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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.

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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.

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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
 
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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

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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.

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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.

 
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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. 

 
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My latest offering and the one that I started work on in Gallery 150 on Friday.  I also was in Torquay from Friday evening until Monday evening so it hasn't taken as long as it might first seem.  I like the berries but I dont like anything else on it.

I started as I always do with the raw umber and titanium white underpainting until I thought that the depth was right.  Now I have added the first layer of colour.  I have used cadium red (hue) which is a very bright red, almost orange really.  I was going to use one of the crimsons but that didn't look quite right. 

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What's the nicest thing about working in the gallery?  It's meeting the people that come through the door, I already met lots of new people since I started doing this a couple of weeks ago.  Today was really busy right from when the doors were first opened. 
I didn't get very much done today, only managing to put another layer on the one side.  Some people see other things in this painting that I haven't.  Some see a footballer with his arm outstretched, others see a profile and others see the continent of Africa (or America it was one or the other).  I think that's brilliant I like it when that happens.  Hope you all had a good day today, it's been a very hot one here.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Cook/106237526094484

 
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In a moment of madness I decided that one of my paintings is going to be given away (free of charge) to someone that adds notifications to my facebook page.  I have done it that way because the people that have always followed my page can then be included in the give away.  Dont think that this is one that I dont like either, this is actually one of my favourites.  When I told my husband he said, "what if they are in America?" well I will just have to post it in that case.  If you want to take part you will need to "like" my facebook page (there is a link to that on the Home page of this website and you have to click the box at the top that says "like".  I will also see if I can copy the link on to this diary page too.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Cook/106237526094484

 
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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. 

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At the start of the day Friday, the first bits of white are added.
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This was the first coat of sap green being added to the underpainting of raw umber and white.

Pears

11/17/2010

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I have continued to put another layer on this pears painting.  I found a great way to use this diary too, I couldn't remember how I had got the effect of the skin of pear but trawling back through I found when I had done one before.  Tomorrow I will add another layer of the same.  The colours I have used are in pears: raw umber, sap green and titanium white and for the background: cobalt blue, titanium white and sap green.

 
 
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Was woken up at 6.30am today with my own coughing (the remnants of a cold over Christmas) so got up and decided to start on the 2nd painting that I am doing of Iggy Pop.  The 1st one is full face and there is no point in my putting that on here because you can hardly see it, it's so dark, so I've spared you.  This is just underpainted using raw umber and a small amount of titanium beige, I sketch in these two colours as they dry quite quickly and I like the tones they give. 
Now I am going to ready myself for coffee in Leamington with my freinds.  This is a daily activity as you will probably see if you keep up with the blogs.  See you all later going for a shower.

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Well it's now 4.30pm and this is as far as I have got today.  I'll keep going because I'm quite enjoying it now.  Hope you can see where it's going.

 
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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.