‘Feeding our senses through the creative process, in all its many forms, can produce almost miraculous changes, which lead to a sense of well being and fulfilment’. From my book ‘The Apple Exercise’.
rapid watercolour sketch – Monet’s Garden at Giverny.
A Bientôt
It is our mind, and that alone, that chains us or sets us free. Buddhist Offerings.
Rapid watercolour demonstration – cala lillies
A Bientôt
I am off to visit Pheobe today which got me thinking about three other Jack Russells that brought great joy and comfort to my life.
Phoebe….watercolour 
Eight years ago, I spent a blissful summer, studio/house/animal sitting for friends who had a place about a half an hour outside of Brussells.
There were three Jack Russells, a cat and chickens….but this is about the dogs.
First there were the Angel Pups – just a year old and the dearest little creatures one can ever imagine.
The Angel Pups – who never left my side – whether in the garden…
or in the studio….
or in bed…..
And then there was dear, beautiful Jessie. Very much on her last legs, to the point that the vet had been alerted should anything happen while I was looking after her.
It was a time when I needed nurturing….and so perhaps my levels of compassion were stronger than normal – but I completely focused on making this little dogs last days the best ever….
When my friend returned, they were shocked to see that Jessie looked ten years younger:)
Jessie died six months later and was buried in the garden….
Pencil/watercolour sketch of Jessie.
I hope all my friends in the States enjoy a lovely Memorial Day weekend, and those of us in the UK a creative bank holiday…. surrounded by Magical Hummingbirds. 🙂
A Bientôt
This quote by artist/writer David Batchelor – expresses so beautifully the magic of colour.
‘Colour is uncontainable, it effortlessly reveals the limits of language and evades our best attempts to impose a rational order on it. To work with colour is to become acutely aware of the insufficiency of language and theory, which is both disturbing and pleasurable.’
A Bientôt
I painted this watercolour from a sketch I made on a cold late winter’s afternoon in Vienna.
It was about 4 p.m,, and I was waiting or my friend Helga. The afternoon was filled with a certain atmosphere, which I wanted to capture.
Initially the scene before me was monotonal, and then suddenly as the sun went behind the buildings, it was as if a fire had been lit.
The orange/red of the sun’s rays initially turned the rooftops into a glorious burnt sienna glow….
which spread over the front of the buildings….and into the righthand foreground.
And finally, there it was – the scene before me was now glowing with colour and energy.
In a watercolour such as this, the key is to capture the ‘atmosphere’ of the moment, rather than a lot of unnecessary detail.
Somehow, hummingbirds seem a little incongruous set against a winter scene in Vienna….however as these magical creatures inhabit my mind no matter where I am or what I am doing….here is an orange hummingbird also touched by the sun.
A Bientôt
My Life as an Artist (2) 