Simba - African Lion

I started this one along time ago and thought it deserved to be finished, so hear it is.

Pastels, both soft and pencils on Fisher 400 paper which is my favourite support for pastels. You can get so many layers and the pastel keeps on sticking. Produces much less dust too and is not so delicate either. An all round great paper.

Quick landscape in pastels

I did this very quickly taking about 2 hours, which is very speedy for me. I used it for a demo piece for a 'one to one' I did last week.

The view is of a fishing lake out on the Somerset levels, which is a favourite spot of mine to walk Tilly. I might just add some ducks on the water as it looks a little quiet. What do you think?

I used various brands of pastels on Fisher 400 sanded paper. It is small, only measuring 23cms x 23cms.

Image of the Week

Here is the next 'Image of the Week'. This is pastels on Fisher 400 sanded paper using a watercolour wash under the pastel in the sky area. It worked very well. I have called it 'Dreamchaser' and Measures 20" x 16" framed size

The original is for sale, if anyone is interested please contact me for more details.

Image of the Week

Saffy is my choice for this weeks image. She is a lovely, happy, Springer Spaniel who is forever on the go, just like all Springers. They really seem to enjoy life.

Pastels on Mountboard. Size 20" x 16".

Image of the week

Next in line of commissioned portraits is little Joss, not so little anymore! As a pup she was fascinated by the fish in the pond and I thought this was an ideal photo to use for her portrait which now hangs in her proud owners home.

Chaz and Zara finished

Chaz and Zara's portrait is now complete, all I need to do is mount it up and hand it over.

Looking Back - over my shoulder

This is what I have been working on the last couple of days.....I just cant keep away from the animals...hoo boy!

 I found some old sheets of Velour paper in the bottom of my cupboard and thought I would use them up. This is the first of them, done on black velour, size approx A4, using a variety of pastels from sticks to pencils, all different brands, whichever seemed to work best. I am still not sure if I like velour...which is probably why it ended up in the bottom of the cupboard.

Low Tide

Here is another pastel piece which I completed this morning. I am enjoying the speed which I can do these landscapes, It usually take me weeks to do a wildlife picture. I may do a few more of these before going on to something else....or perhaps I will go onto some elephant in acrylics that I have half done ....I will see how the mood takes me next week. I used a yellow pastelmat for this one, must say I am not keen, I much prefer the Fisher 400 for pastels, which takes loads of layers and also takes both pastel sticks and pastel pencils equally well, so ideal for my style.

Size approx A3

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I am taking some time out until after the holidays - hoping to get some drawing done - so I want to wish a super Happy Christmas to all my friends and fellow artists. I hope you all have a wonderful time and that 2010 brings loads of success and plenty of time for art!

Guarding the tree and all the presents is, of course, my wonderful collie Tilly, who thinks that the little round red present is a ball for her!

Welcome!

Welcome! Through my blog I hope to share with you my passion for art and animals. I will be posting WIPs and completed art as well as snippets about my 'sprollie' (springer spaniel X collie) Tilly, who shares my life.

Blogging is all new to me so please bear with me while I get to grips with all the bits I need to discover to make your visit interesting and entertaining.

This is a pastel picture I did of Tilly a while ago. She loves posing for the camera, so I get some nice reference photos to work from.