Off to visit the rhinos and elephants

Coastal Morning

Namibia Impressions Series

50% of proceeds go to Save The Rhino Trust Namibia

Available

As you read this I will be in Namibia visiting the rhinos and elephants again. Or at least I hope so. We were there two years ago at the same time of year - THE RAINY SEASON. That time we were lucky (well for us not the locals) as the drought was in full swing. This meant that the animals would all congregate around the waterholes making it much easier to spot them.

This year the drought has broken and it is much wetter, although it seems to be easing up so we may not get as wet as we first thought! This of course means that the animals will be more widely dispersed and more difficult to spot, but we are still hopeful.

This time round we are taking in the Savuti Channel and going into Chobe national park in Botswana. Keep your fingers croseed for us.

Namibia Impressions Series

Coastal Heat

12x12inch

AVAILABLE

Hollyhock Village, Part 1 - Day 7, 30 paintings in 30 days

Hollyhock Village Part 1

 Oil on gesso laminated wood panel

20x30 cm (8"x12")

During our recent lavender hunt, we came across a village which I shall call Hollyhock Village. Hollyhocks lined the streets, seemingly growing out of the concrete in the road. The roads were narrow enough, barely room for one car let alone a car and two rows of hollyhocks. I took heaps of photos both on the way there  (overcast day) and on the way back (nice sunny day).

Some photos of the hollyhocks

The village is Revest du Bion, Alpes-de-Haut Provence

About this painting

 This painting is part 1 of a pair painted on gesso panel. I did not add any additional gesso to it as they are supposed to be ready to go. Not sure I will do that again! the surface is so slippy and I wasn't convinced the paint was adhering. I've never used Yuppo with watercolour but from what I have read, it seems that this surface is similar.
I used a brush mostly with just a bit of knife work on the wall to give it texture.

I will wait until the paint has dried a little and rework some of the hollyhocks for more impact.

Come back tomorrow to see the the companion piece.

Close up

L'ail rose - pink garlic still life palette knife painting, Day 15, 30 day challenge

L'ail rose - pink garlic still life

Palette knife painting
This is painting No.15 in the 30 day challenge

Oil on box canvas

15x20x1.5cm (6"x8") 

For auction on Daily Paintworks

This was painted in response to the Daily Paintworks challenge a couple of weeks ago which was a "Root and Bulb challenge". OK, its a week or two late for the challenge but I have been meaning to paint this since then!

This type of garlic is a speciality of the region, this excert is from "Chocolate and Zuchinni" blog -

"Pink garlic?", you ask, your right eyebrow arched in curiosity. Well yes, it is a unique variety of garlic, grown exclusively in and around the medieval town of Lautrec, in the South of France. It is protected by an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication, a European certification of origin), benefits from a Label Rouge quality certification and, most importantly, it has been awarded the honorific title of Prince des Condiments.

Here are a couple of close-ups

Ikebana 1 - pink chrysanthemums

Ikebana 1 - Pink Chrysanthemums

22x27cm (approx  9"x11")

oil on canvas board

Palette knife painting

I've taken a break from painting landscapes for the last couple of dates to paint some floral still lifes.

This is inspired by a book on Ikebana given to me by a neighbour, the monthly floral forum challenge on wetcanvas.com to paint chrysanthemums and my imagination. I wanted to achieve an ethereal 'look' in this painting.

I have completed four paintings for the challenge and will post more tomorrow.

Camargue Sunrise palette knife painting in oil

Camargue Sunrise with flamingoes

18x24cm oil on MDF canvas panel

Painted with a palette knife

 SEE HERE TOPURCHASE

Last year we took a trip around the Arles area and on the way home stopped off at the Carmague a wetland area to the west of Marseilles.
We saw lots of flamingoes, egrets, black bulls and the obligatory white horses.
This is the first of my Camargue paintings and I plan to do several more. It's quite an interesting mix of the flat pools of marshy waters with the choppy waters of the Med as a backdrop.

Fracture Abstraction No.4 and No.5, watercolour abstracts

Another two of this set

"Fracture Abstraction No 4." Varnished watercolour abstract.
Painting size = 9.5 x 17.5cm (approx. 4"x7")
Overall size = approx 13.5 x 21cm (approx 5"x8")
Initialed on the front, signed on the back

FOR SALE IN MY ETSY SHOP 

"Fracture Abstraction No 5." Varnished watercolour abstract.
Painting size = 9.5 x 17.5cm (approx. 4"x7")
Overall size = approx 13.5 x 21cm (approx 5"x8")
Varnished
Initialed on the front, signed on the back

FOR SALE IN MY ETSY SHOP 

The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that no. 3 is missing. The photo did not turn out very well on that one and I need to take another when the weather brightens up.

Fracture Abstraction No.2, watercolour abstract

"Fracture Abstraction No 2." Varnished watercolour abstract.
Painting size = 9.5 x 17.5cm (approx. 4"x7")
Overall size = approx 13.5 x 21cm (approx 5"x8")
Varnished
Initialed on the front, signed on the back

FOR SALE IN MY ETSY SHOP 

The second in my abstract watercolors.

In the spirit of play and creativity, I let watercolour washes merge together and then using pen, I enhance the shapes and used a bit of my artist's licence to extend and colour some areas. A white border has been left around the edge to enhance the colours. I have stressed the edges to give a bit of a handmade paper look, but this can be trimmed straight. I am enjoying myself with the freedom this brings. Hopefully, I can carry this forward in my more structured paintings.

This shows the 'stressed' edges.