Saturday 2 November 2013

On A Grey Day


It is a very grey day here today. The clouds have been getting darker and darker and the rain has never stopped.  It is quite appropriate that I should be painting with grey.  I walked home in the rain on Thursday and collected these two leaves. The red berries were so bright and glossy in the rain and I couldn't resist picking these little branches off the ground and the empty snail shell came home too.
It has been raining quite a lot lately. I don't really mind.  My bulbs are planted and I will be happy to see the spring flowers.  Another 120 new fritillary bulbs have been added to the garden.  I just love them and feel excited at the very thought of them next April and May, drawing them again and capturing some lovely chequered patterns on the flowers.  They are one of my favourite flowers, as seen on my header.
As I was gardening this little fellow came hopping out and I managed to captured him.  He must surely be camouflaged amongst the autumn leaves.  How he gets into my garden I will never know but he is very welcome.  He disappeared between some stones, maybe that is where he lives.
When the rain stopped and the sun shone we wandered through the muddy wet lanes.  I collected a bag of lovely autumn colours and brought them home.  I felt really inspired and placed them all on the big plate to admire.  I knew I didn't have time to draw them but I can still enjoy looking.   The acid green and dark leaves are the ones I have painted, at the next stage in their life when they go completely black and have a grey underside.
When I saw them in the rain they looked very dramatic , wet  glossy black and dull grey. I carried the two grey and black leaves  home and the bright red berries and knew I had to capture them.  So two days of drawing and here is the finished picture......freshly painted today!
It felt really nice to draw again.  I lost myself in the painting listening to the wild wind and the rain on this stormy grey day.     Here are some stages of the drawing.
Sketching it out in pencil and getting the objects ready to paint.
I used acrylic paint and a fine brush.  Grey, white, black, sepia brown, green and red.
I love snail shells, the colours and patterns are beautiful.
The leaves have curled in the heat of the room. And you know how much I love red berries.

 My collection from the walk last week, the little apples and red berries went outside for the birds.

I have not been drawing as I have another project on the go, been cutting out and sewing a patchwork.  I will share that when it is finished.  I have also been knitting, some very useful hand warmers to wear as I am working on my sewing.  Somehow I always want to sew and knit in the dark evenings, better for my eyes too. I have about four different knitting projects half done, things to wear in the cold winter months.
                                   Looking forward to more of these next year.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my drawings and I hope you are all keeping warm, I am sitting next to a cosy fire in the wood burner.  It has been dark here all day and my grey photograph was taken at four o'clock and it was so dark outside.
When I wake up to a bright day and the view,  I will see it again with new eyes.

Thank you  for the lovely comments, it  is so nice to find them. I enjoyed reading each one, so thank you.
See you soon.       Millyx


21 comments:

Diana said...

HI Milly they are beautiful.Your Paintings are exquisite. The leaves are gorgeous here the colors so vibrant and the day has been warm. It's supposed to turn cold tonight. It sounds so cozy at your home. love to you,Diana

Elderberry-Rob said...

lovely leaves and berries, I have been doing the same - the colours at the moment are fabulous aren't they. Betty

Acornmoon said...

Hi Milly, these grey November days make my heart sink right down to my boots. Your cheery red berry drawing has brought a ray of sunshine to the world.

Claire said...

Really lovely as usual Milly,theres nothing better to do on a miserable day than capture natures beauty xxx

Feathers said...

Ah-so to find you one needs to look in your sewing nook! So good to find a new post from you--knitting sounds so good in this chilly fall weather, as does the quilt top you are creating. I've been working on quilted hot pads, mostly done now, and one of my old orchid plants has bloomed and is being captured in colored pencil at my drawing table. Love seeing the leaves you've drawn, and the bright berries are always like a ray of sunshine. Enjoy the warmth of your fire, and the results of the knitting. Your knitted mits will feel so good as winter wears on. Hugs to you from across the pond-Anita.

RH Carpenter said...

Beautiful work! Isn't it wonderful that when nature makes everything brown and grey, she also gives us bright red colors in berries (and our Cardinals) to chase away the dulls? Love the addition of the red berries to the grey leaves and snail.

Gill said...

Beautiful as ever! I love the pop of red in the berries!
Gloomy here today - I don't think the rain can be far away!

cath said...

Bonjour,
Je découvre ton blog, j'aime beaucoup ton travail! Des aventures et de très belles photos de tes oeuvres vraiment magnifiques!!!
Je suis artiste peintre, photographe amateur; je me suis inscrite pour suivre tes publications!
Je t'invite à me rendre visite sur mes blogs, merci beaucoup et bonne journée! Cath.

Mayte clay said...

Hi Milly , I have enjoyed a lot reading your text and seeing your fantastic drawings.
I like to knit very much as you.
Enjoy the autumn colors and days.
Greetings from Spain

alissaduke said...

You have taken us along a lovely walk today. And even the grey day sounds inspirational.

Debbie Nolan said...

Dear Milly - so lovely...your eye for the detail and the colors you choose are always a delight to see. Seems like you choose the things I so love as well. Thank you for sharing. Hope you have a warm cozy day by the fire - take care.

NanaA said...

I am inspired.

I have never seen or even heard of those amazing checkered flowers!

Thank you!

Ann Ellison

suz said...

love this painting - so lovely! Your flowers are wonderful - this blog is where I was first introduced to them. That area of your garden is going to be fantastic with an additional 120 flowers!

Frances said...

Milly, I have thoroughly enjoyed this post, with its telling of how even a dark and wet day can bring forth beautiful art, when one is so inspired by nature.

Your leaves are intricately veined, and the shape of their edges are quite wonderful, too. Of course, they call out to be drawn. Adding the brilliant red berries and the little shell give your composition even more beauty.

Thank you also for the photo of your drawing's early stage. I would think that it is at this point that your hand and eyes begin to become very well acquainted with your natural subject matter. Then as you begin to paint, more thoughts enter into the process.

However it is that you do it, Milly, the results are really exceptional.

(Best wishes to you on the sewing and knitting projects, too.)

xo

Melody said...

Lovely to see your art! I find that the red berries appear to "glow" a bit on gloomy days. I love a rainy day, it seems the only way I can embrace being in, cozy and creating something with out feeling guilty... or less so anyway! I can picture you there by the stove all cozy. :)))))))

cath said...

Jaime beaucoup le post présédent, nice post! Thanks & Welcome for your comment and visit to my blog.
Have a nice day! Merci.

Sarah Melling said...

I love how those red berries look with the neutral colors in this piece!

I've always been so enamored with the fritillary blooms you've done; I must check and see if the bulbs will grow in my climate!

Tammie Lee said...

hello Milly,

it was so nice to have you stop by and leave a message, thank you.

i admire your bulb planting, they are such beautiful flowers and come spring will be enjoyed.

lovely to see all of your art.
do you ever have trouble with your pencil sketches smearing when you take paint to the sketch? I have had that happen, making the colors muddy. Just wondering how you address that.

lovely autumn to you.

Anonymous said...

Hi Milly, thank you so much for your comment on my blog! What are you sewing at the moment? :) Lovely work as always in this post, and that looks like a very wild and grey sky!

nicole said...

Ooh, I love frits too, and think your drawings of them are gorgeous (as all your drawings)

Lucille said...

Yes I love fritillaries too and have just ordered 40 at half price to plant under a new silver birch. A bright day today but they are alternating with the dark ones. Lovely to see your berries brightening up the screen.