Tuesday, July 10, 2018

"Summertime" by Lynda Cookson

It's hard to believe that it's been two weeks since I've had a chance (and the energy in this heat!) to write a few words and upload another painting. Time flies for sure when you're having fun.

Life is full of extremes it would seem ... it always seems to be cold Winter or hot Summer. What happens to balmy Spring and cooling Autumn? They zip by without even a greeting some years. We're either not doing things around the house and garden because it's too cold and icy, or we're wishing we weren't doing things around the house and garden because it's too jolly hot!

In the spirit of heat, here's ...

"Summertime"
Oil on Paper
4" x 6" (11 x 15 cm)

"Summertime" by Lynda Cookson




Tuesday, June 26, 2018

"Finding My Haven" is an abstract oil painting, in size about 24" x 28" (62 x 77 cm). I've never exhibited it as it was painted at a time of extreme vulnerability for me and I feel it shows too much of my inner turmoil at that time. I realise that it's very likely only me who can see that turmoil, but nevertheless it's only now I feel I can really put it out there.



Together with my husband, I had been caring for my 90 year old mother for some years, whilst trying to find my feet in Ireland. We had emigrated from South Africa and, although very happy to be in Ireland, felt a little lonely and every inch a "blow in". A "blow in" is a stranger in the land.

It's hardly much of a generalisation to say that everything in the northern hemisphere is different to that of the southern hemisphere. Geography, history, how languages are spoken, perceptions, the stars, the sun, the moon, weather, animals, plants ... you name it, and there are more differences than there are similarities. Even the smells and, for an artist, the basic colours, are different. It's quite an onslaught on the senses. Most of all, cultures are different and I found myself almost like a little animal, trying to sniff out my boundaries of how and where I might find a place to belong.

Caring for a very elderly person whose dementia rapidly developed into Altzheimers is quite tough. Especially when it's your mother and the care needs to be literally 24/7. To put it in a nutshell, it is draining. Very draining indeed when you don't feel all that secure in your own environment at the same time.

This all sounds very negative. It's not. We were happy and willingly took on all these challenges. We did get tired though!

It was during one of these tired periods that a friend gave me a break and I spent a week in her unoccupied apartment, overlooking Galway Bay, where I had time to reflect, to recharge my batteries ... and to paint "Finding My Haven".

Recently, I have been in touch with Hillary Mulholland, a poet who attended the same school as I did a few decades ago in South Africa. I sent her an image of "Finding My Haven" for her to work her word-magic. When she sent me her poem I felt like she had been watching me emigrate and battle with those demons; she seemed able to follow my path for those years and recognise when I took another step. She had seen inside to the soul of "Finding My Haven"
Lynda
 

Feet uprooted from the soil of birth

Heart torn from familiar air and earth

Soul in flight to distant shores

Uncertainty hovers, drips then pours ...

Moving ahead boldly then reluctant return....

Where will I love and what will I spurn

Stark deserted desert dunes.....

Ravaged once resplendent ruins....

Torpid tropical tangled trees....

Craven cold city that cares nor sees....

Unwelcome hands and hostile stares

In vanquished villager hope still glares

Sophisticated settler shares the same

Unending unnerving guessing game

Balmy beautiful broken beach

Moody mountains beyond my reach

Where the wind of humanity blows

And humility like a river flows

Here I will find my haven .......

Hillary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Wednesday, May 30, 2018

"Rose Melody" by Lynda Cookson

Okay so I may have told a little porky last time. I said "back to oils" ... but I still have this compulsion to tackle watercolour, with the added inspiration that my four climbing roses have started to blossom in profusion. Who can resist roses?!

I must say I find them extremely difficult to paint but hopefully by the end of summer, having tackled a rose painting as often as I can - in both watercolour and oils - perhaps it won't be so bad.

It's amazing how many petals roses have. When you're trying to sketch or paint a full blown rose the eye tends to get mixed up as to which petal you have just put in place and which one folds in or under the next!

Colour is another challenge because no roses seem to be the same colour as the paints I possess. I've never been one for colour mixing and prefer to put pure colour next to or on top of another pure colour to see what magic they can perform. With watercolour this is very different to working with oils.

And so I continue to battle on! LOL

"Rose Melody" by Lynda Cookson




Sunday, May 27, 2018

Back to oils for a while

My website is now revamped and up and running (smoothly, I hope!). You can find it here and I'd really appreciate comments on how you think it looks and works. Please and thanks :-)

Wild Summers. The Art of Lynda Cookson : https://lyndacookson.blogspot.fr

In the background I continue to wrestle with watercolour as a medium but for now, I'm heading back to oils.

I have a commission to paint the home of my Loney ancestors who used to live in St Martins, St Peter Port, Guernsey and will be getting on to that this week. This is the beautiful farm house, known to be dated back at least as far as the early 1400s when it could have been the Pastor's house.

There's another house in St Peter Port my ancestors occupied and it's evidently the most haunted house in Guernsey. The house, on Tower Hill, sits a the junction where the road splits into two and is one of those which has a skinny end wall. It was against this end wall where witches were burned at the stake! Plenty of witchy ghosts abound.

Right opposite the house is The Cornerstone Pub, the favourite haunt of Victor Hugo in his time living on Guernsey. We had a snack and a beer there but he didn't grace my ear with any ghostly literary hints I'm afraid.

I've promised a charcoal drawing of the family house as well, so expect messy black fingerprints on my next blog post! All will be posted up here when I'm good and ready.

In the meantime ....

"Henry" by Lynda Cookson




Friday, May 25, 2018

"Resist and Recover" Kyo Art Gallery Grand Opening

It's today!
The Kyo Gallery in Washington DC (Alexandria) have their Grand Opening Night with "For Faith and Country" as one of the paintings on show.
If you are in the area, or know of anyone in the area, and if you can't pop in tonight, please do so, or ask folk to do so, during the weekend? I'd love it if someone was able to take a pic of my painting there for me ... a long shot, I know xx
Your invitation is in the images .....
"For Faith and Country" 
Invitation to the Grand Opening


Thursday, May 10, 2018

The story of "Lone Tree" by Lynda Cookson

A funny thing happened with this little watercolour called "Lone Tree".

I'm using up old pieces of watercolour paper which belonged to my Mum way back when, and I mean really way back when. She probably bought the paper close to 25 years ago. I've been trying out different brush stroke techniques and this piece of paper took the paint in different ways. I liked it so I left it. There's a block to the left of centre in the blue sky where the paint took smoothly. For the rest of it, "it blotched". The effect was to make a simple brush stroke more interesting ... with a hint of weather.

I used a wet on dry technique and the paper seemed to be very absorbent either side of the oblong shape where the paper allowed the paint to be brushed on smoothly.

"Lone Tree" by Lynda Cookson



Friday, May 04, 2018

Fine Art America links

sheep metal prints

Monday, April 16, 2018

Harriet

I'd like to introduce you to Harriet. She just popped up from nowhere on a sunny day with a secretive little smile on her face.

"Harriet" is a watercolour on paper measuring 4" x 6" (10 x 15 cm)

I'm beginning to learn a bit about which type of watercolour paper I prefer to use, how much water is good or bad on my brush, which size brush is best for what ... and just generally what comes naturally with a bit of practise.

There's been a lot of moving the studio (grand word for a little space!) around so that I'm comfortable and not tripping anyone up with the extended legs of my easel. The palette of watercolour paints has now found it's place at the top of my easel and a shelf has been cleared for water and brushes. I need a safe place for the water because I'm a real klutz and knock and drop things very easily indeed.

Now, with a swivel of my chair, I can be at my computer keyboard, be oil painting or glass painting on my table, or be watercolour painting at my easel. And there's still space for Bridie the German Shepherd under my table. Voila!

"Harriet" by Lynda Cookson

My art website  :  https://lyndacookson.blogspot.fr/


Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Open Studio

Living in such a small space as we do now in our "old age"... (Okay, I should remove those inverted commas around "old age" because although I don't feel it, I think one of us in our mid sixties and the other in his early seventies, is actually considered being in your old age. Sigh.)

To finish that first sentence about a small living space, I've sorted all my work which can either be sold or given away, and set it all out in our motorhome! It's become my Open Studio even although it serves as our only car as well. We don't go out much in summer - too hot for both me and Bridie the German Shepherd - so why not?

My acrylic abstract pendants are there, along with glass painted tea light holders, mini paintings on mini easels, abstract acrylic vases, mountboarded paintings and framed paintings. The whole shebang.

Now to make myself a sign.

These are a couple of the paintings, and some of the pendants, on show there.

 "Blue Headed Red Breasted Bird" oil on
mini deep edge canvas with silver leaf

"Toadstools" mini oil painting on wood with gold glitter glue 

Abstract seascape pendant. Acrylic 

 Abstract landscape pendant. Acrylic

Owl Pendants

My art website  :  https://lyndacookson.blogspot.fr/


Monday, April 09, 2018

Palette Knife Painters Group Images 19 March to 1 April 2018

Wednesday, April 04, 2018

The life of an artist

You know it's jolly hard work being a professional artist.

 "Green Tea Pot" by Lynda Cookson

It doesn't just start and stop at creating work with paints and other mediums, and then getting it framed. Then sold.

The work begins, often not with an idea, but with the process of looking for an idea. Trying out various inspirations in your head, choreographing them into compositions (still in your head) and playing with colour and shape. There are sleepless nights involved in this process!

Along with the creation of the piece, unless you have a large studio where mess and organisation are not that important, a lot of housework takes place with cleaning, sorting, and looking after your brushes and tools. Unless you're Francis Bacon who worked in a small studio with such a mess there was hardly a space to walk. The mice loved his studio.

"Ancient Forest" by Lynda Cookson

Often there's the preparation of the surface you're going to work on. This is not a huge process for me for each surface as I use artists' gesso. In the olden days artists had to mix and cook their own form of gesso. Just like they used to mix their own paints.

After the work has been created and framed if necessary, and because there are so many artists in these times who do not have the luxury of an agent, the marketing begins.

Each piece is photographed, having spent the time to set up a suitable space where the light is good and the painting is lying flat or is propped at the correct angle. The images are downloaded onto the computer where the originals are edited (cropped, and the correct light and colours fine tuned). Each edited  image is then saved in a separate folder (see my ePlan for how this is set out https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.fr/ ). A second programme is opened in order to edit the edited image to a size suitable for online use and this is also filed.

Then each painting has to be protected with cling film and stored safely, especially if it has been well (and expensively) framed.

Looking for new galleries to represent you and your work is constant. In the present economic climate, unless you have already established yourself as an artist investors look out for, prices cannot be set that high if you want sales. To pay the bills and put food on the table you therefore need more sales and consequently more outlets selling your work. After paying shipping/delivery costs and gallery commission, then taking into account the costs you had to outlay to get the finished piece, the profit in your pocket is not very high at all.

Although I have managed to get my work into four galleries at the moment (it used to be more but some galleries have closed down) I still find it necessary to try and sell directly from my studio as well.

"Storm" by Lynda Cookson

This brings me to the present. Yesterday I spent most of the day pricing, setting up and displaying my paintings and other craftwork in our motorhome which will be my public studio for the summer. Each time we need to go to the shops or out somewhere, because our motorhome also serves as our daily vehicle, I have to stow everything away safely (probably on the bed!) and then set it all out again when we get home.

There's also the matter of how and where to advertise. This usually involves designing and printing signs and/or leaflets which need to be distributed in various relevant ways and places. More time spent.

In my case, I also take studies which I have produced in the process of making my formal art work, and I put them out publicly somewhere - like a bench at the swimming pool, with a note on them saying it is a gift to whoever finds it. In this way I hope to lead more people to my open studio.

Lastly, I have to make sure that whatever work I am doing whilst running an open studio, is something that can be dropped at a moment's notice if someone visits the studio.

It's really constant work, and sometimes very physical, but I love it!

"The Scent of Rose" by Lynda Cookson



Monday, April 02, 2018

Charcoal Line Drawings on Abstract Monoprints

I have been having fun sorting paintings from my stock. They've been packed away for a while and are only being brought out now for some Open Studio days during summer.

Here's a rather different collection of 4 Charcoal Line Drawings on Original Abstract Monoprints.

During a couple of life drawing classes a few years back I found two of the models to be rather grumpy in temperament which put me off formal drawings. Instead I produced comical line drawings to counter their grumpiness. Later I repeated the ones I liked onto original abstract monoprints.

"Told You So!" by Lynda Cookson


 "His Foot" by Lynda Cookson


 "My Eye" by Lynda Cookson


 "She Shrugged" by Lynda Cookson



Thursday, March 29, 2018

Mirror Frame

I poured acrylics on an old frame yesterday, hoping to upcycle it for a framed mirror.

I loved how it turned out on Day 1 .... BUT with acrylic pouring, whilst the paint dries sufficiently over the next 24 hours, there is a nail-biting period of watching and waiting to see if the paint moves drastically from how you want it to be, to how it wants to be!

My prayer for those hours was "Please stay like this. Please stay like this. Please stay like this." LOL

This is how it was immediately I had finished pouring and manipulating the paint to where I wanted it to be.


I resisted waking up in the middle of the night to check on its progress but do admit to rushing through first thing in the morning to gawp at what had happened, or not happened, during the night.

To my delight there wasn't much movement of paint, only a sinking in and drying. Even although I had gesso-ed the surface of the frame - twice, I think - a lot of the moisture of the paint had sunk in. It ended up giving it a great look though because the grain of the wood shows through as an embossed pattern and I love it!

Here it is as dry as it can be the next morning.


Hardly any difference, just the colour fading very slightly, but I'm not worried about that. As soon as it's dry enough and "cured" enough, I'll gloss it again with a couple of coats of varnish. Voila!



Monday, March 26, 2018

Colourful Days

I wonder, does anyone else see the days of the week in colour? I always have and somehow thought everyone else would too ... but it would seem not!

This is what I see when you say a day of the week to me:

Monday BLUE sometimes WHITE (mood related?)
Tuesday GREEN
Wednesday ORANGE
Thursday PURPLE
Friday A LIVELY BLUE GREY
Saturday CAMEL / BEIGE
Sunday YELLOW

Anyway, it feels like Sunday today, although it's Monday, so I'm choosing a yellowy abstract which makes me think of Sunday and my country of South Africa.

"Hot Lands"
Oil and Mixed Media on Paper
8.25" x 11.75"


"Hot Lands" by Lynda Cookson



Sunday, March 25, 2018

Remembering ...

Lately, after helping my son launch himself on the road to being a digital nomad, the part of me which loves brain-tickling techniques of marketing became a little too involved with other ways of earning my keep - and I almost forgot I'm an artist and that art is my passion.

In this case, depression was a good thing! I became rather down in the dumps and realised it was because I was giving less and less time to painting and playing with images. I needed to get back to beautiful things and to start getting them out in the world again.

There's no better way to start getting creative again than by choosing colours, pouring paint and making a lovely big mess ... which is exactly what I did. But now I have to wait for it all to dry because I've run out of drying space.

Never mind, I'm back to editing a blog I created some time ago about art and artists. I had published excerpts of artist profiles I wrote when I was writing for an Irish magazine from about 2004 to 2010. Now I'm completing those articles on the blog and adding loads and loads of beautiful art books for readers to drool over.

You might like to watch the progress here : https://cooksonwriting.blogspot.fr/

As usual, it wouldn't be me if I didn't add an image to this blog post. I've chosen an example of the poured acrylics I was talking about.

"Ancient Forest" by Lynda Cookson





Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Palette Knife Painters Group Images 5 to 18 March 2018

Friday, March 16, 2018

"Fields of Gold" by Lynda Cookson

A day of admin work and writing today. I need colour and paint and images!!! Now!!! LOL

This is a new style. The first in what I hope to be a little collection. But so far there is a lot I need to tend to, to improve what I have in mind for them.

Too much blue around the edges for a start ..... hmmmmm ..... another learning curve!


"Fields of Gold" by Lynda Cookson



Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Finding and working with art galleries

I've uploaded an article on "Finding and Working with Galleries" on the home page of my ePlan promotional page. You'll find the link in the right hand sidebar, a little way down under the image of Alan outside Gallery 1608.

The article is drawn from my experiences with working with galleries and I'd really love to hear other artist's experiences too.

Please message me with your stories.

Email : lyndacookson@gmail.com

You'll find the article on this page : https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.fr/





Monday, March 12, 2018

The ePlan

Thank you to all the folk who are joining me with the ePlan.

The ePlan sets out a system of online tools, and a routine, to help you to strengthen your Online Identity, whether you're an artist, a creative or a small business owner.






Saturday, March 10, 2018

"Resist and Recover"

This is the art event in Washington DC where my painting "For Faith and Country" will be exhibited in May 2018.

My son Gary Scott, a creative writer based in Cape Town, has written poetry and text which will be exhibited alongside the 40" x 30" diptyche I have created and I am so proud to have  him working with me on the project!

Most of the work - all of it political - is likely to concentrate on the political state of America at the moment, along with some international pieces.

I am honoured to have been invited to be on of the gallery artists and have chosen to bring attention to the horrific Farm Murders in South Africa as my subject for "Resist and Recover"

More later, with an image of the painting, once the Opening Night towards the end of May has happened ....



My websites


and

Friday, March 09, 2018

A snippet

A positive for palette knife painting!

This image is a bit blurred and that's because it's a tiny fragment of a 40" x 30" diptyche I've just finished ... and I can't show you the rest of the painting until it's been exhibited at the Opening Night of a Washington DC gallery near the end of May 2018.

What I did realise though is that painting with palette knives is far more healthy than with brushes! And that's because palette knives just need wiping clean, whereas brushes need turps or something similar to clean them.

As long as I stick to palette knives, I can paint away happily in my tiny space and not worry too much about inhaling fumes.





My websites


and



"African Mood" by Lynda Cookson

After my 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge my studio space got a little messy, so a tidy-up was necessary. I found a few bits 'n bobs - as you do - and here's one of them.

It's probably my second or third watercolour painting from way back in 1998 or 1999 while I was still living not too far from Cape Town in a little village called Greyton.

"African Mood"
Watercolour on Paper
Approx. 10" x 8" (20 cm x 26 cm)


"African Mood" by Lynda Cookson



Thursday, March 08, 2018

Palette Knife Painters Group Images 19 February to 4 March 2018

The ePlan. Develop your social media identity

My new ePlan to assist artists and small business owners to develop and strengthen their social media identity and online presence.



The ePlan helps you to establish your identity as an artist or a small business owner online. New articles and updates are added as often as possible and when relevant.
Thanks to the inspirations of a group of artists here in Brittany I'm in the process of writing an article about approaching galleries to display artists' work. Thanks you guys!!

Read all about The ePlan by clicking this image ...




Friday, March 02, 2018

"Red Sail" by Lynda Cookson

Last day of the 30 day challenge. Thank you so much everyone out there for putting up with me on a daily basis this past month ... your lovely comments and patience have been very appreciated. I know that if I hadn't put it out there for public viewing every day, I wouldn't have learned nearly as much as I did.

Halfway through I felt quite drained with it but got past that and may even do it again on an annual basis. Who knows :-)

Painting no. 30 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Red Sail"
Acrylic on Paper
5.5" x 11" (17 cm x 28 cm)

"Red Sail" by Lynda Cookson




Thursday, March 01, 2018

"Umbrella Flower" by Lynda Cookson

Please click the image to see the entire painting.

Second to last day ... and after deciding that I don't want to always do a painting a day ... I'm going to miss it! Silly, I think it suits sometimes ... and not other times when I want to really get stuck into a big project. And that's the pleasure of living a seesaw life LOL

Painting no. 29 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Umbrella Flower"
Oil on Paper
8.5" x 6.5" (22 cm x 16 cm)

"Umbrella Flower" by Lynda Cookson



Wednesday, February 28, 2018

"Impact" by Lynda Cookson

Another abstract study to help me with The Big Painting.

Painting no. 28 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Impact" 
Oil on Paper
7.5" x 11" (19 cm x 28 cm)


"Impact" by Lynda Cookson

My website : http://lyndacookson.blogspot.fr/p/30-paintings-in-30-days-challenge.html


Tuesday, February 27, 2018

"Sweeping Landscape" by Lynda Cookson

Ta da! A freely painted, abstract, palette knife, oil painting which made me feel happy to create ... at the end of a long day considering and repainting ... then consider and repainting ... then considering against and repainting again ... that large piece which is dominating my life at the moment.

I think I should dedicate this painting to my very supportive husband, Alan, who, whilst helping me move two large canvases, got white oil paint on a favourite jacket :-( And he's still talking to me!!

Painting no. 27 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Sweeping Landscape"
Oil on Paper
10" x 6.5" (25.5 cm x 17cm)


"Sweeping Landscape" by Lynda Cookson



Monday, February 26, 2018

"Farm Windmill" by Lynda Cookson

This one's not for sale. It's a study for a much bigger painting I'm working on.

Painting no. 26 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Farm Windmill"
Oil on Canvas

"Farm Windmill" by Lynda Cookson




Sunday, February 25, 2018

"Butter" by Lynda Cookson

I'm working on a large diptyche at the moment, with a South African political theme, for a gallery in the States ... so the colours on my palette are the warm colours of Africa. This is how "Butter" the cow quickly came to life when need for a quick painting arose!

Painting no 25 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Butter"
Oil on Paper
6.5" x 10" (16.5 cm x 25 cm)

"Butter" by Lynda Cookson

My website : http://lyndacookson.blogspot.fr/p/30-paintings-in-30-days-challenge.html


Saturday, February 24, 2018

"Oranges" by Lynda Cookson

I can see I'm getting tired now LOL but I'm damned if this challenge is going to get the better of me!!!

Painting no. 24 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Oranges"
Oil on canvas (impasto, palette knives)
14" x 10" (36 cm x 26 cm)

"Oranges" by Lynda Cookson



Friday, February 23, 2018

"Ruin in Connemara" by Lynda Cookson

This is my second attempt at the same watercolour theme where I tried to be more controlled ... and I think I like the other one better! Ce la vie!

While editing the image I tried to Auto Color facility and preferred that too. I've included that image too below and it is the one with darker and more rich colours.

Painting no. 23 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Ruin in Connemara"
Watercolour on Paper
10" x 14" (26 cm x 36 cm)

"Ruin in Connemara" unedited 

"Ruin in Connemara" using the Auto Color facility



Thursday, February 22, 2018

"Cottage in the Hills" by Lynda Cookson

This was a double challenge for me - watercolour is always a challenge and "Cottage in the Hills" is Painting no. 22 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.

Inspired by my years living in Connemara, Ireland :

"Cottage in the Hills"
Watercolour on Paper
10" x 14" (25 cm x 36 cm)

"Cottage in the Hills" by Lynda Cookson

All paintings in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge are for sale here :


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Palette Knife Painters Group Images 5 to 18 February 2018

"Pals for Tea" by Lynda Cookson

I often keep surfaces (paper, board or canvas) from failed paintings and clean my palette knife on them ... or fill them with palette knife strokes of left-over paint. They make interesting backgrounds and props for simple, warm-up paintings. Here's one of them:

Painting no. 21 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Pals for Tea"
Oil on Board
4.5" x 6" (12 cm x 16 cm)


"Pals for Tea" by Lynda Cookson

All the paintings in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge are for sale here:
My website : http://lyndacookson.blogspot.fr/p/30-paintings-in-30-days-challenge.html


Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Chasing a Dream

Painting no. 20 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Chasing a Dream"
Oil on Board
13" x 12" (33 cm x 31 cm)

"Chasing a Dream"by Lynda Cookson


Monday, February 19, 2018

Now and Zen in White

This one's for me and will probably find a permanent in our Milly the Motorhome :-) I started out aiming to paint the Buddha which sits at my desk (called "Now and Zen") and put in this white underpainting. And there I stopped! I love it ... it seems to represent to me everything that the Zen philosophy is - simple, pure, peaceful and with a depth you have to look for to find. It's mine, mine, mine. :-)

Painting no. 19 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge
"Now and Zen in White"
Oil on Paper
Approx 11" x 13"

"Now and Zen in White"



Sunday, February 18, 2018

Be My Valentine

Another challenge painting (which, funnily enough, I did use a palette knife on when I was moving the paint in the middle of the two big red flowers!) ... watercolour on Yupo Paper.

I find it keeps me fresh to be fiddling with watercolour or a craft object during the palette knife painting of a more formal painting. Otherwise I tend to fiddle with the formal painting and usually ruin it in some way LOL

"Be My Valentine"
Watercolour on Yupo Paper
8" x 12" (20 cm x 30 cm)

"Be My Valentine" by Lynda Cookson


Saturday, February 17, 2018

"Spirit Flowers"

Although mainly an oils painter using palette knives, I love to challenge myself by using other mediums and other tools. Sometimes it works, many times it doesn't ... and sometimes I don't mind you seeing the okay ones.

Painting No. 17 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.

"Spirit Flowers"
Black Ink on Paper
5.5" x 7.5" (14 cm x 19 cm)

"Spirit Flowers" by Lynda Cookson



Friday, February 16, 2018

"Tall Pot of Geraniums"

Painting No. 16 in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Tall Pot of Geraniums"
Watercolour on Paper
11" x 7" (28 cm x 18 cm) approx.

"Tall Pot of Geraniums" by Lynda Cookson