Wednesday 30 April 2014

Watercolour WIP

I started this as a Work in Progress, but only added it to Facebook.  Incidentally although I have the Sketching William fb page, I also have one for my sketches/paintings called Ann The Sketcher - it's my way of keeping the William sketches completely separate.

Anyhoos, back to the point of this post.  The work in progress started like this -


again, using the Saunders Waterford spiral pad.  As you see I splashed on lots of colours here and there.  A little kitchen roll at the top took out the clouds.  All added on pre-wet paper, so lots of fun dropping the colours in. 

When this totally and completely dried I added some detail and the final sketch ends up like this:



'Resting by the estuary'

This sketchbook is proving very useful, 
I'm using this technique to
experiment in readiness for
future paintings to be framed.





Monday 28 April 2014

Saunders Waterford spiral pad

I've had this SW spiral pad for ages, having got it through the SAA.   To be precise it's a 300gms Jumbo Pad with 1/8 Rough paper.  Thinking it would make a change from NOT paper which I usually prefer, the Rough paper turned out to be a bit of a challenge!   Okay, I've worked with rough paper in the past, in fact handmade rough paper which was great to use. 


Sorting out my studio the other day, I came across it again, and decided to try out some painting...


Initially I prepared the paints - and lots of it in a deep well palette, better to have too much paint mixed than not enough. 

Then pencilled in a quick sketch.  Using just clear water I completely covered the entire page...taking my time to go over a couple of times with the clear water, allowing it to soak into this rough paper a bit and then over again to make sure it stayed wet long enough to put the watercolours on.

With a couple of large mop brushes (sizes 6 and 8) from Rosemary & Co. they sucked up the paint and I randomly dropped the paint on - here and there changing the colour as I went (one brush for the blues then greens, the other brush for the yellows and then reds).   Leaving this to totally dry, I then added the detail.   As you see I cropped the picture to add as a background to this blog.



Conclusion:    Really pleased to have rediscovered this spiral pad - having slightly changed the way I work....

 i.e. soaking the paper first, using large mop brushes and loose style


I'm working on some more paintings now and having fun with the process.














Saturday 26 April 2014

Meet and Greet at Arlington Court

One of the jobs during the day at Arlington Court stables is to have a 'Meet & Greet the ponies'.  The public love to get up close to these Exmoor ponies and ask questions about them plus give them a stroke.

We have two ponies currently at Arlington, more are being arranged for land management.  (Bovine TB has hit the main farm and hence there are not the cattle to clear the land. That will be a job for the ponies.  (Although this in itself will have to be managed, as Exmoor ponies have survived and thrived on rough vegetation, whereas the lovely grasslands of Arlington could prove too much for them if they are not controlled in their eating habits).  The ponies are currently on loan to Arlington Court from the Moorland Mousie Trust. 

Here's a couple of pictures of  Bergerac and Almond (with me holding).  I've other photos to share over the coming weeks and months, but thought this would start them off.
Photos are many Thanks to Elsie Roff for her wonderful photographic skills.






Friday 25 April 2014

Driftwood

Occasionally we pick up some lovely pieces of driftwood which are added to the garden for a bit of design.  One particular piece we have looked just like an animal...


on closer inspection...


Yikes!...almost scary and even
looks like it has teeth


needless to say, we repositioned it,
but it now looks like antlers



I've named it Rudolph! lol




Wednesday 23 April 2014

Update on the weird watch

As I said in my previous post, the watch with the strange long strap was a mystery.  I think it's been solved though by Shammickite, who commented....






which completely scuppers our idea and my finishing comment in my post:


So I tried the theory ...


and I can see this would look 'fashionable'  - sort of, lol !!!!

I was right about one thing though - It is a Watch

So THANKS Shammickite for coming up with the answer,

it obviously took a Combe Martin girl

to get the answer.

(We now await its collection by its rightful owner)

***






Monday 21 April 2014

Beach debri or just a lost moment in time

We often find stuff on the beach.  The usual as you can imagine...seashells, seaweed (although we don't get a lot of seaweed).  At this time of year and throughout the summer we find stuff...lost in the sea by surfers, swimmers, canoeists ...well, whoever happens to have been about.  Very often sunglasses seem to appear, covered in sand having spent a few hours swishing about in the ocean (they often show signs of this with the number of scratches on them).  However, this turned up.

Yes, I know it's a watch,


 but it has a really long strap - really long....


weird or what!

here it is alongside a conventional watch


and still working - amazing considering where it was found.

We've come to the conclusion it would be a surfers watch and they would put it around their leg instead of their wrist.  Why on earth somebody would wear a watch there I will never understand, especially if they are surfing at the time.  Can you imagine they are on their board about to take the crest of a wave and think - "Umm, I wonder what the time is?" 

Perhaps we are wrong
although we are probably right.

***












Sunday 20 April 2014

Sketches in my folding booklet

You may remember I showed you the little sketchbook I had made from one sheet of paper....this post.

I keep this in my bag so when we are out and about I can just jot down a few lines or draw a bit more detail and add some paint.  These are where I am at the moment...









I'm having fun with this sketchbook and so pleased I made it.





Thursday 17 April 2014

Journey down to Crediton


The other day we drove down to Crediton.  We could have chosen a quicker route, but rather like to take things easy and enjoy the scenery on the Eggesford road.  In fact we stopped at Eggesford forest for a walk and leg stretch....such a lovely place - although we didn't see them this day, we have in the past caught sight of deer...


Just turning around from the previous photo, you look across the hills to this little church...



and close up....

isn't that sweet.

This is the track we were walking...



and further in the distance - (my zoom on the camera ideal for this distance)...


A gorgeous walk on a gorgeous day.

No doubt we will take this drive again soon.


***


 





Wednesday 16 April 2014

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Fields of Gold

.....don't you just love them - plus this gorgeous weather we are currently enjoying...life couldn't get much better...




Monday 14 April 2014

Beautiful weather yesterday...

.....so out for one of our favourite walks





following the coast path sign...

down the steps...

round the bend...!!

past the primroses bordering the path...

when it opens out to the sea...


not a bad walk for a Sunday.






Friday 11 April 2014

Art Abandonment

I have just left some art in my first Art Abandonment, through the Facebook group of that name - read about it here.

One place that gives me a lot of inspiration is the National Trust property, Arlington Court, so where better than to leave my art there for people to find and keep.  I do hope, that if somebody finds it, they will let us know on the Facebook group Art Abandonment.

These are the pieces I left and locations ...












Can't wait to leave 

more paintings to be found another day

***










Monday 7 April 2014

Arlington Court

The new season at Arlington Court has now started, and I'm back helping...such a gorgeous place to be a volunteer.  New ponies to look after, more about them in the weeks to come, but for the moment I checked out the harness room and the old hay loft displays...

photo (1) .... I love this harness room it's got such a cosy feel about it...


and to the right from where the above photo was taken, the Stables...


then to the left from the harness room photo (1), there are displays of carriages including this ....

  Queen Victoria's
Pony Phaeton



This carriage was used by Queen Victoria at Osborne House on the  
Isle of Wight.
The dash board was made higher than normal as the Queen felt it inappropriate to see her pony’s bottom! (umm…~ obviously not amused ~ I suppose she didn’t want to watch what came out of it!!)

This carriage is painted in the royal colours, maroon, lined bright red.
~
There are lots more displays of carriages at Arlington, and I'll get around to
sketches and doing photos of those too.
~

On up to the former hay loft which now houses more displays


During the day I took the opportunity to do some sketching...


... this Clock Tower was on Winsor & Newton watercolour postcard paper, I actually
gave this sketch away to a visitor, who went off happy with it (I hope).

Other sketches I did were...


and


which I intend to 'abandon' this week over at Arlington.  I've joined a group on Facebook called
Art Abandonment,  where you leave a piece of art with a little message that it is Free Art for somebody to keep -
 (here's a bit more about the group)
 I pop the sketches into a clear plastic sleeve with a message on the front...


and on the back...



Over the coming weeks I will be doing more of these
and hope that people will enjoy them.

Incidentally, I will be letting the Art Abandonment Group on Facebook
know what I have 'abandoned' under the name
Ann TheSketcher

~~~~~~~~~~~



Wednesday 2 April 2014

Folding Sketchbook

Wow!  this little sketchbook is thanks to a video by Cathy Johnson over on Youtube...do check out the tutorial.

Meanwhile, here's my version having followed the instructions in the video....thought you might like to see this