Winter Fair Castle Douglas

Things are hotting up! The poster for the up and coming fair I am showing in, arrived earlier this evening. I have my set up to work out and still a bit of framing to get done. I have lists coming out of my ears. I am looking forward to it though. Any innovative ideas for presenting small framed paintings in an attractive way? 

Painting, sketching, walking at Pittenweem

My husband and I have just spent a wonderful week on the Fife Coast in the little fishing/artist's haven of Pittenweem. We rented a little cottage which was a real home from home.
The weather was so good, wall to wall sunshine, we could hardly believe our luck! We walked with our little cocker spaniel, Millie, till our legs nearly dropped off. Then we went back to the cottage and ate and ate..... All that fresh sea air! The dog is the only one of us thinner after this great little holiday!
I did a bit of sketching - trying out my new gouache paints, I love the pinks and mauves I am mixing. I used it like watercolour initially, then I decided to use the white in my mixes - I found it an unsettling experience and so far I'm not too keen on the results!
The silhouette of the buildings along the coastline, down to the rocks and out to sea are so beautiful, each little village along the coastal walk different but the same, each little cottage with it's red roof, the whitewashed walls alongside the warm sandstone walls of townhouses. Higglety, pigglety alleyways and closes meandering down to the harbour, and HUGE skies! Panoramic sunsets!!
I am working on some little pieces from my sketches, I'll post them as soon as I can.

I am happy to be home - but not!

Life Sketches

Our life models are doing us proud again this term! It is a joy to draw them! They all have such busy lives, we are blessed they can fit us into their weekly schedules.

I am still using my water soluable pen but now with some black watercolour as my paper is very absorbant. It's just cheap sugar paper. My 5 minute sketches are still being done in my sketchbook. I will post some of them in October
I love life drawing so much - all our group are passion about it, no wonder we have a waiting list!