Something amazing has happened

yesterday we had Blue skies...the whole day  yay!

 in one direction a few scattered clouds

 and the other way

 a few clouds peering over the hill

otherwise it was blue skies...took this picture looking straight up

see - I said it was amazing

Hope that wasn't Summer
still at least I have the picture to remind me!

Seascape and Paint Party Friday

Hi all -

Hope you have had a good week.  We have been busy, but not too much that I couldn't get some sketching done.  The painting aspect for me is on a back burner at the moment. I've works in at a couple of Galleries at the moment....the walls here in the studio are looking a little bare!  Not that I mind as it has been an opportunity to do some little sketches and drawings  - plus reading blogs!

Yesterday was the turn of  a small Seascape....just playing with an idea initially in a sketchbook

 and then changing it a bit onto  postcard size watercolour paper 6" x 4"

Mixed media as I used white gouche for the splashes of the waves..

Loose - quick - simple and

most of all fun to do

I'm Linking to
PAINT PARTY FRIDAY
today
with Thanks to
EVA & Kristin for hosting



HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL

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Rotring Artpen and Paint Party Friday

I do have some favourite ink pens....I expect you do too.   Although I have mentioned this in a previous post (some time ago)  I thought I would just bring this subject up again...if for no reason other than out of interest...

My Favourite pens:

1.  Uniball Eye - Waterproof and Fade proof - I use the Fine version

Really good for sketching and when the ink is dry it doesn't go anywhere.

This is ideal when part of a sketch needs to stay put.

***

2.  Pilot Drawing Pen - Again the Ink is waterproof....ideal.  Nice to draw with, it is what it says
        Drawing Pen.

***

3, Lamy Safari - Nice and chunky to hold

Not waterproof ink, so very useful when needed.

I love how this pen works, so smooth to write and draw with.

***

 

3.   Pilot V5 Hi-Techpoint  - I use the 0.5 version which comes in useful for thicker lines in sketching

Again, this one isn't waterproof, and works well

for spreading the ink across a sketch

and finally

4.  Rotring Artpen -  I have two of these - One containing Black cartridges the other with Brown     Ink....

Again not waterproof ink, but very nice to hold and use......

As I said, I have two of these.  The Brown, however, does not come out Brown...I think it looks far more Red than brown!    Okay, not a problem if that's what you want, but Rotring changed this colour a few years ago....it used to be true Brown.  Why on earth they had to make it Red I don't know...and yet they still call it Brown!    Misleading I think.   

I still use it though...

See what I mean.  These photos have come out pretty true to the actual colour

and these chickens still look red to me not brown!

With thanks to Cris at An Artists Country Life

for the inspiration for these chicken sketches...thanks Cris

Has anyone else out there found the same issue with the Rotring 'Brown' ?

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Today I am Linking to

Paint Party Friday

with Many Thanks to

EVA & Kristin

****************

Isle of Wight

After our experience with the Hotel in the New Forest (see this post if you haven't already) we were pleased to continue our travels and go on to the next Hotel, this one on the Isle of Wight

and so to a Hotel we have stayed in before.

The Luccombe Manor Hotel   at  Shanklin

Where they gave us a Warm welcome (literally) they had central heating...yay!

We had a recently modernised room...clean  and no mold!...  yay!

They had Internet coverage....yay!

And they had more than 2 channels on the TV....yay..again! 

Here are some photos and a mini grand tour for you...


Culver Down 
(click each heading for map of where these places are on the island)

....although a cold grey day, we went up onto this hill to look back across Sandown

this is where William met the little beasties.....

Ventnor

I got to do a plein air sketch (well, from the car anyways...does that count as plein air I wonder)

St. Catherine's Lighthouse
..we had a pleasant walk down the lane to it  - although not open that day for a closer nose..

of course the inevitable sketch!

in fact I stood on the steps that were like a giant stile.... you may have seen the pic of William on them...   

from that vantage point I did this 360 degree video, so you get to see the view too..



St. Catherine's Lighthouse Isle of Wight from anns art on Vimeo.






Totland Bay

with it's sadly neglected pier

No sand here for William to run and play on, just shingle.  He still had fun in the sea though

Totland Bay beach from anns art on Vimeo.



Totland bay#2 from anns art on Vimeo.

Colwell Bay
and a sketch of Fort Albert

and if you are still here and haven't nodded off (yawn)....Finally,

Cowes
Famous for the yachting week

and yes, I did a quick sketch

I think I'm a Lone Urban Sketcher sometimes!

Hope you enjoyed this

mini tour

*********

Look what I saw....

...whilst at Arlington Court today


way up in the trees I spotted this

Cute or what!