Rosehill Street.

<
Here are the first two pictures showing the development of the first in a series of views at the Rosehill Street end of Derby Arboretum.

The Derby Arboretum Collection 2

Here are the finished works in the second of my Arboretum series. Although weaker than the first collection, it is notable for the 'Walking the dog' piece which I'm realy pleased with! Of course it should be noted that the pictures are only together to facilitate ease of copying..the final prints will be separate and will be for sale individually mounted. Should someone wish to frame a series of pictures, it is just a case of 'pick and mix'!

Finished Pond.

Here is the finished nature reserve pond..It didn't take much work to get to the end today. It's not as 'Special' as I thought it was going to be but makes up the numbers.

Painting for beginners

I could spend a whole week encouraging a group of adults to paint water colour..but my group of children don't know how not to do it..so they did it!

Pond 4 (Tuesday afternoon)

Having got the water to a reasonable standard (still needs extra blue towards the bottom of the picture) I can move onto the reeds and grass at the edge of the pond. It's difficult to get the right effect at this scale..usually my works are much bigger and therefore each blade can be acuratley depicted. Here I need to use an almost hazy impression to convey the reeds, and hopefully the deeper shades in the background will almost take shape on their own.

Pond 3 (Tuesday morning)

Intense work on the reflections in the water..very subtle changes in tone..I have to be careful otherwise it will look heavey and indistinct..I want you to be able to feel as if you could step into the water! and scoop the clouds out in a net.

Ears are much better today..just the usual ringing. Children have gone back to school, and I'm back in ST.James later for another art class. Today I'm teachng water colours to 7 year olds! I wish I felt more confident..they'd get so much more out of me.

Pond 2

Despite the time of day..I thought I'd post a quick update on this one..In my humble opinion, it's going to be something special!

Pond 1 (Preparitory sketch)

This is from a photograph I took yesterday up at the nature reserve area of the Derby Arboretum. By missing out the immediate foreground, I have allowed the reflected sky to make the scene appear much more open and rural...if Loudon Street can cope with such a description!

At time of writing, my ears are a little better, but all sound seems muffled and amplified at the same time..it's very hard to understand what anyone is saying.

Jan has decided to carry on with plans to enter 3 of my pictures into the 'Open' at Derby Museum. I did not want to bother but she is insistant on doing it. I don't think I'll get very far with them!

Finished walking the dog!

Here is the finished piece. Hope you like it?

I am struggling big time today. Apart from ongoing problems with the way I relate to my family, I woke to find that I'd got some really bad ear problems. I have told you before that I suffer from Tinnitus. That is I hear a loud screaming sound in both ears all the time..sometimes it's a little less obtrusive when I'm feeling relaxed and happy. Other times (like now) it's as if a badly tuned radio is on full volume in my head. To add to this, now in my left ear it's rather like someone has turned the volume up to max..everything sounds like its reverberating through a bass drum..I can't concentrate on any thing..I can't sleep..I can hear loud boomy echo stuff, but nothing else.

The children have an inset day off today, and have argued..I have tried to remain apart from them because I'll only lose my temper. Jan is continuing to feel frustrated with me..she seems to want to take on all that I feel I can't do..ie: applying to enter the Derby open art competition, getting prints made etc...

Dear blog reader..I did warn you that you would have to listen to some pretty downbeat views about myself and life. This is only so that when the good times eventually arrive, you can share them with me! That said, perhaps you will be sad to know that I am probably now at an all time low..nothing seems to matter above getting on with my work. That is exactly what I shall do now.

Thankyou for reading.

Walking the Dog 6 (Sunday evening)

As you can see..I've not done much today..But have managed to begin work on the footpath. All bieng well tommorow I will finish.

Have been to take photos again today at the Arboretum..the trees are changing daily as green turns to yellow, gold and red. I took Annie, she is lovely company and is realy interested in photography..she has a good eye!

This evening we all sat to watch 'The Royal Family' a special one off edition. Special for the fact that my youngest son William saw me crying..he's never seen me cry. If you missed the episode..please make an effort to catch it sometime..(probably on BBC 3)..you will laugh..you will cry.

Walking the dog 5 ( Sunday morning )

If you look closly (click on image to enlarge) you will see that I have covered the grassed area with red dots...on the face of it, it would seem an odd thing to do..but the way colour reacts to light and shade means that you use a contrasting colour for shadow..in this instance, the opposite of green is red.

Today we have wonderful bright sunlight which should look great when it's lower in the sky...I'll be off to the Arboretum yet again to catch the show!

Walking the dog 4 (Saturday evening)

Working on the grass verge in the foreground is interesting..how acurate do I make it?..

Had a visit from my neighbour Elizabeth and her son Jake (Jem) this afternoon..it was lovely to be able to share my work with such appreciative people. They even bought three prints!!!! This left me feeling more possitive as yesterday we heard that Jan was unsuccesful in her application for Arts Council funding for her theatre project. Episodes like today are like the sunlight streaming through the trees in one of my pictures.

Walking the dog 3

Have spent time refining the shades and deepening the colours.It was also good to get the bench in. I'm realy enjoying this one!

Walking the dog 2

There's quite a gentle feeling around the figure here..how fortunate we are to have parks in which to wander..a green oasis in our cities.

Walking the dog 1

Saw this man walking his dog..the light was fantasic.

Finished Avenue

Finished..This shows one of the Avenues close to the cafe area of the Arboretum.

Avenue 1

Pencil sketch for what will be a quick drawing..infact at time of writing it's almost finished!! ..will show you in the morning.

Finished 'Two Trees'

Here is the finished Two Trees...I think I managed to show the sunlight coming through the branches...on to the next one now...I think I need to include a few more unconventional views..lets see what happens!

Two Trees 2

Can't help thinking that I'm covering ground already trod with this one..Perhaps I'll sell it!

I really need to emerse myself in my work..When all things around me are falling apart, the one place where I can be me and find true expression is my work. That said..I can go on to contradict myself immediately by stating that part of the drive one utilizes is the basic dissatisfaction with what one is currently doing. I will never create the perfect work because to do so would render any further exploration of the 'art' redundant!

I am at odds with Jan yet again..The children annoy me (half term hols)..My business partner has decided to finish promoting my work on eBay, I've got no money...And it's raining. I find I have messed up my weight loss diet..My lost weight is returning...Yes..You could say it's a little dark at the moment.

The dance continues..

Two trees 1

Ok. At the risk of repeating..I will work on another four pictures based around the Derby Arboretum. I don't know if I've mentioned before, but I have been asked to become the Artist in Residence for the Arboretum. Karin Alberg is the manager there and is keen to use a room in a newly refurbished building as an artist's studio. I hope to move in there when Derby City Council has sorted out all the arrangements. I am incredibly honoured to be asked and of course will use the opportunity to chronicle the life of the park throughout my time there.

This picture of 'Two Trees' is another of my photo's from last week. I like taking pictures into the sun..I hate it when I am told that there are rules to photography...my instinct is therefore to break them!