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.