Every day I want to paint… but sometimes I don’t manage it. I don’t lack the time because life has slowed down now my partner has retired too – no more peripatetic living, dashing from one county to the other. That is an adjustment , as is the ageing process! Painting ticks lots of boxes for me – it demands attention, a little planning ( so not my forte) , a little brain juice and lots of fortitude when it goes pear shaped.
Here are a few of my most recent attempts – I hope they inspire you to have a go too! Probably the most difficult part is starting a painting – deciding what to paint . I want to feel totally absorbed when I paint, so I choose a subject that either is a place where I feel connected to, maybe a holiday memory from a photograph, or a local walk . The magnolias were inspired by a painting by a 19th century artist, but I wanted to explore a more contemporary feeling that intimated the hope that those Spring blooms give, so I used a fresh yellow and lime background .
We live close to a local nature reserve which used to be a gravel works, but now has a fabulous array of walks where you can see plenty of bird life. I spend alot of my walks with my son commenting on how brilliant sky is! I have to stop because he is tiring of hearing that!
Scotland is always a good place to go for inspiration – so many good memories from spending time up in the Scottish Highlands, and I have a library of photographs as my partner is a fabulous photographer, so no worries about lacking references there!