Another 'hand vignette' painting

I'm still working towards my imminent(!) exhibition so I'm following my current rule - "No Sketching!" Well not much anyway, I did draw my coffee this morning...
Anyway, I was pleased that others like my last post so much, and so I thought I'd share another of my 'hand vignette' paintings seeing as I have no sketching to show. This one is titled "8.35pm". It is again acrylic on canvas, and this one is approx 3' x 1'.

My exhibition will be only small and will be at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery. (I've actually put links on the side finally, and I've included one to the gallery.) But this is the first time I've prepared for an exhibition AND worked full time. (I've only had a couple of exhibitions before, usually small and of work I already had done.) Very hard to do and I'm really stretching it to get even a handful of works done. I've actually had to take a couple of days off work to make sure I get far enough ahead that I DON'T panic.
Rule No. 1 - Don't panic!
(and I LOVE brackets!)

EDM Challenge #12 - Draw what you ate for dinner

This is one of my favourite paintings that I've done. The dinner was chicken sausages, mashed potato and peas. We don't eat this kind of dinner very often, but sometimes it is exactly what you want. The hands are those of my daughter Mallory's ex-boyfriend, and consequently, she doesn't like this painting. But I look at it and I can imagine a lot of things he might be saying... right now I think it might be "...but where's the sauce!??"




P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to my other beautiful daughter Caitlin, 19 today. I love you!

EDM Challenge #70 - Draw What You Fear!

I actually suggested this topic to the Everyday Matters Group. I came to this, with one of those flashes of 'inspiration', while at work. I was in the computer lab at school and the Year 3's were researching 'minibeasts' (or bugs as they are commonly known). Surfing through a couple of suitable websites they came across a myriad of ugly insects. Now I'm not afraid of spiders or snakes, but when I turned around to see a huge ugly grasshopper on the screen infront of me... well, my life long phobia kicked in and I found I was gasping for breath, my heart racing and having to suppress a scream (which I managed to do, thankfully). I was able to joke about it to the teacher there, and then I started to wonder if drawing it might help me 'get over' an obviously illogical fear... but isn't that part of the meaning of 'phobia'... an illogical fear?




I decided to include the whole journal page even though the other half is a little off-topic.




I also feel bad about the length of time it has taken me to get this challenge done. It unfortunately coincided with a trip away, internet problems and a very busy patch of 'everyday' life.
Thanks for looking, and I hope it doesn't scare you!

Food, glorious food!

Still painting - "in my spare time"!!! - for my upcoming exhibiton. Today it is going well, and there is still hope for tomorrow. But in the mean time my drawing is suffering necessarily and neglected. So here is an old journal page I thought might keep you going until I do something else.


I received this free diary from a food magazine I subscribe to. I don't really have a use for a book like this, and although the pages are shiny and not suited to ink and watercolour, for a few days I did draw a meal from that day. I envisiged doing so for the rest of the year, but... so little spare time I guess...

Been off line! (unfortunately!)

Hi everyone,
sorry my blog has been a little boring lately with no updates, but I've been off-line and only just back on. Stay tuned for an update shortly!!!