WOYWW 777 painting for France!

Hi all, 

Here’s my desk this week.

As you can see, I’ve diverted from my cabinet of curiosities project. We’ve decided that, all being well, we’re going to France in the summer to stay with our friends. They collect cockerel stuff, as their name’s Coquard so I’ve decided to do a painting for them. This was a try-out of a brilliant YouTube tutorial by Shibasaki: Five minute easy tutorial for watercolour of a rooster

You need to turn on English subtitles (in settings) but then it’s very straightforward. I’m pleased with my rooster. I just need to do one with two of them. 

At art class on Thursday we started a project of baked goods in watercolour over graphite.

It was hard work focussing with the scent of hot cross buns and croissants filling the studio!

I’ve also been crocheting more squares of my Winter Glow yarn for B’s latest slipover. 

Here’s Bella modelling them for me.

Bless her, she does look put upon, not. 😻😹

And finally..

We were much taken with this film when we were at college. Do you recognise it?

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 776 Crochet and drawings

Hi all, 

I’m still working on my cabinet of curiosities drawings.  

I’m happy with my Chinese sages but my crystal dolphin may be tricky to paint. 

To paint that I’ll need lots of masking fluid I think. 

Here’s my drawing so far. I’m not very happy with it. It would be a nice thing to include but tricky. 

I’ve lots of my Hobbii Winter glow yarn left and I’m planning to make B another slipover, out of squares done in corner to corner stitch

I’ll see how it works out. 

Bella has been working as hard as ever to help. 

And finally…

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 775 Crochet and drawings

Hi all, 

I’m back for our weekly blog hop care of Miss Julia at the Stamping Ground. 

I’ve been trying out drawings to do a line and wash painting of a cabinet of curiosities and have reorganised my desk organiser to accommodate a set of Derwent Linemakers, in the middle, just above the chewing gum. 

I’ve taken photos of some cherished curiosities and am doing line drawings to see which would work. 

Some of them work well as line drawings, like my owl inkwell, the Florentine horse and Welsh love spoon, some less well like my Abbeydale vase and some were tricky like my Chinese sages and the portrait of my great-aunt. 

When I’ve chosen them, I’ll draw a cabinet of curiosities like this one, and draw/paint them in. 

It’s a slow project but I’m enjoying it. 

I’ve just finished another, my cardigan:

Pockets, 3/4 sleeves and my choice of colours. 

All done with Bella’s help - she sends purrs to you all. She’s working hard as you can see 😹

And finally….

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 774 Watercolours

Hi all, I hope you had a good Easter? We went as far as the garden centre for some new plants but not much apart from that. We thought of a day in Rye, but it was ringed in red on google maps so not worth sitting in traffic. 

Here’s my desk. 

My first attempt at painting my kingfisher was far from satisfactory. The background was too busy and the bird wasn’t stocky enough. 

 

Here’s the reference photo. 

Learning from my mistakes, here’s my second version, with areas lifted out for highlights. 

The background is different from the photo but I like the suggestion of water and from where the kingfisher pulled the fish out. 

I’ve a new project in mind but I’ll work on that a bit, first. My dreams often outspan my reach.

Bella would like kingfisher and sprat for tea but not allowed!

She sends purrs to you all. 

I’m sewing up my cardigan and will post a photo when it’s done. 

And finally…

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 773 Painting a Kingfisher

Hi all,

Here's my desk for this week, painting the background for my kingfisher watercolour, trying out colours and techniques for painting feathers. I've used lots of salt into the wet paint to make it a watery background. I've some extra colours: Ultramarine turquoise, phthalo turquoise and iridescent electric blue. 

Looking at the feathers on its head, I saw the darker lines of feathers have lighter areas between so I masked these, painted the darker lines then rubbed off the masking fluid once it dried, and filled in with a lighter turquoise. It’s a bit messy, but it’s a possibility. I’ll see what Claire says on Thursday about feathers.  I haven’t tried here to match the overall colours of the feathers, just thinking about techniques. 

It seems to work just painting little Vs in the chest feathers. 

Bella's been helping me; she works hard, as you can see.

Here, she’s had her fur combed, as neatly as the gravel in a Japanese rock garden. 

Last Wednesday was, for once, a glorious spring day and we went to visit Romney Marsh Wools to buy refills of their lovely lanolin soap. They're lambing at present: So cute!

And finally ,,,

A lovely landscape...

And for this Saturday:

Take care and happy WOYWW

hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 772 Watercolours and busking crochet

Hi all, don’t these Wednesdays come around fast!Here’s my desk at art class last Thursday. I wish I’d cut the stem shorter on the tulip but too late now. 

Here’s the painting. I was pleased with my vase colour mix. A watery grey made from ultramarine and burnt sienna plus Amazonite from my Daniel Smith confetti cards. 

Pussy willow was tricky to do but I enjoyed it. 

This week we’re painting birds. I hope a kingfisher counts as a garden bird - there are some by the Nailbourne nearby!

I’ve done a drawing to check it’s feasible. He needs to be a bit stockier, I think. 

I’m busking the sleeves for my cardi now. 

I don’t have a pattern so I’m wrapping it round my arm every so often, as I go. I’ve only undone it once. 😄

Bella’s been very busy helping me 😹😹

 

Driving down to Folkestone for lessons is no fun now. Potholes are really bad, but I guess they are everywhere with council budgets cut by central govt and the rainy spring. 

And finally…

Take care, all and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xxx