Cat with a Christmas Bobble

I have been ill for the past week and a half... and still am to be honest. Caught a flu. The recovery is never quick with me. Especially sine my daughter id having it too. But life doesn't wait and Christmas is approaching fast and the Christmas spirit is setting upon us together with the flu epidemic, as usual! So today I have produced this little watercolour with a bit of a festive flare to it.

Tenderness

I did those cats yesterday during my art group session. It was a bit of an experiment with textures, but I am pleased with the results. I think I will explore this style further

Bare Tree In Bushy Park

Today I have been painting in Bushy Park near the Hampton Court gates. There is exquisite place there with a little pond and lots of birds around. This tree I spotted right by this pond although I didn't include water in this picture. I like this tree so much that I would like to come back there and paint it again some time. I wasn't happy with my new block of paper though. Not absorbent enough, not a good feeling when you apply the colour - a bit of a disappointment. But never mind, I am fairly pleased with the picture itself nevertheless.

Richmond Bridge

Here is the more up-to-date representation of Richmond Bridge. Cool shadows, crispy transparent air and lots of bird life.

Birman Cat in Golden Pendant

Birmans is one of my most favourite cats breeds. I felt like painting cats today so I produced this. I wonder where the fancy will take me tomorrow?

Richmond Hill from Petersham Meadows

Have been remembering summer today. It's particularly warming thing to do since the autumn is getting really cold over here. Will do the current one next for a contrast I think.

Boats on Thames from Richmond Bridge

Today I have finished the first painting of my Actors in Hampton Court series. This was an amazing history reenactment I have seen recently in the former residence of Henry VIII. It was a pleasure to paint all the details and costumes. People in the painting are supposed to be cardinal Wolsley and Thomas Cromwell. Not quite as they were portrayed in the famous "Tudors" TV series but nevertheless exciting to watch up-close. I have several more of those planned.

Staying with the nautical theme today's piece is similar to the yesterday's one but from a slightly different angle. Here seagulls are circling restlessly over the shallow coastal waters. The biggest challenge for me is always a repeating pattern with a rigid rhythm like the ripples on the damp sand in the foreground. I'm fairly satisfied with the result today but I feel I need to strech myself further and do more of those.

Today I was busy in my Art Group. Working from the reference picture I took very recently during a day trip to the south coast of Britain. It was an amazing blue dusk setting over the beach when took this picture and in today's watercolour I tried to recreate the magical calm freshness of that moment.

Falon painting is finished

I have finally finished the first painting of the falcon hunting series. I have published here the initial stages of this painting and here is the end result. It's a peregrine falcon on top of a slain houbara bustard. It's only the second time I have attempted to paint birds with all their intricate feathers so it was a very interesting challenge for me. The first one has been a commission and the client expressed an interest in this kind of scene so I have started the series. The time will show if this painting will lead to something significant.

Richmond in Fog

It was very foggy this morning. The true autumnal morning so I made this little watercolour. Later on it became nice and warm and sunny but as soon as the sun went down the air got instantly colder and the fog has return. It was curious to watch.

Rose and Pebbles

I have started this painting several days ago but completed it only today. I wanted to create the sea cottage feeling when I started it. It's too soon now for me to have an objective view of it. I am fairly pleased with it so far.

Soon I will be taking part in an art exhibition in Ham. This little watercolour painting is intended specially for this exhibition. I feel, I'm getting a bit of the reputation for the Ham views. I love this tranquil, corner of Richmond. My art group is meeting weekly just across this pond so got to know it really well over the past couple of years.

The Child and The Sea

It's a big one today. 20 x 50 cm. I am not very used to such sizes that's why I working on it. I suppose the size of the working space affects the natural size of the wor which is being produced there just like the fish as I've herd would never outgrow its aquarium. But I enjoy the challenge.
This scene is my beloved Dorset. The coast line there is amazing - the earth of the Jurassic period is just staring at you from everywhere. Amazing.

Sunset hour in Richmond Park

Another Richmond park today, this time in watercolour. I usually switch techniques often not to get emotionally tired. There is some kind of wild joy to return to the fluidity and fast drying of watercolour after thick and sticky oil and vice versa, after several watercolours it's a joy to fill silky smooth paste on the tip of my brush and to be free of the worry to paint accidentally over the light area. Well today, as I say, it's watercolour phase. Who knows how long will it lasts?

First Autumn Leaves

Have been to Richmond park today and the first signs of autumn are so very clear over there. This is a part of a little pond right by the Ham Gates.

Red and White (wintery still life)

A couple of days ago I went for a usual walk around the neighborhood under the pouring rain (that bit wasn't that usual). And I came across this lovely fury looking red flower. I couldn't resist taking home a sample and then I picked some of the eglantine berries to keep it company. When I came home this still life was born.

Autumnal Rose

Just came back from my good friend Irina who lives in Wembley. She has truly green fingers. Her garden is always in bloom. She gave me a bunch of freshly cut flowers to "capture for posterity". This rose is one of them. Well, I'm happy to oblige )).
It's always a funny feeling when I visit her. I used to live in Wembley myself for quite a long time. Now she moved there with her family and I have relocated to Richmond, where her husband Richard was born. We kind of swaped places.
Irina is one of my oldest friends in London. I met her in the ancient time when I myself still lived in Moscow and only visited London during my uni summer breaks. We've met through our love of Beatles in Liverpool when we've heard each other speaking Russian. Sweet memories.

My Arte y Pico

I am very honoured to be nominated by Laura Hardie for Arte y Pico award! Thank you, Laura. I will try to live up to it with my humble daily contributions to this blog. It is trilling to know that I might touch someone with it.

In my turn I would like to nominate the following blogs which I like a lot:



Quiang-Huang
Lines and Colours
Carol Marine
Jiddje Drachten
Liza Hirst

I could have named many more because really there are such multitudes of good artists out there blogging away and sharing generously their work with all of us, making our lives a bit more interesting, a bit richer emotionally, that it is truly difficult to make a choice.

Here is the background of this award:

Arte y Pico Award Origin and Rules:
The Arte y Pico Award has arisen from the daily visits that are made to many blogs, by you, which nourish and enrich you with creativity. In them, you must see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. You want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain and enrich you day to day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few.

The Rules:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award through creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author with a link to their blog.
3. Award winners have to post the award with the name and link to the blog of the person who gave them the award.
4. Show these rules and the paragraph (above) explaining the awards origination.

Summer in Hampton Court

Today it's Hampton Court Palace, the home of Henry VIII and some of his wives, with its characteristic triangular shaped trees. It is situated not far from me and I love visiting this place.
I'm afraid that with the summer gone there won't be many more days like this one in the Hampton Court Palace garden this year. Never mind, though. I believe that every season has its own inimitable beauty.

My today's painting is of the coastline of Worthing which we have visited last week-end with my Mum and daughter. This is exactly the spot where Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest in 1894. The house which he rented back then is no longer there but there's a blue plaque on the modern building.

Birds of Prey - first update

Here it is, the first rough stage of the painting. I am quite nervous about it because I have never painted birds on this scale before - it's 20X30 inches. I am fairly pleased with how it's progressing so far but still it can easily go wrong from here so I am holding my breath at the moment.

Bullseye

Yesterday I bought most appetizing new season apples and one of them had a nice little leaf still attached to its stalk. I couldn't resist painting it. As usual I acted on an impulse and started way to late into the day or shall I say in the night, really. As a result I got to bed only by 2am. Today I put the finishing touches and here it is. Bullseye!

Beginning - Birds of Prey

Today I have made a start of the new series of paintings I have planned for a while. It's going to be a wild life scene - falcon hunting in the desert. Today I have only painted the underlay and plotted the composition. Tomorrow I plan to start transferring it on canvas.

Have been working on this painting today which I have started a very long time ago. Think I have finished this time. I called it "Anticipating Autumn"

The Tames river bank is a delightful place for a walk right now. Just made this little watercolour card on the spot today. This road leads from Ham to the central Richmond. Dimensions are miniature - 2 x 3 inches. I find it is difficult to paint bigger pieces "aux plein air".

Today I was in a bit of the nostalgic mood. I have been revising my cat art website (Cat Art Garden) and decided to have a go at creating my version of vintage cat ACEO. They were so sweetly naive, those images.

I have just realised that The Richmond Art Society exhibition is very near and I have to present something nice there. So I have mobilized myself to carry on working on the big oil I have started a while ago - the spectacular view of the promenade from the Richmond bridge. I have moved home recently so haven't painted for a while. The start wasn't easy but yesterday I was pleased with the progress made and today I am going to continue.

Secret Brook

This is a little corner of woodland by the river Thames not far from where my art group meets every Wednesday in Ham. I am quite pleased with the clean, fresh lines of the water, a piece of the upturned sky. This is an artist card (ACEO - 2"x3") in watercolour.

Two Ballet Friends

My daughter Sasha loves her ballet classes and I love watching her. Her ballet class on Thursdays gives me a wealth of inspiration and ideas for my drawings. Today here is another one of them.

Little Ballerina Sitting pastel

I haven't been posting for a while because I have just moved home and any one who had been through this experience would understand what I have just endured! Naturally, with all my art materials packed away and the internet connection down for a month, I didn't produce anything lately. Today was the first day when I actually managed to create the new painting in the new place (which is a lovely flat right by the river Thames - very inspirational).

This is a tiny artist card. Its size only 2 x 3 inches. I love this art form for its immediacy. In watercolour I prefer the smaller sizes. I don't know why but I have a kind of phobia of the large formates. It's difficult to explain. I have a feeling that the painting should be as significant as the size of it but my themes often don't qualify or rather I perceive them this way. I know it's a bit irrational. I guess I should make myself to face this fear more and to get used to the bigger sizes. Well it's the goal for the future and in the mean time I love painting this kind of bijou.

Rock Pools

I finished this watercolour yesterday. It was inspired by our recent trip down to the sea side. My daughter was so excited to play on the beach. I think it's great that Nature can have this effect on a child!

First summer day by the Ham pond

Today I have painted the view of the pond on Ham green. This is the place where I paint every Wednesday with the local art group. It's a very beautiful, calm space. The spring has just turned to summer here and the first picnickers have emerged.

Evening Calm by the Sea

This is one of the sea scenes I absolutely love. Come back to it again and again. This is a stretch of the beach down in Sussex. The sea has gone away and left the bare, rocky, wet sand behind. I think watercolour is just the medium for such a fluid, illusive conditions.

Visited the Living Craft fair in Hatfield House today. Bought some exciting new brushes. Can't wait to try them out!

River Thames in progress

I have missed several latest sessions with my Ham Art Group. We usually meet in the St. Thomas Aquinas church in Ham on Wednesdays and paint together. I love it. I usually am at my most productive there. So this Wednesday I finally made time to go there again and have started this watercolour of the river Thames. I hope to tweak it a tad more tomorrow.

Westminster Abbey in London

oil on canvas
8" x 10"

This one is a loose sketch of the wet Westminster Abbey in a fast approaching dusk. I thought this view look nice sort of "uncombed" so I left it at that. I don't know, maybe some time in the future I will change my mind and work a bit more on it but for the time I have decided that it is finished.

Boats onThames in Fog

Oil on canvas
8" x 10"

With the half-term holidays over I could concentrate again on painting today. There were a few things left unfinished a while ago so I have worked on them a bit this morning. This one, Boats on Thames in Fog, has been in limbo for several months already. I wasn't happy with it before and hadn't the energy to do anything with it. Today its day has come. I made some alterations, clarified some details and put my signature in the corner.

I spied this scene in central Richmond last autumn. It was an amazing day when all around me was drowning in a thick, milky haze. I painted it over another landscape which I wasn't happy with and it gave this painting an ultra pronounced texture which I quite like.

Greek vase and dried Physalis + Russian Art Exhibition

Oil on canvas board
8" x 8"

Haven't done a thing over the week-end, was too unwell and generally I try to make myself to rest a bit in the end of the week, spend time with Sasha. She is on holiday at the moment. Thank God Mum is here now to take over some of my responsibilities.

Yesterday we all went to central London to see the talk of the town - Russian Art Exhibition in the Royal Academy as it is closing soon. I was very impressed with it although I have seen quite a few of the pieces on display before while I was living in Moscow. It wasn't an exhibition of solely Russian painters. It was about Russian art collectors who propelled the impressionists to fame and put them where they are now in the history of art. Thanks to the efforts of Shchookin and Morosov Russia nowadays have the most impressive collection of the impressionists (pardon me this pun:-)). The French influencies then formed contemporary Russian art scene and it was possible to see that in the exhibition. The organizers hadfollowed the period from 1880s to the 1920s. There were paintings by Nesterov, Repin, Levitan, Serov, Manet, Monet, Gauguin, a lot of Matisse, delissious Kuprin, vibrant Malyavin, lovely Chagal, graceful Petrov-Vodkin to name just a few. Sasha showed a lot of interest to my utter pleasure. She listened to the commentary through the headphones and one lady told me that it made her day to have seen her observing art on display with such passion.

White Rose and Physalis

Just managed to finish this still life despite the groggy feeling from the heavy cold I am having at the moment. Have come across these physalis in Tesco the other and was surprised to find out that it's the same kind of plant that I have recently come across near our house. Those fascinating, all dried up, transparent lanterns in the pink glass vase which I painted the other day and these full bodied and utterly delicious fruits are in fact brothers... or sisters. I love painting withered textures and colours and I absolutely love reflections.

Apple and the spring flowers

Oil on canvas
8" x 8"

Tulips and Grapes

Oil on canvas
8" x 8"

Wilted Hydrangea

Oil on canvas board

8" x 8"

Physalis

Oil on canvas board
8" x 8"