We are about to decamp to Donegal for the summer/early autumn. I have mixed feeling about returning to oil paints. It’s been a quite a steep learning curve getting comfortable with acrylic paint but I feel like I finally got there. I am not sure what it will be like to paint in oils again, oh the the joy of easy blending! I will continue my practice of laying down an underpainting in grey-scale paint, regardless. Here are some of my recent acrylic paintings, mostly of Inishowen Penisula (Donegal)
You probably think that artists are good at creating paintings/images in all mediums; oil, watercolours acrylic paints. Many probably are, but I am not. I need to work at it. It’s a bit like being an athlete. You might be great at football but it doesn’t automatically mean you are a great sprinter, tennis player […]
What’s in a name? It’s complicated The name of the city I am living in right now is contentious. It’s official name is Londonderry but no one here seems to call it that, not even the council. Most people in the city itself, Protestants as well as Catholics, call it Derry. This suggests it is more […]
The ‘Illuminate’ festival is running over two weekends in Derry, 17th – 20th and 24th – 27th February, from 6pm – 9pm. We visited it on Thursday night. It was very cold (double socks and thermals weather) but mostly dry. This was important was all the sites we visited were out of doors. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a brilliant introduction to Derry.
All five are beautiful paintings!
Thank you, Hien.
You’ve done a wonderful job here, Emma!
Thank you!
There’s something quite majestic and solemn about the Sitting Bull. I really like the color palette too.
I think the bulls are so massive that they end up looking quite serene because it’s a lot of effort to move, and I don’t think they need to. There’s not a lot they are worried by. It’s funny that bulls have such a reputation in stories for being dangerous but these Gower bulls (and cows) are very laid back. No rings in their noses. The only ones who people say watch out for are the mother when their calves are little, will get protective. That’s understandable. i think its because they are very used people walking past them on a daily basis. The sheep and ponies on the Gower common lands (where they roam freely, not in fenced off fields) are pretty much the same.
great paintings, all of them . You have a very good job Emma 🙂
Thank you, Cecile.
I always liked the German Angus breed.The pure black makes them more mysterious.
Great paintings Emma!
We have Black Welsh cattle here, I didn’t know there was a German Angus breed (I’m not a farmer but a townie) but I am familiar with Aberdeen Angus. I looked them up and the German Angus is a version of Aberdeen with German genes added in. Fine looking animals!
Beautiful Emma.
Thanks, Sue
Love cows, and their gentle faces. You capture them beautifully. My grandad used to raise them as a farmer, which although it was his ‘second’ job, it was the one he was most suited to with his gentle nature.
Thank you, Marie. Yes, many small farmers in Wales also have to have “other” jobs to keep things going.
lucky cows, hanging out at the beach! I love this series, the white cow the most.
Thanks, Melissa
What a beautiful series Emma!
Thank you, Cindy