Monday 4 January 2010

Creative Frustrations


I'm feeling a little strange since New Year, and not just through over-indulgence.

On our drive up to the Lake District, the low sunshine lit the snowy hills and white fields of grubby sheep with a fabulous peach-coloured light, which I was itching to draw.

I had a sketchbook in my bag, but there's not much you can do at 40mph and, in any case, I only packed my trusty 3B. Which is why the pic is a Monet:



Then, during our coastal walk next day, I found the wind-bent shrubs along the edge of the sand-dunes similarly exciting. The crisp shadows at ground level and the smudge-edged snow clouds above all added to my twitchiness to do some work.

I would have loved to sit down with some colours and see what happened. But of course it was FREEZING, I was with friends and the most colourful thing I had with me was my pink nose. I didn't even get any decent photos - the one below is from the same time last year:


Now I'm home in Sheffield I still feel inspired, but not sure what to do about it. Working from photos or from memory has never really done it for me. I'm having fantasies of hiring a cottage in the dunes and rushing out with painting gear each morning, Van Gogh style... As if!

As a poor substitute, I'm looking at my on-going 'To Do' list, top of which are several tasks labelled: Before Christmas. Hmmm.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

hiya, your style is really sweet, especially those animals you drew are awesome. Do you take requests for drawing?

M J Muir said...

Dear Lynne

May I wish you a very Happy New year.
Your blog is one of the delights of my days. thanks for takiing the time to share so much.
I Love those crazy chickens on your previous paragraphs.

yal said...

Superbe travail, et toujours variƩ!
bonne continuation et ..happy new year!

Amicalement,
Yann, from Brittany.

Damian Harvey said...

A Happy New Year to you Lynne (and to everyone else that visits your blog). Looks like you had a nice time up in Cumbria. We had planned to go up to Coniston for a walk but, sadly, never actually made it.

No doubt we'll be up there with the tents when it warms up a bit.
x

Lynne the Pencil said...

Thanks all!

Brrrr - just the thought of tents at the moment...

Sorry anonymous: I don't generally do private commissions I'm afraid.