A Few Florals by Lynda Cookson

Just a few florals to brighten your day :-)

 "A Touch of Pink" by Lynda Cookson

Available here as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD with a PRINT SERVICE

Available here as THE ORIGINAL

 "Big Daisy" by Lynda Cookson

Available here as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD with a PRINT SERVICE

Available here as THE ORIGINAL

 "Blue Vase" by Lynda Coookson

Available here as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD with a PRINT SERVICE

Available here as THE ORIGINAL

 "Cool Touch" by Lynda Cookson

Available here as THE ORIGINAL

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You can find stock of my art and photography here:

https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/CooksonArtandPhoto

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CooksonArtAndPrints

"Chilly Spring Walk" by Lynda Cookson

It's just the right time of year for a "Chilly Spring Walk" in your local nature trail (if you're in the northern hemisphere like we are!). The days are really beautiful with ever-changing days of April showers, sunshine and nippy breezes, and light white clouds in the blue sky. All the little flowers are heralding the onset of Spring and I am having loads of fun picking little wild posies to dot around the house. Lawn Daisies are my favourites and I love how they pop up within hours of the lawn being mown.

My "Chilly Spring Walk" painting, oil on paper, is available as the ORIGINAL HERE

and

the image for prints and giclees is available as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD HERE

My "Chilly Spring Walk" painting, oil on paper, is available as the ORIGINAL HERE

and

the image for prints and giclees is available as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD HERE

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/CooksonPhotography/

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndaCooksonStudio

or join us on Facebook here

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"It's Raining Outside" by Lynda Cookson

"It's Raining Outside" is an instant download image from an original oil painting on board by Lynda Cookson.

The original painting is for sale as well and can be found HERE : "It's Raining Outside"

Sitting in a hotel conservatory one rainy day in Co Galway (Connemara) Ireland, with the rain spattering loudly on the glass of the conservatory, the only happy subject to be painted was a stunning potted plant of white geraniums. This is it. It captures both the beauty of the flowers and the wet feeling of the rainy day.

To purchase the original of "It's Raining Outside" CLICK HERE

or

To purchase the instant digital image download of "It's Raining Outside" CLICK HERE

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/CooksonPhotography/

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndaCooksonStudio

or join us on Facebook here

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"Blue Teapot" by Lynda Cookson

Some paintings, even after being sold many years back, live with you - and inspire you - forever in so many ways. This is one of them for me :-) and I have the actual teapot to this day too!

"Blue Teapot"  as an instant download for you to print or have printed

CLICK HERE

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CooksonPhotography/

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndaCooksonStudio

or join us on Facebook here

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"Flower of Passion" by Lynda Cookson

I love this abstract flower. It's got the Wow! factor ... the Zing! factor .... the works! LOL It cannot help but be the most exciting conversation piece.

"Flower of Passion" was created as a small acrylic pour painting with a few design techniques thrown in ... using a straw and lots of "hope that it'll settle well". It did.

The original painting is available here:   CLICK HERE
or
Available here as an instant digital image download for you to print to whatever size suits your home:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/673443616/flower-of-passion-instant-digital-image?ref=notif_nfyfs

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndaCooksonStudio

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CooksonPhotography

"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

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

The ePlan : https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.com

"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

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

The ePlan : https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.com/

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

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

My ePlan website : https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.fr/

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/

https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.fr/

"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

My new business website : https://onlinepresenceassistant.blogspot.fr/

"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

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

"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

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

"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

"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

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

"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

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

"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

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

"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

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

"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 :

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

"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

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

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