Drawings since 9th January

On 8th January I reached the end of a sketchbook albeit leaving several blank right-hand, sketching, pages - these I shall gradually fill as time permits.

I have for a while been concerned that making coloured drawings was compromising both my drawing and my painting; since, on 9th January, I began a new book I have reserved it only for line and tone drawings.  I shall continue to paint but hereafter I shall use colours either on loose sheets of water-colour paper or in specially dedicated sketchbooks.

Attempted copy of a detail of a painting by Chardin

Abandoned drawing of my hand.  I began the drawing but had to interrupt the work.  I expected to be able to re-create the 'pose' later but could not.  I abandoned the drawing at the point of interruption.

I have joined an acrylic painting workshop.  I shall be attending each Friday morning for the four weeks of January.  This is a drawing I made from a photograph of workshop leader Jackie Sherwood instructing a fellow student.

Lisi's bedroom in the newly 'tented' verandah.

Drawn from a photograph taken over twenty-five years ago of my No2 daughter, Alice, with a pet bird.

A wet day in Kalamata.  I tried to tone this partly by bleeding the non-waterproof ink with which I made the drawing and some very watery watercolour paint.

Stack of pebbles  on verandah wall.

One of my birthday present candles.

Drawn from a photograph I took at the end of a jetty in a tiny cove in the west of Ireland in October, 2011.  Looking down into the sea through about a metre of clear water I snapped some of many stones of dead fish that had been abandoned there.

Taken from a photograph of the Fastnet Rock taken in Octobr 2011, from one of the west Cork Peninsulae.

Attempted portrait drawing of No 3 granddaughter, Jessica, fo her sixteenth birthday card.   Although there are inklings of likeness here and there the drawing is an unflattering failure

From a photograph taken at Kealkil, near Bantry, Ireland - a very magical place!  

The label on this ruined life-ring, photographed at a cove in the West of Ireland in October 2011, says: " Life saving equipment please do not damage"!

Despite taking boxes of books to the book-fair, we yet are in need of more book shelves; this is a sketch of our latest.

Window, West Cork. From a photograph taken in October 2011.

Harriet

For my first free-standing, as opposed to sketchbook, water-colour painting I essayed to paint a portrait of my No4 granddaughter, Hattie.  It will soon be her tenth birthday and I made the painting to use on the front of a birthday card for her.  Unfortunately it is not much of a likeness, she has very enigmatic features or, perhaps and more likely, I need a lot more practice at making portraits!

Ten New Drawings

An attempt to make a copy of a Rowland Hilder drawing.

I drew this fine wild olive tree after pruning away, to the advantage of light on the verandah, around two-thirds of  its foliage.

Fungi found growing in the wood.

An attempt to make a copy of a Degas.drawing, 'Women Ironing'

Breakfast!

Derelict but occupied farmhouse in West Cork.  From a photograph taken in October 2011.

Blinds being fitted to wind and rain proof the verandah.

Toilet windowsill at  Mona Best's Bridge Street B&B, Skibbereen, Ireland.  From a photograph taken October 2011.

Mona Best's amazing Bridge Street B&B, Skibbereen, Ireland.  From a photograph taken October 2011.

Women doing what they do best!  Noto, Sicily.  From a photograph taken May 2012.