Vanity

Mirror, mirror on the wall

who is fairest of them all?

'Vanity' for Illustration Friday

Hidden Coves

Here are some more pages for the Sketchbook Project complete with wrinkled pages (the paper doesn't like watercolour).
The first is part of a nature reserve on the coast with plenty of hidden coves and caves, perfect for the smugglers of olden days.  My  title is 'Encyclopedia of Secret Places'  and this area has plenty of  secret history!

A closer look at one of the coves, I love the sound of waves as they rattle the pebbles on the beach.

Muses

This is my latest coloured pencil piece.  It's the 'sister' of the Silent Keeper, one of my entries to the UKCPS exhibition this year.  I thought that they would look good together at the upcoming local exhibition where my work will be displayed, well they would if my Silent Keeper would like to return home.  At the moment it's travelling backwards and forwards between the UK and Italy and I'm not friends with DHL carriers anymore!
(It's a long story...sigh..)

At the foot of a staircase, two statues  Endymion and Aglaia from Greek mythology.
I just loved the double shadow in the late evening sun and it was my first sight of the  privately owned 17th century Villa Valguarnera.
I  had to stand and memorise the scene, although I did have a camera,  I wanted to capture how I felt when I first walked up the long drive and through the gate.

Strong and Silent

'Silent' for Illustration Friday.
This one is obviously the strong and silent type!  We have a beautiful park right in the middle of the city, I love to take my sandwiches there and hear the traffic and city noise fade away.  There are many statues  among the trees and flowers (the park dates from the 17th century), an ideal spot to while away an hour or two!

Something Blue

Something blue for Everyday Matters.  I thought about this for a while...what could I choose to sketch that's blue....  the sky, the sea?  Yes the ideas weren't coming thick and fast, but then I looked up and spied my little sketching bag.  The one I grab on my way out...just in case!
This little bag is only 8" wide and 10" long but holds everything I might want to use while out sketching.  It has several pockets and zips all the way round making it easy to get into and I got it free from a travel company, which makes it even nicer.

I unpacked the bag to show you what I carry around with me

Two small sketchbooks, various pens and pencils, a waterbrush, my small set of Maimeri watercolours and it's extra little mixing palette, paper towels, a homemade viewfinder and a water container.  Plus I can get in insect repellant and a small camera comfortably.  A very useful little bag indeed!

Stripes

'Stripes' for Illustration Friday.
The best stripes are found in nature, animals, fish and plants all have some wonderful patterns and colours.
This is part of a bigger painting that I'm working on but still a long way to go.

Best of the Bunch

The little local art group that I joined a couple of years ago is holding an exhibition at the end of this month, so I have been hard at work preparing some new work for my corner of the room  Although I haven't got precise measurements I think I will be able to hang about six largish paintings and perhaps some smaller coloured pencil pieces.
This is the first time I've had the chance to exhibit more than a couple of piece of work so it's very exciting...any advice welcome!
These grapes are one of the better bunches grown last year, painted in oil from sketches and photographs.