Those dogs

 It has been a while since I wrote on my blog.

Time just goes and before I knew it, winter again for us in New Zealand.

But winter is also a time of more creative time inside and I finished a crocheted blanket and some knitted baby projects.

My son Paul asked me to do a painting for his friend Simon of his two Rottweilers.

Paul emailed me some photographs, not very clear ones and from one photograph I painted the dogs in acrylic on canvas.

It took me some time to do the painting, but I hope a captured a little of their personalities, even if I have never met the dogs.

I really hope Simon likes the painting.

Its Spring and the beehive is finished.

The four panels of the beehive are finished.

It took me the winter months to paint the four panels, because really its four paintings.

The last coats of varnish will go on this weekend and next week the beehive will be send to Paul and Emma and Paul will use the beehive for advertising his new business in Arrowtown "Honey & Cacoa".

I am pleased with the result and the Spring panel with lamb and daffodils was finished a week before our official Spring date, the first of September, also the birthday of my daughter Rachel.

Spring lamb and daffodils

Lake Wanaka and Summer Lupins

Arrowtown river in Autumn colours

Dudleys Cottage in Winter Arrowtown

Winter Art

                                   

The Winter panel for the beehive is finished, I painted Dudley's Cottage, a cottage build in 1880, the oldest cottage in Arrowtown.

I changed a few aspects, because I had to use winter and summer photographs of the cottage, but that is the artist interpretation.

By using cool colours of purple and blue as the base I created a cold winter feel of a snowy day.

I used warm darker colours behind the trees and brought those back in the tyre marks on the road and  the dried winter grasses in the foreground.

I know I shouldn't use warm colours in the distance, but sorry I broke the rules, because I think it works for this painting.

Dudley's Cottage is now a cafe and gift shop and will be next to Paul and Emma new business' Honey and Cacoa.'

The painted beehive will sit outside the shop and hopefully will be a nice talking point.

                                             

On Wednesday at the elderly activity morning we started to paint terracotta pots for Springtime to plant with Tulip and Daffodil bulbs.
The pots need to dry and next time I will bring stencils to decorate the pots and then we will plant the bulbs.
It was a rainy day so a nice way to spend the morning.