ENDING WITH A BEGINNING.....

The last day, in fact the last minutes of 2010. Holidays are really confusing I got to that stage this morning that I wasn't sure what day it actually was, for some reason it was Tuesday in my mind. Then off course not only my mind was mush the weather was too.....foggy, I could hardly see in front of me going to the yard this morning. Hasn't cleared much all day and feels a bit like the year is fading away.
My intention was to have another small painting too finish the year with....not snow you'll be pleased to hear but it just didn't happen. Oh I tried, but it just wasn't right. So, I picked up a pencil and one of the many pristine sketch books that I seem to collect and sketched for the first time in yonks. A quiet hour or so just me, the pencil and the paper a good way to end the year.....with the beginning of an idea.

A Happy and Prosperous 2011 to you all.....Elizabeth

"SNOW DUNES, TROON" ACRYLIC 8X6

Snow Dunes, Troon
Acrylic 8x6 on board

Managed it finished before knocking off time :)

WORK IN PROGRESS CHRISTMAS EVE ON TROON BEACH

Sorry to keep reminding you all about the snow we had but sometimes somethings just have to be painted. I'm sure someone with a better memory than me will be able to inform me that Troon Beach has been covered with snow before, and that the shoreline had actually frozen but I don't ever remember it happening. So I just had to capture the moment. After all "painting is just another way of keeping a diary". Still a ways to go yet with the foreground but I'm stopping now for the paint to dry and me to gather my thoughts about it. Sometimes you can get so lost in what your doing. When I looked out the studio window it was a bit of a surprise to find there was no snow....lol

"THE BIG FREEZE" ACRYLIC 6X7

The Big Freeze
Acrylic 6x7 On Board

sold

Taking advantage of the holiday period to have some down time, though it can be hard at times to break the normal habit. This little snow scene was the result of withdrawl symptoms. The big freeze we've been having has for some of us started to disappear. The last couple of days have been just above zero at 3C and the snow has all but gone albeit with the help of some rain. Have to say everything looks a bit dismal at the moment and it seems so much darker. The water is lying on the fields so the ground must still be frozen and a little sunshine might help with a thaw. Racing at Ayr for the New Year meeting is a maybe and I think the ground will have to soften a lot more.

Well a little lunch is in order followed by a visit to the yard to tidy things up then it's back to re-runs of Coloumbo, Poirot, Miss Marple e.t.c. Hope y'all had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to a brand new year.

Elizabeth

emccrindleart@hotmail.co.uk

CHRISTMAS EVE - SNOW DUNES, TROON BEACH

Snow Dunes, Troon Beach

copyright Elizabeth McCrindle

"It's Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air" ~ W T Ellis

DOING, NOT SAYING......

"Sledging"
by James Orr

I received this Christmas card the other day from an artist friend Jimmy Orr and each time I look at it a smile starts from with in. Everything about it is just so right, not just colour and compostition but it tells a story, one that you wish you could enter the painting and take part in. I can almost hear the excited chatter of the two friends off across the field with their sledge.

We're almost at the end of the year, a time to re-group ready to start afresh. Last year I wrote a whole screed about what I would be doing and haven't accomplished half of it. So, this year it's not going to be about saying but about doing. First thing I will be doing is going back to having just one blog....this one! You'll find all my news on here as always, though perhaps not on a daily basis, I need to spend more time at the easel and less on the computer.

A new year is an exciting new start, the beginning of the next part in the journey. Thanks for the past year and all the lovely comments you have no idea how encouraging they are. Sometimes it can feel like it's just me and the easel and then I come here and find that someone's been looking over my shoulder. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year.

Elizabeth

WINTER SOLSTICE.....

"SOME HEAT IN THE SKY" ACRYLIC 6X8

Some Heat in the Sky
Acrylic 6x8
SOLD

(Off to the frozen North of Scotland)

I know there are plenty people all over the UK at the moment cursing this winter spell we've been having but it does make for some beautiful paintings. I love the muted colours and although you might think there isn't much colour around it's there if only you take the time to look. There have been some beautiful sky's at sunrise and sunset. This was just before sunset a last moment of heat in the sky before the temperature started dropping into minus.

Wrap up and stay warm wherever you are today and thanks for looking in.

Elizabeth

"PETER" (Charolais Bull) ACRYLIC 6X8

"Peter" study of a Charolais Bull

Acrylic 6x8

Spent today on the finishing touches to Peter the bull and if I say so myself he's looking pretty handsome. This is the first of the paintings I'm planning of the Charolais family that I'm very lucky to have almost at my doorstep. Peter as I call him gave me cause for concern (even though they don't belong to me) at the beginning of the year when it was obvious that he was ill with what looked like a tumor on his right hip. He was desperately thin and for a while he remained in a small paddock next to the farm by himself. He was put in with the ladies and their calves around July still looking very poorly but as the weeks went by there was a gradual change in him as his body began to fill out and the lump receded. Spending time watching the herd it's obvious that he is very caring and protective of his family group even the calves that I'm sure aren't his, I've often caught him licking and nudging them playfully. If he were human he'd be a right nice bloke :)

Elizabeth

emccrindleart@hotmail.co.uk

WINTER WONDERLAND......

A bit to go yet

I have to admit to being a little grumpy this morning when I woke. A quick look outside told me that nothing had changed from the day before and that I would be on foot to Busbiehill. Don't get me wrong I love walking but it's time consuming and I was hoping to spend time today at the easel. It was also bitter cold but fortunately I had not long bought myself a new pair of walking boots and they performed very well gripping the icy road...so I could march on without fear of landing on me bum lol. It really didn't take long for my demeanour to change. There is something about the magic of snow that touches your soul and instead of freezing it heats your heart till you just can't help but smile. Time literary stood still as I drunk in the views before me and although I missed out today at the easel ideas have been formed deep in my mind. I had my camera with me and thought I'd share with you all some of what I saw.

Who would have thought a metal gate could be transformed to something so pretty.

Arrived at the top of Busbiehill where an eager to get out Tara was waiting for me.

This my favourite natures own droplet earrings.

SLIP SLIDING.......

Getting there slowly but surely with the Charolais, hoping to have him finished tomorrow. I'm really enjoying trying to capture the texture of his coat. He's quite a furry bear and his face especially has curly hair. I'm going to do more studies of him and much larger than this one, this one is bit fiddly (if thats a word).
I had intended having him finished this afternoon but had a bit of drama when winter hit us once again with heavy snow falling from around 11 o'clock in the morning until about half two in the afternoon. I managed up to feed Tara at lunchtime with no problems but it was a different story in the evening. Expecting trouble I set off early so that it was still light. Driving at a crawl on untreated roads everything was fine till Busbiehill, was almost at the top (typically) when my tyres lost grip. Was nothing for it but to reverse back down the hill, car had other ideas as the back end slid round, and I was stuck firmly in the middle of the road on the middle of the hill. Got out and walked to the yard for a shovel and grit. Got a shovel no problem but no grit as the Council hadn't left any, was nothing for it but to raid Andra's refuge bin. Andra has a coal fire and every morning he put his ashes into a plastic bag and drops it in the bin. So it was Andra's and not Angelas Ashes that saved me the embarrassment of having to get towed off the hill........tomorrow I'll walk :)

"GOLD IN THE SNOW" ACRYLIC 6X8 ALL TWEAKED......

Gold in the Snow

Acrylic 6x8

Much happier now that I've gone back and done a bit of tweaking with this painting. I added some more golden stubble in the snow on the foreground. I also deepend the glow on the horizon and thinned the distant hawthorn. Sweet dreams for me now :)

Elizabeth

emccrindleart@hotmail.co.uk

FINISHED WELL MAYBE NOT!!

This is one of those paintings that your not really sure about. You look at it but your aren't really sure if you like it or if your just desperate for it to be done. So I'm going to sit on the fence with it for the time being.....guess that means it ain't done yet. Looking at it on here I'm tempted to put more of the golden stalks in, guess it won't hurt to try can always take them back out.

A LITTLE FURTHER ON........

Been a busy week with one thing after another but finally today I managed to get back to Peter. Looking at it tonight he looks as if he has a mean streak so you'll have to believe when I say he doesn't. As bulls go he's a bit of a softie though that doesn't mean to say I'd cuddle up next to him :) Probably once I soften some of the hard lines on his face he'll look cuddlier!