Conkers

Conkers 

I have finished the coloured pencil portrayal of conkers or horsechestnuts. It is 5x7 inches. 

I did some miniatures in coloured pencil, based on the horsechestnut tree last year and I wanted to do a larger version. I thought I had finished it last year but when I looked at it last week I decided I could do a better job of the shadows. 

I used Zest-it pencil blend to reduce the rough areas of shadow, then I left it to dry until next day. Then I was able to blend fresh shadows on top of the traces. 

I described in early February, how I built a barricade to protect my artwork from the cat. Well it stopped working. The cat insists on sitting on my lap. So I spent the weekend setting up my smaller artwork "studio" in my bedroom/cat-free zone. Now I have the painting of the bronze cat still life set up and I was able to get back to it this afternoon. I also set up two 5x7 inch pen and ink drawings of my favourite horse model. There is no ink on them yet. I will be able to work on them while I am waiting for paint to dry!

I have put the other pen and inks away for a while. They are wolves and big cats so they will wait. 

My downstairs studio has my easel for big paintings. I will stand to work on them so the cat won't be able to sit on my lap. I am waiting for my leg to become stronger before I can do that. I have been having trouble with walking and standing this winter which is one reason I have been concentrating on the small pen and inks. 

Conkers

Horsechestnut Flowers 

I have been working hard daily on a portrait commission for a few weeks now. But in the evenings I have been doing miniatures on the theme of the horsechestnut tree. 

You will rarely see me without a pen or a pencil near to hand. 

I am sad that there is a disease in British horsechestnut trees and dead ones won't be replanted because they are not native to Britain but to a small area in the Balkans. 

However conkers are so much part of the culture of British children that I and a like-minded friend think that it would be so sad that we are growing our own. And I decided to honour the horsechestnut tree by recording it through the seasons. 

I found a frame that holds eight miniatures and I am filling it with horsechestnut miniatures to give to my friend. I will give it to her after the Craft Fair but not before as I am going to put it on display and sell home made bookmarks of my horsechestnut drawings. The Craft Fair will be at St Laurence's Church and it is in aid of the restoration fund. Should I ask a price for the bookmarks or should I take a money box and ask for donations?

Above is one of my drawings. It is the flowers of the horsechestnut tree. I did it in Caran d'Ache Luminance coloured pencils. 

It will be a while before I add these drawings to my website. I didn't back up my website file and my computer died so I lost it. I will have to start again from scratch. I have not got time to do it until after the Craft Fair because I am busy working on that. I think I will make new buttons and title bar too. I expect you will recognise it. My self portrait will still be on the first page.