Saturday 31 December 2016

Lurch - A Very Fine Bear...

 I completed this yesterday - it's a portrait of a bear known as 'Lurch' who lived at Brooks Falls,  Katmai National Park in Alaska.  He was a big and powerful old bear, took no nonsense, and I used to like seeing him on the live cams.  However, this July he stopped appearing and a decomposed body was found nearby that was pretty much identified as him by the teeth - it was quite sad, but part of the circle of life.  I didn't plan on painting him, I just happened to see this great photo someone had taken that I wanted to paint from, and the fact that it was Lurch was just lucky.

This has been painted in acrylics on canvas board, and was kind of a follow on from the wolf I painted earlier this month, both close up portraits with no background on square canvases.
 I'd like to do more in this style, just considering which animal to focus on next.
This watercolour portrait has been kept under wraps for over a month as it was a Christmas present for my nephew's wife in the USA.  Hopefully they have opened it by now - I've not heard anything...

Thursday 29 December 2016

Steep Learning Curve...

Took my new camera for it's first outing yesterday - fog was possibly not the best weather for it, but I gave it a go.
I still have not got a clue what all the buttons and dials do - my son gave me a bit of a tutorial yesterday but I think it's just going to be a matter of trial and error in the end.
I suspect taking photographs with one hand while holding a straining dog lead in the other probably wasn't the best way of doing it either...

Wednesday 28 December 2016

Peanuts!

I crocheted Snoopy to keep Woodstock company - this is a good little kit.  Next up (when I get the time) Charlie Brown.

Monday 26 December 2016

Post-Christmas Post...

 Well, Christmas is over for another year - I hope you all had a wonderful day full of family, love & laughter and that you got what you wanted under the Christmas tree.  We had a low key but fun day and now the house smells of cooked goose and is sprinkled with glitter. 

One of my presents was a kit to make the characters from Peanuts - who doesn't love Peanuts?  By the evening I had sobered up enough (!) to attempt the first one - Woodstock.  Next up, Snoopy!
A couple of days before Christmas I discovered that I was so well organised I had time to spare, so started a painting.  This is Lurch, a brown bear from Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, who sadly passed away this summer.  He was a big old bear, full of character and rather anti-social, but I did like him.  I was lucky enough to be given permission to use a photo taken by one of the cam watchers on the Explore.org site.  I hadn't planned on painting any particular bear but did want a particular pose and this one fitted the bill - it's kind of matching the previous wolf painting - and it's just a bonus that it is of a well-known and loved bear.  This is in acrylic on board.


Thursday 22 December 2016

Wednesday 21 December 2016

Polar Bear...

I knitted a polar bear - it's the same pattern as the brown bear I made last week, but due to the stretchiness of the Snowflake yarn, he is about twice the size!  He's also quite fat but that makes him cuddly.  Love this pattern, it takes just a couple of evenings to make.

A Wolf, A Cake & Mince Pies...

 I did manage to finish this yesterday, plenty of time left before Christmas.  This is a portait of a wolf called Maia who lives at the Wolf Conservancy in Reading.  I have painted this on board using acylics.  While I have a bit of free time, I want to do another portrait - a bear this time - in a similar fashion on a square board. 
 The Christmas cake has been iced - decorating cakes is not my forte, so I keep it simple.  There's enough alcohol in the cake to make you forget about the decoration...
Plus some more mince pies...

Monday 19 December 2016

No Pressure...

Can I finish this before Christmas?  I think I can....
Acrylics on board.

Sunday 18 December 2016

Fantastic Beasts...

Just when I was getting complacent and thinking I had nothing left to make before Christmas, along came a rush-job commission to design and make a pair of soft toys based on creatures from the new Harry Potter spin off film.  This one is a Niffler... Not having seen the film yet, I was a bit at a loss, especially as photos on the internet were not very good. 
But I think I managed it OK - I kind of cobbled together two patterns that I have, a duck and a bear, and winged it for the rest.
I used my last supply of Gypsy eyelash yarn mixed with plain black DK, which made for a nice furry fabric.  You can't see it amongst the fluff, but he also has a pouch - apparently he stashes his stolen goods in there!
I also had to make on of these - a Bowtruckle.  I crocheted this in cotton, added a pair of bead eyes and embroidered on the mouth.  No pattern, again just winging it.

I'm pleased that a pair of small girls will not be disappointed this year!

As the last post dates are rapidly approaching, I think I can relax a bit now - no chance of completing anything else for Christmas!



Tuesday 13 December 2016

On Finding The Time...

 I'm thoroughly bored with just how much time organising Christmas takes, especially when you seem to be doing it single-handedly.  There are things I would much rather be doing - like painting this wolf for instance.  I started this acrylic last week and it is still very much in the early stages.  It is proving to be complicated as the fur is a mixture of white, brown and black hairs, but that's the kind of challenge I like.  Taking time out to shut myself off and paint for a couple of hours keeps away the Christmas madness!
I bought this gingerbread house kit for Stacie and I to make together as we have done in years gone by.  However, she told me she didn't want to do it (grr...mumble...) so I thought I would knock it up by myself.  Yeah....this is the last year I shall be doing a gingerbread house.  I thought it might be easier if I decorated the walls and roof first before assembling it as my piping skills leave a lot to be desired at the best of times.  Turns out I'm not much good at piping on the flat either, it's all a bit shaky and without the fun of having Stacie help me, it just became a chore.  I think we'll just eat the thing...

On the needles: a Niffler - yeah, I haven't got a clue either, I'm winging it.

Sunday 11 December 2016

Just Playing...

Having finished all the Christmas commissions early, I'm left with a bit of time on my hands.  An opportunity to make a few things for my own pleasure - doesn't happen often these days!  This funny bear is from a pattern sent to me by a friend - I couldn't resist him, with his big tummy and goofy expression.  It  only took one ball of wool and a couple of evenings knitting.
I also wanted to crochet some snowflakes and make a mobile - turned out very nicely although impossible to photograph in situ.  (Please notice the cute little bird clock we picked up in Ikea the other day....)
Meanwhile on the easel is a wolf - acrylics on board.  This is the very early stages, basically still just blocking in.  Should keep me occupied in the run up to Christmas!


Tuesday 6 December 2016

Christmas Presents...

 Here is a little commission I have just finished - a bear and a hummingbird.  Painted in watercolour with ink pen detail. 
And the other Christmas commission just completed, a small knitted pig's head trophy.

Now I just have to brave the post office...

Sunday 4 December 2016

Pretty Plush Polar Bear...

 Sometimes it is fun to do something completely different.  I've been knitting for so long this year that my hands are very stiff and painful, and while I still enjoy knitting, I felt it was time to have a little change.  I saw this pattern in the latest edition of Simply Sewing magazine and thought I'd like to give it a go.
 I used a couple of pieces of vintage wool blanket that has been felted, bought at a craft fair a couple of years ago.  I also decided to completely hand sew this - I can use a sewing machine but find it hard to control when making smaller items.  Just as well I did as some layers (ears & tail) were almost 2cm thick!
 The pattern had the bear embroidered with snowflakes - well, I didn't want to do that, I like a bit of realism.  So I looked up some pictures of polar bears feet and gave him some little pads instead, plus embroidered claws on his front paws.
 I like him a lot - he's very firmly stuffed, making him quite a substantial toy.
 Now all I need to do is find him a good home - any volunteers?


Made the first mince pies of the season last week - delicious!

Thursday 1 December 2016

Knitting & Stuff...


Well, Christmas is rolling towards us at a rate of knots and while I am busy with various commissions for presents, it has not been too manic this year.  The above is not a present but a scarf I took on to knit for a designer to be used in the photograph illustrating her pattern in an upcoming book.  The knitting was easy if a little tedious as it is a hell of a long scarf, but the blocking was incredibly hard.  The main body of the scarf is in garter stitch, which when wet stretches to twice it's normal length, and the leaf edging - 92 leaves in total - had to be carefully shaped.  Not easy when you are on your knees for best part of an hour!

However, it is done and once dry will go off to do it's job.  I calculated that I probably got paid about 50p an hour for this - not really worth the effort although it was enjoyable to make something someone else had designed for a change!

I have been painting, a portrait of two children, but I am loath to show it as it is a Christmas present for someone I know and there is the faintest chance they might see it and spoil the surprise.  Frustrating, as I am really pleased with this one but I guess it will have to wait a few weeks!
In the meantime, Daisy has a new anorak.  This was taken before she went for a muddy walk - the coat no longer looks like this and probably never will again!



On the needles: a pig's head....
On the easel: a bear with a hummingbird

Saturday 19 November 2016

Backpack's Rock...

I had an hour or so free yesterday afternoon so grabbed the opportunity to paint his little pen and wash picture of a bear sitting on a rock at Brook's Falls.  I don't know which bear it is - I took the photo using the snap function on the Explore.org's live cam at Katmai National Park in the summer.  I do know the rock in the river has the pet name of 'Backpack's Rock' as a bear with the nickname Backpack likes to sit there, but I am pretty sure this is not him.

Much as I would like to continue producing bear paintings, I have to get on with some paid work next week!

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Hope & A Bear...

 As always happens, I think I have so much to do on a painting and then suddenly it is finished.  I completed this yesterday morning, so it is now ready to be packed up and sent to Greece.  This was done in a mixture of watercolour and coloured pencils - I started off with Derwent Drawing Pencils, but ended up using a selection of all the coloured pencils I have in order to get the depth of colour I needed.
So in the afternoon I spent an hour or so on this little watercolour of a polar bear.  I used a photo I'd taken from the Explore.org polar bear cams for inspiration.  This is now for sale in my Etsy shop, cheaper than my usual work - might make a nice Christmas present?

Tuesday 15 November 2016

Hope 2

 This one is taking a long time - the horse is very dark and it is difficult to get the richness and depth of colour with just pencils.  I'm getting there - the paper is starting to feel like worked leather with the amount of pigment and hammering it is taking!  Another couple of days should do it.

We have a very small pond at the bottom of our garden - I mean it is tiny, no more than a metre across.  When we cleaned it out earlier this year, we removed 17 frogs!  (We kept them in a bucket and put them all back when we were done.)  While feeding the birds yesterday, I noticed one of them popping up to say hello.  Hello.

Currently on the needles - leafy green scarf

Saturday 12 November 2016

Interlude...

Yesterday I felt very tired and as a result, quite down and unable to concentrate properly on my commissioned horse portrait.  Instead, I took my mind off the blues by painting this bear from one of the snaps I took through the Explore.org web cams at Katmai National Park.  This photo was taken early one morning in the summer, when there was just one lone bear fishing in the water.  The colour had not yet come on the cameras as it was just dawn.  So I painted this using only Payne's Grey watercolour on paper.  It took several hours and I didn't feel any more cheerful after I'd finished but I did have a satisfactory painting at least!

Thursday 10 November 2016

Hope...

I've been incredibly busy the past week or so, but unfortunately it was mainly knitting things that I can't show yet.  However, I have been painting - this is a horse called Hope, being worked in mixed media (watercolour and coloured pencil)  She is very dark so it is taking quite a bit of effort to get the colour right.  It needs a good few days yet, but progressing nicely.

Sunday 30 October 2016

My Favourite Bear...

I completed this yesterday - a painting of Grazer and her cubs, also known as bear 128 at Katmai National Park in Alaska.  Painted with Derwent Inktense pencils on watercolour paper.  This was a short interlude between commissions, much needed as I find working on other people's choices quite stifling creatively if done for too long.  I'm now refreshed and ready to tackle the next pet portrait!

Thursday 27 October 2016

It's Here!!

 Look what came in the post today!  My copy of the Nudinits book, a couple of weeks before it is published.
 It's got my name in it and everything!
 Front and back.
There are patterns, stories, lots of double and triple entendres, pictures and things to make you laugh.  It can be pre-ordered from the Nudinits website.

I'm a little bit over-excited....

Also been putting in some hours on this - it's nearly done.

Tuesday 25 October 2016

Bearly There...

Sometimes I get an overwhelming urge to paint something and it has to get done, no matter what else is on the agenda.  This painting is one of those!  It is of a mother bear and her cub at Katmai National Park in Alaska, and I am using a photograph taken by one of the commenters on the Explore.org forum who actually went there this summer.  I'm using Derwent Inktense pencils, one of my favourite mediums.  Trying to squeeze this in amongst actual paid work has been interesting...I'm afraid housework and gardening has had to take a back seat, but there's nothing wrong with that!

Thursday 20 October 2016

Poppy

Just a little something I knitted for a friend.

Tuesday 18 October 2016

Double Trouble...

...except this wasn't trouble at all, it was great fun - I always enjoy a dog portrait.  Derwenr Drawing Pencils on tinted watercolour paper.

If you fancy a pet portrait do get in touch, but if it is for Christmas, I only have a couple of slots left for pencil/watercolours only.