Thursday 30 June 2011

Round the Old Oak Tree

I've been fiddling about with this watercolour for a few weeks but I'm now calling it finished.
This is an oak tree from up in the mountains and is part of an old forest, but I prefered to paint it standing on it's own.  The trees cling to the side of the hill, spreading and twisting their roots and the footpath winds around and between the trees.
 On this particular walk we went through an ancient grove of giant hollies, very dark and spooky and just the place to go looking for faeries and little people. (Yes I know my imagination's running away with me....again!)

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Midsummer Night

Mixed media


Illustration Friday - Midsummer Night

Midsummer brings to mind Summer Solstice and  Stonehenge.   Summer Solstice is one of the only times in the year when  Stonehenge is accessible to the public.  Many people spend the night there playing music, celebrating and waiting for the sunrise..... a magical moment!

Saturday 25 June 2011

Don't Eat My Figs!



I wanted to try out my new watercolour set,  so nobody could eat these figs until I'd finished.  The back one was getting very soft and sticky, but that's just how I like them!

Thursday 23 June 2011

Alcantara


I've been away for a few days re-visiting some of my favourite places.  This is one of those places, the Alcantara Gorge on the other side of the island.  The freezing water tumbles from it's mountain source down to the sea, through a gorge of crystallised lava from Mount Etna




I put in just a couple of people to give the sketch some scale, but it's a popular place with tourists, you can wade up the gorge in thigh high boots or if you're brave shoot back down on what looked like very big rubber rings!

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Snail Sketches


A wet night brought the snails out in force and they actually move quite fast.  These were moving along a wooden fence and sometimes I thought they would drop off, pulled down by the weight of their shells as they turned over the edge. 

This is for Everyday matters - draw your hair in the morning.  I thought I'd slip this one in at the end and hope it didn't get noticed too much!  It's a bit wonky, but it was first thing in the morning....I used  a water soluble pen by Stabilo which helped things look a bit better.  

Sunday 12 June 2011

Windswept



This is what you get when you stand on top of a mountain admiring the view......very wind 'swept' hair!
I used a recent photograph as a reference but I did have to use artistic license and add a bit more hair for effect. 
The view was absolutely breathtaking and well worth the walk up ( Cozzo Luminario 4,959 ft).

My interpretation of 'swept' for Illustration Friday, mixed media.

Friday 10 June 2011

Peeking out

watercolour and pen


Dandelions growing between the pillars on the front of an old church.  It looked as if the church hadn't been used for sometime as there were lots of weeds about, but I like the way a little bit of dandelion yellow peeked out.  I had fun with the stone work although in real life it's not quite so crumbly!

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Higher and Higher


Everyday matters  - A travel memory
I haven't travelled very far this year but I did drive to the other side of the island to visit a small town atop a very high mountain.  When we arrived the road up was closed and the only alternative was the cable car, a ride of about 10 minutes.  It went up and up, higher and higher and  apparently this was the view from the window.....I wouldn't know as I had my eyes closed for the whole journey, going up and coming down!

It was definately  quicker than the car drive up, but why was the road closed?

We soon found out why, as we stepped off the cable car we heard the cars racing by.  There was a hill climbing car race going on.  I'm not a motor racing fan, but I have to admit it was exciting!



Sunday 5 June 2011

Friday 3 June 2011

Wild Olive

Another olive tree...I do love their twisty, bumpy branches and trunks.  This one is growing wild up in the hills nearby, I thought it looked like it had its hands on it's hips!
Watercolour and pen.