Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 30
'Brook Beach' Isle of Wight
oil on board 8" x 8"
Well, that's it folks!
The oil paints are put away, the easel and table are cleaned and I've finished my 'Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'.
Feels good.
I'm just putting the finishing touches to the canapés and the champagne is chilling in the fridge for the showing tonight at 7pm sharp.
The Isle of Wight - a much maligned holiday destination, but I beg to differ.
We spent a fabulous week in Ventnor in a wonderfully preserved 1960's dwelling which was designed by a rather eccentric woman and her sister. Not your regular house either. The living quarters are all on the first floor and you access them via a wrought iron, spiral staircase. Everything was authentic 1960's and austin Powers would not have looked out of place.
The views from the balcony that ran the full length of the house were to die for.
The week was spent bimbling round the various coves and beaches.Trust me, no two are the same.
The island is famous for it's range of coloured sands, though I declined to have a go at layering them into various receptacles.
However, Isle of Wight rock was purchased along with a 'Kiss Me Quick' hat. I
know what's 'on trend'.
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 30
'End of the Day'
oil on board 8" x 8"
I'd like to gain just a wee bit of pleasure from the last couple of challenge paintings, so I'm pleasing myself with regards to subject matter and there'll be no more angst ridden posts. Yay!
(OK...you lot, you don't have to shout, woo and clap THAT much!)
This was a relatively enjoyable one to paint.
Against the clock once again and after another stressful day. (Anyone got any wine?)
I stuck some lute music on the old CD player in the shed and lost myself.
Kynance Cove is just 2 miles from Lizard Point. They should re-name it Rocky Cove as it's full to the brim with magnificent, towering, majestic stacks of granite and serpentine. It's like a cavernous cathedral without the roof.
I adore a beach that is bereft of crowds and selfishly want it all to myself. Families have slowly disappeared from this one and headed back to their accommodation, carrying tired, weary toddlers covered in sticky sand and smelling of the salty sea.
I'm learning that it's what I leave out of a view that's just as important as what is left in so rather than painting everything slavishly, it's good to give certain things the elbow.
I'm not aiming for photographic reproduction, more a sense of place, the weather, a feeling, a time and a moment.
Do you know what I'd REALLY love to do tomorrow night when it's all over?
I'd like to exhibit the thirty paintings and invite all you lovely folk that have stuck with me and commented on the posts, round for a soirée with champagne and nibbles.
My first EVER exhibition.
Wouldn't that just be grand?
Jules xxx
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 29
'The Artist's Chair'
oil on board 8" x 8"
I basically threw everything at this one.
Value, limited palette, light and shade, perspective...and my first EVER 'interior'. In fact I don't think I've ever in my whole life drawn an interior never mind painted one, well not unless painting the walls at home with Farrow and Ball qualifies?
It's been on my list of personal challenges for the whole month and I've neatly avoided it. I wished I'd rubbed it off, now.
Didn't want to do it on the last day, either, that would be madness.
I can safely say I don't think you'll be seeing any more interiors from me.
I busied myself (read 'wasted time') by adding pattern to the furnishings. That was the best bit. I needed some mindless doodling after the stressful day I've had. (Don't ask.)
BTW...I ran out of time so it's not finished....and won't be anytime soon! :-)
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 28
'Blustery Day on Porthmeor Beach'
oil on board 8" x 8"
PALETTE KNIFE ...the final frontier.
This afternoon I threw caution to the wind and entered the shed armed with a palette knife determined to produce some sort of a painting.
There was no preliminary sketching, blocking in or such like.
The thing is... that would be all fine and dandy if I actually KNEW what I was doing with the palette knife. Apart from icing the odd Christmas cake and once or twice laying a brick, I've never actually had any experience using one.
Last year I visited the St Ives Oxfam shop on Tregenna Hill. It's well worth a visit just to browse their vast array of books and drool over the art supplies at the back of the shop, where I bought my palette knives.
However, if you step out onto the pavement, turn right and walk to the top of the hill you will be treated to the most magnificent rooftop views across St Ives, harbour, The Island and Porthminster Beach.
The best vantage point is from the bus station where there is a little fenced walkway around the tarmac but it has a 'No Entry to Pedestrians' sign.
Ignore it.
And if you're approached by the bus inspector pretend you're foreign and can't understand him. It worked for me.
'Io non comprende!' *gesticulates and throws arms in air*
Suffice to say the painting this afternoon was a baptism of fire.
I can only liken it to to my first driving lesson when co-ordinating feet, hands and eyes all at once was nigh on impossible and I felt as if the car was in control of ME. OH who was not impressed.
My attitude to most things has always been 'It's not rocket science'.
I have since discovered that palette knife painting IS rocket science.
A bucket load of paint is required especially if like me you, 'dirty' the pure colours and have to wipe it all off the knife and start again. Steep learning curve doesn't come into it but surprisingly, it was enjoyable.
I'm thinking of doing an abstract next to use up all the wasted paint.
*sighs with relief, licks end of pencil and ticks 'Palette knife painting' off list*
Twenty -eight down, three to go...
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 27
'Early Morning - Godrevy Lighthouse' - Cornwall
oil on board 8" x 8"
Godrevy isn't the most picturesque of lighthouses.
It reminds me of a stack of white toilet rolls but it does have the advantage of having the most beautiful of settings just 3 miles northeast of St Ives.
From afar, you'd more than likely think that it was quite small. You'd be wrong. It's vast!
I took the photo early one morning from the St Ives coastal path with a zoom lens. The sea was silvery-white, dead calm and the sea mist was lingering around the rocks.
When I uploaded it, there appeared to be a minuscule dot in between the two larger rocks as if someone had got a pin and pricked the sea.
It was only when I zoomed in on the computer I discovered it was a canoeist! I might upload it later for you to see. It will give you a sense of proportion.
The challenge for this was to keep the whole thing simple and use just two colours.
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 25
'Boats'
oil on board 8" x 8"
Shadows are the darndest things, aren't they?
Apparently, 'they anchor the object/thing, it becomes solid and makes them part of the painting.' So I'm told...
The photo for this painting was taken in St Mawes on a very hot, sunny day and the shadows were sharp and clearly defined.
Again, this one involved a great deal of squinting to see those flipping 'values'.
BTW..I'm a little concerned that all this squinting I'm doing is going to cause even more crow's feet. The things I do for my art...
Just five more paintings to go folks and then you can all breathe a sigh of relief.
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge'
DAY 24
'The Edge'
oil on board 8" x 8"
Mevagissey is a world away from buzzing London.
Thank goodness...
It's the sort of place famous people go to in the knowledge that no one will recognise them. (No, not me, silly! I'm recognised everywhere I go! 'Ooh, look! Isn't that Jules from Juju & Bubba?')
*titters*
It's tucked into a hidden-away corner of the south coast of Cornwall, has a quaint working, fishing harbour and an olde worlde village atmosphere.
Now, I don't want all of you booking up the place, either! Hear me? it's not THAT good. *crosses fingers*
We stayed in a little place literally perched on the cliff, just off Polkirt Hill. And when I say 'perched on a cliff' I mean RIGHT ON THE CLIFF EDGE!
After driving for a squillion hours and a few arguments about the co-pilot/navigator being totally useless - moi) we arrived in the pitch black, dead of night.
A gale was blowing, there was an angry roar from the sea (though we couldn't see it) and the sea spray was slithering it's grainy, salty fingers down the windowpanes.
There was even seaweed glued to the glass. *Nods head*
OH had this romantic idea that we'd have the bedroom overlooking the ocean and at night we'd open wide the windows and allow the sound of the gentle, rhythmic waves to lull us to sleep.
No such luck.
Yes, we did open the window on that first night but the noise of the crashing waves against the rocks was so deafening (and a little frightening) we closed it firmly praying that the cliff would still be there in the morning.
So much for romance, eh?
The following morning, I drew back the curtains for my first glimpse of Mevagissey harbour.
Nothing prepared us for the stunning view across the vast, blue ocean or the dizzying depths to the rocks below. Every window had a green haze on it and was speckled with stuff you'd expect to see on the beach so muggins here in flip flops and dressing gown cleaned the windows. I know what you're thinking.
We had the most wonderful time there - walking the cliff path, strolling down the hill after supper to a virtually empty harbour, re-charging the batteries and breathing in clean, ocean air.
I took more photos than David Bailey and this painting is based on one of those from the cliff walk.
Now I'm not good with heights, dancing on the table is quite enough height for me and usually means when I've duly embarrassed myself/family/onlookers enough, I have to ask for assistance to dismount said table due to feeling a tad light headed.(It's a medical condition, see.)
However, the views down from the crumbling cliff edge into the black, rocky abyss were worryingly mesmeric, lulling me into a false sense of security. I walked within a few feet of the edge then crawled on hands and knees for the last few inches.
It was only when I'd finished taking photos and stood up that I felt myself slowly leaning forward, drawn by the magnetic pull of the waves and looked to all intents and purposes to those watching, that I was going to topple over the edge.
Clearly I didn't.
But it was the sort of sensation little children experience when they are standing stock-still by the waters edge, they become spellbound by the pulsing waves rolling in and out, in and out. Then suddenly, as a wave recedes they are pulled by an invisible force towards it and usually face plant themselves into the wet sand. I know, I've done it.
So I hope you all appreciate the extra mile I went, risking life and limb to bring you this?
Jules xx
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Jules xxwww.facebook.com/jujuandbubba
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