Sea Mist

' Sea Mist' oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches.

I am feeling so much better! and have been able to do some more painting. I decided to tackle the big size of canvas after having been doing only small practice pieces for a while now.  I kept to a limited palette and then used a very large very soft brush to smooth out the sky.  The end result was much more like a watercolour painting with an almost flat looking wash effect!  I have also been carrying on with my small acrylic paintings where I build up the painting using lots of very fine glazes. I must take a photo of them soon, I am pleased with one of them.  I managed to achieve a subdue lighting and then used a satin varnish to bring out the warm tones.  But more on that later!

 The sun was shining here today though it is still quite cool, it was minus 2 in Braemar  last night bbbrrrr!
Keep warm and happy painting to you all!

Another move forward

'moorland in summer' 12 x 18 inches oil on canvas.

This is the second of five paintings that I have been very slowly working on since Christmas. This painting is a work of the imagination it is a place I visited on the isle of Skye many years ago and I remember how changeable the skies are on this island. The tiny specks of wild flowers or grasses in for the foreground are yellow and represent hope.

  I had another set back these last two weeks when I was only able to paint for a very short while due to my shoulder giving me trouble again. I think, fingers crossed my osteopath may have sorted it out! but I still need to move carefully forward.  Yet this whole business of my grumpy shoulder! has made me think a lot about how much we all dream of being able to have more time or less of a grumbly complaint so that we can actually paint! yet in my day dreams and late evening dreams I have at least be able to think about my present paintings and to learn from past mistakes and about how important it is to think about what we do when we set about painting.


  It was a strange feeling coming into my studio on Monday evening and knowing that I had to give it a couple more days before I could paint as my osteopath had just given me that morning a very good session on my shoulder.  She always kindly says when I am about to go home that I must rest my shoulder that day and take care with it during the following day. Yet I just had to hold my paint brush and then simply knew what was the next thing I needed to do to my painting yet I had to be wise and wait!  It does all feel a bit like I am writing a poem, if I am going to make a comparison, there is that time when you just know what it is you want to say yet you are unable to find the words or are miles away from pen and paper being out on a walk at the time. Something else happens! the ideas and the visions or plans gets buried deep inside, all feeling a bit as if autumn leaves are falling slowly and gently on top yet being light enough to conceal, they do not really remove them (the visions).  

Often during the twilight hours or at times of darkness the yearning for the light to shine out really seems to be at it's most strongest.  When all is silent the mind and it's pictures comes to life and truely inspires the inner eye.  I have been able to remember what it is I need to do with the painting that is on the easel now, that distant unreachable painting, for now at least!

I look forward to sharing another of my paintings with you soon.  

Happy painting to you all!

Highland view

'Highland View' oil on canvas 50 x 50 cm.

I can't believe it has been two months since I posted a painting here! I haven't been well and then my old computer broke down so my husband decided to build a new one! that took some time, not his fault but mostly to do with the wrong parts being delivered and then waiting a week or more for the delivery man to bring the right part!!

I have managed to do a little painting and set to on five paintings done slowly since Christmas!!! The oil painting 'Highland View' started off as an acrylic painting which actually made a very good base for the oils to then work on top of. The acrylic painting had been built up using glazes which dried quickly, but I decided to create a soft atmosphere by using the oils as it allowed the enveloping clouds to really drift down over the distant hills and for that overall soft focus look.  I have some other ideas for future paintings too which I must make a start on.

I have done well with some sales at the Milton Gallery in the exhibition 'Elements', a beautiful gallery in the heart of Deeside.  I have also been fortunate to have some sales in other galleries too. So I must get painting to replace them!

Wishing you all lots of sunshine and happy painting days!

Winter's day

'winter's day'
oil on canvas board 10 x 12 inches 

So far we have been fortunate not to have too much snow but we have had a lot of wild storms that have brought many fine old trees down. One of my favourite walks by Brodie castle have had a lot of beautiful trees down so the walk around the pond may not be open for a while.  It is sad to see the old trees many of them surviving many many years in age now fallen. I often think they must have seen a lot in their time!

I am able to do some painting and am getting work ready for a winter exhibition over at Milton Gallery near Banchory by Crathes castle where I have been asked to put in up to six paintings. The title of the exhibition is about the elements so I think my works will be very expressive on that subject!

I have returned to my old love of the glazed paintings and have even been working on a large canvas again! I am using acrylics as they are excellent if you want to get ideas down and they are also good for mists and effects on textured boards.  I am looking forward to seeing the sun again, hope it will come around soon!
Happy painting to you all!
Caroline.

tiny holiday paintings for Ulrike to see!

During my festive holidays I found a quiet time to create some tiny 5 x 7 inch oil paintings. I really enjoyed painting these and have another almost finished on the easel as I write here! First of all the small size of canvas is good as it gives the artist a lot of opportunity to be bold and not worry about the outcome too much. Also as oil paints take a while to dry it is good to get the painting to a point then leave it while I start another one. A tiny canvas can be done fairly quickly in one sitting then you can add another layer or glaze later on after some careful thought.  These are paintings of my local area.

I was chatting to my friend Ulrike on the phone this evening and I said I would post these paintings for her to see after all she lives a long way away in Bremen Germany!

Wishing you a joyful festive season

'sea storm near the coast' oil on linen board.

Once again I am a bit late to arrive in blogging land. It has been a busy time and also a time to have a break away from the computer to spend time with Richard hubby and to go walking out into the countryside with the hope of seeing perhaps some snow! We had a hard frost on Christmas day which made everything have a festive feel to it which was lovely, we watched the birds feeding in the garden and played with our pet rabbit Bruce. For Richard's birthday we went to Aviemore and saw some snowy mountains but even they had areas of no snow at all. But the skies were so beautiful everyone visiting took out their phones to hold them up to capture the moment. There were also cameras on tripods on the beach by the loch taking shots of the sky at the late afternoon brought us fantastic lilac, deep orange and pink skies. The glow from the diminishing sky was very beautiful. Loch Morlich is such a wonderful place, pine forests, mountains, sandy beach and great walks.  I always leave my camera at home but in my memory this was a day to remember with fond thoughts!

Happy painting to you all and all the very best to you for 2015!!

Strathpeffrer Art Fair

Summer Storm oil on linen canvas board 30 x 30 cm.

The Strathpeffer Art Fair near Dingwall Inverness will be on from Wednesday evening which is preview night until Sunday 30th November. A large selection of lovely art and I have been invited to exhibit four of my paintings which we delivered today. I will post some more of the paintings I have put into the show later this week. It is such a busy time of the year getting work out and delivered to art fairs and galleries. Looking forward to the season of winter which will be a quiet time to catch up on some more painting in my studio.