Over the summer I started a painting that was, well, rather difficult for me as it involved a lot of complicated swerves and precise paint-brush control. It is inspired by a wallpaper design from the 30s.

After having penciled out the initial curves I was so fed up with it that I left it for at least a month and painted something more free and colourful.

Then I came back to it in October and started adding the background colour. A neutral beige.

Then I started adding the background pattern; a kind of coral like structure.

Getting the symmetry at least looking right on the swerves had been so painful that I decided to make things easier on myself with the corals and actually trace and flip so as to speed things up.

 

Finding and then mixing the right shades of pinks and burgundy was also quite difficult as was brush control - or painting within the lines. Phew!

I hadn't initially thought it was going to be all pinks and burgundies but that's were it took me...

Here I am painting away one autumn day...

Nearly finished! I need to go over the white swerves again to make them pop and then touch up bits and do the sides...

What do you think?

I'll post the finished piece soon I hope...

New Greek resident

We have a new resident, and he is Greek.
No, not a pet...

 A beautiful oil painting by Christoforos Asimis of a Santorini traditional house.

Sigh.
I can't wait until we visit the island of Santorini in June.

Drawing in the sand by Kseniya Simonova

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

Her interpretation is mesmeric to watch.