Well Christmas is over, New Year almost upon us.  Very little decent painting in this last week, just a bit of messing about.  I did manage to get two days out with my sketch book but it was incredibly windy and wet, so the results were a bit off!

Made my New Year's painting resultuions, so let's see if I stick to them.

Happy New Year  to anyone who reads this......

 After much messing about with images and folders I think I might have got resizing sorted.  Let's hope so.

Monday's outdoor painting was at Freshwater Bay.  Wind moderate but as the tide came in, it really felt quite cold.

Hey, it worked.  Got the image in.  I touched up the surf with a bit of gouache.

Also did a couple of mess about sketches

watercolour

same idea but in gouache.

I finished off the oil pastel I was working on.  Some bits ok some not!

Had lunch on Tuesday with my swimming chums.  Don't think they are going to continue, but I am, because I like a lane to myself.

Lunch on Wednesday at the Priory after painting.  That was fun too, but I really shouldn't have eaten that chocolate cake.  But at least I went swimming on Thursday to burn some of it off.

The boys winter coats finally arrived, but  it was a bit of a squeeze getting Henry's big belly into it.  He is now on a diet! I've also increased his  (and mine) walking distance.

Couple of bits of really good news.  Perry won a £50 voucher to spend at the chandlers.  That was in the draw at the Marina.  I won a bottle of wine at the art club last Tuesday and to top everything, I sold a painting which was on display at Madvik, East Cowes.  So ending on a positive note.

If anyone besides Perry reads this, then have a really good Christmas and bear in mind 2024 is going to be a majical and fantastic year.

 Having a problem resizing images. Seemed to work ok last time.  Not sure what I'm doing wrong or different. Mmmm.

Weather still very mixed.  Lots of rain, very dull and overcast.

Haven't really done much painting, but have done a bit more drawing.  Still not enough.

Ryde sea front.  It rained but got an hour.

 

Lifeboat pub.  Sunny but a bit chilly.  But at least it was outside.  

Tomorrow is Freshwater, so hopefully the weather will be bearable.

Not a lot has happened to have been bumbling through the week.  Still not much progress in my swimming attempts.

 Not the best week.  We went to Lincolnshire for Ann's funeral. Frightful weather, bitterly cold.  Stayed in a chalet at Chapel St Leonards.  Because of the weather, it took a little while to get the place nice and snugly warm.  It was fine in the end.

Just managed to lose the photos, so here we go again.

Went to NorthSea observatory.  Very impressive.  Henry managed to try and eat most of the beach and in the afternoon threw up!  Very bleak place,although I should imagine in the summer it's packed.  Saw three enormous wind farms at a distance.

Managed to do a watercolour sketch on very rough rag paper.  Bit of fun.

Then tried having a go with gouache.  Still working on that!

Also did a couple of messing about sketches.  Didn't manage to get any swimming in either. Hopefully next week will be a bit better.

 Not a lot this week. Outdoor painting was at the Donkey Sanctuary, but my effort was a total disaster!

Had a short time painting at the Priory because I had to get back to see that the dogs were ok.  They were fine, but very pleased to see me.  

Still playing with gouache.  Having trouble with getting them dark enough for contrast, so have ordered some dark paints.

Weather has taken a turn and it's really cold at the moment.

We're off to Lincolnshire tomorrow for a few days.  Ann's funeral is Tuesday.  Not really an event to look forward to.

 Awful weather again this week, but did manage to get out and paint at Parkhurst Forest a couple of times.  Pretty wet underfoot but at least the sun was shining.

Ink sketch

watercolour sketch

watercolour sketch

watercolour sketch
Still messing about with gouache.  Quite a different medium.

Also have continued with oil pastel on a Wednesday.

Looks like the weather will be turning a bit colder soon, but until then more rain.

 We have acquired another dog! Perry's Aunt Ann died suddenly and we have taken in her little dog called Muffin.  Another Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Muffin on the left, Henry on the right. He is 10 years old in a few days time.  Henry will be 3 just 5 days after that.

Weather has been absolutely frightful.  Very difficult to paint outside, although did manage to get to the Folly on Monday for our group painting.

There were little bursts of sun, but generally dry but dull.  Should be a challenge this Monday as rain is forcast and we are supposed to paint in Parkhurst Forest!

I've continued messing with gouache although with an incredibly limited pallet and seeing if I can do similar subjects with watercolour in my new sketch book which has rag paper.

This one is just watercolour on the rag paper. Will be impossible to use this paper outside as it just sucks up water and with the weather as it is, it would be a total disaster.

Comparison of gouache and watercolour.  With such an extreemly limited gouache pallet it is very difficult to get a range of colours - yes I know I can mix them, but the colours I've got are very intense.

Will carry on trying.

 Yet another awful weather week.  Did manage to get outside to paint on two occasions but our normal visit to the Priory had to be cancelled as Carisbrooke could not be accessed!  Have decided to put my oils away for the next few months because it's now really difficult to paint in the conservatory because we keep coming in with wet clothes.  I've checked things out carefully and it looks as though using gouache paint relatively thickly, the same techniques and methods for oils can be applied.  Hope so.

 

Visit to Mottistone, At least the weather held off.

Osborne last Tuesday, not all the trees were in their autumn clothes, but getting that way.

Such mixed colour in this tree.

W

This is probably the last oil painting I will be doing for a while.  Not totally displeased with it.  Finally a bit of progress.

Weather still looks very unsettled and due to family crisis, not sure if I'll be able to get much outdoor painting in.  Have kept up with Inktober, but some of the sketches are pretty awful!

 Weather wise, awful week.  Did manage some painting but only just.

bitterly cold but this is the plein air at Carisbrooke Castle.

Managed to finish oil pastel painting of osborne in autumn.  Will continue on a wednesday with oil pastels.  Bit of fun.

Oil on board - autumn scene. 

oil on board - autumn at osborne.

Friday as it wasn't raining we went to Osborne and had a walk about.  Did even see some sun.
Close thing - thought I'd managed to lose everthing!  Now to try and see if I can update the website.  Fingers crosses.

 Not a lot really this week.  Went to Yarmouth on the boat for the weekend.  Weather was excellent, but it was absolutely crowded.  Managed a couple of sketches.  

Plein air painting Monday was at Osborne.  Dull all morning, but managed a painting.  True to form the sun came out in the afternoon!  Still keeping up Inktober.

 Weather again not too special.  Went sailing for a few hours saturday and sunday, fun, but not sunny.  Swimming is progressing (work in progress as they say).

Painting - few bits and pieces done this week, all sketching of sorts, but that's ok.

Started Moday plein air painting. This is Godshill, unfortunately a bit dull and overcast.

Inktober has started and this is sketch number three.  So far so good.

Have been messing with oil pastels on a Wednesday.  Forgot how much fun they are.  Think I will continue with them on a Wednesday from now on.

Again, working with oil techniques.  Felt the first one was really heavy handed and very, very disappointed.  Think I must have misunderstood what effect I was after.  The one on the right is a bit better and think I will work on that sort of effect.

Also made a "value stick" - nearly completed, which should help with some of the effects both in watercolour and in oil.

Did a couple of outdoor watercolour sketches, but didn't include them here as they are places I seem to repeat again and again.

Have drawn up a loose timetable of painting activities I should do each day.  So far (day three!) I have kept to this timetable.  Only problem is that I now have dendency to rush each activity so that I can say I have done it.  Not the aim of the exercise.

Apparently weather should be ok for this weekend.  Fingers crossed.

 Three weeks in a row, amazing.  Weather has been a bit up and down, hot, wet, windy.  Let's hope it starts to settle soon.   Swimming is progressing and so is oil painting - I think!

Wednesday's painting at the Priory cut a bit short, because we all wanted coffee and cake.  Tried a bit of guache, but made a bit of a mess.  Watercolour ok.

Messed about with oil.  Tried a beach scene both with brush and then knife.  AsI have done very little knife painting lately, I think the painting turned out more of a mess than anticipated.  However it was good to compare techniques.

Knife painting.

Brush painting.

Really not sure which I prefer.  Work in progress I think.

Got a really good book on colour theory for oil painters, except it's got homework in it! Still.

 Well I've even got things to publish this week.  The IWAC painting last Tuesday was at Fort Victoria.  Not too much light, but at least it was reasonably warm.  Quite a number of people turned up, so the finish up tea and cake was quite jolly.  Tried oils again.  Think there is a little progress.

Wednesday was the first of our regular visits to the Priory at Carrisbrooke.  The weather was lovely, so we painted outside.  Watercolour this time, because with oil there is a bit too much to carry.  Had a fight with my tripod - goodness know why, but the tripod won.  Checked it out when I got home, and can't for the life of me see what the problem was!

Thursday was swimming and then Friday we set sail to Lymington.  No wind, and it was incredibly hot.  Put the awning up which although it shaded us, it offered no protection from the heat.  Henry was very uncomfortable.  I did manage a couple of sketches

The sketch on the left is Mr Berthon's house, and the other is of the moorings.  We were certainly packed in.  Members of East Cowes sailing club turned up for their rally and it was nice seeing people we knew.  Dick and Judith came on Sunday (in the rain!) and we had fun with them.  Even Henry got to liaise with their cat Nelson.  We left on Monday and had a good sail back.

Tuesday IWAC painting was at Mottistone, and Mike and I painted the tea room gardens. Weather not as hot as it has been, but at least it was dry, just!

Watercolour and pen.

Yesterday back at the Priory.  Dull and overcast, so no painting outside.  Did a watercolour doodle.

Now back to trying oils again....

 Well website is up and running. Simonne Mason Studio.  A bit pretentious, but you've got to start somewhere.  Some bits are easy, but I do have to scratch the back of my brain sometimes!  I am trying to put things on, and off, a couple of times a week to make sure I can actually do things on it, without having to contact my Web Wizard (Susie).

Weather has been very up and down, but now we are in a settled period.  Went painting with the club at Brading Downs on Tuesday, would have been nice with a bit of sun for contrast in the landscape, but still, the company was good.

Painted in oils again, not an easy option I must admit. 

 Went swimming (or drowning) twice this week.  I am working on it, but find it really  hard.  Did actually manage one whole length of crawl.  Must work at it, because I really do want to swim with Alice in the not too distant future.

Finished my little group of "dunes" oil painting.  Was quite fun.

They really are small.

Friday took paintings to Ryde Library where we have an exhibition for the whole of September.  Put in 12 paintings, forgot to take picture of exhibition, but will try and remember in the next few days.

Pretty niffty poster.  Thank you Elise.

Well now it's back to practicing oil painting.....

 I now have a website.  It is still in its infancy and I'm trying to make little changes, but soon will publish the site name.  Couple of things are tricky but generally things are straighforward like the blog.  However, I must make sure I look at it (like the blog!) every week.

Went painting at Newtown this week.  Weather, subject and company were perfect.  Had cake and coffee when we had finished. 

I even did this in oils.  First time outside with oils.  Was a bit worried at first that it would go wrong and I'd end up in a mess, but seemed ok.

We are having an exhibition at Ryde Library for the month of September.  I am putting in 12 pictures,  most of which have already appeared on the blog, with the exception of two, which I thought were a bit of fun.

Cocktails.  They are only small, but fun.

Trying to make more of an effort with oils, watercolour and drawing.  The weather has put a dampener on motivation, but that's an easy excuse.  Onwards.....

 I cannot believe that it has been 8 months since I last posted anything.  Looks like I will have to reconsider and set aside a particular day each month (or perhaps week) to update.  I will look through my folders etc. and see what I have been up to.  A couple of the most important issues are that we managed to hold an exhibition at Quarr Abbey at Easter this year and it was pretty successful.  We have put our names down for  the possibility of an exhibition next year.  Fingers crossed.  

The other thing is that we managed to have 6 weeks holliday in the West Country in what now appears to be the best few weeks of the year so far.  I managed to watercolour sketch just about every day.  Some where better that others!

I have been working on my oil painting - sort of.  But do find it extreemly frustrating to get what I want out of it.  Got to keep persevering.

 

Most Tuesday mornings I go out with the Isle of Wight Art Club for "plein air" painting, although, to be honest, it's really plein air sketching.  Some better than others.  Today we, a subgroup (i.e. the winter group)  went to Newtown and it was lots of fun and I even managed an oil sketch.  

So that's it.  Must schedule an update, and start putting some pictures together.

 Cant believe it's been two months since I last posted!  I must have dreamt that I did  more!  Well clearly Christmas has come and gone.   We've had a lot of very wet weather and some very cold weather.  We seem now to be at the end of the cold weather, I hope.  I've still been going out on a Monday to paint with our group, but most Mondays the weather has been absolutely awful. 

 Finally last Friday we got a lovely sunny day, albeit still very cold.  So off we went to Yaverland.  Hence the pictures above.  I'm hoping that we may start to see less rain and that we may get out more.  

We haven't moved the boat and it's really looking a bit unhappy.  Visited the team on the mainland at the beginning of January but again it was raining and cold, so no pictures.