No one knows what artist was the first to use a camera obscura. Aristotle described the technique in the 4th century BC. and  in the 15th century AD Leonardo da Vinci wrote a description of the camera obscura, though it is not probable he used such as an artist. It has been suggested (though not proved) that 15th century Flemish painters used it. Some claim, the camera obscura was not invented until the 16th century. We do know that Jan Vermeer and other Dutch artists used this early version of the camera, in the 16th century.

I love to have my camera with me to take advantage of those moments when birds and wildlife come on the scene, moments you rarely can pre arrange. When this happens, an auto focus, with a zoom lenses, compact camera that you have on you, right then and there, like today, when coming home from Christmas dinner, my neighbours the White Australian Ibis were a few meters from my home, presenting a great photo opportunity and a good subject for addition to one of my photos.

All my photos are of course copyright to me as art my art images, I show them for your viewing enjoyment and to illustrate post and encourage artists who wish to have birdlife to add to art works to get themselves a camera that will do the job well.  My choice was a Cannon IXUS 990 and I love it.

I don’t personally use a camera as an aid for subjects I can post, like people and flower studies nor for my en plein air, (on location landscape painting work.

 

Visual images speak louder than words.

"If you don't move, you get fat”.  That is a message that as a creative person I need to keep in mind. Painting and writing are mainly sedentary activities and I need to find ways to make them more active.  I do this by painting on my feet, walking back and forth to view my work from a distance.  I get out on my feet to research stories I write.  Even so, a lot of the work is far more inactive than is good for me and I need to plan activity breaks in my day and not allow my obsession for my creativity to take over and deprive me of exercise, or for that matter sleep. Therefore, once I post this fabulous visual image and reminder of why I strive to remember to be active, I will say goodnight :-),


Apparently this statute, and another of Lincoln grown portulant just sitting all these years in his chair at the Lincoln Monument for too long, was part of an advertising campaign by Advertising Agency: Scholz & Friends, Hamburg, Germany

The third stage/ is the refinement of the painting. 
The fourth stage/ is the details, this was mostly the center of the rose.
As you can see from the close up, I prefer slightly impressionistic rather than photo realistic, work. I do not over work or over detail a painting, the artist is not creating a photo, they are capturing a fresh impression of the effect of light on a subject.  Once you have captured that impression, if the painting does not tell you it NEEDS anything else to be done to it, it is FINISHED 
 

I have been painting this Dioressence rose for a couple of evenings.

The Dioressence™ rose from  the Delbard rose collection is exquisite in fragrance and beauty, truly inspiring the artist to grow and paint. Clusters of lilac flowers shaped like a wide champagne glass with edges etched in red and dark purple.

  
Do you remember the fragrance of the most beautiful floral scents from the house of Dior?  An intriguing scent of mandarin, geranium, forests and moss resembling Christian Dior's great perfume.

These are the most affordable of my horse paintings. These ones were painted last autumn in order to complete a series of works that I could produce some fridge magnets from.  They are just as I finished them, mostly small works on paper, a few hours work in each of them. Pastels on pastel drawing paper, most of them A5 size.
 
Price negotable for the collection, they would look charming framed and grouped together.  I cannot vouch that I have all of these,   need to sort them out, and see what is there and the exact sizes.  I would love to see them go to a good home and be loved. They need careful handling until framed as pastels can smouge.

The images shown are of the fridge magnets from the six pastel paintings. There is no writing on the actual pastel paintings. They are not finished to any fine degree of detail. I will check these out tomorrow and see if I have all of them still and if they are all the same size.  Make me an offer, if you are interested in these. I sketched out and painted all of these six, over a period of one week. They are not detailed works and would be inexpencive to post, being unframed.

 I LOVE this original work. If I had not downsized I would never part with a work like this, I would consider allowing it to go to the right home or collection. it is painted in watercolours on A1 100% rag content paper.  $1,600. is my price for this beautifully executed watercolour.  For those who do not paint, watercolour is a more difficult medium to master skilfully than oil painting due to the transparency of the medium.  Look how the stones in the bottom of the creek bed appear to be viewed through transparent water. 
I have this work available as a blank message area, card.