Busselton jetty (73)

This scene of the Busselton jetty was taken from a photo in a travel brochure. The jetty stretches 1.8 kilometres across Geographe Bay, making it the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere.

Building of the jetty started in 1865 and it took 95 years to complete. Originally the jetty was used for shipping timber and local produce (mainly potatoes) and horse drawn trucks were used for loading until 1911 when the railway on the jetty became operational.

In 1972 operations stopped and the jetty quickly deteriorated due to wood borers and rot. In 1978, Cyclone Alby swept down the coast, destroying a significant amount of the jetty, and in 1999 a major fire destroyed more than 70 metres of the jetty.

In 2009 restoration of the jetty began and it reopened in February 2011. Today, the jetty attracts over 400,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the south west region of Western Australia.

I loved the dramatic sky in the photo and decided to paint it in oils as a challenge. The result is a little abstract as I found the jetty difficult to paint realistically.

Wyadup Rocks (67)

This scene was taken from a photo in a travel brochure of south western WA. Wyadup Rocks is a stunning part of the coastline near Dunsborough. The rock formations right at the water’s edge make it a very popular spot with photographers.

I was drawn to paint this scene because of the strong colours, the quality of the light and the texture of the water - which although challenging was very satisfying.

Daisy (72)

I did this painting for my partner for Christmas. It’s a portrait of his dog, Daisy, who’s a spoodle (cocker spaniel x poodle).

Daisy loves water. Apparently she dived into the sea the first time she was taken to the beach as a small puppy and hasn’t looked back. She lives for her walks on the beach – at home she just sleeps all day, but when she gets to the beach she’s like a totally different dog! However, her love of water is not restricted to the sea. Once, we took her to a friend’s place and she was playing with their dogs outside when we heard a big splash … Daisy had jumped into their ornamental fountain and pond!

I decided to paint Daisy from a photo taken of her in her element. The portrait of Daisy herself came together very quickly, but I had a bit of trouble painting the sea. In the photo there was a sweeping current of water surrounding her, which I originally put in. However, it didn’t look right so I took it out again.

P.S. For the record, my partner loves the painting!

Stone circle (71)

This is my latest finished painting, based on a photo I took during a six day hike in the Peak District last August. I went with my partner and the walk was the highlight of our trip to the UK. Spectacular scenery, good weather, picture perfect villages and great food and beer every night are hard to beat! We stayed in pubs and B&Bs along the way, which was a pleasant change to walking in Australia where you usually have to carry everything with you.

We came across this stone circle on Stanton Moor near Youlgreave. The moor was a centre for the Bronze Age inhabitants of the area and contains many traces of their occupation. At least 70 barrows as well as stone circles, ancient enclosures and standing stones have been found here, and the area is of such archaeological significance that it is now protected.

Winter wonderland (69)

This is my latest finished painting that I’ve done for this year’s Christmas cards. It’s based on a photo I took during a winter walk in Derbyshire with my cousins a couple of years ago. It was a very cold day and there was frost on the hedgerows and high ground.

I remember that ‘’Rambling Roy, a friend of my cousins, came with us. Although in his 70s, he was much fitter than us young ‘uns! His other great love besides hiking was travelling and he organised independent adventure trips all over the world. Everyone admired him for how fully he embraced life, but sadly, he died of a heart attack less than a year after this walk.

Sweep (68)

 

Sorry for the delay between posts. There have been a few changes in my life this year. Things are just starting to settle down and I am finding time to do some art again. I've resumed art classes and plan on turning a workshop at my new house into a studio. I'm also back into blogging …

If you read the blog I posted on 6 September 2010, you'll remember I did a portrait of a cat I thought belonged to my brother in law, but it turned out not to be his cat! When I was in the UK earlier this year, I made a point of taking a photo of the real Sweep and this painting is the result.

Sweep has very distinct markings and it was difficult to get them exactly right, but I think it’s a pretty good likeness. I originally left the background plain, but Brian, my art teacher, suggested that I paint the carpet in the photo. This had an amazing result on the finished product –  although the carpet camouflages Sweep to some extent, it also seems to make her stand out more.

A river runs through it (54)

This scene is from a photo I took while on a hike with my cousins in Grindleford. It was a lovely crisp autumn day and the colours of the leaves on the trees were stunning.

I decided to do this painting in oils but it took me a long time to get it right and I nearly gave up on it at one point. I’m glad I didn’t though because I feel it captures the light and mood of an English forest in the autumn.