8.12.05

Welsh Dragon and the Bird

The Bird is finished, framed and was delivered to the buyer yesterday. A lovely working lunch at Quod in Oxford and two more commissions settled. This really has been the largest picture I've painted for a long time - over a metre high and unusually mounted in a rectangle. I was trying to explain to my interested buyer why I think compositionally in ovals and circles, and in the end had to put it down to that's just the way I do it...


Just one final Disney artwork to complete and there will probably be corrections to complete. It would have been done earlier but I made a complete cobblers of the colours on this one and had to wait until a friend gave me a lift to Town, to buy the right shade of paint. Such are the joys of living carless in the country.

I lost track of time this month and realised that the Ty Hafan charity auction is in a few days time...and had to quickly whip up my little offering. Ty Hafan is the Welsh Children's Hospice, providing support fror families whose children have life-limiting illness. My donation is, appropriately, a toy Welsh dragon. He's going to have to be sent by special delivery, as I missed the only post pick up. I hope the auction raises a good amount of funds for the hospice and thank you to Lewys of Somerfield at Cardiff for asking me to particpate.

9 comments:

Maya said...

I always get the urge to get out my watercolours and start painting with them when you post work Gretel.
You are truly an inspiration!!

Both illos are sooo beautiful!
I do like the ovals you use around your illos, it suits them.
Not many people can pull that off, as it really needs careful planning otherwise it can completely destroy a composition imho.



p.s.
Is that the new potters pink you painted the dragon with? (sorry, just haven't got my hands on it yet, and I am really curious what it looks like)

Stephanie Roth Sisson said...

I love your work! It's such a great thing mosying over here and finding all of this wonderful stuff!

The fabric of my life said...

Mmm Nice restaurant. It's been years since I did a working lunch, how grown up!

Another couple of delicious pictures Gretel. Even though The Bird is set in a rectangle there are still many circles and ovals in your work. They are truly unique. The colours are divine.

lorna said...

Wonderful, wonderful wonderful.
:o)

Gail said...

Love the dragon, I have a thing about dragons (being Welsh by birth I guess), and this one's a beaut!! ;)

Gretel said...

Ooh thanks everyone! I've never done a dragon before, can't imagine why. Maya, there is Potter's Pink in there somewhere, in the wash on the floor, but the darker side of it is actually pastel; Winsor and Newton, Indian Red, tho' it's actually identical to the Potter's Pink...

Working lunches are great fun, in my case you get bought lunch AND you get paid...

tlchang said...

Love them both - though I want that dragon!! When are you making 3 dimensional versions of your toy illos? Or a whole set of them as greeting cards! Yeah, that would work for me as well. :-)

Francesca said...

The dragon is marvellous and very Welsh indeed. I very much like how folded up it is.

The fabric of my life said...

I can see that you would like my fairy. She sort of reminds me of some of your illustrations. I like your use of polka dots.