Bluebells covered the ground as far as the eye can see. |
The colourful azaleas and rhododendrons braved the cold to reassure us of summer just around the corner, and then maybe we can envisage wearing shorts and sleeveless tops, but not just yet, as the deceptive sun still has a wind chill factor too blustery for me to venture out without a windcheater. On our terrace, we've lost a few non-hardy perennials to the snow, but the deeply planted bulbs and corms survived, to brighten our patio among the conifers, roses and climbers.
Delicate bluebells |
It really felt like summer for a couple of hours, but the sun's warmth soon dissipated, so we headed towards a bluebell field near Motisfont, which we had visited in previous years. Alas, this year the bluebells seemed washed out by the rain. It was still a lovely walk, with the pale bluebells swaying beneath the trees.
Painted in 2007 for Southampton Art Society |
I once painted a rape-field through a gate that is not far from here, but that field is still green this year, waiting for more sun to ripen into gold. It's true you can paint anything you see around you, so long as it brings you peace and tranquillity, and allows you time to relax and immerse in nature.
Tulips at Chelsea |
This panda looks like a lot of fun, so I put a twig in its mouth and swung him up a bamboo above an autumnal background, calling it: An Autumn Lookout, which was sold a few years ago, when I was a member of the Southampton Art Society. Alas, travel and retirement make it difficult to find enough time to be a member of more than one art club. As a member of The Romsey Art Group, we meet once a month for professional demonstration and a day of Open-studio for members to paint together. I try to paint about three pictures for each of the two exhibitions held every year, with one or two extra exhibitions for special events.
As a member of the Society for All Artists, (SAA), I have the option of attending one of their Regional or London three-day seminar/workshop for beginners, improvers, as well as professional and amateur painters, with lots of art demonstrations and new product lines, to inspire and to interact, where we can learn new techniques or test new products. More importantly, it's a platform to rub shoulders with artists and art teachers, who could help with new gadgets or any painting problems we encounter. We get six magazines a year, full of tips on painting in different media, competitions to enter in each issue and a chance to be voted the SAA Artist of the Year.
Pembrokeshire in Wales |
This landscape was painted four years ago when my husband and I went to chill out in Wales, after his many operations on throat cancer with six weeks of radio-therapy. It was a gruelling time for both of us, but he has since recovered fully and we are enjoying our retirement travelling, writing, painting and saturating our computers with lots of photographs.
I look forward to talking to you again in a couple of weeks' time, when I hope to publish a few portraits painted for past exhibitions.
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