Urban Poppies

It was something of a surprise to encounter poppies growing through the block paving on the edge of the Sainsbury's roundabout in Newbury last week. It was a striking image, though, and I endeavoured to get a photograph, but the camera on my tablet camera wasn't quite up to the job. Nonetheless, I got  enough information to allow me to put this together.

It's painted with the Chinese knives again, with last minute assistance from a rigger brush.

Acrylic on canvas-covered board, 12 x 10".

Family Circles

This was painted mainly to try out a set of cheap Chinese panting knives that my husband bought on eBay from China. The Russian Dolls were loitering in the dining room where my daughter had left them and they presented themselves as a subject... quite an interesting subject, I thought.

The Oily Knife, part 2: Knife

Having decided to paint out of doors with oils, I made a few expeditions with brushes (this was a fair few years ago, before I had children). But... you still need solvents in the field to thin the paint and clean the brushes in between colours. And I don't really like the thought of spilling turpentine or linseed oil. They cost money, and they're bound to be bad for the field or its denizens. So... I decided to do away with brushes. Finicky things, brushes. Need cleaning. Don't like being dropped in the mud. What I need is something hard and shiny like... a knife!

Two painting knives and a colour shaper: my favoured painting tools.