Cabin taking shape...

With many delays for bad weather and also a wait for a warped piece of wood to be replaced by the suppliers we are finally getting there with the cabin. We chose one with lots of windows as light is so important for us artists! Still have to put on the roof and veranda and also waterproof the whole thing. (As you can see it is raining again this morning.) While waiting for photos for a Middle Eastern project I am sketching Arabian horse ideas for paintings and also playing with another miniature. Photos to follow soon, hopefully.

'A Kind Eye' - Arabian horse miniature

This little Arabian horse miniature (shown with a UK penny for scale) is my first and has left me with an immense admiration for those who paint 'in the little'. He was fun to do and I learned a LOT in the course of this 3" x 2" painting, so I hope that he will not be the last miniature that I paint. He was done in oils using (at first) liquin to thin the paint. Zest-It was used instead when I realised that the liquin was too thick for fine detail! Zest-it is a wonderful non toxic turpentine substitute that has a citrus smell. (Great if you hate - or are allergic to - the strong smell of turps or white spirit.)

As I am waiting on some photos to come in for the next large project it might be fun to try another miniature to fill in some time. Another image will be posted once this tiny painting has been framed. It is not raining here today - what a change - so we will be working on the studio/log cabin again.

Poppy

'Poppy' is a pastel study completed recently from photos. Luckily her owner had taken many close up photos of her over the nineteen years that she was alive. She looked a sweet cat and I enjoyed doing this pastel. (Once again it was mostly Daler Rowney with some Unison - my favourite soft pastels.)

I have also been trying to complete my first miniature in oil - watch this space for a picture soon - in between working at building the studio with my other half. We have not had much good weather to be outside but are dodging the showers.