Kind and generous people.

Thank you for everyone's kind comments on my last post, much needed as I am more than just a giant bit cheesed off at the moment - one tax bill, two leaks in the kitchen, three really rude, BAD drivers on the road during the school run this morning,  four calling birds, five gold rings (no, no wrong list!) and a chimney that need repointing, to name but a few things.  

The general consensus seems to be that I need to be gentle with myself art-wise, which works well as general advice too of course,  and to NOT fiddle!   I am impatient, I want to get 'there' NOW - well to be honest the DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY!   ;-)

As promised, here are details of the other pictures I have been working on:

The red and green painting (bottom left of photo) was to be a long, tall picture of two brown trout swimming up stream with an experimental bit of gold leaf added too. 

 

However when I discovered a slightly similar picture had already been painted (minus the gold leaf) by another 'fish artist' I changed my plans.  The red and green picture was turned sideways and is now becoming a long, thin seascape:

I will probably pursue the fish swimming upstream idea (with gold leaf) at a later date and in a different form.

A comment left on my last post by the VERY talented artist and author Jackie Morris, via her delightful Three Ginger Cats,  reminded me of another painting I have been working on.  Jackie did this AMAZING picture of three hares with gold leaf as the background. 

  

WOW!  Have a look at her website and the new online gallery with works for sale!!

Jackie's 3 hares gave me an idea.  Last year I was asked to enter a competition to design a logo for one of our local fishing associations (mine was not the winning entry alas). 

 

My design was based on the fact that 3 types of game fish are caught in the Upper Teign - Brown Trout, Sea Trout (Sewen) and Salmon - so I drew them swimming in a circle like this:

and then did a sketch of them in watercolours,  plus LOTS of other versions, including this one with just 3 brown trout:

A few weeks ago, inspired by Jackie and with generous amounts of her advice and help, I started adding gold leaf to the same fish design, on canvas:

(It was only later that I realised Jackie was in the middle of a book tour around America while I emailing my questions.   A very BIG thank you Jackie!!!)

Disheartened with my efforts, I left it to languish on the shelf for a few weeks - maybe I shall try again, or paint it onto paper instead....

Illustration Friday: Gravity

Just joined I.F. - what fun!

Here's my first attempt, I hope to get better as I go along!

Gravity, a Gold Headed Pheasant Tailed Nymph and the Angler working together to catch a trout, hopefully!

(Coloured Pencils on Paper).