'I'm always looking for the Hows and the Whys and the Whats,' said Muskrat, 'That is why I speak as I do. You've heard of Muskrat's Much-in-Little, of course?'
'No,' said the child. 'What is it?'
- The Mouse and his Child. Russell Hoban.

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Friday, 7 November 2008

Painting: Sheep in morning mist.


I got up early one morning a while ago and drove up into the hills between Tauranga and Rotorua.  Just after the sun had risen, I came upon this dear little valley encircled with bush (the word New Zealanders use for full, four storey, canopied native forest).  The mist had burnt off the sunlit sides and top, but lingered in the valley floor.  A few sheep had climbed up into the sun and were munching on the golden grass, and three or four were still taking their time in the shadows, slowly following a sheep-track along and up the slope.  The shadows of the hills on the right stretched across onto the left hand slope forming two interesting shapes.

Working from photos and water colour sketches I did at the time, I roughed the scene on canvas with pencil...



...then blocked in the main colours with watery acrylics.  I'm not concerned with the detail yet.


2 comments:

  1. Ken Albin7.11.08

    I wish I had your talent for painting. My efforts look like something a mentally challenged chimp would do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kate8.11.08

    Thanks Ken...Chimps probably may be able to do very interesting work, 'though!

    ReplyDelete

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