sea blue sky abstracts

Last Thursday found me at a workshop held by Michele Wright and Marie Keeling at the Porthmeor Printmakers premises in Back Road West, St Ives.  There was an opportunity to produce a drypoint print before moving on to create collagraph prints - the first example of which can be seen below. With collagraph, all sorts of materials can be stuck onto board to create texture and imagery.  My board has some sort of fibre thread, bracken fronds, anaglypta and at the top, pieces of an absorbent paper that's often used to wrap flowers, all glued down with PVA adhesive.  The entire surface of the board is then sealed with Shellac and when dry is put through the printing press.   (Now I've slipped up here having not photographed the prints before painting on them at home - my favourite part!) The first was very inky - there's even a splodge at the bottom.  The bracken has been painted over with watercolour and gouache with pink gouache over the light area around...

See below 'Porthmeor - Seaweed and Surf' which has been submitted to St Ives Society of Artists annual Spring Open.  Painted in acrylic and oil, approximate canvas dimensions are 51 x 61 cm. Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes.

Just two for now, original paintings in oil on board. 'Beach & Ground Sea' measures 17 x 17.5 CM is currently exhibited at The Crypt Gallery at St Ives Society of Artists venue. Light coloured wood moulding, glazed frame.   SOLD 'Porthmeor Sun & Rain' measures 25 x 19.5 cm.   SOLD and is encased in a glazed frame with black moulding. Hopefully, it will be part of the exhibition of members work in the Crypt Gallery at St Ives Society of Artists in a show that opens today. (If not, the painting will show up shortly at Art Space ). Click here to see the painting I have submitted to St Ives Society of Artists annual Spring Open exhibition. Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes.

When uploading images of two recently completed abstracts (below)  I also came across these pictures of the night sky showing the alignment of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter.  They're not the greatest pics and don't come close to the nightly spectacle we were lucky enough to witness during those many clear nights towards the end of last month, but here goes anyway......... This first shot shows all three setting low down in the Western sky - the lights of a solitary house visible at the bottom of the photo. In this cropped view the light of the Moon is so bright that it glows through the area in shadow. Click here to see some terrific shots on The Mail Online. 'Spring Deconstructed 2012' mixed media on deep-edge canvas, 61 x 51 cm. There were elements of this painting that I was really pleased with but as a whole somehow didn't work!  Only when the original arrangement was 'deconstructed' using thick swathes of impasto did the c...

My goodness, time flies and the Bath Society of Artists 107th Annual Open Exhibition is already underway.  Click here   to visit the website and for information re opening times and location.  Admission is free and the show continues until 19 May 2012. I'm delighted to have had two paintings accepted this year: 'Jug of Anemones', oil on canvas and 'Waves Piling Up', oil on board.   SOLD Again fingers are crossed that they'll sell.  Visit if you're able, as there are hundreds of diverse artworks displayed, with something for every taste. Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes.  Happy Easter. x

So tardy, nothing's going to change there - yes it's true - a week has passed since Carolyn, Andrea and I got together.  Plus, unlike the others, I didn't think to bring a camera, so have used a publicity photo of the restaurant we visited and harbour photos from my archive to give an idea of our day.  They're not really necessary though because Carolyn has recorded everything already in this wonderful post .  There was plenty of glorious sunshine - and also a very stiff Easterly breeze blowing. Andrea, click here  to visit her blog (users of Google Chrome will be able to translate the German to English) travelled from Switzerland the day before, making a long awaited return journey to St Ives and the three of us enjoyed lunch at Ocean Grill  before going down onto the sand and heading for West Pier. The tide was very low, so conditions were ideal for a spot of beachcombing, with Carolyn leading the way to one of her 'hunting grounds'.   ...

This little oil painting on board, which measures 12.5 x 12.5 cm, is a typical example of those that I frame and sell at Art Space Gallery   and usually display on Picture from St Ives Although it may seem surprising, this little picture is the result of many hours of work:  starting with a sketchy idea and then allowing the subject to expand and evolve, not really knowing at first whether the sky will be grey or blue or the sea choppy or calm - whether there will even be rocks.  Perhaps the fact that the outcome is unpredictable is what makes these paintings so interesting and fun to do?  'St Ives Bay & Godrevy'.   SOLD ' Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes. Have a good weekend everyone. x

A selection of original paintings on board in various sizes - which have already been taken to the framers to be float mounted.  Unfortunately I forgot to measure them first!  They're quite a bit larger than the usual 12.5 x 12.5 cm square paintings though, with the exception of the last one, that is.  Currently to be found in the browser boxes at St Ives Society of Artists.  'Morning Moon'.   SOLD  'Evening Approach'.   SOLD 'Porthmeor - Blue & Grey'.   SOLD 'Sea Fury'.   SOLD 'Red Sky Seascape'.   SOLD 'Sunset Orange Sky'.   SOLD Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes.

Yesterday I managed to unintentionally delete an email entitled 'blog post' - or something similar - from Jane M and there's no way to retrieve it!  So Jane, if you read this and your message requires an answer, please resend.  Sorry, still not quite sure how it happened.

Yesterday I managed to unintentionally delete an email entitled 'blog post' - or something similar - from Jane M and there's no way to retrieve it!  So Jane, if you read this and your message requires an answer, please resend.  Sorry, still not quite sure how it happened!!

'Rocks & Rain' and 'Silver Sea' - more info about both paintings in the previous post - have now been framed and are part of St Ives Society of Artists Spring Exhibition, which opened today.  It's a lovely show and well worth a visit.  Click here to visit the Society website. 

Spring is on its way - spotted my first Celandine yesterday and there was sun at last today after all the grey, and warmth out of the breeze.  Best of all there are ever increasing hours of daylight! In this post there are more pics of Mallorca from October 2011 featuring Port Andratx and Sant Elm.  And I have included another 'rejuvenated' painting - let me know what you think. First, a startling photo of Mallorca which appeared in the 5 Feb edition of the Mail on Sunday, with ice and snow and temps of -4C conditions were far colder than in St Ives this winter! Anyway, back to the sunshine - this is Port Andratx   on the South West coast of Mallorca. The marina and surrounding hills. A fisherman cleans his catch. Soaking up the sun.    It was baking hot and I for one was desperate to get into the water.  Once immersed it was wonderful to float and throw a few lazy strokes to swim in such beautiful surroundings...