Front

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/liz-balkwill/front/132714 This is the second pastel in this series of four. I purposely kept the geometric shape loose and very two dimensional. I hope the fact the sides are not paricularly straight or even do not niggle.

Back

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/liz-balkwill/back/132536 This is the first of a series of four pastels I am currently working on, featuring this young woman. I like the idea of her shape coming in or out of the geometric shape. I decided to work this on the Canson mi-teintes pastel paper, which remains one of my favourite surfaces to work on. As with most pastellists I favour working on the reverse side which is rather less textured.

Oil sketch of Clive

I went to art school with Clive many moons ago; when the model failed to turn up last week at our regular session at the scout hut , Clive agreed to sit which was brilliant for me because I have always wanted to paint him. This was done from life in just over two hours. During the session I photographed my progress at each 25 minute break: This is a photo of the man himself....

Lindt Bunny

This Lindt Bunny was painted last year but I have just relisted it in the Daily Paintworks auction in the hope that he might just find a home out there.....

Buttered Hot Cross Bun

It is that time of year again; wafts of warm hot cross bun billow out of the supermarkets with that promise of mixed spice, raisins and candied peel. When I was a child we always got half a crown (pre- decimalization) pushed into the top and we had them at breakfast time. This helped to make Good Friday very exciting to us.

Life Sketch of Charlotte

I painted this study at a life painting session which takes place on a fortnightly basis. We work on one pose over the morning session. I am really enjoying the opportunity working in oils to sketch the figure over a period long enough (3 hours) and to work with more than the usual charcoal.. There are plenty of areas I would have liked to have had more time to refine but what these sketches lack in finesse they make up for in a sort of raw energy that working against the clock creates. There is no opportunity to go back and make good.

Charcoal sketch of Anya

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/liz-balkwill/charcoal-sketch-of-anya/129590 This is a preliminary sketch for a portrait I am about to start of a young swedish girl called Anya. Her father is a well known painter, so she is well accustomed to modelling. She was keen to earn some extra cash before continuing her travelling. I Have got most of the preparatory work done now, and feel I have got to know the typography of her face, I am ready to starting a portrait of her in oil.

Studio at 81

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/liz-balkwill/studio-at-81/129424 This is the studio in my last house which was part of a 16th century property known as the Reading Rooms. Quite a few villages in England have them; the property was used by the local church as a place to teach the village children to read. My studio was in the attic room, it was a great space to work.

Oil sketch of Suzanne

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/liz-balkwill/oil-sketch-of-suzanne/129185 This oil sketch of Suzanne was painted in a single session of approx. two hours. I would have loved to have had more time to do her justice; she was a stunning young woman and her dress was exquisite. However, she has agreed to come and sit for me privately, so I am looking forward to doing something on a larger scale, a finished piece that will be more worthy of her.

Demo at Scarning

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/liz-balkwill/demo-at-scarning/128708 I did this demo for Scarning art group last Wednesday, although this is the first opportunity I have had to post it. The green bottle is on loan so I thought I would incorporate it, as I like the freshness of yellow, green and white together. It somehow conjures up the feeling of spring, which seemed to have arrived last week before we were plunged back into winter once again! The group were very wecolming and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Special thanks to David Wise for his instruction on the 'Trammel' method for achieving a perfect elipse .... it helps to have someone who used to teach technical drawing to put you straight :)

Olive oil and yellow pepper

This is the same glass jug featured in my last piece, but this time I am back to my oil paints. The olive oil in the jug remains the same but the yellow pepper is fresh.... promise! :) Once these images are posted the areas you want to 'tweak' tend to stand out, coming back to haunt you and entering your thoughts in the wee small hours....

Olive oil and accompaniments

This is a fabulous little jug, which has made an appearance before in 'just picked' when I teamed it up with some home growm tomatoes. This time I am thinking the green/gold theme...

Life Sketch of Beth

This was painted last Tuesday at a life painting session I have just set up. It has been well attended by others who welcome opportunity to work from the figure for a longer pose than is available at the average life drawing session. This study took about two and a half hours.

Demo at Thorpe

I painted this study as a demo for the Thorpe art group last Wednesday. I visit them each year at around this time of year. It is fun to see the same familiar faces but sobering to realise how quickly a year passes!

Drying her toes

This is another gallery piece, once again around the idea of bathing. It follows on a long tradition of painters using this subject matter; and it doesn't matter when or how it is portrayed, this theme still remains very appealing .... Although I laid my pastels down only a few hours ago, I already feel the need to tweak it here and there; rather like looking at your painting in a mirror , photographing it highlights the areas that need attention. No peace for the wicked!

Oil sketch of Samir 2

This is the second sitting with Samir and I was keen to get a side view. His profile shows his impressive dreads and gives a very different impression than the first study which was pretty well face on.