'Keane' Detail of eyes.

Here is detail from his eyes. I needed to capture nobility, character, strength and also devotion as he was listening to his owner at this moment.

More work on 'Keane' On the day this photo was taken it was raining so light was not good, hence the colours are a bit off. At this stage I was still being careful of proportions and the positioning of his major features. Eyes have been worked more but will not be finalized until he is nearly finished.

'Keane' Pastel of retired Police Dog. Work in Progress.

Start of a large pastel of 'Keane' a retired Police Dog. As this pastel was to be a surprise for his owner I have had to delay posting it on here. The above sketch was worked lightly with pencil and then vandyke brown pastel pencil on top so that it showed up on the photo. Proportions had to be exact at the first stage as corrections are not easy to do in pastel.

'Young Bengal Tiger' - Graphite on Mellotex

Time to work has been in very short supply these last months due to urgent family commitments but here is an 8" x 6" study done for a late Christmas present. Snow on both sides of the ocean held up delivery so much I feared it was lost in transit but it finally arrived just in time for the New Year. Hopefully this Tiger will soon join the others already on the recipient's wall.

This was the first experiment with Mellotex and I found it very good to use, it accepted the graphite readily for a great depth of black in places and a soft kneaded putty rubber lifted it off for the lighter hairs without damaging the surface. I am looking forward to working with it again.

'Spirit of the Desert'

'Spirit of the Desert' Another black Arabian stallion. I just love painting blacks with all their shine and deep colours in the coat. This was a pastel portrait of 'Ali Bey' a beautiful stallion owned at one time by a friend in Cornwall.

At the moment work is progressing on the large commission for a private client and it is killing me not being able to post new stuff... but hopefully in the future :)

Desert Born - Oil on canvas

An Arabian, at last! Well not a really new one but I thought folks would think I never paint them as it has been a while since one of this beautiful breed has appeared on the blog. (I am still working on the large private project so work to post here has been thin on the ground for some time.) I have a soft spot for this painting as he was here on the wall for a while before he was sold to a client in Staffordshire in the UK.

With two poorly menfolk at home it is difficult to fit everything in, an elderly Father and my husband who appears to be having gallbladder colic - ouch! Yet another scan due soon and maybe then we will see what is going to be done to relieve his pain.

Meanwhile I am working on as much as possible and would like to send thanks to my very patient followers.

Magnolia Stellata

Spring has finally arrived, despite the cold easterly wind. The pink Magnolia Stellata is blooming at the front of the house to welcome all that arrive. Difficult to get a good photo with that wind blowing the delicate petals around. If the wind drops I will try again. This is one of my favourite shrubs, it holds on to its buds all through the snow and ice of winter and then unfolds them when milder weather arrives. Every spring I make a resolution to paint it, if only there were more hours in the day.