The path to brothers point

As you may know already I really don't like the cold. Much of my summer is spent outside photographing and drawing so that in the cold months of winter I can spend my days inside making. I think perhaps I would be better suited to hibernation, but alas that does not seem to be possible, so at the moment I am filling my dark days using many of the summer photographs as inspiration.

This is one such snapshot of summer, finished  a few weeks back.

It is a beautiful area of coastline on Skye which I paint regularly

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It is quiet and peaceful, just the odd bleating sheep to break the silence.

I began by painting in the scene roughly with watered down acrylic paint.

I then covered the paint layer with paper fragments. I used pieces of old ordinance survey map as well as foils and hand made papers. ( you can also see my inspiration photo stuck into my scrapbook.)

I applied black gesso in my usual way.

 I decided to lighten the sky and sea and add moulding script to add more texture.

The foreground was filled with cow parsley and grasses using liquid pearls paint and gold leaf. You may notice the tea mug..... earl grey is what makes me function. ;)

Brothers point, mixed media on canvas)

Spring has sprung WOYWW

Not much activity on the work desk today. These pieces still need finishing. ( The eagle eyed of you may be upset by the very messy heatgun :) )

The weather has been too nice to spend too much time inside so over Easter I took loads of Springtime photographs instead. I adore spring, its colour and fresh scents filling my head.

The wood is filled with a carpet of beautiful yellow celandine,

C.S Lewis mentions celandines in the Lion witch and the wardrobe, when Aslan comes to Narnia and the woods change from ' January to may in a few hours'
the children notice 'Wondrous things happening. Coming suddenly around a corner into a glade of silver birch trees Edmund saw the ground covered in all directions with little yellow flowers- Celandine'

The trees are brimming with blossom.

 Everywhere new life appears.

Isn't he gorgeous! :)

Linking up to woyww

Little treasure chest

Last week I linked up for the first time to 'What's on your work-desk Wednesday' and am doing the same this week, It is a great place to share ideas and visit some great new creative blogs.
Over the weekend I completed my first little decorated box. I have been collaging bowls and dishes recently and wanted to try my hand at a little treasure chest.
I found some little plain plywood chests from the craft mill in sets of five. They are very small and have magnetic catches to hold them fastened.

I covered them with various mulberry handmade papers and paint. I finished it with several coats of acrylic gloss medium to seal the surface.

The little Scottish sheep are made by layering texture bead gel over white gesso. This gives a raised rough surface to the woolly fleece.

It was one of my very dear friends birthday at the weekend and my little sheep box made a perfect gift.

Linking up to WOYWW