Le Tour?

Here is a 'Rough as guts' idea or concept plan of my next painting. I hope I am up to it!! It will be oil on canvas 48x24inches. The next step is to prepare the canvas. (I have the frame together already to stretch the canvas over.) Then after priming the canvas I will sketch the drawing up roughly before I begin the background in paint. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Frisky!

It is with great sadness that I have to report that Frisky our very special friend and companion passed away on Saturday. He was 11 years old and became ill suddenly due to kidney failure. He had not touched food or water for days when the vet and I decided that it would be kindest to euthanise him. Heart wrenching is an understatement. Frisky was extraordinary; having lots of character he would sit at the top of the driveway waiting for us to come home just as a dog would; he played games like hide and seek with my husband; and he was very affectionate and loving, curling up with us to watch TV and sleeping on our bed during the night. He is a huge loss.

On a brighter note my husband and I sailed in a race to raise money for breast cancer awareness yesterday and had a much needed very happy day! I think my next work will be cyclists inspired by the Tour de France which we watch every year without fail. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Ruby Tuesday Finished

Ruby Tuesday is finished. Didn't have to do many touch ups so you probably won't be able to see any difference. Frisky my cat is unwell-he is not eating or drinking and vomits alot. I took him to vet yesterday but these things are hard to diagnose so we are hoping it is just a bout of gastro and not kidney failure. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Ruby Tuesday Update

Here is the latest stage of Ruby Tuesday. I have completed the fringe and the eye and I am nearly satisfied with the mane. I need to add more tones to ears and mane. I intend going over the whole portrait doing small touch ups then adding the name and signing it. Should be complete tomorrow I think. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Ruby Tuesday Pastel Portrait

Here is an incomplete stage of Ruby Tuesday. I have work to do all over such as ther ears, the mane, the fringe, the eyelashes and the brown hair in the face. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday commission is progressing well and I should be able to post an image of it next week. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Blog Award!

I am honoured to have been awarded this Premio Meme award by artists Doreen Cross of http://www.dorsart.blogspot.com/ and Karie Ann Cooper of http://www.artbykarie-ann.blogspot.com/.

Doreen(Dors) does stunning graphite works and Karie Anne impresses with detailed animal and wildlife works in coloured pencil on drafting film. Take a peek at their blogs!

A requirement of this award is that I list 7 things about myself so here we go:

1. I love the smell of new books and different paper textures.


2. I love reading! (Mainly crime fiction and sailing biographies)


3. I love the way a drawing begins flat (2D) and comes to life like a sculpture almost (3D)!


4. I love my Nikon SLR camera which I purchased last year. I did a photography course to learn how to use it properly. If the house burned down apart from people and my pet Frisky my camera is what I would grab!!


5. I love sailing-both cruising and racing. I have sailed since I was 15 years old.


6. I like to keep fit by running and swimming.


7. I love outdoor activities, space and freedom. Totally Sagittarian!!

This award now must be passed on to 7 others so here we go; Karie-Ann Cooper and Doreen Cross should be listed here but since they gave the award to me I don't want to start a ping-pong game!!

All of the artists below do beautiful work which inspires me and they have encouraged me in the past!!

1. Grahame N Butler http://www.grahanebutler.blogspot.com/ for his wonderful Graphite works.


2. Laura Hardie http://www.portraitartistsblog.blogspot.com/for her stunning mastery of coloured pencil and graphite. Laura gave me alot of help and encouragement with my first graphite!


3. Debra Jones http://www.dog-a-dayartblog.blogspot.com/ Her watercolour dogs a day are amazing.


4. Melanie Phillips www.portraitartist.com/blogs I love Mels oils.


5. Heather Page http://www.pagesportraits.blogspot.com/ for her wonderful graphite works!


6. Gary Keiming http://www.gkeimingart.blogspot.com/ Gary does stunning landscpes. I love his use of colour and I love his skies.


7. Sally Lancaster http://www.sallylancasterportraitswip.blogspot.com/ for her wonderful works in oil!

I am going back to my easel now to work on Ruby Tuesday!!

If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Trusty Steeds is Finished!!

Yes finished at last! I am now going to begin the Ruby Tuesday commission. Very exciting! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Equine Commission and Trusty Steeds

And here is the latest on Trusty Steeds. I have got to a point where I think I need to put it facing a wall for a couple of days so that I can come back to it with a fresh mind!

I have a new commission to do a pastel of a stunning horse called Ruby Tuesday. I am sure I will have the Beatles song Ruby Tuesday going over and over in my head the whole way through just as I did for Jeremiah commission with "Jeremiah was a Bull Frog". If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Trusty Steeds Progress Report!

Here is what I have done today on Trusty Steeds. I have done a little more on the white horse but I still need to complete the muzzle and refine all over! I have also worked on the brown horse today but have a long way to go yet. I am glad I got impatient and left the brown to work on the white because it is now obvious that I need to work on tone and colour to make the brown jump out of the page! Exaggeration and artistic license will come in here!! I will try to get to my easel again tomorrow but I may be running around purchasing safety gear (flares, fire extinguishers, etc) for our boat so that we qualify to enter a shorthanded race on Sunday! Should be lots of fun. Our boat normally sails with five or six crew but a shorthanded race limits crew to one or two! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml