Silhouette - Sold

There is just something about Shelley Smart's photos that draw me, and she so kindly gives me permission, when I ask, to paint those ones that call to me.  

This is one of them.  An amazing photo, taken at sunset of this lone bird gave me the opportunity to put it on canvas.

Thank you Shelley and I would encourage everyone to visit her blog, A Year at the Beach - her beach, seabirds and waves bring a lovely feeling of tranquility.  But please respect her copyright!

David

This is our friend, David.

I've known him and his partner, Gail, for some time now and see them annually on Christmas Day.  Now Christmas lunch is a festive meal and with good food, red wine and hot summer weather, lots of photos are taken of all the happenings.

I was snapping away and got this rather great pic of David listening to someone, and with his kind permission I decided to paint it and put it up on exhibition at the end of this month.

It was fantastic to paint.  I hope I caught is intelligence, gentleness and generosity of spirit.

And now my prized piece.  I posted that sketch of Indian cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar a couple of posts ago.  For my non-cricketing-country readers, Sachin is known as the 'Little Master', round the world.  He is a phenomenal sportsman having started his international cricketing career at the age of 15, getting his first Test 100 against England at age 16. 

India are in South Africa at the moment, having just completed the third and final test in my home town.  And I was lucky enough to get this great man to autograph my humble sketch.  And it is a real autograph, not a hurried scribble in passing!

 I'm sure it's going to be worth millions!!

The Face of Vietnam

A photographer friend of a friend took this photo of a little girl who lives in the northern hills of Vietnam and asked if she would paint it.  

I was given the great task of putting a beautiful, sad face on canvas.