Picture
This is the latest painting that I've been working on, still trying to get citrus fruit to look like it should.  This is oil on canvas and is only 16"x 12".  I started it on Sunday (I think) and have been working on it until today (it's Friday).  The part of the orange peel around the fruit that looks like it is missing will end up being in deep shadow so that's why it looks a bit odd. 

By the way, where are all the hits coming from, I can't understand why I am getting so many or how my site is being found?  Suppose I might have to upgrade to find that out.

Picture
Here's how the same painting was about 2 days in.  I had started to add the under layers, all darker than they needed to be.  I also worked from the top to the bottom.  I have learn't to do this as I have many ruined cuffs of jumpers etc from leaning in wet paint.  A friend made me a mahl stick to use but I usually only remember it after I've finished.

Picture
That looks a mess doesn't it?  This is the VERY start of the painting.  A sketch that is done in very thin raw umber.  I don't usually use pencil or charcoal for the sketches as it moves too much when I start to add the paint.  After this the raw umber background was done, then started with the colours.

If you have time, pop over to my facebook page and say "hello" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Cook/106237526094484
 
Picture
This is where I am working at the moment, in full view of the public and other artists, yikes.  It is in Regent Court Shopping Centre, Livery Street, Leamington Spa.  Enjoying the environment, it is peaceful and open.  Getting loads of stuff done too so, if you are around in Leamington Spa do pop in.  Here is a little film of a walk around it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oZ7GUA7ETs

Picture
This one is called Coffee Pot and is a work in progress but all I have to do is finish the painting the browns on that cream bit that is there.

Picture
This one is called Pepsi Cans and is also a work in progress.  This has now had 2 layers of paint added.  Both of these paintings are being worked on in the new studio.

 
Picture
This is the latest one and it is a work in progress.  I started it on 14 September and today I have been blocking in all the colour.  It is oil on canvas and is 80 x 60cm.  I still have some work to do on it yet.

Picture
This is " I am Woman II", oil on canvas and 90 x 70cm.  This is one of the first portraits that I have done that I have been quite happy with 'ish.

Picture
"I am Woman I" oil on canvas, 90 x 60cm

 
Picture
....and this is a commission that I started today.  I have got the tongue slightly too high so I will be moving that down tomorrow.  I thought the dog was amazing as it looked like it was laughing all of the time.  It is called a Labradoodle. 

I am working on all of these paintings at Gallery 150, Regent Court Shopping Centre, Livery Street, Leamington Spa so if you are in the area, do pop in and say hello.

Picture
Had to resort to doing another still life too and this one is being worked on at the moment.  The blue thing is the start of a label.  I was in the supermarket when a saw a woman sticking her nails into the pears to test whether they were ripe (I suppose).  At first I was disgusted but then when I looked at the pear I thought I would buy it and use it in a painting.  I liked the nail marks and the bruising that she had caused. 

Picture
This one is still being worked on at the moment.  I have added the strip of red down the side to attempt to balance the painting and add some contrast to the black and white.

Picture
I really dont know where this one came from, I have some very strange ideas sometimes.  Still here he is, it is a Bulldog and he is supposed to be looking through a window on a rainy night.  The white bit in the corner is not a flash bouncing off it, it is painted on. 

Picture
Here is a portrait that I completed during October.  It is of a lovely lady that I know.  It is oil on canvas and 16"x12" so not huge.

 
Picture
Wow, what a week I'm having, it's brilliant.  I went back to painting live at Gallery 150 yesterday, after a week's holiday, and found out that both of my paintings had sold.  I was also lucky enough to meet both of the buyers which made my day, week, fortnight, year!! I was so excited yesterday that I forgot to take a photo of the work that I had done, so ended up missing a day. 

I think I have almost finished this painting now, I have just got to mess it up a bit as it looks a bit to pristine.  So expect some blobs of fat and bits of tomatoe and juice around it.  I am also struggling a bit with the bacon so have returned it to the start (it looks a bit raw at the moment).  I think this is about it's 5th layer now.  It is also quite a lot bigger than I normally do and that might be why it's taking me longer. 

 
Picture
I was wondering if I was coming to end of painting eggs as this one is all smashed, dont think so though because I love them.  Take a look at an eggshell it's beautiful.  This is still the underpainting and is only the two colours, raw umber and titanium white.  I am building up the depth first and when it is finished it will be blue as it is a duckegg.  Also the contents will be spilling around it..  Dont forget to like my facebook page as I am giving a painting away on there.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Cook/106237526094484

 
Picture
This is a painting that I have been working on at Gallery 150, Regent Court Shopping Centre, Leamington Spa.  I started off with painting the mange tout and I am now trying to make it look like a plastic bag full of mange tout.  It was quite worrying starting off because the vegtables looked ok and I had to put white paint all over them.  If it didn't work it would have had to end up in the bin.  That would not be good when working in the public eye.  Colours used are raw umber, titanium white and sap green.  There is also 3 layers of sap green on the mange tout. 

Picture
At the start of the day Friday, the first bits of white are added.
Picture
This was the first coat of sap green being added to the underpainting of raw umber and white.
 
Picture
This painting is taking forever, mainly because of it's drying time.  I have used titanium beige on the face and it's really thick.  In fact I squeezed it straight out of the tube and on to the canvas.  I have also put another layer of the green on and edged the black in white to give it the appearance of coming away from the wall.  The numbers will not go on until the very last but they will be there albeit falling all over the place.  The only other thing I did today was paint a canvas white, why?  Sheer frustration again!

 
 
This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
Picture
This is the painting that I am working on at the moment.  I started with a raw umber wash all over the canvas then a very basic sketch with off white paint.  Once everything is lined up and perspective is kinda right (in my eyes anyway) I will leave that to dry over night before starting with the layers.  Once dry I will start to scumble layers of oil paint, without any medium, in to the portrait to build up depth.  These first layers are usually done just in raw umber mixed with the off white.  The portrait appears to be black and white.  Once this has dried I then start to scumble layers of colour on to the painting.  This painting has got some of it's colour worked in and is now ready for more layers to be added as it is sufficiently dry.  That is what I am about to do so I will update later with todays work.