If the Flaps Flutter for Another

The Valentines Day messages in the British press are a source of joy and inspiration for me as I delight in some of the pet names people have for each other. Last year I came across one from "Rascal Flaps" and I kept a note of it imagining that it might suit a suitably floppy eared subject. Last year at a show amongst the pig pens, I found my Rascal Flaps!

It's not that easy getting good pig reference even from the shows as access to them is only granted after they have been judged. Most often, by then, they are sleeping in their pens and invariably have their heads buried under the straw. I wouldn't be surprised if Nytol or Mogadon sponsor the trophies for this show!

The acrylic underpainting was put in first. The straw is now completed in oil here

The body is practically completed here and that was how I left it at the end of this session

You can see here that I have continued the dark colouring around the canvas but I haven't continued the painting around it. When I first approached WG with my work Glyn pointed out that it cheapened an image to wrap it around the canvas and I have to say I do agree although to leave it white in this case wouldn't look right.

The nose still needed to be added at this stage

The final image although needs varnishing to bring out all the tones properly

I do actually have an idea for another pig painting but that does involve me visiting the party section in Matalan and I'm not sure I can face that just yet. It never ceases to amaze me that in all the recent snow and ice which has resulted in the closures of some schools, businesses and roads that a number have battled their way throught to Matalan. That they have even considered this a journey of necessity to purchase own label clothing/housewares/luggage etc and then queued with the others to be invited to "till number three" astounds me.

Maybe, these are the types who have virtually stripped nearby Sainsburys of milk, salt, grit and sliced white bread - the very stuff of life (apparently). Survival, it would seem, must have it's price and 69p for a twin pack of Pain Rustique or £1.15 for a "Taste the Difference" ciabatta is the point at which siege mentality ends. Jamie won't be happy!

As to the real Rascal Flaps I can only wonder if romance has survived the year or if the flaps now flutter for another. I can only hope that he isn't sitting on a stockpile of salt and white bread.

Heeland Coos

I'd wanted to paint a black Highland cow for a while but not had the opportunity until spotting this beauty at the Royal Welsh Show last year. Most of the entrants for this category were the usual red type including one which was making his debut and then it all kicked off in the arena. Haven't a clue what started it but it was like a town centre on a Friday night (I know - I've seen the Bill..well, it did lose it's appeal when it was on more than twice a week but you get the idea)

Mr Debut, probably high on sniffing that stuff they spray on their coats to make them shine which smells similar to the stainless steel and chrome cleaner from Lakeland...oh I'm digressing again, disgraced himself running amok and was promptly disqualified. But, I'll give the handler some credit - she did hang on and I bet she has a new personal best for the 100m now! The picture below doesn't capture the excitement of it and the speed they were advancing out of the arena but I didn't think about taking a photo when it first happened as I was a little too close, guess I'll never make a photo journalist!

Anyway, I liked the look of this black one which I painted at a demo and have named him "Dirty McFlirty" as he has that kind of look about him. I had the finished piece float framed in a black contemporary frame and it sold soon after. Unusually for me, I've included the nose ring and that's because I wanted to break up the dark colouring and draw the eye to it.

I have also painted one of my favourite subjects - a Highland calf which is shown below. This is one of the youngsters from an award winning fold not far from me which I paint regularly. "Wee Bairn" is oil on a 24"x24" canvas and float mounted in a chunky contemorary frame.

From Ice Palace to Snow Cow

The new house is extremely warm and I am a convert to new builds and modern insulation although I do think an extra inch or two of soundproofing would not go amiss sometimes especially as baby Stanley (I know!) wails through the wall..still..we're sleeping through the night now but I think teething has started. There are however, less cows on the door step and I will miss being able to see the Limousin bull whilst walking up to the pub but I have spotted a herd of what may be Devon reds six or seven minutes from the house. They've gone in for the winter now so it will be a while before I can assess it but no doubt they will be appearing on a canvas in the near future.

Just before Christmas, for the first time in almost six years the snow fell here and I was able to achieve an ambition to build a snow cow. A rather pleasant hour or so was spent creating a Highland cow as I've painted a few of them recently although the horns proved the most difficult. Despite next door leaning out of the window (not Stanley's dad - the other side) asking if it was a dog (phillistine!) I actually think it turned out quite well. A slight thaw during the night meant it was polled by breakfast as it's horns lay in bits on the grass but not to worry.

If the Flake advert did removals..

Considerable time has elapsed since I last updated this blog but as I have recently moved both house and studio it wasn't up there on my list of priorities. I was under the illusion that I only had a few things and that these could be easily scooped up - think Dick Whittington and the knotted hanky on a pole - wrong!!

The dogs in the previous post were completed in between moving which had been designed to be a leisurely stress free affair - sort of, if the Flake advert did removals! An accelerated and unplanned moving date did mean the packing up became a trolley dash and it wasn't really helped by the lovely couple who owned the bakery near me and insisted that the entire move was done in their van. A kind offer this was but it meant that the logistics had to be masterminded to fit in around their pie deliveries. Stripping the empty pie trays from the van in increasingly record times became akin to the pit stops in Formula 1 especially with the added pressure of avoiding the school run chaos. Fortunately, I did finish the dogs before the move and I showed them to the owners before tempting fate with any varnish however temporary. Hubby wanted an extra highlight in the eye where there would have been none (everyone's a critic!) but other than that they were very happy. It's always traumatic doing commissions and I don't know an artist who enjoys them as people generally know what they don't want (usually when it's done) rather than what they do want. So off it went for framing and I returned to packing.