Been a wee while since my last blog so thought I’d share the latest little oil study of a Chimpanzee at Edinburgh Zoo, who I couldn’t walk past without taking a few photos.
I posted this pic on social media and was delighted to be messaged by the Chimp’s keeper – his name is King Louis….the chimp, not the keeper!
I’m now working on a larger canvas version of Louis – hope you like him.
Sometimes, a rubbish day turns into a nice day.
Our village woke up to house alarms battling with the dawn chorus this morning, signalling a power cut which lasted until late afternoon.
This resulted in a mad dash with a friend to the nearest ‘powered up’ café for a caffeine hit and then leaving housework aside (no hoover, washing machine or steam iron in use, yay!) and settling down to paint (no electricity needed, double yay!!).
This little seascape study was the result. As the saying goes ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’!
When I decided to change my career and become a self-employed artist a few years ago, little did I think I would be selling my paintings and undertaking commissions, but even more surprisingly did I ever think I would be taking part in a prestigious art exhibition!
This painting, ‘Siamese’, from a photo reference by Charlotte White, has been accepted into the Paisley Art Institute’s 130th Annual Exhibition and I can’t tell you how chuffed I am 😁
This year’s Twitter Art Exhibition in aid of Pegasus Riding For The Disabled is taking place in Canberra, Australia from 7-29 April 2018 (extra details can be found on the TAE18 website).
So with that thought in mind, I set out to paint a little French Bulldog on a postcard size piece of mountboard. He’s called ‘Ozzie’ and he’ll be up for sale along with several hundred other postcards that artists around the globe are donating
Hope he sells and helps raise funds for this great cause.
This cat is not exactly my niece’s cat but she spotted it in the garden of her London flat and sent me the pic. Bengals are a fabulous breed, quite exotic and regal looking. They also make great subjects to paint, all those markings!
Here’s a photo of a recent commission of Dolly, a young golden cocker spaniel who was a delight to paint.
Her owner sent me really good crisp photos to work from, always a bonus!
The best part was getting to meet the model when the client arrived to collect the painting. She’s such a cutie 🐶💕
On Saturday 26 August, it is National Dog Day – celebrating our canine friends all over the world. With that in mind, here is a collection of a few of my paintings of pooches who are awaiting their forever homes… or walls! A mixture of breeds and all lovely characters who make, or have made, our lives just that bit more fun.
In between painting pet portraits to commission or new paintings for my ‘wall’ at a local Antiques & Art Centre, I practice by using reference photos taken on my phone of anything and everything and also by using online photo reference sites which I recently joined.
This ‘Siamese’ is from a photographer called Charlotte White on a Facebook photo ref site for artists and she has beautiful shots of unusual breeds of cats which are always fun to try out.
Well the big old fella has touched down in Vienna and is now safely hanging on his new wall. Lovely to receive feedback and a photo. Happy New Home Magnus 🐮
I recently sent four of my paintings to have a limited edition of giclée prints produced by a local printing company called Deadly Digital in Glasgow. I was really pleased with the results and now have them ready for selling.
The sheep prints (‘Yorkshire Ewe’) are taken from my painting of a gorgeous photograph by Jan Lever with her kind permission.
Here’s a couple of photos showing the prints; my art unit at Garrion Bridges Garden & Antiques Centre, and how one of them looks in a frame.
We’ll see how this latest venture works out.
Rosie 🤓
Rosie Mark Artwork 