And a Grey Lourie in a Plum Tree

A day late for this Johannesburg version of a Christmas tree, but hoping all who visit here had a very happy day, if you celebrated - and peace and goodwill to all!

Not a pear tree with a partridge, but the greengage tree outside my studio, which was vibrating a couple of weeks ago with all kinds of birds gorging and feasting on the not-quite-ripe-yet fruit. We still have pots of jam from last year's crop so I let them get on with it and spent a happy couple of hours watching and sketching them... The thrush thinking he's lord of the manor and trying to chase everyone else off, the barbets bright and fierce looking but quite wary of the other birds and of eyes peeping at them through the window; the little grey mousebirds with raggedy tails and punk hairdos come in cheeky flocks; my favourite bulbuls (they make such sweet, clear calls to each other, "what's for tea Gregory?") and the grey louries  - or Go-away bird - one semi-tame who comes and squawks at me outside the kitchen if there's nothing to eat and to bring out some paw-paw please.

I never used to be much into birds, it was what my mom, aunts and gran did. At last I'm mature enough to appreciate the small, precious things, some positives to these years passing ever faster by!

Portrait Party

Julie Oakley led me to this at The Portrait Party, where this Valentine's month it's self-portraits and 'learning to love yourself' that are the challenge! I was tempted, like Julie, to use an older, gentler photo to draw from but decided I'd get to grips, as she did later too, with my 53 year old face. My first attempt, that I was quite pleased with even though I overdid the wrinkles rather - I felt it showed a wicked-witchy, mischievous side that I don't think many people know about me...but I knew the proportions were 'off' and I couldn't work out where, so I traced the reference photo in Coreldraw and laid the tracing over my drawing - ! - below the eyes, it was way, way off. I really didn't like the way the tracing looked! (I think I saw this method of self-correction used by Jeannette Jobson on her blog a while ago but can't find the exact link now)Adding tone, line and wash - with Karisma very soft Graphite Aquarelle - improved matters and it does look more accurately like me, but is that the total point? I think I prefer the witchy one.

(Now I feel like I've hung all my laundry up on a very public line to dry!!)

Me, myself, I

I've been painting in my studio this week, which is always a good thing, but lacking a model willing to sit for me, I resorted to trying some self-portraits - something I haven't done for ten years. The last time I had recently turned forty, so it was a pretty sobering exercise to tackle my 50+ image.

The first one I mercilessly and doggedly recorded every wrinkle, bump, sag and bag resulting in a recognisable, but cruel rendition which upset my husband, who thought I had done myself (and him) a deep injustice. The second I tried to be kinder, but still truthful, and it turned out to be a rather boring painting and I'm pretty sure, younger than reality. So maybe I'll keep on trying - I don't necessarily want total accuracy, but I do want something interesting my children might want to hang on their walls one day, without frightening the grandchildren!

I'm probably too impatient to do good portraits - I just have to finish them in one day, and can't bear to go back and fiddle.