Thin on the Ground

Avon Valley Artists resumed our weekly painting sessions today, after the Xmas and New Year break. Numbers were down with only nine present, including a new member. This is understandable as normal service doesn't really resume until next week after the New Year festive period ends.The subject was `Sweets & Cakes' obviously tied in with the festive season.

 "Sweets" 9" x 7" Gerstaeker No.3 200gm.

This was my small `sketch' which is on a larger sheet of paper 30 x 40cm. This is a cheap paper but perfectly acceptable for the way I paint (!). I took a handful of sweets from the Xmas collection and scattered them in a rough pattern on some white kitchen tissue. I first made a pencil drawing then painted them. The whole thing took a maximum of thirty minutes (including breaks). I then had to twiddle my thumbs for another hour so I washed up  the coffee cups and did sundry other small tasks, while the others got on with their paintings. It was a nice little exercise and I quite enjoyed it. Plenty of colour choices including Perylene Maroon, Quinacridone Rose, Permanent Magenta and Ivory Black for the  Cherry Liqueurs at the back, Quinacridone Gold for the Truffles in front of them, and Cerulean, Cadmium Orange, Hansa Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Rose, Burnt Umber and Ivory Black for the Allsorts. The background had some Cobalt Teal Blue and Viridian. Mostly Daniel Smith and Graham paints. Brushes were the Escoda and Isabey retractables, nothing larger than an 8, and the Escoda size 8 is not much larger than many other size 6's. 

Yvonne Harry

Myra Abbot

Brenda Parsons

Jo McKenna

Cath Wilkins

Next week the subject is `Gates, Doors, and Windows, with `Animals' the following week.