We have not had any serious snow in the UK yet, I love it as long as it does not go on for too long.As soon as there is some snowfall I go out with a camera to find suitable views to turn into paintings.Given that I live in a city with many lovely old buildings that is not hard. Winter snow scenes remind me of memories of Christmas, friends and family returning home ,and the cool, cold silence and peace that a deep fall of snow imparts. Many famous artists have painted snow scenes , here are some of my favourites.
After a week of trying to set up an Amazon Selling account I have got absolutely nowhere.They keep telling me I have to send different documents to prove that I am me, perhaps I should stick with my ebay account.
At least it has given me more time to select a few books to sell.
When the account is finally set up I shall start with these two.
This book published in 1985 is full of charming illustrations to well known poems about elves and fairies.
A more recent book is
I bought this book very recently,it is a very full account of modern still life .It was not quite what I wanted and I shall be selling it for a lot less than the £22 I paid for it.
The time has come, I have to get rid of some of my stuff, it is taking over especially the books so I have spent hours opening an Amazon (UK) selling account and will be selling some of my lovely books under the name
Cambridge Attic
My attic is not quite as bad as this but it will be if I do not start downsizing soon.
Summer is over and I have used the things that I saw around me to make 3 paintings for an exhibition.
One of my academic neighbours let a rose bush grow wild and it has reverted to natural flowering for a brief period in June showing the pretty traditional Tudor rose blossoms. Still to be seen in our hedgerows in England.
I have inherited a lot of pottery and china from my grandmothers and mother .I shall have to cut down on it sometime but have fond memories of drinking tea with my family brewed in this old teapot.
Sunflowers did well in my garden , their big golden heads alive with bumble bees and butterflies.The shops were full of big cheap bunches of them too.I saw the Van Gogoh exhibition in London in July, who could resist having a go at a sunflower painting after seeing his?
The Final Result
Three paintings entered for the Cambridge Open Art Exhibition Grandma's Teapot sold already.
People reading have been the subjects of many famous paintings.Reading when travelling,with children,in the bathroom, or my favourite place which is in bed. We read to learn,for the pleasure of a good book,letters from loved ones, to catch up on the news or to find comfort from old favourites like The Bible.
These are some of the reading paintings that I like best. I wonder where you dear reader are reading this.
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking, And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
Artists have painted the sea to show the enjoyment of it all, the dangers ,ancient story telling, movement from one place to another and nostalgia.I have not mentioned merchant vessels or battles in this blog. I will look at these another time.
The joy of sailing is embodied in this painting by Winslow Homer.The boys are having an adventure taking their little boat out to sea alone.I wonder how many parents would let their children test themselves like this today.
Breezing Up a Fair Wind,Winslow Homer
Stories and legends about the sea are a source of inspiration to artists.The beautiful girls known as sirens whose irrestible voices lured sailors to their deaths on the rocks have been painted here by the Victorian artist Waterhouse. The rocks the sirens are said to inhabit are off the coast of Sorrento in Italy. I have been there many times but never seen a siren.
The Sirens, Waterhouse
Fishing has inspired many artists .One of my favourites is the fisherman artist Alfred Wallis who had no art training, little money for materials and painted in a charming, naive style the boats around his village in Cornwall.
Five Fishing Boats, Arther Wallis
The light and colours of the sea were favourite subjects of Impressionist artists.Here the romance of fishing boats with sails are set against the changing times with a steam powered ship.
Fishing Boats Coming In Before The Wind,Manet
Oceans that have to be crossed as a means of reaching a new life have been painted as emotional emigrants leave their homeland and set out for another world.Hardship onboard and surviving the terror of storms on the high seas are illustrated in these prints.
The relief of seeing land after many weeks at sea after a slow journey on a sailing ship is felt in this much loved painting by Montague Dawson.
Land Ho ,Montague Dawson
Rescue at sea is often carried out by Life Boatmen who volunteer to rescue ships in trouble at sea.Some seaside towns in the U.K. give demonstrations on the beaches that are open to the public.Aldeburgh in Suffolk is one village that does this.
The Lifeboat,W.L.Wylie,1873
The sea has become the playground of the super -rich especially around the resorts of Monte Carlo,Nice and the Greek islands and Florida where magnificent yachts worth billions of dollars can be seen in the harbours.The less affluent can travel the world on the enormous luxury cruise liners that can be seen in tourist harbours around the world.
