Restoration period

I had an interesting painting project to do recently, rather smaller than the vast wall or ceiling areas I’m often asked to do, but still a challenge all the same: I was asked to restore a large antique toleware tray,  I said was happy to give it a go ( probably a phrase that would give a professional conservator the vapours). The tray is probably early to mid 19th century , it had been put into storage for safety along with several other items, many of which were subsequently damaged by water, and then when some of these escaped the sub-standard storage they got damaged by the removal firm instead,  I can say without exaggeration neither company was popular with my client!

A photo of the tray with water damage, the paint was pickled from the water damage and I had to carefully brush off the lose stuff then fix what was left, I filled a few chips of paint and re-painted the medallions and faux bois:

after I’ve worked on it:

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It’s the summer season now, and the apartment is let non-stop till beginning of September, and we have a few BnBs coming and going as well, lots of ironing cleaning and gardening so no time for settling down to do great works of art (!!) I’ve painted a couple of watercolours from sketches done of donkeys in the local park where I take Meggie for a walk sometimes.

This one I’ve sold:

and a haiku for it;

Mirrored heads nuzzle,

gentle nibbling, lips curl back.

Tails swish flies away.

Paper makes such a difference to watercolour, while the rougher the paper the deeper and richer the colours become, something to do with more surface area soaking up colour I believe I read somewhere, and light bouncing around in the dips,  I rather like the pale faded look a smooth surface can give, it can give a dreamy quality to the work, as in the above.

This sketch also has the written word to match it :

Donkeys in the Wintry Wet Park.

Ears shape to shrieks loud

back, forth, then sideward they twist.

munching, lunching in

the dry, gazing at boys’ play,

who muddied, tired,  head for home.

 

and a portrait of one of the donkeys.

 

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and lastly a bit of wild life in the garden: a hummingbird hawkmoth furiously probing deep for nectar in the Himalayan balsam flower: