

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Leo

Lion painting

This was a painting I did for the local Lions group in 2019. I paint cats, but not big cats, so it was something a bit different. I’ve seen art where people paint each individual hair on an animal but I am more impressionistic and try and get feeling into my paintings, to give them character. This is another acrylic on canvas. I’m glad he went to a good home.

By the way did you know that occasionally female lions grow mains too? Interesting fact.

From thirty years ago?

From an old slide

Finding things that I haven’t seen for years. There is a set of old slides that I might try and get turned into photos. I’ve also seen an app where you can convert negatives to photos on your phone, which is great, but I already have them in albums and do I need more on my devices? I wish I still had the painting but it was sold to the local MP at the time. I think it ended up at the house of commons!

This was a friend years ago. I painted it with the idea that the perspective of the window gave it an interesting effect. The figure looks large in comparison to the shelves across the window. I also liked the slightly twisted pose. It’s an oil on canvas.

Horse at Trentham

Copper tree, copper sculpture. Photo taken at Trentham Gardens last year. I think it looks Grecian, or Celtic. I like to collect interesting images and this was very striking. I think it’s on the far side of Trentham Gardens Lake? I haven’t been back since with all the problems with the virus and the way things are going it might be winter or later before I go back? Various parts of the country have gone back into increasing quarentine measures. The threat for them is fines of up to £10000 for breaking the rules. So I will remember things rather than going out much. I will try and stay safe, and watch small businesses fail. The world is beautiful and sad.

Possible exhibition

I might be having an exhibition in October. There is a slot free at a gallery where I have exhibited before. What I need to do is produce some new works. It might be based on my Urban sketches, or something totally new and colourful. I will have to be careful though as I start my next semester on my college course on Monday, so I will have to try and fit everything in to a limited timescale. Got to have a discussion.

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Orme art group project.

Collaboration

Orme Art group collaboration on a Henri Rousseau painting done for August. We have all taken one or two squares and created this amalgamation of styles. Mine are the one with the head and the body of the guitar. It’s good to see everyones techniques and takes on the subject. How some bits don’t line up, but overall it has a wow factor. Hope you enjoy.

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