OK this year can start slowing down already. I must be approaching my 10th pet portrait of the year now and I really don’t like the fact we are nearly a quarter of the way through the year. I am dreading turning 41 almost as much as turning 40. I don’t like this getting old malarkey and my birthday is two weeks on Friday!
I went nordic walking today and it was a lovely walk, not sure where the sun went which was a shame after such a lovey weekend but nevermind. It’s half term this week and next week I have a first aid course to do. Always useful. So I have a few days missing out of my work schedule. That being the case I have literally just down paint brushes for the evening. I think there will be a few later nights so I don’t lose too much time.
I have actually just finished my third attempt at watercolour pet portrait. Sometimes they go like that, first time it was too dark, the second I didn’t like how I placed the black pen, so I guess its third time lucky. Tomorrow it will be scanned in and sent to my client. I also framed Storms portrwit today. Tomorrow I will update his blog with a photo of the framed portrait and scanned piece.
If I am a bit quiet this week it is because it is half term and things are a little crazy. Its hard to work when the kids are off and want to do things or have friends around. I did manage to finish framing Storm’s pet portrait today and scanned in Daisy. I am not going to do a seperate blog post for her pet portrait as I didn’t really get any progress shots of it. With everything else going on I just forgot. It happens!
Here is a scan of her finished paintng and once I have approval from client I will frame it in a lovely white frame to keep the contemporary look of these portraits. I will show you once framed
More watercolour pet portraits can be viewed in these blogs. Daisy watercolour cat portrait, Badger watercolour on canvas, watercolour portraits
Today has been one of those itty bitty days. I was framing and invetween that there wasn’t much time to get into the swing of painting so I put that on one side today, much to my frustration and did boring jobs!
I made good progress on tidying my studio ready to start filming my portraits again. First up will be Queenie and then I hope to capture my giant double horse portrait I have coming up.
As well as framing and posting Storm’s portrait I got the majority of the framing done on Daisy’s portrait. I need to check it for any dust behind the frame, but that is a job for daylight. I used my favourite frame for my watercolour portraits.. Below you can see it in the frame. Sorry about the reflections. I will try my best to get another one tomorrow.
This evening I worked on little Grace’s portrait. This is for one of my best friends and she is getting it done for a gift to her aunt and uncle. I won’t show the finished pet portrait until it is scanned in, but I absolutely love this photo. Little Maggie decided she wanted to be part of the action and she sat on my lap as I was working on Gracie’s portrait. She is such a cheeky little madam. I cannot believe she will be 1 tomorrow.
More framing today, it feels like I have been framing pet portraits all week. My plan to sit down and actually paint all day didn’t really happen, sadly. Sometimes it just goes like that, but essentially it means I should have totally cleared my days for painting over the weekend. Monday will be packing up and going to the post office and probably a bit of painting and Tuesday will definitely be. Wednesday I have a first aid course which is great. I did one many years ago at work and I am glad to be doing another. I needed it for my walk leader role for part of the insurance. It is good to have a reminder as thankfully since I have never had to put it into practice I am rusty to say the least!
On a different tact I was so pleased with how it looked sending my client a photo of the portrait of Badger hanging I am going to do it more often. I had some photographs on that wall and I hve taken them down and put up my painting Crossing The Plain up there. Mainly to create space in my studio, but in doing so I have realised it is the perfect wall to hang finished an framed pet portraits to photograph and to give my clients a rough idea what they will look like hanging on the wall. I have done it both with Gracie’s portrait and Daisy’s portrait today, as you can see below.
I can’t believe half term is nearly over. I love having the kids off an miss them like crazy when they are at school, but it will be nice to return to work properly next week. I have a lot to be getting on with. I have a black lab portrait, a jack russell portrait and a double horse portrait, and before all those pet portraits I need to finish Monty’s and Queenie’s. My aim is to get those pretty much finished this weekend and start the new ones next week. It is always nice to start a new pet portrait at the beginning of a new week.
My daughter wanted to go shopping today so I took her to our local shopping centre as she really needed some new clothes and wanted to decide herself. I stupidly thought I would have time to work when I got back. Who was I kidding. I am shattered and just want to go to bed. I much prefer the countryside and my animals haha!
I have my client coming to collect Badger tomorrow. I will be sad to see his cheerful canvas go. It was nice having him around as he makes you smile! Once they have gone it will be time to hide in the studio and get cracking! I really have no time to waste over the next few weeks, busy, busy!
It’s been a good working day today. I have manage to pretty much finish Monty’s portrait, so that means I can get back into the studio and do more on Queenie’s portrait. I am also need to sketch out a large double horse portrait. I can’t wait to get my teeth into that one, and I also have Ava the black labs portrait to start asap. I want to get Ava’s portrait finished by the end of the week as the deadline in just after my birthday – the 8th of March. That way I can get it posted week Monday.
Speaking of post office trips, Monday may involve two trips as I have two paintings to post, one being Daisy’s rainbow portrait and the other is Oscar’s portrait. Lot’s of posting coming up!
Today was sooooo disappointing losing the rugby, especially to Wales. It is such a big game to both countries, the passion is immense! We started well, but Wales ultimately sussed our game plan and we didn’t have an answer. We could still win the championship, but Wales are still on for the Grand Slam. Some one like Ireland will need to beat them, the advantage we have is we have managed bonus points in our last two games, is if it goes down to points we could sneak it. I guess we will find out in 3 weeks!
Today has still been busy with odds and sods, it really is true that artists spend 30% of their time painting and the rest is spent on admin and other not so fun tasks! However I managed to sketch out Ava’s pet portrait and make a start on a series of dog portraits, all sorts of breeds will be painted and turned into prints for Mind, Made in Kent. I think popular breeds will sell, well hopefully they will as prints. The first up is a French Bulldog I named Frank. I hope you like him, I think he has a super sweet face.
