Colour

I am stitching, painting, rust dying and sleeping late...

As soon as the sun comes out, I go up these steps and into my garden...

Watch everything grow, with a cup of tea, sitting down in one corner of my garden; sometimes on my own but never without my thoughts and dreams. I am a dreamer and keep dreaming of living in the woods surrounded by beautiful trees and wildlife.

I wake up from my dream to find myself still in the garden...

Waiting for the poppies to flower;

Waiting for this rust dyed cloth to dry in the sun;

Watch the raindrops dry and...

Carefully take my step.

Step to fly...

And then I want to freeze the moment. Hold on to the best memories.

 So I feel happy to use colour back in my studio. I am happy to finish a new painting. This is a close up view. Lots of layers of paint. I love textures. Nature creates naturally but I create in my paintings physically by using lots and lots of paint. Sometimes other materials.

Sorry this image not very clear. The wet paint made it difficult to photograph. This painting is done with acrylic paint on canvas.

And this is another painting that I am still working on. It is not far from finishing off. This is a mixed media encaustic painting on wooden panel. I have now done five paintings so far using hot wax. Not sure at this point if I want to continue with encaustic because of two reasons: firstly encaustic paints are very expansive and secondly because its a wax paint and needs to be melted which is very toxic. You really need to have good ventilation in your work room. I do have big doors which I can open while I work with this medium but should have a exhaust fitted above the table. So I am double minded whether or not to invest more on all this or not. Working without proper ventilation in long run may give health problems which I do not wish to have. So I need a lot of thinking on working with this medium.

 

But working with just acrylic is definitely a safe option. Here a better photograph of the finished painting in acrylic on canvas. Still without title but, there are colours, which give me joy.

Spain - Part 1

I came back...
Holiday full of sun and sea...
Warm days, delicious tapas and sangria's...
Just a little bit of knitting...
A new project to be talked about, on a cooler day maybe...

We went on a holiday,
It was full of adventure:
More photos to follow in next blogpost...

Spain during Easter was beautiful.

April Showers

We are not yet into April, but the painting above was inspired by the weather couple of years ago around this time and last week, I sold the painting! The painting was called 'April Showers'. If you are interested in purchasing any of my work you can contact me by email or through my website www.sujata-art.com. Not much has happened in my studio recently as every opportunity I get I step out in my garden.

I have been busy planting lots of flowers. A Gooseberry plant (above)

Rhubarb plant is growing very quickly. This one was planted only last year so I guess wont have too much to harvest. My other two rhubarb unfortunately got caught under the hens feet.

 Autumn sown broad beans and garlic are looking good. Some more broad beans and potatoes have gone in now, along with some onions in the ground.

 Indoors plants are also looking good. Last year  I bought two bonsai's, however one didn't survive.

Happy to see new shoots and leaves coming out on the other one.

Lots of salad and herbs on the windowsill.

My favourite indoor plant has to be this one.

New growth everywhere.

 

The three picture frames on the wall - my owl painting and the Stag which was started at 'Mandy Patullo's Workshop' I finished it back home . And the handsome hare is one of 'Mrs Bertimus' work, which I am a very proud owner of. This feels like spring now to me.

On a bit sad note, last year just before Christmas we lost two of our pets. Nibbles who gave our children so much joy for over eight years and Maggie, for two years. This spring is not the same without our loved pets and Peggy (hen) under the blossom tree is now sadly on her own but hopefully not for long. In couple of days we are off on Holiday to Spain. After we return back home we shall find a friend for Peggy.

With a hope of growing lots more potato and other edible fruits and veg in my potager garden this year, I am just posting this picture of Olivia (thirteen now) six years old and loved helping me in the garden. Now I have two helpers so will grow twice as much to harvest.