Mystery Solved...

 I had a reply to my question, this wolf is apparently Nuka!  So glad to be able to title my painting properly.

This is not how I pictured this painting in my head, but it is progressing along quite nicely anyway.  This is bear 451 and her cubs from Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park - she has quite a story whcih I shall tell when the painting is finished.

Wolf With No Name...

I completed this yesterday - it went very quickly despite the amount of brushstrokes needed to render the fur!  Painted in acrylics on a canvas board.

This is one of the wolves we saw at the UK Wolf Conservancy during our visit last year - I took lots of photos with a view to making paintings from them at some point.  Unfortunately, what I didn't do was note down the names of the wolves as I took the pictures - I don't know which one this is.  I've sent an email to the Conservancy with the reference photo asking which wolf it is...I'm kind of hoping it is Torak, the one that escaped and went on an adventure a few weeks ago!

Artist's Block...

Sometimes creativity reaches an impasse.  No idea why, it just happens out of the blue and is extremely frustrating.  Last week - and the week before - I had the time to paint but could not think of a single thing I wanted to paint.  Then when I found a subject, the drawing went very badly indeed and two attempts went in the bin.  So it was time to step away and go and do some heavy gardening to take my mind of it and vent some of my annoyance!

Then I had a search through my collection of photos and found one I had taken at the UK Wolf Conservancy last year that I quite fancied painting.  Three attempts later, I gave myself a mental slap round the face and used a grid to map out the basic sketch properly over the top of the failed efforts, painted out the errors and then it was business as usual.  I'm pleased with how this is progressing and very glad that the awful mind fog has lifted!

Acrylics on Dalerboard.

Wolf

A wolf painted in watercolour, using one of the photos I took at the UK Wolf Trust in September as reference.  Completed this really quickly today - got lost in it for a few hours!

Prints!

Stretched canvas prints of my original paintings, available now in my Etsy shop.

Lurch - A Very Fine Bear...

 I completed this yesterday - it's a portrait of a bear known as 'Lurch' who lived at Brooks Falls,  Katmai National Park in Alaska.  He was a big and powerful old bear, took no nonsense, and I used to like seeing him on the live cams.  However, this July he stopped appearing and a decomposed body was found nearby that was pretty much identified as him by the teeth - it was quite sad, but part of the circle of life.  I didn't plan on painting him, I just happened to see this great photo someone had taken that I wanted to paint from, and the fact that it was Lurch was just lucky.

This has been painted in acrylics on canvas board, and was kind of a follow on from the wolf I painted earlier this month, both close up portraits with no background on square canvases.

 I'd like to do more in this style, just considering which animal to focus on next.

This watercolour portrait has been kept under wraps for over a month as it was a Christmas present for my nephew's wife in the USA.  Hopefully they have opened it by now - I've not heard anything...

A Wolf, A Cake & Mince Pies...

 I did manage to finish this yesterday, plenty of time left before Christmas.  This is a portait of a wolf called Maia who lives at the Wolf Conservancy in Reading.  I have painted this on board using acylics.  While I have a bit of free time, I want to do another portrait - a bear this time - in a similar fashion on a square board. 

 The Christmas cake has been iced - decorating cakes is not my forte, so I keep it simple.  There's enough alcohol in the cake to make you forget about the decoration...

Plus some more mince pies...

No Pressure...

Can I finish this before Christmas?  I think I can....
Acrylics on board.

On Finding The Time...

 I'm thoroughly bored with just how much time organising Christmas takes, especially when you seem to be doing it single-handedly.  There are things I would much rather be doing - like painting this wolf for instance.  I started this acrylic last week and it is still very much in the early stages.  It is proving to be complicated as the fur is a mixture of white, brown and black hairs, but that's the kind of challenge I like.  Taking time out to shut myself off and paint for a couple of hours keeps away the Christmas madness!

I bought this gingerbread house kit for Stacie and I to make together as we have done in years gone by.  However, she told me she didn't want to do it (grr...mumble...) so I thought I would knock it up by myself.  Yeah....this is the last year I shall be doing a gingerbread house.  I thought it might be easier if I decorated the walls and roof first before assembling it as my piping skills leave a lot to be desired at the best of times.  Turns out I'm not much good at piping on the flat either, it's all a bit shaky and without the fun of having Stacie help me, it just became a chore.  I think we'll just eat the thing...

On the needles: a Niffler - yeah, I haven't got a clue either, I'm winging it.

Just Playing...

Having finished all the Christmas commissions early, I'm left with a bit of time on my hands.  An opportunity to make a few things for my own pleasure - doesn't happen often these days!  This funny bear is from a pattern sent to me by a friend - I couldn't resist him, with his big tummy and goofy expression.  It  only took one ball of wool and a couple of evenings knitting.

I also wanted to crochet some snowflakes and make a mobile - turned out very nicely although impossible to photograph in situ.  (Please notice the cute little bird clock we picked up in Ikea the other day....)

Meanwhile on the easel is a wolf - acrylics on board.  This is the very early stages, basically still just blocking in.  Should keep me occupied in the run up to Christmas!

Being Boring....

Apologies - I'm not being a very good blogger this week.  I have nothing new that I can show and nothing interesting is happening.  So let's have a look at a painting I did years and years ago when I first returned to wielding a paintbrush. Back then I was still using photos I found in books and magazines - I wasn't selling much, as I was just starting out. In fact, I still have this painting stashed away in my portfolio - perhaps I should go through and see what else is hiding in there!  This was painted in watercolour.

I have been busy - lots of bits and pieces to be made for the animated film, that rainbow shawlette is near completion, and I started a curly-haired dog but have run out of yarn and await a new ball all the way from the USA.

The garden is sprouting, I have been planting seedlings out there - let's hope there are no frosts!

The porch has reached an impasse which is frustrating - all we need in there is a floor and I could move everything back in, but no idea when that floor will be fitted.  It's been a fortnight of shuffling around piles of porch stuff in the house and I am very fed up...

I am having a stall at Tweseldown Artisan Market on Saturday - pop along if you are in the area. I will be selling all sorts of things, from paintings to jewellery to knitted shawls and novelties.  First time doing something like this - let's hope it is successful!