Dog Park

Here is Cathy's painting of the Dog Park at the dam.

 

Cathy wrote that she thought of Ivy when she was painting these images. Ivy is my greyhound.   Ivy would really have had fun with the water and the other dogs.  I love seeing the dogs having so much fun in the water.  Below is the back side of the postcard with the words removed so you can see that Cathy has captured the stance of a dog owner waiting for her pet.

  Unfortunately this is one of the postcards that got lost.  Cathy sent me the image so I could share with you.

Double Happiness from Liz

I'm always surprised and excited when a postcard arrives from Liz Steel but this time it was double happiness when I opened the envelop to find two!

This is Port Macquarie, Liz's January holiday destination on the coast of New South Wales.  It was painted on Australia Day after a swim.  I hope everyone can see the texture in this clever little painting.  Sketching the sea is a new passion for Liz so hopefully there'll be many more of these.

This Singapore kopitiam (coffee house) was sketched prior to Liz's 'breakthrough' earlier in the year when she started some exciting experiments that resulted in the beautiful textural effects you can see in the first postcard.  After all the fun the artist started having she though this one 'looked very dull'.  If only my sketches were so 'dull'.

Thank you so much Liz, these postcards are both heading for a frame.

Liz sketches in Sydney

I can only apologise to Liz for the late posting here of her card. I received it ages ago but must have popped it in a sketchbook for safe keeping. It was only recently I used the book to find, with great relief, the card inside.

If you're a follower of Liz's Blog I think you might detect a change in her work, a freer, looser use of the watercolour medium.

 I love the direction she's going in and it's great to see the sheer joy she's experiencing coming through in her sketches.

Liz says this card, showing St Thomas, North Sydney, shows her experimenting with distorted perspective and loose brushstrokes.

And I should mention that the sketch was to be completed in under 15 minutes

It's wonderful to have a real Liz Steel in my possession.

http://www.lizsteel.com/

A watercolour to crow about

Alison saw this crow while out walking along a river tow path.  He was splashing around in a puddle.  It was a really bright day and his feathers were gleaming.  She's captured it beautifully.  Hard to believe this is her first attempt at painting a crow.  I bet she was tempted to hang on to this one so I'm doubly delighted it's flown to me.  Alison achieved the beautiful blacks of the crow with W&N Neutral Tint mixed with Indigo and Winsor Blue.  

The painting came with a beautiful card printed with one of Alison's gorgeous photos of deer in London's Richmond Park.  It's close to Alison's home.  I'm really tempted to visit!

Four students from Albrecht's drawing course at the Swabian Alps.

I am a big admirer of Albrecht's drawings. Looking at his postcards, you will understand why: No fanfare and funny tricks, but good solid knowledge of technique and with a talent to add just the necessary creativity and expression to bring it to life. Not many artists have all these skills in balanced amounts.


If you look closely at his postcard, you will see that one can take away any of the elements and the artwork will still be able to stand tall. I see many sketches which rely on the addition of a second or even third medium to turn it into good art. It is an aspect I strive fro in my own art: the ability to draw a single line so that it draws on all elements of good art making to be able to stand on its own. Which brings me back to my firm belief: to do good art, one has to have a knowledge of drawing. Technique and the basic principles of drawing DO have a solid place in art. Albrecht's postcard is testament to my belief.
Have a look at the close-up to below see the lovely lost and found edges, a technique which seduces the eye of the viewer to "continue the lines and complete the drawing", a great way to get the viewer involved in a painting/drawing/sketch.

This sketch was done by Albrecht during his last drawing course of the year and it is four of his students busy working under the beech tree that he captured. the course took place at the Swabian Alps, "which was about 50 million years ago the borderline of a warm Jurassic ocean". Albrecht and his students were fortunate to find many fossils during this course...something else I love...digging for fossils!

Read more of this course and his other work here.

Thank you for my beautiful postcard Albrecht.

How now, Ayrshire cow?

My second postcard from Bridget, and I'm so pleased to have one of the very appealing residents that abound in the area in which she lives. This Ayrshire calf was spotted in a field on a walk with friends - it sounds like Bridget had to forego the packed lunch to get him on paper! She says she had such trouble drawing the legs that she left them out, but I love the way he seems to have walked right up to her in the quizzy way that cows sometimes do, full of movement and twitching skin, to stare at her with those beautiful eyes, and now staring at me!

196 Cards from A Postcard from my walk - a tribute to Earth Day

Our project has come to an end. With many stories to tell about lost cards and some destroyed by rain and some never received and some resent...it was exciting, kept us on our toes and we were constantly challenged to come up with interesting and original subjects. But here we are...a little over a year later and very appropriate for earth day 2012, we look back on our cards and a great satisfaction and contentment bring a smile to our faces. It was a year well spent around the pencil and brush.

 

Click on each image to see the bigger version.

Cards sent by:

Albrecht Richter - Germany

Alison Staite - England

Bridget Hunter - Scotland

Cathy Gatland - South Africa

Charlene Brown - Canada

Desirée Dianne Habicht - USA

Felicity Grace - Switzerland

Katherine Tyrrell - England

Liz Steel - Australia

Martin Stankewitz - Germany

Pat Reece - USA

Robyn Sinclair - Italy

Ronelle van Wyk

Vivien Blackburn - England

Thank you to everybody who shared this trip with us around the world, whether it was by regular visits or leaving comments or simply just stopping by. The more the company, the merrier the spirit!

Thank you!

Strawberries, apricots and gifts "sur la table".

My last card was from Desiree and it came wrapped as a big surprise.
An enticing strawberries card, seeing how much I love food...

-watercolor on watercolor paper, 12,5x18cm-

...and a beautiful apricot branch in bloom(may I receive the apricots card soon..)..

-watercolor on watercolor paper, 15,5x11,5cm-

...both hidden inside THIS...with its own bookmark(handmade of course by the artist herself....

I am spoiled! Thank you sweet friend from sunny California!

Felicity's Postcard

This lovely painting from Felicity was such a pleasure to receive. She has captured here in this rendering of this colorful flower a special botanical just for me. I and thrilled to add it to my collection of treasures. I have to point out the spatter of paint identifying the opposite corners of the card from the stamps. This delicate detail is just another variation of eye candy that Felicity has provided for the observer.

Felicity Grace
Watercolor on paper
Postcard

I was surprised to find out that I had missed calculated in my last post.  I thought Ronelle's was my last postcard but now I have found one more in my mailbox.

Thank You Felicity for my Postcard From Your Walk.

What a Finale!

My last postcard has arrived safely and how appropriate that it is from Katherine Tyrrell, who brought us all together through Sketchercise.

Do click on the image and you will see I've posted a large version so everyone can enjoy Katherine's beautiful fine penwork and her skilled approach to overlaying different layers of coloured pencil to achieve wonderfully natural colours.

This is certainly more painting than postcard - 16.5 x 24 cms on Arches HP.  It's a drawing of the new Chinese Pagoda in London's Victoria Park.  Such beautiful reflections in the West Lake which Katherine says is not yet full again following the major desilt operation. 

Thank you so much, Katherine.  This one is now in search of a suitable frame.

The Willow Tree always look beautiful... my Card from Alison

Willow Tree Across the Lake February 2012

This card from Alison is the last one of this great project. She wrote me... 

The weather is now a little warmer, so I was able to sit by the lake in Richmond Park and paint this by any freezing! It was a day with grey sky, but the willow trees always look beautiful even in the winter. I know that you especially like willow trees so it seemed appropriate that I tried to paint it for you!

Well done Alison! Thank you very much Alison for this thoughtful and special dedication. 

Now I'm proudly present my collection of cards you have sent to me in the last month. Thanks everybody!

Roof Top Ambiance

Here it is….Ta Da! 

Ronelle’s postcard. 

Roof Tops of Vayrac, France

Ronelle said she painted this scene, from a hill top, of a cute little village she likes to go to, for the best coffee and ambiance. You can see even the roof tops have ambiance, let alone having a bistro that serves great coffee. I am on a plane tomorrow for that…..I Wish! Of course when you have something like this in your hand every line and wash of vibrant color just makes your heart tingle.

Here is a corner of the envelope.

As always, when you get something form

Ronelle, even the envelope is deliciously rendered.

I am so sorry to say that this is the last postcard I will receive from our 14 month adventure of the blog “A Postcard From My Walk”.  And Yep!, I have 14 original paintings from 14 great artists (that I soooo! respect) and from all over the world.