…….. I have started a new sketchbook, where each painting will emerge a little (left to right across the page) each time I visit a place. Here are the first 3 (click images to enlarge) :
Cream, Broomhill, Sheffield (with my favourite wallpaper)
Costa Coffee, Berkeley Precinct, Ecclesall Road
Cafe Nero, Ecclesall Road (opposite M&S Simply Food)
All drawn with Parker Rollerball, Winsor & Newton Watercolour SketchBox on Parchment Photo Album (very porous), and yes, there is a spelling mistake 🙂
……..amazingly, I didn’t chicken out yesterday (despite some drizzle, early morning, which would have been a perfect excuse !)……..and set up my easel, and latest paintings, “on-street”, outside Gilberts Antiques & Pine on Sharrow Vale Road……..
Artist at Work (Rarely Sighted in Public)
……painting the street-scene did not progress very far, due to all the Crucial Technical Discussions taking place (“chatting”, says Fifi) and the easel did completely tip over several times 🙂 …….so here is the snippet :
Otto’s
…….Best of All was seeing Mary & Tam, who were just passing (from 20+ miles away). Mary holds the record for Most Comments on my blog, and is here bravely sporting the only “Fat Cat/Fiat 500” T Shirt, in the Entire World : 
see Mary & Tams Clinic, here :
these Superb photos are all by Little Bits of Sheffield, more gems of Sheffield, here :
http://steelcitystatic.wordpress.com/
……the painting will continue, Plein Air outside Gilberts, on a future saturday 🙂
Fifi the French Bulldog
……..”Fifi”…..will be with me tomorrow, along with some of my other watercolours, outside Gilberts (next door to the Lescar) on SharrowVale Road, 11 am – 2pm (*)……where I will also be attempting a Plein Air streetscene watercolour……
* unless I faint in this heat or we have thunderstorms, or I just chicken out (“again !!” says Fifi) 🙂
Bandit from Wazeau’s World
…….. this is “Bandit”, from “Wazeau’s World”, a blog about cats and parrots – yes, incredibly, it seems they do mix 🙂 ……
……..this is my first ever parrot watercolour, and was inspired by Wazeau’s “Gravatar”……
Wazeau’s World “Gravatar”
……which I think is tremendous ! To see more of Bandit and Merlin, click here :
http://wazeau.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/scratch-my-head-please-3/
I’m hoping my watercolour will get a “like” from Wazeau ……….?…..and everyone else , of course 🙂 (p.s. I was working on a painting for my birthday tomorrow but it went pear-shaped, so I painted Bandit instead – who I much preferred !) These are my new Holbein artists watercolours, they are a refreshing change……..
………Where Are You ?!………right here at the Farmers Market a few weeks ago………collecting funds for Hospital Radio which is run solely by volunteers and relies on donations………
Scooby Doo & Friend raising funds for Hospital Radio
Scooby !
………this chap was dressed as Scooby all day ! Brilliant ! ………I think the Orange Furry is a Fox. ?………this painting will be on display on saturday, 11 August, when I will be having a small exhibition, and will actually be painting, Plein Air, how radical is that !…. outside Gilberts, SharrowVale Road (more details later)………
……more about Hospital Radio here :
Orange Furry Collects Money for Good Cause
……..asked the orange “Furry” ? I love the way he is peering into the unsuspecting, young lady’s purse !…… 
The start of a new painting……..
Andrew Cole at Portland Works
……….who can forge a “Slate Ripper”, is apparently here in Sheffield ! Out and about yesterday, with “nothing to draw” I found an old leaflet in the back of my sketchbook,
Portland Works Leaflet
so decided to do some “speed lettering” practice……..
……..Drawn with Parker Roller Ball, Black Ink, Fine Point, Winsor & Newton watercolours. I quite like it……..
……..Portland Works is a historically significant metalwork factory where Stainless Steel was manufactured for the first time in the World ! Now threatened with closure and conversion into apartments. It should be saved 🙂 to see more and help :
Cool Cars by Quentin Willson (click image to enlarge)
……..one of my favourite books (see blog header, ’nuff said ??). Mixture of St.Petersburg and Winsor & Newton on (? forgotten) Watercolour Paper.
Artmaster Pearl Watercolour Brushes
……..was lost yesterday, somewhere between using it in the Cafe, and the store checkout, in Waitrose. It wasn’t in the best condition, most of the handle had splintered and worn down to the bare wood, BUT the brush had worn to a great point, I knew its “foibles”, and it had accompanied me on many sketching expeditions over the last year…….I’m hoping it will be found……..
……..the top sketch here is Winsor & Newton watercolour, drawn (crudely !) with a Uniball “eye” pen, Orange ink. The lower one is W & N Gouache, painted freehand, lettering in Staedtler pigment liner, 0.3. Painted on the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Magic Worlds – White Rabbit
………..from a poster seen this morning.
Very quick sketch done whilst in the Museum cafe. Winsor & Newton pro-watercolours and Gouache on a scrap of (scratched !)180 gsm matt photographic paper, as an experiment – not really successful
“Weston Park 360° (Big Ron, Holly, and Mabel to the Rescue)”
……yes indeed ….. my ” Weston Park 360° ” watercolour is going off to a new home in Malaysia, where I know it will be truly treasured. Further, it will help local charities close to my heart……the full £450 (US $700/Euro 570) raised by the painting will be shared with :
I am totally thrilled with this result and send my heartfelt best wishes with the painting, to its new owners, and for a happy new life in Malaysia.
Finally, as always, a huge Thankyou to everyone, for your kind support and encouragement 🙂
SharrowVale Barbers & Fifi
……that I saw this morning (*), prompted me to finish this painting I started in 2010 (a precursor to the “Two Pugs” – one of my personal all-time favourites)……
……the one in this painting, (shall we call her Fifi ?) looks slightly annoyed :-)……this painting also started in my earlier “red” and “detailed drainpipes” phase !
…….will Fifi venture to the Farmers Market tomorrow ? Only if it stops raining, she says……
Fifi the French Bulldog
(* For a year or so now, I have been hearing rumours of a phantom French Bulldog living on the next road to me – this morning I finally saw it – I was driving at the time so only caught a glimpse, but it is definitely cute ! )
Gilbert & Sons, Cowlishaw Works, SharrowVale Road, Sheffield
……..is where I hope to be this sunday,15th July……in front of Gilbert & Sons, at the Farmers Market, SharrowVale……
…….. a big Thankyou to Paula, John and Barry of Gilbert & Sons, who have been so kind and helpful……
……..this painting, hot off the easel, will be on display – featuring not only a metal Rhino but a Giraffe too, Gecko’s, Cats with Plant Pots, and many other curiosities (and Charlie the Bulldog walking by)…………more about Gilbert & Sons, (established in 1968,when I was just a wee tot !!)…..here……….. www.gilbertandsons.co.uk
Gecko on the Wall at Gilbert & Sons
Memory Stick
…….I am quite pleased with this little sketch, (Winsor & Newton Pro-Watercolour on 200gsm cold-pressed paper), which was prompted by……….
…….a narrow escape last week when my computer went haywire and I thought I’d lost all my photographs (as well as my desktop crammed with essential icons, and everything else), so I finally got round to saving them onto a Memory Stick. The man in the shop had assured me (a couple of years ago….. since when, my cat had “played” with the stick, lost it and it eventually turned up in a shoe I rarely wear………..) that 4mb would be “plenty”………no, apparently, my computer tells me I need 11mb. How many photos do I have ? Several years worth, many precious, but also lots of duplicates, subjects I might “one day” paint, so I’m editing them/deleting them and now down to 8 mb………..or shall I just get a bigger stick ??
Pepe & Marion
……called Pepe, and his owner Marion, from Cambridge, sat with me outside the Cherry Tree cafe yesterday…….
……only 1 year old, Pepe is exceedingly well-behaved, and modelled just like a professional. The huge Waitrose bag is crammed full of Pepes’ “kit” (water bottle, food, kitchen sink, etc, etc). A real character 🙂
Pepe the Fox Terrier
“Ketchup”
………….”Limited Edition” Heinz Tomato Ketchup, blended with “Indian Spices” …….. great Orange label, and love the Elephant 🙂
Crookes Hardware, Sheffield
……Crookes Hardware (an Emporium of Everything you could possibly need, from brushes, glue, screws, compost, tools and yes, in case you’re wondering, they also do Key Cutting)……
……drop by and say Hello to Richard, Robert….and “Mouse” the dog (seen here in the window,watching the dog “with attitude” walking past)……or their web-site here : www.crookeshardware.co.uk
……166 Crookes High Street, Sheffield
Pentax Optio on Michelin Map
……experimental sketch. Winsor & Newton Gouache (opaque watercolour) on Michelin Map, sheet No. 236 (France Nord – Flandres – Artois Picardie). Freehand, no pencil drawing.
“Giraffe”
………a Bouncy Castle one…….seen from inside the cafe, Endcliffe Park, this morning (photo below). Great nose !
“Giraffe” Bouncy Castle
is the final size of the epic, “Nether Edge 360″ (framed 36″ x 13”). My favourite part is “Sandy” the Greyhound, bottom right corner.
Winsor & Newton on Saunders 300 gsm.
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