3.7.07

The falling leaves...

...are starting to drive me nuts.


It was the work of seconds when I was roughing out the big picture for the Art Director. A few blurred scribbles and a note - 'GENERAL LEAVES'. Then I drew them properly. Ah. Umm. Let's hear it for detail. Hooray!



Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. My dears, you would not imagine how long it can take to individually paint a couple of hundred or so bloody autumn leaves. That's where I am right here, right now. See you's later. I might be some time.



20 comments:

Joanna said...

Good luck with the leaves. Detail does take a long time. I have been looking at your web cam while working today. I'm doing a rough of some Scottie dogs. Its really nice to see some one else painting.

fp said...

I shall sit here rooting for you! Like a cheerleader! Go Gretel! Go Gretel! :-D
Theyare looking fabulous so far, such rich colours!

Paula Bowles said...

arghhh, that will either send you insane or be quite rhythmic and meditative. But, which ever - it's going to look gorgeous when it's finished :o)

natural attrill said...

Hi G,
I love the way you write, you do make me laugh!
Your colours are SO beautiful, and I am sure the whole pile of leaves will look fantastic when you have finally finished them, keep on going..
I have just taken on a job, 8xjumbo sized gift bags, huge artworks, take about 3 days solid to paint each one. The only way I will get through it is to go to the library and get some long audio books.
Happy painting!
Penny.
x

Merisi said...

I love that first painting, so poetic!
So you do have does bright yellow, orange and red leaves in Great Britain too? I miss the bright autumn colouring from the East Coast, here in Vienna the colours are more subtle, missing is the gold of the sugar maples and the bright reds of wild dogwoods, for example. Beautiful those fly agaric mushrooms you're including. In Austria they are rare, mostly under hemlock tree, growing on moss.
May your paintbrush get wings and paint leaves of her own! :-)

Karen Jinks said...

Oh my, you must have the patience of a saint! Can't wait to see it finished though, will be spectacular (no pressure!)

Anonymous said...

Holy cow...it looks like a paint-by-number without the numbers as a guide for colours. More power to you...you must have the patience of Job! It looks great already...

Anonymous said...

Hee hee! You have my sympathies! :-) I'm still cutting out the bits between the winter branches of a tree on my wood engraving. But at least there's no pressure...it's just for me. Good luck with it Gretel! It'll look brill!

Tea said...

Wow...I can see the time it must take to do your paintings....but you have such an amazing talent! You`re so lucky to be so artistic. I can see your art filling lovely whimsical storybooks!
That soup sure sounds good too.

tea
xo

Anonymous said...

Well I'm laughing but I guess it could all get a bit tedious.

julie said...

yes, that could take you a while but it's going to be wonderful when you've finished - just don't go and muck the last one up or do you have a strategy for overcoming accidents? That's partly why I gave up painting - I'm too pernickety and not able to handle mistakes well - my artboard was always surrounded by scrunched up 1st, 2nd and 3rd tries! Love your new header by the way.

Caroline B said...

It's therapeutic! At least that's what I tell myself when painting the umpteenth stripe on a zebra or tiger - this looks much more fun with the lovely colours (easy for me to say!)

Libbys Blog said...

Oh my word, what patiece you must have or is it a labour of love????

Anonymous said...

Leaves do take a lot of patience...but the end result is always worth it. Happy painting PG!

OldBagNewTricks said...

I think a patience song is wanted here... or a "stick-to-it" tune... somthing about ants. can't. move a rubbertree plant... Nice as far as it goes, sadly it doesn't go far enough. Maybe something ling and melodic... the Beatles Hey Jude -- you can make up your own words to that while you paint... How's that. (Trying to be helpful.)

Jenny

Anonymous said...

eeeh Gretel, you haven't lived (illustration wise) till you've done a 30 page dot to dot book on horses, oh yes, every single ruddy dot! My sympathies to you.

tlchang said...

I feel your pain.... I'm currently designing and drawing all the foliage (up close and personal) on a river bank... LOADS of fun...

Chitweed said...

I love your colors. Just wonderful. I also wonderful is your sense of humor. I shall return to check on your progress...as the picture gets more and more beautiful.

Rosa said...

Oh they are lovely. Makes me pine for fall. So pretty.

Mary said...

hi there,
thanks for the compliment! End of year mowgli show, was lovely. Now he wants to watch it every day.
Happy Mum