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.

 Although I have put some photos into the computer, something appear amiss and I'm not sure if I can download them into the blog.  Well here goes

I have been painting, in oil, some little pictures to experiment with ideas. 

Again some small pics.

On our monday plein air sessions, I have been trying oils.  The first three were pretty awful, but these two aren't too bad.  First one is Yaverland and second is Hurst Castle, from Fort Victoria.

Should have rotated! Watercolour of view from Spy Glass Inn, Ventnor.

This is last week at Hope Cove.  It rained and the wind blew hard.  Didn't try oils, but did try watercolour.  Most of the paint got washed away!  However we did have a nice coffee afterwards.

 At least I'm stilll in the same month! Life has been a bit hectic at the moment.  Meryel and I had an exhibition at the Monkton Gallery for 10 days.  We both managed to sell 4 paintings each.  Not sure whether we will use them again. 

Life at home has been absolutely chaotic because we are having the shower room removated.  What started as OK has ended up very stressful.  Not sure when it will finish. However it meant that last week we were living on the boat.  Although the work has not finished, we found it too difficult to live on the boat so were coming back home for the evenings.  But as the bathroom fitter is fitting the work around his other jobs, they only appear here every other day.  Conclusion is that we stay here until they turn up, then go down to the boat.

We have also not been sailing.  Weather hasn't been too special.  However, Perry is managing to get out on his bike.

The Monday plein air painting has been good.  Expecially this Monday when we went to Yaverland.  Doing more oil painting. Photos to follow later. I have joined Isle of Wight Arts and am working (with Perry) on a website.  Things to follow on that later.

 Oh dear.  Looks as though I've been a bit neglectful again!  I've now got to think of things we've done.  Must make a note in the diary to try and blog each week, or at least every other week.  

We've had a few day sails and we had a long weekend in Lymington for our 50th wedding anniversary.  That was good. Managed to meet up with some sailing friends as well.

Ive been doing quite a lot of outdoor painting, even though the weather was not always very kind to me.

Henry is fine.    Think we must try and get him to the groomers soon.

Shower room is going to be ripped apart on Monday so we are going to have to live on the boat for a week.  Should be interesting.

Meryel and I have had an exhibition at the Monkton gallery in Ryde.  I managed to sell four paintings on the private viewing.  Amazing.  We still have another week to run.  In the mean time we're looking for other venues for next year.

 As things became a bit busy I decided not to publish anything for a while.  I completed all the Tuesday winter outdoor painting.  Great fun and look forward to the next session starting October.  As it finished we went to the mainland to see the family.  I stayed with Daniel and Perry went off for a couple of days to see Ann in Lincolnshire.  My stay involved going to Burford on the bus and Blenheim Palace on the bus.  Great.

Then we went on holiday for 6 weeks.  East Cowes to Yarmouth where we spent a couple of days, then on to Portland where we had five days.  As soon as all was well we left for Dartmouth following inshore passage around Portland Bill.   A week in Dartmouth where we met Dick and Judith then on to Salcombe, where we spent 10 days.  Great.  Henry got the hang of getting on and off the dinghy very quickly.  Better than I did.  We only had one misshap when we had strong winds for 36 hours.  Dingy (attached to Bloto) was upturned with outboard attached.  Took a bit of a struggle to get things in order but we managed it.  Only to discover that we had lost an oar.  However, when Perry took Henry ashore for his morning pee, a chappy had found the oar and gave it to Perry.

 It was lovely in Salcome, especially as we hadn't been there for about 30 odd years, when Daniel was a little chap.

 After that, went back to Dartmouth, where we stayed for just over 2 weeks, mainly due to weather.  Dick and Judith also came back to Dartmouth.  Then finally moved back to Portland - for 5 days.  Very hot.  Came straight back through Needles not stopping at Yarmouth this time.  Trip took 8 and a half hours, motorsailed all the way.  Unfortunately en route discovered a problem with the calorifier.  Sprung a leak.  Dumped the water.  

New calorifier is on order.  Weather is incredibly hot at the moment, so we won't be going anywhere for a few days, but when it is slightly cooler we will go back out and play in the Solent.  Henry was really good on the boat.  Seemed to just take it in his stride.  That has made it so much easier for planning any longer trips.  I did take a few photos but there all a bit the same, just of shorelines!  Howver, I did manage to do a watercolour sketch almost every day.  Most are a bit rubbishy, but at least I did it.

Will try very hard to get back into a fairly regular post.  These last couple of years have not been too easy.  Which is probably the case for everyone.

Take care.