Morning Plants

A view of my kitchen windowsill through the blind in the morning. Also a tribute to the artist who photographs plants pressed on windows and greenhouse glass.

Peacock Butterfly

The hot summer this year seems to have been really good for butterflies. The buddleia by my front door was covered in them. And not just the tortoiseshell and red admirals and whites but my childhood favourite; the peacock butterfly. It’s amazing how butterflies have such wonderful patterns and colours.

Matisse’s Mountain Ash

An experiment! Outside my bedroom window there is a beautiful mountain ash tree. This is gouache, painted on paper and the shapes cut out. It is how my favourite artist Matisse made paintings in his later life. Including my favourite, The Snail. It is also a very soothing technique which gives a fun and retro looking result. It is important to paint the paper rather than using coloured paper so you get the texture and the interesting colours. I plan more of these.

Two Doors

I love this pair of doors on St Swithin Street, Aberdeen. One blue, one pink on a pair of c19th cottages. Another go at gouache here, trying to get the hang of it being quite opaque. You get great colours with it though.

Pitmedden House

I have been meaning to do a picture of Pitmedden House for a while. One of my friends lives in an amazing flat there. Parts of the house date from the 1600s, after which it burned down. It was then rebuilt in the C19th and then heavily altered by the National Trust in the 1950s. The back of the house looks over an amazing formal walled garden. 

This is in pen, ink and gouache to capture the interesting variety and slight decrepitude of the house.

Oxfam Shopping

Another quick Oxfam/charity shop update. Yes I use ‘Oxfam’ to describe all charity shops. I am immune to branding. 

Today I bought a great natural linen jacket, slightly safari style, ex M and S. I love linen and it is unlined with amazing french bound seams in leopard fabric. I like a slightly floppy casual jacket, no giant shoulder pads, gold buttons or rigid fabrics. I looked at some of those Chanel style ones but wasn’t sure I could carry it off. 

Also collecting scarves with metallic patterns. I now have one navy with gold spots and one fawn with copper geometric spots. I like metallic, low key glam.