New paintings and regular art updates.
My orchids occasionally flower, but they haven’t for ages. The new one I bought still has flowers on it, but the buds soon fell off. I’m trying to feed them but I think I need to get bigger pots for them and new orchid compost/ fibre. I probably don’t water them enough and I don’t spray mist them. But I have had them for years. They have lots of ariel roots, there leaves are mostly green. So I will try and pamper them more.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virga
I was discussing weather with a friend and recalled seeing clouds that seemed to drop rain but it evaporates before it reaches the ground. I love clouds and I know I knew the name for then at one time but had forgotten it so I looked it up on Wikipedia (see link).
What I saw was what appeared to be snow falling from shower clouds, but it never landed on the ground. It was one winter day a few years ago when I was out visiting friends. I guess it’s very bad for gardeners or farmers who need water for their plants.
I’ve finished a couple of paintings today. Pretty much as soon as I finished my MA work I picked up a paintbrush again. I’m part of a group exhibition on Saturday and I wanted to finish some new work. Dragons have crept into a couple of the paintings. The one on the left is ‘dragon saucer’ and the right is ‘ulysses’. Illustration has seeped into my veins!
I hope that my book will get readers. I’m thinking of publishing it online but have no experience of this. If you write have you done this? Is it worth the hassle and which publisher would you recommend. I can’t afford vanity publishing. X
A self portrait, using a self portrait photograph then using a texture filter by photodirector. Finally I used a flood fill to lighten the surrounding sections. I never know what is going to happen when I start. But something emerges. Something changes. And I end up with a picture that interests me.
For as many artists that draw and paint dragons, there’s a different style, shape, pattern, technique or colours.
I’m studying an illustration course and my final report is about the mythology and history of dragon illustration. I’m having to find out more about them, from the possible link with fossilised dinosaur skeletons, to medieval bestiaries, to more recent art including children’s and adult fiction that includes either dragon illustrations in the books or on their covers.
Here’s a question. Does anyone know any interesting dragon stories I can investigate? I have Ursula K Le Guin, Terry Pratchett, Anne McCaffery, Cressida Cowell, J. R. R Tolkein, T. H White and other authors. Are you aware of more?
Thanks x
Silver foil and tippex collage. I used felt pens for details then digitally manipulated it in Photodirector. Finally added details in a sketching app. The first photo is a picture of the collage. The second is digitally edited.
My friend has really got into houseplants since lockdown. She regularly posts photos of her wonderful plants. I realised I have a lot of them as well and wondered if there is a word for that sort of collection? I thought of the word ‘Plantarium’. So now I’m going to check Google in case it means something else!
Unfortunately, the word is already taken! Oh well, I like it and I’ve learnt something new today x
Part of my college course is to write a report as part of my final submission. I’m trying to produce something about the historical illustration of Dragons. From China and Japan, to the medieval era including images from medieval bestiaries, and on through time to the present day. But its such a huge subject, with so many branching ideas. When did dragons go from no limbs to four limbs, to four limbs and two wings? How has the depiction of their heads changed? Were they always fire breathing? Are they spirits or ‘real’ physical beings (albeit in a fantasy world). Do they communicate with humans, are they intelligent.
My intention is to identify types and styles of dragons. Describe how they have been depicted and expand my knowledge of the illustrators creating them and their incredible imaginations.
I’m looking at authors like JRR Tolkien, Cressida Cowell, who also illustrated their books and Josh Kidby who illustrated the covers of Terry Pratchetts ‘Discworld’ novels among others.
Just a play around with textures and colours using a negative image of a cat then several flood fills and textures to get the rippled effect. I think it’s still readable as a cat… I placed the rainbow flood fill towards the top and chose the colours so it looks a bit like a sunset.
Mallaband-Brown