A new look for the Highland Cow
This little lady is getting a flowery makeover! I thought she needed some extra pazazz, and I’m enjoying my florals so much that I decided to add her to my series of floral cow paintings. She will be my seventh such cow. She will be quite an eyecatcher in a large piece at 12 x 80 when I’ve finished!
A new and large Highland Cow Painting!
Big, tall and beautiful, this piece is 150cm high and 50cm wide. This big colourful cow is the ideal one for that tall space on the stairs, or in the hall!
The painting is a total splash of stormy, yet vibrant colour. I have used acrylics for the base painting layer and oil paint over the top to finesse the finish and add richness to the colours!
Work in Progress - A Bright and Sunny Woodpecker Painting!
New Woodpecker Oil Painting in Progress
This little guy is on my easel today! I’m really enjoying my vibrant oils!
Acrylic Inks - bringing new media into the studio!
Feisty Pheasants in Acrylics
Ive been wanting to explore some more types of paint and techniques recently, and have started to experiment with acrylic inks and acrylic paints. Its very nice to be able to develop my practice in this way. Im hugely enjoying it. This is a small canvas 40 x 50 cm with a couple of pheasants strutting their stuff
English Longhorn Cow Painting; Work in Progress
An Evening Painting Session
I’m making the most of the last few remaining light evenings. I can’t drive after dark, so Winter painting is always done during the morning hours.
This lovely big red-roan lady is an English Longhorn Cow that I’m working on currently. She will be available for sale soon. I love these gentle cows. We have a beautiful Longhorn herd as neighbours over at Calke Abbey!
English Longhorn Cow: Large Oil Painting
I’m really enjoying the colours in this English Longhorn cow’s coat. I’m using red ochres, brown pinks, maroon and dark blue mixed to create beautiful violet reds and aubergine tones.
One of my favourite commissions was for the owner of a herd of these beautiful cows. I’ll put a link to that painting here. If you would like a custom painting of your favourite cow /breed of cow, please do get in touch.
A woodland encounter; stag painting in progress
Colourful Background for my Stag Painting
I decided that my ne stag painting needed some more colour and interest. So I have added another layer, and used some beautiful new Autumn colours in the foliage. I will add another layer with some leaves and other botanical shapes once this layer is dry. I hope to habve this piece ready to display at the Melbourne Festival, which is taking place on the 16/17 September
A new look for this lady
Highland cow in a summer meadow
Highland cow in a summer meadow
I am re-working this painting as I wanted to add a lot more interest into her surroundings and a summery feel to the piece.
These soft blended oil paint effects look almost like watercolour and Im excited to see how she will turn out!
A Beautifully Colourful New Stag Painting
Bright Woodland Colours; A New Stag Painting
Lots of lovely emerald, turquoise and scarlet in this piece. I'm going to add some texture in the final layer when this one is dry in a day or two.
An Oil Painting Demonstration
An Oil Painting Demonstration
Last week I was delighted to attend the Desford and Peckleton Art Club. Theirs is an evening meeting so I arrived at 1830 to set up my easel and get my paints ready. The demonstration ran between 1915 and 2100 with a tea break in the middle.
It is always a strange experience, to paint in front of a group of people. Just as in the studio, you hope that you will achieve the desired results but you never quite know. It’s exactly the same when folk are watching and listening, with the added chance of making yourself look like a fool!
I decided that I would demonstrate some of the current ideas I’m working on so that I could show my thoughts and decision-making process in ‘real-time’. I took one piece that I had already made a start on, the week before. And one blank canvas that I had prepared with a rough coat of black oil paint as a base.
Both pieces were of the same Eagle Owl in different poses. These were photos that we had taken of Max, one of the owls at the Rosliston Owl Centre on our visit back in April.
With the first piece, I was able to show how I begin a painting by working straight onto the canvas with a large brush. How I map out the composition, and my thought process when deciding where everything should go. In the second painting, I showed how I progress a piece after the first layer is dry, working back into the piece in glazes of colour and editing as I go along.
It was a very nice evening and hopefully it was interesting for the group of artists.
Ready to start layer 2, bac at the studio
My colours were transparent maroon, ultramarine and white
I had to dash away quickly at the end, as I turn into a pumpkin at sunset. This is due to my impaired vision not allowing me to drive after dark. Particularly on unlit country roads. I think this will preclude my attending evening groups in future, however, I will still be able to demonstrate for daytime art clubs.
Here is the first of the paintings after another hour’s work back in the studio today.
New Highland Cow Paintings with an Autumn Colour Palette
Warm shades of copper, gold and soft green
It’s a very busy time n the studio this month as we all have a full schedule of exhibitions over the Autumn and Winter to prepare for.. This new piece measures around 60 x 90 cm and is a flurry of colours and shapes, in soft seasonal tones. I love to be inspired by the tangle of hedgerow foliage this time of year, and it shows up in my paintings.
Once dry, this piece will be available to purchase on my website, or from my studio by appointment.
Snowy Owl Painting on the easel at home
Painting of a Snowy Owl
I love owls, and they are gorgeous to paint, too. This new one is a Snowy Owl, half in shade, with one golden amber eye glowing.
Update* He is now finished and available for sale here
Lighting Effects
Blondie - New Highland Cow Painting
Im exploring lighting effects in my paintings, and have four pieces currently taking turns now that I have completed my commissions for the time being.
The recent bespoke painting of Molly the Black Labrador reminded me of how much I used to like painting the light effects on the fur, wool and feathers of my subjects and has led me to return to this approach for a while and see where it leads me.
Colourful Highland Cow Painting with Flowers!
A new Highland Cow painting on the easel this week
I love painting my Highland Cows in a folk art style, with the flowers and mosaic pieces. These paintings paint themselves and I have very little to do with it, we just go with the flow. I’m loving this girl with her jaunty hair and her jazzy background.
I have a collection of colourful Highlanc Cow prints on canvas available here - shipping worldwide!
Bird Artist - Keeping it Colourful!
Birds Eating Berries
This week I am wearing my bird artist hat, and working on a couple of originals. This piece features two Blue Tits, a perennial favourite. These sweet birds are eating berries and surrounded by a glorious burst of spring colour. I have some minor adjustments to make on this piece before it is ready. There is also a piece with Jays nearing completion, and there will be at least two more in this set.
This is the time of year when more Spring colours emerge on my palette. Lemon Yellow, Pinks, Lilacs and Peach. There is also a particular green that I shall never tire of using for spring foliage, mixed with a little pink - perfect!
Owl in Flight, a new expressive wildlife oil painting
Barn Owl in Flight
This new oil painting is a work in progress on my easel this week, Once this layer of paint is dry, I will be able to add the finishing touches. check back later in the week if you want to see the completed painting.
A huge stag oil painting is currently in progress on the easel
Stag Oil Painting
I had to take a selfie with this big stag oil painting to show the size of him. i have several hours of work still to go, but im hoping to get him finished in the next few days before the studio move!
Barn Owl Paintings
I am working on Barn Owl paintings this week, one of my favourite birds to paint. Check my ‘Originals’ page to see this gentleman when he is finished!
So far, I have been building up the layers quite slowly, next step is the darker feathers and a little more shading and detail.
Work in progress
The first of two new paintings of Barn Owls in progress this week.
I enjoy creating paintings of Barn Owls so much, I decided to make a couple more, they are such beautiful birds, and quite haunting too!
New Barn Owl Paintings
I enjoy creating paintings of Barn Owls so much, I decided to make a couple more, they are such beautiful birds, and quite haunting too!
I am creating this piece on a textured ground, as I love painting over a ‘bumpy’ surface, the textured effect of the finished painting. This piece will have the effect of the owl emerging from the dark, the second piece is similar, with the addition of a starry sky.
Colourful Highland Cow Paintings
multi-coloured brush strokes
I have been working on a set of four new originals, which are now available for sale. These are textured pieces with brush and knife work and in very rich bright and beautiful colours. These pieces will be ready to ship soon, Benavie is now on my website. There are three larger pieces at 80 x 100 cm approx / 30 x 40 “ , and one square format canvas at 76 x 76 cm approx / 30 x 30 “
Hunting for trees (and deer) at Calke Abbey
Deer Spotting!
Hunting for trees (and deer) at Calke Abbey
Attempting to beat the blues I took a day off this week and we went to explore Calke Abbey, a location that I haven’t been to for ages. It was a frosty, bright sunny day and the place was like a kind of paradise in that light. We found ancient trees and young deer including two stags. It was a lovely day full of nice memories.
Yesterday was back to normal but as Mark zoomed off to a photoshoot, it was so cold that the van re-froze a mile away from home. He stopped to de-ice the windscreen again, and the central locking activated while he was outside the van with the engine running. We had to wait five hours for the RAC to come out (the engine was still running when they arrived, fortunately). So I had a shorter-than-planned stint at the studio and painted these trees. It isn’t finished but I’m quite pleased with how it’s going.
