sea blue sky abstracts

Painting my 'Favourite Plate' still-life was so enjoyable that I decided to have a go at painting this pretty bunch of Anemones. For a start, it's impossible to capture the colour of these blooms (for me anyway) so there has to be an element of compromise. The little china jug too, hasn't been rendered particularly accurately - and the background - well, it just 'evolved'. This next pic shows the flower heads in detail. Part way through the first painting I started to wish that I'd gone for a looser feel, so fetched another canvas and started to paint the Anemones again. I prefer this rendition, but perhaps it could only have been achieved because of the observation and labour that went into the first study? Click the pictures to enlarge. This detail of the flowers shows the brush strokes. I'm working on some yellow tulips now!

Out walking this evening - a beautiful, breezy evening, slightly hazy because of the volcanic dust in the atmosphere - we came across this para glider struggling to get off the ground. Don't know if he succeeded as his attempts were accompanied by a cacophany of dog barking (the loudest and noisiest barks coming from my canine companion) so we decided to 'make tracks'. Again, this photo doesn't do it justice and I only wish I'd noticed earlier, before the sky darkened, because this sliver of a crescent moon looked wonderful. When first spotted, the Penumbra was clearly visible and - I think it's Venus again below - sparkled. Plus, I haven't found out how to get a longer exposure than 8 seconds. Hope we can look forward to more clear skies over the weekend!

Let me say, these pictures just do not do justice to the view from my bedroom window this evening. Going upstairs to close the curtains I was delighted to see Venus in the West - click the pics to get a better view - as bright as a headlight in the beautifully clear sky. With the window open wide - there was not a breath of wind - I tried in vain to keep two bats in sight as they swooped silently back and forth - it was impossible, they were way too fast. By the time the camera was set up the light had started to go and the colours to fade. It has been lovely to see the sun again today. Glorious!

My goodness, I really must post something - it's been forever! The painting below is entitled 'Favourite Plate' and is the first featuring my treasured Kaori Tatebayashi plate, with a sprig of chrysanthemum. Rendered in oil on canvas - with white backing board and frame - it's currently displayed in the window of Art Space Gallery, St Ives. This one is called 'Glacial Landscape' a mixed media semi-abstract. I have used copper interference medium and mineral flakes on the lower part of the painting. Glacial Landscape is also framed in white wood, with white backing board.   SOLD Still to come are the remaining holiday photos and also - although I don't know yet what form it will take - my first year bloggiversary giveaway!! Yep, sea-blue-sky-abstracts came into being just over a year ago, on Monday 30 March, which must be cause for celebration of some sort..... Bye for now, Lesley x

Going away for a few days in the UK, in March, can be a bit of a gamble weatherwise - torrential rain, high winds, snow, hail - any or all, are a real possibility. How lucky was I, then that dry weather prevailed for almost all of my 7 days away? First stop was picturesque West Wycombe. Just 30 or so miles outside London, this pretty historic village lies in lovely open countryside just a short distance from High Wycombe. Walking on a bright, beautiful morning, we turned into Church Lane and continued to Church Hill - out in the open and enjoying wonderful views. Through old woods of Yew, Holly, Oak and Beech. Until we reached, right at the top, St Lawrence's Parish Church. (Sorry there's no photograph of this impressive building). The modest car park was chock full of trailers - very unusual according to my friend Sarah - and there was also a very big crane and lights. The whole area was being turned into a set, ready for filming - but what? Down below again, temporary ro

'Rough Sea' 17 x 12.5 cm. SOLD 'Rose' 17 x 8 cm 'Reflective Sea' 17 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Flood Tide' 24.5 x 17 cm. SOLD 'Island Sea' 13 x 11.5 cm. SOLD 'Hot Seaside' 20 x 13 cm Original unframed tiny paintings in oil on gesso primed board. Ready for framing. Copyright Lesley Ninnes.

I'm delighted to have been included in Carol's Circle of Friends award - just click her name to visit the excellent 'Not only in Thailand' blog. Now I must write down five things I like to do and then pass the award on to ten friends. Easy! 1. On a Sunday, if not working anywhere, I like to make tea and toast and return to bed to enjoy a leisurely read and breakfast in comfort. 2. Dancing is fun, I love dancing, and it's good exercise. Don't get to do so nearly often enough, the last opportunity was at Christmas, although I'll dance around the kitchen if there's something good on the radio! 3. I like having an 'empty day' ahead allowing time to paint and experiment and explore new ideas. 4. Reading the newspaper - not every day, there's too much information - and then tackling the puzzle pages (with varying degrees of success) from Codeword and Sudoku to Word Wheel and the Crossword. 5. Last but not least, I like spending time with f

Thanks to Artisanne for this lovely, cheering award (which was given some time ago). Apologies for the delay in posting Anne -I have a bit of a tendency to deal with things 'dreckly' - it's something to do with being Cornish! Now, what do I do next? Hang on, am just popping back to see - oh yes, here it is: 'The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world.The rules for accepting the Sunshine Award..... put the logo on your blog or within your post.... pass the award on to 12 bloggers linking to the nominees within your post....let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.... share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.' Drawings from Nature Kauai Artist Frizzelstix Third Age Musings Hens Teeth Magpie Magic My Farmhouse Kitchen Clever and Girlie One Pink Goose Julie Whitmore Pottery Love Stitching Red Not only in Thailand I've tried to avo

Ah, an unusual visitor returns to the top rugby field - a creature wearing a very cosy fur coat, with a great liking for grass! The Llama lives quite close by and breaks out occasionally, looking for pastures new. Some time ago Julie posted photos of her wonderful studio shelf, which reminded me of my shelf below (although it's not in a studio). My brother made it over a decade ago, using old wood reclaimed from a school building. Over the years 'stuff' has accumulated in it and upon it! The bird on the string used to hang in my daughters' bedroom when they were small. The painted earthenware plate comes from Haiti. Lucky horse shoes propped against the wall and a lovely canvas by Viv The little plasticine 'cat' clutching a battery was made by my eldest daughter when she was really young (pre-school), she also made the red heart - using the wax from one of those little circular French cheeses! Lastly, two of my abstract canvases in the window of the S

Just two Love Tokens this time, placed in nice frames! 'Golden Heart' Token... 'Star' Token.... I reused glittery, holographic Christmas labels, some Christmas wrapping paper, the usual chocolate wrappers, some miniscule beads and a smidgen of fabric. Then printed the all important words, which were again glued to a mountboard backing for support. Both for sale in Art Space Gallery, along with three of the first unframed Love Tokens. The other three are on Etsy . Well, I just couldn't resist photographing this lovely flower, the last but one (there's a bud getting ready to open) produced by my Christmas Cactus. It doesn't flower predictably, but timed it just right on this occasion, with flowers starting to open just before Christmas - and although short lived, the blooms are so pretty, don't you think? Bye for now, Lesley

Here are some pics of the exhibition opening on Sunday - enjoy! The show continues until 13 February, 2010 (not 16 Feb, as previously mentioned). Location details and opening times are included in the earlier post 'Exhibition Preview' .