Peartini...

So, here is that pear - which, by the way was a total nightmare to photograph and is a little brighter in reality than it appears here...

8" x 8" Oil on canvas panel
(click pear for a larger image)

I'm sure you remember the many layers of the apple and the olives? 
Well this time I omitted that, oh so time consuming monochrome or 'dead layer' to see if it would make any difference to the finished painting
.
Although the result isn't affected, I will say that by taking the extra time to do the monochrome layer, it does make painting the top layers a lot quicker and easier! So leaving it out didn't speed the process as much as I imagined it would.

Anyway, it makes a nice partner for the apple, which I have now had framed, ready to sell...

Framing a painting is rather like getting dressed, don't you think? 
If you do it well, it finishes it off quite nicely :0)

I've enjoyed painting fruit and I feel some more fruity paintings bubbling up in my head... Perhaps with some water droplets and maybe a few other things to add some interest...
Hmm... I'm feeling inspired!


Oh, before I go, for all of you fitness fanatics out there, my Brother-in-Law, Andy, has just started a fitness blog. You can see it here if your interested in following along or are in need of some fitness motivation! There is even a photo of me and Andy on our bike ride from John O'Groats to Lands End! 

I must have been completely bonkers!

Yoo-hooooo... I'm ba-aack....

Remember me? That girl who used to post weekly on her blog...?
Well, I am back at last - even if it is with a teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy piece of art!

A few days ago, my Sister-in-Law asked me to paint a badger in the corner of the house sign she had just had made...

 And why a badger...?

It only took about half an hour, but I really enjoyed it!

Meanwhile, I received this text from my own Sister, who had obviously just had another look at my blog to see if I had actually posted anything yet...

 ...So, I decided that even though the badger is only about 3" square, I would post it anyway!

I imagine you might have thought that I haven't been painting at all, but actually I have - even with the distraction of the new vacuum cleaner, AKA Sherlock!

You may remember I was finding being responsible for a new puppy and painting, quite the challenge! Well, something had to give - and I decided that for the sake of my sanity, I needed to take the pressure off and have a break from blogging. I needed to just paint when I could until things had settled in to a routine again.

Anyway, the vacuum cleaner is getting used to things now and I am finally able to paint a little more, without having to worry so much about what he is hoovering up!
I ought to be posting the finished pear, only it isn't quite finished yet - but nothing a few more brush strokes won't achieve. 

What I have actually been concentrating on is the new bear :0)
I have really been getting stuck in and so far, it has practically been painting its self!
I am really enjoying this one. I'd say I am around 2/3 of the way through it now. 
So you see, I could have done all sorts of emergency posts, but then I wouldn't have got any of the bear done at all!

Anyway - in case you haven't already been introduced to the new vacuum...

...By the way, the vacuum cleaner is the one on the right - the one on the left is now entirely redundant!