sea blue sky abstracts

Another beautiful night sky that I just could not resist photographing. Yesterday evening (Sunday) there was not a cloud or a bat to be seen when these photos were taken, at around 10.30 pm. Click to enlarge.

'Dark Winter Sea' 20.5 x 9.5 cm. SOLD

Another painting from life, this time the pears that arrived in the Riverford organic box! I'm uncertain what variety they are - 'Williams' pears, perhaps - but love their craggy forms and the symmetry of the negative spaces between them. The pears turned a beautiful shade of yellow eventually. They tasted delicious and were very juicy! Click to enlarge. 'Riverford Pears' oil on canvas, 30 x 30 cm/12" x 12".

The lovely tulips that inspired this painting were a gift from my daughter and placed in a very plain tubular glass vase, which with the gladioli buds immortalised in an earlier painting 'Floral Pedestal' here were a gift from my other daughter. The pink and blue flower pattern in the background of 'A Tangle of Tulips' was copied from the printed cellophane wrapper that came with the flowers! Click the images to enlarge. PS 'Floral Pedestal' is currently exhibited in the Spring Exhibition at Penwith Society of Arts, Back Road West, St Ives.

Yes, the bat came back but my plan to use continuous mode on the camera backfired and I was left with nothing to show but several empty frames. Hmm there may be a video option with this camera..........Watch this space! For now, hope that you like these two photos taken as the sun was setting.

A clear and still dusk tonight - ideal for spotting bats. This one, joined briefly by another, wheeled and swooped back and forth as I tried to get photos, not very successfully, as can be seen. The pics do give some idea of the bat's movements though, don't they? An absolutely beautiful evening. Venus can still be seen in the background.

This first painting is 'Rock Pool' and is rendered on primed card, measuring 17 x 14 cm. SOLD 'West Side' oil on primed card, 17 x 10.5 cm.   SOLD 'Tulips' oil on primed paper, 8 x 22 cm. 'Grey sky, green sea' oil on primed card, 4.5 x 11.5 cm. SOLD

'Sultry Sea' 5.5 x 12.5 cm. SOLD 'Sultry Waves' 5.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Wintry Sea' 12 x 8 cm. SOLD 'Early Morn' 21 x 15 cm. SOLD Tiny oil paintings on primed board. Copyright Lesley Ninnes.

Deciding to make the most of the wonderful weather we've been having, my Mum and I took the dog to the village of Zennor, about 3 miles West of St Ives, on Saturday afternoon. We left the car in the park adjacent to the Back Packers Hostel (formerly the Wesleyan Church) and walked past the old Tinners Arms pub on one side and Zennor Church on the other, and took the lane which skirts the farm along the side of the valley that runs down to the sea, and then onto the footpath to Zennor Head. We were mostly sheltered from the breeze, which was cold, and really enjoyed the warmth of the sun. First we walked down to where the river flowed quite forcefully and loudly over the boulders and then climbed back up steep granite steps, glad to stop halfway and sit on a very comfortable weathered, lichen clad, wooden seat. Gurnard's Head can be seen through the haze. The return walk. Part of the village can be seen ahead - click for a better view. The Gorse was ablaze with blooms; fat r...

What can I say? I couldn't resist this beautiful clear sky again. There's more of the Moon to see now. A closer look. Click the pictures to enlarge. Two posts in one day! Good night, sleep tight.

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...