27 January

This morning there was an unusually large variety of cloud formations over the Messinian Gulf and the Taygetos Mountains.  To attempt to portray the scene using line only was beyond my current level of skill but I enjoyed the exercise.

26 January

Each year my sister sends to me from her home in Scotland a Haggis with which to celebrate ‘Burn’s Night’,  25 January. 

24 January

I made this drawing of my number three granddaughter, Jessica, to use on the card I sent to her for her sixteenth birthday on the 1 February.

23 January

Many years ago a visitor built this bench seat under the shade of the carob tree below the house, the tree has now in part grown around the plank of the bench seat.

I began this drawing too late in the afternoon, the light was rapidly failing stealing form and shadow from my subject.  I abandoned the drawing and returned some days later to the same spot to finish.  It was not a success so I chose to leave the drawing unfinished. 

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.