Summer of color, week two: summer poppy

Summer poppy (gouache and ink)

Week Two of the Summer of color challenge and this week Artists and crafters from around the world were asked to use a limited palette of two main colours with an accent colour. The choice this week is

Teal, coral and white

As last week my inspiration is taken from nature and some of my photographs taken at Dunvegan gardens.

Last week my poppy was aqua blue, this week coral red!

Some of the poppies were a deeper rich red

Beautiful colour combinations can be found all around at this time of year.

A little pixlr magic accentuates the teal and coral colours of this Dock leaf.

I used gouache for my oriental poppy, not a medium I usually use, and because of the limited palette had to abstract and simplify the image more than I would normally. That's what I love about the summer of colour, it gets my brain trying out new things with both colour and form.

Linking up to the wonderful summer of color

Summer of color; blue poppies

On my workdesk today is a sketch for the summer of color challenge.

Neocolor water soluble crayon

My Meconopsis or blue poppy is drawn from a photograph I took recently at Dunvegan castle gardens.
I took loads of flower photographs in the hope they may inspire me for the SOC challenge which runs for six weeks. It follows a colour theme, this weeks colours being, Aqua, yellow and pink.

Aqua, yellow, pink

Linking to
Summer of color

seals in the sun

Thought I would share a few photographs of the seals in Dunvegan bay which I took recently

As you can see they were enjoying the June sunshine almost as much as me!

May and June are my favourite months of the year.

This is Dunvegan bay which has small islets within its sheltered shores. The islets are home to colonies of common seals.

The weather over the past few weeks has been beautiful, the perfect weather for a little boat ride across the bay. The shape of the flat topped mountain, McLeods table, stands clearly in the distance.

                            The seals seem unperturbed by my camera.              

                                                                       only mildly curious.

Seals can often look so sad with their huge watery eyes.

Although this cheeky chap seems to be smiling at me!

And this one, well what a pose for the camera!

And then back to the snoozing....

and why not :)

linking up to Inspiration Avenue 

and also paint party friday 

Fishing on a plate

I love collaging on unusual shapes and materials,
I bought a number of large heavy-duty plastic platter type plates a couple of months ago.

 I covered the plate in newsprint and bookpapers. This makes it easier to collage onto the plastic surface.

My inspiration? The beautiful Portree bay, The lovely sheltered harbour of the main village on the Island of Skye, I love the pastel coloured houses and the way they reflect onto the surface of the water. From the quayside you can take some fabulous boat trips to the nearby island of Raasay and also out to see the famous Sea eagles which nest within the bay.

 I used silver foil for the mackerel.
I do love the way these beautiful fish glimmer with their metal-like scales.

seaweed mermaid

Another mermaid is finished to add to the growing collection. I thought my previous mermaid needed a sister.

I think they look rather nice together!

They are clay and collaged paper on wood.

Her jaunty crown was made from beaded edging. I am not sure what it is called but you buy it by the metre from haberdashery shops.

Her hair is very seaweed-like, encrusted with shells.

I can imagine her resting on the rocks and gazing out to sea.

Cracked textures

Another mermaid on the way.
I am using Ranger Crackle accents on her body.
It is one of the best crackle mediums I have found. The precision point makes application really easy, especially to small pieces.

Messages in the breeze

Messages in the breeze

My Island landscape is finished.
It is about having time,space and peace to remember.  In ancient folklore Dandelion seeds were seen as carriers of messages for long lost loved ones... a wonderful thought.

It is a mixed media piece on canvas.

 I added a piece of seascape into the corner to help with the flow through the canvas.

I also intensified the purples and pinks.

detail

I follow the wonderful Jane Davies blog  'collage journeys'. She wrote recently a piece on how do you know when a piece is finished? she wrote...

 " I am often asked the question:  How do you know when a piece is finished?  There is a long answer, which I try to give at workshops.  And as I give the long answer, I'm trying to find it for myself as well.  It is not a neatly packaged answer, but involves tangents and detours.  The short version is this:  you know that a piece is finished when it isn't bugging you for more development.  When the piece gives you that "a Ha" feeling, and there isn't one thing about it that is niggling at you, then it is done.  When the conversation is over, your piece stops "talking" to you and stands on its own two feet"



A wonderful description!
This piece has finally stopped talking to me! :)

linking up to the Paint party Friday.