drawing on ipad

Drawing on IPad

This year marked the beginning of a new picture diary - probably the only one of my New Years resolutions that is still going strong ! Unlike the one I kept in 2011/12, this is a digi-diary drawn on my IPad Pro purchased after the sale of “Ewe are my Sunshine” ( the subject of my last blog post back in July last year! ). A somewhat pricey addition to my studio, but I love it.

I downloaded the Tayasui Sketches app and use it to draw my diary cartoons with an Apple Pencil.
So far I have done 79 cartoons - almost one every day.
To start with I followed the style of my old diary, using only black and white, and then progressing to a touch of colour. Here are a few of my favourites......

A ewe and her wee lamb

I have been working on the ewe and her lamb for some time now, such an enjoyable woolly distraction that I lost track of time and missed a blog post in June. But now it's almost done, subject to a few tweaks, a signature and a name.

approx 30 x 60 cm in soft pastels

A WOOLLY DISTRACTION

I've been busy, finished one painting and started another. The gorse, or whins as it’s known locally, has been stunning – glorious clouds of coconut scented indian yellow. You may remember my previous depiction of the gorse, but this one is quite different and left me wanting to do more. 

"Gone with the whins" - available at Mission Hall Gallery, Melvich

However, as I was getting myself ready for the next one I was hopelessly distracted by a beautiful sheep and her lamb. The photo, taken by my friend, instantly inspired a new painting.

Copyright Shona McMillan 

After a long time away from the easel, I found “Gone with the whins” to be a little restricting, given the smallish size, so I had already decided to go a bit larger next time. Tempted to portray the fabulous contrast of light and dark in ink, I felt it needed to be in colour in order to portray the warmth of the sun and the lovely pink ears. The composition of the photo is perfect, but it was those legs, the strong diagonals and small splashes of colour that attracted me most. The long tall portrait format helps to highlight those aspects.

So, avoiding black and white altogether, I selected a split complementary palette of red, orange and blue-green.

work in progress!

PAUSE and then press PLAY

I am always thinking about art, whether I am doing any in practice or not. Always seeing something in the landscape that would make a nice picture, patterns, shadows and handsome trees (not to mention the odd quizzical looking sheep).

My day job takes me all over the northern Highlands, covering large chunks of NC500 every week – so I travel through some fantastic scenery and miles of inspiration. But I found that, in addition to a perceived “lack of time and energy” I reached a state of inertia - with so many ideas, where do I begin?

Whilst envisaging this new journey, as if I needed some extra encouragement, I was asked to do a couple of workshops, write an article for a well known artists magazine and exhibit in a new local gallery – all out of the blue and within the space of a week ! So with both the inspiration & the incentive I better get on with it……and change the title of this post from Pause to Play!

Getting on with it in my new studio (happy)

New action photo for an updated bio (copyright Henry !)

REWIND

Only a few days after my last blog post everything began to change, but at last I’d say things are getting back to normal and I have begun to find some time (energy) to get back to my artwork.

Titus’s last chase of the ball, before we turned back from the beach, ended in a dislocated wrist and ruptured ligaments. Henry drove across the river to rescue us and we haven’t been back since. After 2 months in a splint, 2 months of hydrotherapy, major surgery and a total of 8 months wearing a lampshade, Mr T is slowly building up his muscles and inching his way back to the beach.

In the meantime, we moved into the fabulous new house that Henry built, box by box, every weekend for a few months. Every box full of memories, goodies and “stuff” that we had managed to live without for the last 4 years. It was like a prolonged Christmas.

Filling my new studio was amazing. On a Sunday evening I would sit just looking at it for ages, in awe of having my own space to work in. Henry was rewarded with putting his books (1500 of them) onto shelves for the first time in decades. And as for kitchen “stuff” – well, I had forgotten how much cooking I used to do,  and now love messing about in the kitchen again creating culinary delights.

Operation “cushion” lasted a while too – excited by being reunited with my fabric box, I made a grand total of 8 cushions, covered a chair, made some roman blinds and set myself up to complete a number of “UFO’s” (including a bedspread I started 15 years ago).

So, not much painting but plenty of creativity over the last 9 months. Below is a completed commission: a “thankyou-for-mending-me” card from the patient to his surgeon.

Island hopping

Well, not much painting achieved this month, but I have been on a little work-related adventure to Orkney. Not much time to take in the arty scene, so a return trip required soon!

"Goodbye Scrabster"

"Hello Stromness"

The Pier Art Centre on the left there asking for a visit next time!

To the left, a man with a harp at The Ring of Brogdar who seemed to be recording the sound of the wind as it played a beautiful tune all on it's own. Quite lovely to listen too, well it will be when he's edited out my sneezing !! To the right, some lovely Orkney clouds.............

St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall.Too late to see the wonderful Poppies, but rewarded with a natural light show inside

"Arrivals" at Kirkwall Airport - somewhat different to our Gatwick experience last month but huge compared to the garage-sized "arrivals/departures/store/air traffic control and rest room" we flew to next 

The large pictures behind the whiskey are made entirely of floor tiles - incredible work by Orkney artist, Sheila Scott

Off to Papa Westray via Westray - the pilot is asking if anyone is claustrophobic!

A certificate for our 2 minute flight between the Isles.....................

A portrait in Ink

Here’s a recently completed commission – a portrait of Ellie in ink.

Struggling to write a coherent post. Since closing the polling station on Thursday night, we have been transfixed by the TV broadcasting an incoherent sequence of events and images and points of view. When Titus eventually asked for bed at 3.30 am Friday morning, the sun and the moon were out together and all has been somewhat surreal for us all ever since. 

The Bluebell

A fine and subtle spirit dwells

In every little flower,

Each one its own sweet feeling breathes

With more or less of power.

There is a silent eloquence

In every wild bluebell

That fills my softened heart with bliss

That words could never tell.

Above - the beginning of a poem by Anne Bronte, and below the long awaited Bluebells for my Mother...

Happy Easter

A me & T selfie attempt !

My weekly blog has become a monthly blog - trouble is a month seems to go by as quickly as a week! Sketching on the beach has been cancelled due to a lack of sunshine and so I am indoors busy putting together a program of forthcoming weekends at my easel -  time to get organised!
There are some bluebells on the horizon - a pencil drawing similar to my snowdrops for my Mum. And a first for me, is a duplicate of a picture I've painted before. Funnily enough, as I got out my reference material, I remembered that the original is called Easter Sunday. How appropriate. Not so funny, was finding a picture of poor old Pumpkin looking at the original by the red door. No frolicking lambs around outside yet this Easter, but inside there is frolicking of the canine kind ....

Note Bignose to the left and the result of my blog composition to the right!

The original "Easter Sunday" (sold) being examined by Pumpkin

This is Geordie, painted around the same time & he's still for sale

Breeze

Not much of a breeze just lately – more of a wild hooley! This probably describes the beautiful canine Breeze just as well on occasions. Here she is looking more serene.

The beginning and my little helper saying "don't forget my walkies"

Building up the layers of Indian ink with an increasing amount of detail

A new year, a new start

Happy New Year ! I know, a bit late – but it is the thought that counts. New Year’s resolution for 2016 -  make more time for painting and a bit more blogging……..so here’s something to be getting on with and tomorrow the painting begins as I enjoy a 3 week break between jobs.

Titus: "Can we do this every morning before breakfast now?"

Blue skies and new horizons

Henry plans to take control of the camera more often in 2016

Belated Christmas wishes from 2015!