My Wisteria has flowers….at last…Woohoo :-D

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Garden flowers, My Wisteria has flowers at last, Nature, Photography, Wisteria waiting

Captured against a typical northern England sky. ..(I even brightened and colour enhanced the picture, which seemingly did little to lift the depressing grey spirited day :-/) Still,  the first eagerly awaited flowers of my Wisteria, planted the best part of a decade ago!!!! Nature has it’s own set of plans…and my wishing along could change nothing…..

 

Tiny they may be…BUT, flowers nonetheless YAY!! After waiting for almost nine years since first planting the white flowering Wisteria, it’s the first sign I may have gorgeous long blooms next year and many more years to come……….

‘Poppy duo and Pincushion trio’ – Original 14” x 11” Oil Painting

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Art, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Crafty creation, Creative craft, Garden flowers, My garden flowers, Nature, Original art, Original Poppy oil painting, Painting from a photograph, Painting in oils, Photography, Poppies and pincushions, Poppy duo and Pincushion trio, Red poppy art, Still life

‘Poppy duo and pincushion trio’  an Original 14” x 11” Oil painting on canvas panel    
Having spent the last couple of days, moving from room to room around the house in order to ”get straight and tidy’ for the family invasion next week – I finally abandoned my mop and bucket and grabbed my paintbrushes for a rest! This little oil painting has been done with the attempt to soften the background almost as if it’s out of focus allowing the main poppies in the foreground to take their place centre stage. I wanted to try and see if I could imitate, somehow, what photographers do by fading out the background and focusing on the main image. To try and do this I have merely blended blobs of colour without any firm shapes graduating the shades back to give a hopefully somewhat diffused perspective and depth to the foliage. Overall it passed a quiet Saturday afternoon, and, I’m happy with the final look and feel of the little still life scene! I must say, my conservatory window ledge is starting to look very colourful as, the now five canvas boards, are lined up to dry  🙂

A Penchant for Poppies!  – Original 14” x 11” Oil Painting

‘Dapple Shaded Poppies’ – Original Oil Painting on 14 x 11 inch canvas panel

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Art, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Creating art from a photograph, Dapple Shaded Poppies oil on canvas, Finding inspiration, Garden flowers, My garden, Orange poppies, Original art, Original oil painting, Painting from photographs, Photography, Poppy oil painting, Wild poppies

‘Dapple Shaded Poppies’
It would seem my oil paints and brushes have finally had their dust blown off of them :-)! Two days ago, after clearing and cleaning, like a possessed mad woman, my fabric workspace was eventually reverted back into a painting studio. Rummaging around, I found a dozen oil canvas panels, earmarked for a project a while back, so, I thought instead of that, I would get my rusty painting arm going again on the little 14 x 11 inch boards.
Nature and my garden provided just the right inspiration…nestled right at the foot of our Holly tree! With a little help from the sun through the leaves, in the dappled shade, I captured the pretty scene on camera, four wild orange Poppies in amongst the holly leaves. 
Now I have to think what can go on the other eleven canvases ??? 😉

My garden poppies made the perfect reason, to get back to oil painting! I had a little request from Mrs. P’s grandson over at craftodessey to show my picture of orange poppies – as he has only ever seen the beautiful red ones – so here they are finished! A couple of weeks should see the oils dry out too, and then, I think it may be destined for My Etsy shop 😉 Better get back out into the garden and see what other treasures I can capture !

‘Freedom’ by Caren Taylor

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Butterfly, Caren's creative canvas and craft, Forget-me-nots, Freedom, Garden flowers, Nature, Phlox, Photography, Poems, Poetry, Something different, Wild and free

‘Freedom’

‘FREEDOM‘ by Me

‘Don’t catch that butterfly – it’ll only die’

They told me – ‘Let it have a life, let it fly

Its time here is so very, very short

If trapped its beauty fades – then mort

So leave it to enjoy flying wild and free

Its fate not for us to control – just for us to see…’

Published in Daily Reflections 2002 – Triumph House Copyright Caren Taylor.

Photography is not my strong point, but I did capture the butterfly ‘almost in focus’ before it flew out of my garden!

Pencil Drawing – Chipping Campden Cottage, Cotswolds

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Art, Artist, Artistic, Artistic moment, Arts, Artsy, Arty, Chipping Campden, Chipping Campden Cottage, Cotswold cottage, Cotswold dry stone wall, Cotswold holiday, Cotswold pencil drawing, Cotswold village, Cotswold village street, Cottage garden, Cottage in pencil, Dry stone walling, Family favourite, Illustration, Old photograph, Original, Original art, Original pencil drawing, Pencil, Pencil art, Pencil drawing, Pencil drawing of a cottage, Pencil landscape, Photograph, Photography, Sculptured trees and hedge, Stone cottage, Stone cottage pencil drawing, Village street, Village street in pencil

‘Chipping Campden Cottage’ – Cotswolds

This picture was done from a photograph taken whilst on holiday in the Cotswolds several years ago. It is one of our families favourite places to visit in the UK. This particular village has an abundance of sculptured trees and hedges.

Poppies – ‘Poppies and Pincushions’ – Oil Painting of Poppies

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Art, Artist, Artistic, Artistic moment, Artsy, Arty, Beautiful, Beautiful poppies, Flowers, Garden flowers, Garden photography, Garden plants, Nature, Oil painting, Old photographs, Orange hues, Orange poppies, Original oil poppies, Original Original Oil, Outdoors, Photographs, Photography, Plants, Poppies and pincushions, Poppies in Oil, Poppy art, Poppy buds, Poppy oil painting, Poppy Original, Poppy painting, Red Flowers, Red Poppies, Red Style, Scenic poppies, Style, Wildlife, Wildlife scene

‘Poppies and Pincushions’ – Oil on Board

This Oil painting of Poppies was done from photographs of flowers in my garden. I wanted to capture the light filtering through the delicate petals and show how it changes the deep red of the flowers to different orange hues

Street Art – ‘Busking in Bolton’ Watercolour of Street Art

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Art, Artist, Artistic moment, Artsy, Arty, Beautiful art, Bolton, Bolton town centre, Busking, Busking in Bolton, Busking on Violin, Busking Watercolour, Colourful Watercolour, Lancashire, light and shade, Light and shadows, Musician, Old photograph, Original art, Original Street Art, Orignal, Outdoor art, Outdoors, Photograph, Photography, Street art, Street crowd, Street music, Street Scene, Style, Stylish art, Violinist, Violinist in Watercolour, Watercolour, Watercolour art, Watercolour painting, Watercolour Street Art

‘Busking in Bolton’

A few years ago I was Exhibiting my Art, along with other Artists, In a Street Art Exhibition, when I managed to capture this moment on camera.

The violinist is my Son, who came along to offer me support in the form of Busking. As I turned around from my stall, I noticed he was starting to draw a small crowd of appreciative listeners. I quickly took a photograph, capturing The Moment!

This Watercolour is the result of that Scene.

Street Art – ‘Mayday Festivities’ Oxford University – Street Artists

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Activities, Art, Artful, Artist, Artistic, Artistic moment, Artsy, Arty, Atmosphere, Bagpipes, Beautiful art, Beautiful scene, Brush strokes, Dancer, Decorative, Decorative art, Delicate, Ethereal, Ethereal art, Ethereal figure, Fantastic, Fantastic atmosphere, Flute, Green art, Green costumes, Green painting, Green scene, Green street scene, Green style, Green watercolour, Light, May, Mayday, Mayday festivities, Maypole, Moment in time, Old photographs, Original, Original art, Original painting, Original watercolour, Outdoor activities, Outdoors, Oxford, Oxford musicians, Oxford University, Paintbrush, Photographs, Photography, Sound of Music, Street activities, Street art, Street dancer, Street Musicians, Street Scene, Style, Stylish art, Viola, Violin, Violinist, Watercolour, Watercolour artist, Watercolour Musicians, Watercolour original, Watercolour scene, Watercolour Street Art, Watercolour street scene, Worcester College

‘Mayday Festivities’ – Oxford University

Whilst my Daughter was studying at Worcester College she would tell me of the Fantastic atmosphere in Oxford when it was Mayday. There would be Artists, Musicians, Dancers and all kinds of Street activities. including dancing around a Maypole. Often the partying would go on through the night. She sent me some photographs. This Watercolour above is depicting one of the scenes!

After I had finished painting, I stood back and noticed I had omitted to put the young girl’s legs in the painting. With my paint brush hovering ready to paint them in, I Stopped. I realised it actually gave something more to the picture by the legs absence. Like an ethereal figure floating off to the sound of the musician’s music!!

Oil Painting – Still Life – ‘Poppies on Parade’

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Amalgamated, Art, Arts, Beautiful, Flowers, Garden flowers, Garden Poppies, Illustration, Nature, Oil painting, Oil still life, Old photographs, Original art, Outside, Painting, Parade, Perfect moment, perfect poppy, Photography, Plants, Poppies, Poppies in Oil, Poppy art, Poppy flower, Red Oil painting, Red Poppies, Red still life, Sketch, Still life

Poppies on Parade

This is an Oil painting I did of My Garden Poppies. It would have been so beautiful if they had really all flowered together like this. Sadly however, not so. Instead I amalgamated several weeks worth of My Garden Poppies flowering, using photographs, as they each had their ‘perfect moment’ Once I was happy I had just the images I wanted, I combined them together in a sketch. Almost like arranging soldiers for inspection. Hence I titled the finish painting “Poppies on Parade”!

Watercolour portrait of my Friends Daughter with her Friend – Now and Then

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Adult portrait, Art, Artistic, Artistic moment, Artistic scene, Arty, Children portrait, Friends, Friends portrait, Memories, Nostalgia, Now, Now and Then, Old photographs, Original art, Original friends, Original portrait, Photograph, Photography, Then, Watecolour, Watercolour multi person portrait, Watercolour original, Watercolour portrait

Getting one portrait right is hard enough!!!

When my Friend asked if I would do a portrait of her Daughter and Friend together as a special 18th Birthday present, I agreed. Then, she asked if I would do it as ‘Now AND Then’ as they had been friends since the very first day of school. I think I held my breath the whole time I was painting it. Starting one portrait over again is hard enough to bear should anything go wrong, but when I got to the third face I was terrified I might make a mistake. Thankfully all went to plan. This was the finished result. (See thumbnails of the photographs I worked from below)