Better get this done as it's almost Christmas.   Weather as usual has been pretty awful, but forecast for next few days looks as though it will be marginally better.

Saw Daniel, Catherine and the babies last week.  Absolutely fabulous.

alice finding it comfortable in Bertie's bed!

I have done some more pictures

Whippingham church

I have done another one but forgot to photograph it - will do for next post.

I now have a cough and cold and am a bit confined to quarters.  Hopefully will feel better tomorrow as it's Christmas day and we are going to the sailing club for midday drinkies.

If anyone besides Perry reads this, merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  All the best for 2020.

and still got unwell cars.  However C3 is just about better...... rotten weather again, so idling about listening to my Ray Charles CD.  Have done a couple of pics

finally one I am really pleased with

aha... our Christmas tree!

bit wishy washy

Getting a bit close to Christmas now.  Daniel Catherine and the babies arrive next week.  Should be fun. Sold another painting.  Oil painting. Better get on and do a couple of masterpieces!  Ha Ha.

Still got unwell cars, but project is in hand.  Still wet and miserable.  Perry is back from France and I have been continuing to paint.

beginning to get the washes better

washes better

some of the washes better

finally one I'm ok with

Fairly busy week, but kept forgetting to get round to blog until I was in bed! Disastrous Sunday, we were supposed to go and see the babies, but car broke down half way to Oxford.  Perry had to nurse the thing back home!  Looks like another big bill.

Perry went off to France with my car, so I was left a little stranded. I therefore couldn't go to art club on Tuesday, but I was supposed to go to Ladies Lunch on Thursday.  I was going to go there by bus and get a taxi back.  However, looked like a nearly impossible bus journey, and I simply couldn't get a taxi to pick me up afterwards!  As it was Meryel had been unwell, so pulled out.  So I did as well!

In the meantime I've been managing to paint something everyday.  Working quite hard to get things right.  Concentration and patience are the key.

woods as Yarmouth

View from fort Victoria - bit weak as a subject

Freshwater bay - didn't quite get it right

OK - back to landscapes and lots of washes

second attempt

feel better about this one

 Right now, I'm working on another washy landscape.  Lets see what happens.  Perry should be home from France later today.

Busy week.  Weather as usual up and down. Very stormy on Saturday.  Force 11 at Needles!
Finished the picture of Osborne House.  Could have been better, but at least it's a start.

Already framed!    

    

          

                                 

 

 

Goats done in ink, zebra in watercolour

Both in watercolour

watercolour

Honfleur, watercolour

 This weekend I was in Bournemouth on watercolour weekend, and the above photos show what I got up to.  Although the style was a bit sketchy, more than I would have done, overall I got some ideas of how to move on.  Met some really nice people, although only one was a watercolour purist.  Hotel was absolutely lovely - oh to be pampered.  Had a couple of good brisk walks along the beach.  A very clean place.  Would like to go and live in that hotel!

I've signed up for some more courses, but they are only day workshops, and they are not until next year.  It was also the first time I have driven on the mainland for about three years.  A bit nerve racking!  Got out of the habit a bit.  Well must carry on with the next masterpiece!

Interesting week.  Managed to actually sell two paintings at Quarr Abbey exhibition.  Great.  Finished the watercolour I was doing of Fishbourne and did another two little ones.  Have started a new one of Osborne house, but only about a third through so far.

Fishbourne boat house

Teeezles

Will be on watercolour weekend in Bournemouth next weekend.  Hope it goes well.  Probably will drive there, even though car is beginning to play up.

Big storm here yesterday, but thankfully no problems.

Finally sunshine today.  Getting a bit miserable taking Bertie out in the rain.  Finished a watercolour (well almost), fourth version.  Will post next week.  Think next version need to be a bit brighter. 

Managed to sell a painting at the exhibition at Quarr.  Very pleased.  Not a fortune but it will buy another tube of paint!

Wednesday night will be giving the talk to the club on our attempted trip round Britain.  Update next week.

While I'm waiting for my watercolour paint to dry, thought I would update blog.  I finished the oil painting on the workshop I was attending.  It's ok, but not how I had planned.

Mill Walk, Yarmouth

I've entered three paintings at the next club exhibition at Quarr.  Two watercolours and one ink drawing. 

We are preparing our talk for the Royal Vic on our trip around Britain.  Don't think it will be a big audience, but it's been fun putting the stuff together.  Although I'm going to speak, Perry is nervous!

Poor little Beatrice has been very unwell again.  This time bronchitis.  Poor little mite, not fair that she's been so ill.  We hope to see them all very soon.

What a ghastly week weather wise!  I think it rained almost every day.  Managed to get a walk with Bertie at Osborne house but the other walks were a bit rushed.  Went to Cowes yesterday and bought some goat meat!  Cooked it up today and it was delicious.

Finished my oil painting of stormy weather - could have been better. 

Ive also been continuing my sketching.  Sometimes I get a bit desparate and Bertie gets drawn yet again, and I've also continues practicing my watercolour.  May even do something serioius tomorrow.

 Found the photos, but they were in the wrong file.  This is the little church in Bonchurch.  As most of the graves appear to have fallen in the sea with a landslide, they built another church in the Victorian period a bit futher inland.  Was really tricky getting to Bonchurch steep and twisty narrow roads.

mini waterfall aat the bottom of the hill in Bonchurch

finally the coast at Bonchurch

Ive done it asgain.  Lost the photos.  I will keep trying though!  Weather has been absolutely awful, and although I've been keeping up my sketch book, it has mainly been indoors.  Have been on another oil painting workshop, but not yet finished my latest masterpiece!  Also have been restarting work on watercolours, mainly doing washes.  Still it's a start. 

Better now go back and try and find out what happened to these photos.......

I think I have found them.  So here goes....

Berie trying out his new socks

OK so it's not a very good picture, but it is Norris castle.

All four paws with the socks on.  You can see how pleased he looks!

Well that will teach me to be smart.  I have successfully lost all the photos I wanted to post on the blog.  They consisted on Bertie in his new non slip socks (!), and pictures of Norris Castle when we went out for a sail.

How stupid is that.
I have been keeping up my sketch book (almost three months a daily sketch), but it is getting a bit harder now and since we have been back here the subjects are getting a bit repetitive.

We had someone come down to visit the boat and have a (free) sail.  Not interested!  We were both pretty deflated by that.  So we're having a rethink. 

Looks as though I will have to do some photography search.

I cannot believe that I haven't posted anything since April!  My goodness.  Well we  had six weeks sailing, a few days back, then ten weeks in France.  Just got back on Thursday.  Better update with pictures.  Must admit, we have had virtually no wifi so couldn't actually update the blog regularly - what an excuse. 

Left mid-May for trip to the west country - or the aim was as far west as we could.  Started with favourable easterly winds, so managed to go west fairly quickly.  Ended up as far as Falmouth.  Had a week there, and then steadily started our trip back home.  Met up with Dick and Judith at Dartmouth and also bumped into Nigel and Sue there as well.  Ok now for the photos, if  I can manage to upload them.

Brixham en route to West Country

visit to the Yealm

Yealm

Dartmouth

Brixham trawler racing - on return journey

Round the Island race on the Saturday before we left for France

what a lot of boats!

Left for France at the beginning of July.  Very hot.  Then the disasters started to happen.  First - had to get the air conditioning sorted on the van - no choice, because it was so hot.  Got that sorted.  Went off for a couple of days, just to make sure all was well, then the starter motor started to go through it's death throws.  Back to the garage.  We knew it would be expensive, but Perry decided to take it away from the garage and we would "nurse" it for the rest of the holiday as we didn't know how long, or how expensive it would be to repair, and he would sort out a replacement from UK.   So off we went again.  Very hot again.  Bertie not too well in the heat.  Stayed by the coast on Cotentin peninsula.  Had three weeks away.  Back to la Pelouiniere for gardening, washing etc.  Then off again for a week. This time Suisse Normande. Then back home.  At home one of the shutters started to fall out of the window.   Repair.  Went out for an afternoon, and then the car started to pack up.  Injector problem.   Back to garage.  This time we knew we would have to shell out a lot of dosh, also it was getting close to return to the Island.  So 500 euros later - car was fixed.

However, we did visit some nice places and we met some lovely people, particlarly Graham, Cath  and Olivia from Wales.

Well, let's try again with the pictures from France....

Sertainville - what a busy beach!

Out there is Alderney, Guernsey and Sark

Audeville - top of Cotentin peninsula

La Ferriere aux Etangs - in the Suisse Normande

Well we've been back a couple of days.  A bit cold, but today is slightly warmer. Best get on with the jobs now!

Bit behind in posting.  Oops.  Nothing sold at exhibition at Royal Vic, also put in three oil paitings to Isle of Wight Art Club exhibition at Quarr - nothing sold there either!  Have signed up to do a watercolour weekend in Dorset - not until November though.

The family came over to see us for a long weekend.  It was absolutely lovely. Tapnell Park Farm was a hit, although the weather was absolutely awful.

I didn't mean to add quite so many,this computer often has a mind of its own!  Beatrice slept through everything.  Alice is now very confident on her feet.
Following their visit I have had a cold and cough for 10 days now, so although we have been visiting the boat I have felt absolutely lousy.  Typical, the weather has been brilliant and |I have felt terrible.  Weather will change as soon as I feel better!