Ginger cat

I painted this ginger cat a few years ago. He’s based on a stray that moved in with us for a while. He would sit on a windowsill and stare out at the garden. I decided to make his view a bit more floral, and almost Mediterranean.

Unfortunately we had to rehome him because he would fight with our other cats and ended up with an abscess in his paw. I spoke to the vets and they agreed to find him a good home. I hope he was happy and it was sad to say goodbye to him.

Koish

Koi carp I pay a few years ago, it was part of my recent exhibition. I thought it was worth showing on its own here. I love painting reflections and the way some parts of the painting can be seen through so you can see the fish. Other things include the distortion of the window bars in the water. Acrylic on canvas.

Air

A painting from a few years ago, a bit burry with camera shake. It’s one of four I did to represent Earth, Air, Fire and Water. It was a series I really enjoyed. Working with the flow of paint, allowing my imagination free rein. It’s acrylic on canvas. Two of the set had already been sold and I was thinking of painting replacement images. I wish I had, I’m not sure I ever will. X

Art

What activities do you lose yourself in?

Painting makes my mind flow…

Koi carp painted a few years ago. I love all sorts of art. It engages my mind as I create. The world and time just seems to disappear.

I might start painting or drawing in the afternoon, then suddenly realise I’m hungry or thirsty and find it’s 3am and I’ve lost half a day….

It’s just hand eye coordination, and often putting liquids onto a surface, or shading with pencils or pastels, but something grips me and I am embedded into art.

I love visual art, taking photos, and sometimes I even attempt 3d art in ceramics. I have only ever tried to carve stone a couple of times but didn’t have the strength.

Art encourages creative thoughts. I’d recommend it to anyone. Try it, you might enjoy it. X

Green woman self portrait

This is the partner painting to the green man portrait of my hubby. They mean a lot to me. I intend to put them up together in my house once my exhibition is over. It’s about A4 size, probably a little bigger. I used some silver metallic paint on it to give it a slight shimmer. Acrylic on canvas. Painted a few years ago.

Peeling paint

The window panes are solid, but the wood is old and the paint peeling. One of my paintings of Spode, I just had to paint it with the blue and white reflected sky. I put a photo of it onto the peeling paint group online, but they were a bit sniffy because it wasn’t actual peeling paint, but a painting of peeling paint. I was let off with a gentle warning to photograph the real thing, which is strange, because a photo is just another representation, and as we have seen on the news recently photos can be manipulated with filters (I’ll say no more!).

If you look closely you might see my fingers clutching my phone as I took the picture (bottom right hand window pane).

Feeling a bit down in the dumps so decided to post this, it’s a favourite X

Old paintings

Two small, quick paintings of cats that I painted years ago. My friend sent it to me recently. Both of them have also got poppy details. I will see if I can zoom in on them to see if I can get clearer views of them. I know they are mine, but I genuinely can’t remember painting them. That makes me feel guilty, I think I should recognise all of my work. Memory frays as you get older x

Jupiter blue

One of my favourite paintings, Jupiter Blue is based on a photo of Jupiters South pole if I remember correctly. The photo was taken by the Juno probe a few years ago. Astronomers were astounded by the colour of the gas giants clouded atmosphere.

I found it incredibly difficult to paint. It was so hard to get the softness of the clouds and I still think I can see a birds head or a witchy face in the painting. It’s acrylic on canvas large painting.

Exhibition was lovely

Lots of friends came to my exhibition and it was lovely to see them. I’d taken a box of wine and some orange juice and I really was scared that no one would come. It’s strange how anxiety can affect you, but I shouldn’t have worried. I think its like a performance anxiety, stage fright, having to talk about your work, explain the thought behind it. I luckily knew most of the people there so I didn’t need to panic!

The exhibition is on for another week so I should be able to show more people round during the week. X

Yellow tree

My autumn into spring painting at my exhibition. It’s going to a new home as it’s been sold. I love the feeling that someone has found something special about it.

But I have to say I find selling art difficult, it’s not my thing, I’d much rather just create. I think that’s why I paint what I want, I can’t paint the same idea over and over again. I get bored and have to move onto something else.