Snowdrops

Since my last dogs portrait I've been working on something much more difficult and, surprisingly, demanding much closer attention to detail. It's taken a couple of weeks to do but I can't say any more about it because it's something I've drawn as a gift for someone. I doubt that they would ever visit my blog but I'm going to err on the side of caution and not post the piece here yet. I'm excited about what I've done and am bursting to show you all ..... but it'll have to keep for another couple of weeks.

In the meantime I thought I'd show you my Snowdrops. I am blessed with a garden that oozes Snowdrops at this time of the year and they grow just about everywhere ... in the lawn, in the flower borders, in the gravel driveway and even in crevices between rocks. As a keen photographer I'm always trying to get that perfect shot of them and I must have hundreds of photos. Here is just a small selection together with my latest attempts at both painting and drawing them.

Oh, if any of you want Snowdrop reference photo's for your artwork just let me know and I'll look at the high-resolution originals for you. ;-)

Tempus Fugit

... or, in other words, Time Flies. It certainly is doing for me. I looked at the number of posts I've made on my blog so far this year ... 7. We're halfway through the year and I've managed only 7 and I missed the month of April completely. I decided to throw together a quick post just so that I don't miss June as well.

This week, for the first time in a very long while, I actually found a few hours to do some painting. I had a go at this anemone which I found in the Reference Photo section of my forum. I used the layering technique I learned about a while ago but applied my own thinking to the method rather than follow 'instructions' rigidly. I felt much more comfortable doing it this way and I'm not disappointed with the result. I've still got a long way to go with it but I definitely felt I was understanding more.

On another matter, I've finally dragged myself kicking and squealing into the 21st century ... I've bought myself a tablet ... a Samsung Galaxy Note 8. There are many reasons why I preferred it to other tablets, one being it's built-in pressure sensitive digital pen. I've tried a few doodles and doubt I'll ever do any serious drawing with it, but it's great fun and I'm now on the lookout for the best drawing software to go with it. Don't be surprised if you see some digital doodles posted here from time to time. I'm also hoping my new tablet will help me get round your blogs more often as I'll be able to use it at times when I can't normally get to my PC.

Our local Art in the Park exhibition ended last week and I had to go and collection my "Fuchsia 'Winston Churchill'" painting. No, it did't sell, but I'm not disappointed. There was a time when I mistakenly thought that a person couldn't be classed as a proper artist if they didn't sell their work.  Since then I've come to realise that it's not how much we sell that makes us an artist but what is in our heart. We should be called 'heartists'. lol.


I had taken my camera with me to the park, as always, and on the way back from the exhibition I detoured to the lakes. An enjoyable half-hour with my camera resulted in scores of photo's to be scrutinised once back home and I'll close this post by sharing 3 or 4 of them with you.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to get to YOUR blog very soon.

Snap happy !!!

Well, I warned you that I'd be posting some "Birds on the Lake" photo's soon, and here they are. Like everything else, if we want to be good at anything we have to practice. Nothing could be truer when it comes to using a DSLR properly. I have no desire to be a 'point and shoot' photographer so I switched off 'Auto' on day one of owning my new Nikon D5100. I already had a good understanding of exposures from using my bridge camera for the past several years, but a DSLR provides me with a wealth of new things to get to grips with and it can't be done just by looking at the manual. Hands on experience is the only way.

I have taken hundreds of photo's around my garden of all manner of irrelevant subjects just to give me something to point my camera at but one day last week I treated myself to a walk in the park. It was great fun - I was only there for an hour and during that time I took 266 photo's. Here is just a small selection.

  

  

As nice as it was to watch these birds and take photographs of them, I was even more delighted when a pair of Mute Swans moved in fairly close and one of them started 'displaying'. It looked so majestic, stately and regal.

The Swans were near enough for me to get some really close head-shots. I like this shot because of the water dripping from the beak but I can't profess to skilfully timing my moment. I was just lucky that this is a messy Swan that dribbles a lot. 

Later I found one of them enjoying a spot of preening in the shade of the tree-covered island and thought what a great watercolour painting the scene would make, especially with those reflections. White Swan and white reflections ... could this involve some interesting negative painting?

But not all of my shots were clear and sharp. I tried my hand at shooting (photographically) flying birds. I salute all those photographers who have posted on the net pin-sharp shots of birds in flight. This is something I've tried many times with the small birds in my garden, with little success, but I believe that if I keep trying I will one day get the hang of it. Either that or I'll buy a shotgun and find another way of shooting them. My efforts aren't complete rubbish as I managed to get a few shots where at least the bird was in the frame ... but hopefully I will eventually learn how to get them sharp.

And there was one hilarious moment when a handful of Gulls were about to share out a large slice of bread and a Black-Headed Gull swooped through and stole it from them. It was over in a flash and there wasn't time to worry too much about camera settings, but I did react quickly enough to at least record the event, as this sequence shows. The culprit was last seen disappearing into the distance with a gang of half-a-dozen furious ex-mates on his heels.

During my brief walk I took many photo's. Some carefully planned that turned out bad, and some hastily taken that turned out reasonable. I had some lucky shots, like the drips from the Swans beak and some unlucky ones, like the kissing Swans disturbed by a barking Alsation just as I was framing them, but every single click of the shutter brought pleasure, and that is what I went out to find. Do I have a favourite from that particular day? Yes .... this one.

I look at the work of competent photographers submitting their work to online photo sites and know that I have a very long way to go before I'm even close to being good but I have the same feelings when I look at my paintings and drawings. However, what I have learnt over time is that the pleasure of our hobby doesn't come from how good we are, it comes from the journey we are on. ;-)

Robbie and I

It is a fact that most British gardens can boast their own resident Robin, and mine is no exception. I can't ever step into my garden without Robbie whistling out a greeting and hopping into a prominent position where I can see him, and he can keep his eye on me. I say "keep his eye on me" because that's just how it feels.

I have two Apple trees in my garden that are the last remaining evidence of a small orchard that used to exist here in what used to be a Victorian Kitchen Garden. Regrettably, both trees have become hollow inside and are unsafe. We have therefore made the decision to take them down and plant 3/4 new fruit trees in their place. It doesn't need me to tell you that this wasn't going to happen without some very enthusiastic involvement of Robbie .... Site Supervisor, Health & Safety Coordinator, Project Manager and Buildings Inspector.

A week ago, I headed outside armed with my Chain Saw and Pruning Saws and set to work. And as I was sawing away at the first of the trees I was sadly reflecting on the fact that these weren't just trees. Okay, so they haven't produced very good fruit for several years now, but the Bees love the Apple Blossom in the spring, and so do I. They provide structure and height in the garden and there is nothing finer than sitting in their dappled shade on a hot sunny day, especially with a beer close to hand.

As I was felling the first tree today, Robbie sat in the other watching my every move and he was more vocal than usual, if that's possible. It took me two days to cut the trees down to just a few feet from the ground and get everything stacked tidily, but Robbie was with me throughout. I actually found myself talking to him and sometimes he would tilt his head as if he was actually listening.



But it was in his management roles that he excelled.


He inspected my wheelbarrow (look closely) ....

Warned me of poorly stacked (strewn) piles of cut branches ...

Monitored how long I took for tea breaks ...

And closely inspected the finished works.

I don't know if this little chappie is just being naturally terretorial and worrying about what I may or may not do to HIS back yard, or whether he's genuinely curious and interested in what we humans get up to, but whatever his motives, he's great company in the garden and a lot of fun.





Circumstances, coupled with an inability to set my mind to anything, are preventing me from getting on with any art right now, though I do try to get round the blogs I like to follow as and when I can. I took my camera for a brief walk in the park the other day so I may come back and bore you with a few 'Birds on the lake' photo's one day soon. Don't say you haven't been warned. ;-)

Merry Christmas!

Whenever I venture out into my garden, the true owner of this plot of land follows me around as if checking that I'm not going to do anything that will upset or violate his tiny kingdom. Sometimes from high in a tree, and sometimes on the ground and dangerously under-foot, my friend the Robin is ever present. But annoyingly he seems to have an uncanny knack of knowing when I am armed with my camera and what it is for because he teases me no end by posing and then hopping away just as I'm about to release the shutter. This shot is one I took some time ago as he rewarded me by posing nicely on the upper branches of one of my tall conifers. Had this shot included some snow I would have used it for a seasonal digital card, but instead I decided to use a photo I took of 'Dick the Wick', one of over a dozen loyal Gnomes who tend the mountainous regions of my large rockery.

I thank all of you, my blogging friends, for the support and encouragement you have given me throughout 2012. It means more to me than you can know. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, peaceful New Year.

Blind Snowdrops

Some weeks ago I received a message through my web site's contact page that took me aback. A lady wrote to tell me that her mother was so in love with one of my photographs that she was seeking permission to use it as the subject for a window blind in her newly decorated bathroom.

The photograph in question is my favourite of all the Snowdrop photographs I've ever taken. I am blessed with a garden that has more than it's fair share of Snowdrops and they come up in abundance every January. It is an annual ritual for me to get out there with my camera trying to find new ways of capturing the beauty of these wonderful little flowers.

Anyway, I was happy to grant permission for my photograph to be used in this way and promptly sent off a high resolution version. I also asked if I could be sent a photo of the finished blind, just out of interest. A couple of days ago I received an email telling me the blind had been made and fitted and attached to it was a photo. I post it here for you to see. I would never, in a million years, have expected that one of my photo's could be used in such a way, and I can't tell you how flattered I feel.

Talking of photography, I have finally treated myself to a new DSLR. I chose a Nikon D5100 but bought the camera body only and added to it a Tamron 18-270mm Zoom Lens. The lens cost as much as the camera. LOL. I know the Nikon lenses are a better quality but I want to do a lot more walking and I don't want to carry lenses and get involved with changing them often. A one-lens-for-all-purposes suits me better even though there is a slight compromise in image quality. Can't wait for the Snowdrops now.

Finally, I have decided what to do with my miniature pencil drawing. I've mounted it in a clear plastic Coaster.

I took an unused coaster that had some promotional material inside it and carefully prised it open. I then made a 'surround' in Paint Shop Pro, printed it out and then cut out a centre rectangle for the drawing. The finished Coaster now lays on my desk where I can place my hot cups on it. It's nice to have finally found something useful to do with my art. LOL.

I'll take this opportunity to wish all of my fellow bloggers the very best of the seasons greetings. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. ;)

Not enjoying painting ...

... but I'm not talking about THAT sort of painting. I'm talking about painting doors, window frames, skirting boards, etc. We're giving our living room a serious make over. I've always wanted a smooth flat ceiling yet every house we've ever owned has had the old-fashioned Artex stippled ceiling. On a few occasions I've stripped the Artex off myself and put up a textured ceiling paper. LOL ... that's fun if you've never tried it, papering a ceiling. However, this time I decided to have the job done properly so we had a tradesman in to re-plaster the ceiling for us, and it looks great. While I had the walls stripped of wallpaper I took the opportunity to run in some electric cables to give us some extra power points.

The best bit is that we've also decided to refurnish the room so it's out with the old 3-piece suite and in with something new. We are having two 2-seater Sofa's, one of which is an electric recliner and a 'special' chair for me. I have ordered a real Stressless recliner by the Norwegian manufacturer Ekornes. It's not a cheap option but once you've sat in one ..... hmmmmm.

Anyway, it's all coming together well and the end is in sight, which is a good thing because I haven't touched a brush (art type) or a pencil for weeks. The new furniture arrives next week and I've decided that the very last item to be put into the newly decorated room will be MY chair. So this post is by way of a warning that I'm likely not to post again for a while because once I'm in that chair I'm not moving for at least a month.

Because I have no art to share, I've decided to do something that I've been thinking of doing for a long time but never seem to get round to it .... share with you one of my other hobbies, photography. I have a Sony H9 Bridge camera with Zeiss lens and 15x optical zoom. It's a very versatile bit of kit but not in the same league as DSLR, which is something I'm thinking of getting very soon. I've never really been able to justify the cost of a good DSLR with the few opportunities I've had for photography, but now I'm retired things should be different ... if I can ever drag myself out of that chair.

A selection of my photo's are in a slideshow in my sidebar, and here are a few others. I hope you like them.