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Archive | Paintings

Maud the Friendly Moo

“Maud the Friendly Moo” – cow painting

Here’s my second painting for advent – 2nd December 2013.

Driving about on vintage rallies in the Irish countryside is a great time to get friendly with wildlife and farm animals. There are plenty of map check stops and changes of direction that necessitate stopping to say hello to the creatures over the hedge. We met Maud in County Down – she was nearly as interested in our wee car as we were in her.

An acrylic cow painting on canvas – 8 inches square.

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Maud the friendly Moo by Debra Wenlock

 

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My Advent Art Adventure! Spaniel Puppy Painting

Advent Art Adventure

It has been my dream to become a more productive and prolific artist, but as someone who has sometimes added detail upon detail to my paintings and spent days and occasionally weeks on one painting it wasn’t going to happen without a change of pace, scale and a challenge.

I’ve already started with an intention to create a small painting every day, but I haven’t been organised enough so far to share them. So today (eventually) I am commiting to add a small painting here every day for Advent. Mostly they will be of animals, and that theme may continue, but I’ll see what happens!

Spaniel Puppy Painting

Here’s my first painting for advent – 1st December 2013.

I met this Spaniel pup at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum’s hill climb event in June, so I’m pleased to be  painting a fellow motorsport enthusiast here! This watercolour is the first of two paintings of the same wee dog – just irresistible.

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Spaniel Puppy watercolour by Debra Wenlock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Back to Life”

The title of this post comes with a multiple message… the first refering to my recent return to life drawing /painting and a chance to share some of my latest nudes! Drawing from a live model is one of those disciplines that I have come back to over and over since art school as the best way to hone drawing and observation skills. It also naturally imposes a time limit, which forces focus and concentration.

Skye - nude painting in watercolour - Debra Wenlock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secondly, this post marks a return, or more truthfully, a start to regular sharing of my artwork here – my previous posts being sporadic at best. I am not commiting to always saying a lot, depending on how chatty I’m feeling, but I am determined that I will show more of what I’m creating. My website will hopefully be transforming too, from its static old self to a place where there’s always something new and fresh to see most days – AND also with a growing opportunity to buy immediately if you see something you fancy.
I’d love to get more of my colourful paintings out into the world – so here I go!Emer - nude watercolour painting by Debra Wenlock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirdly – a great excuse to listen to one of my favourite Soul II Soul Tracks – “Back to Life”

 

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A Portrait in Green

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

It feels like a good day to share my recent portrait painting in oils of Catherine. Her colourful outfit in green, yellow and red, was rather obscured by the profile view – but I enjoyed painting this vibrant green and I just loved the hat.

Portrait in Green by Debra Wenlock

I began to block in the colours and shapes of architectural detail and easels to create a contrasting backdrop. Unfinished as yet, but this was the result at the end of a three hour sitting…

Portrait in Green by Debra Wenlock

Catherine is an English girl who’s made her home in Northern Ireland – just like me!

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Cockatiels – acrylic painting in progress

In an effort to brighten up a extra cold and wintery day – here’s a painting I did in the summer inspired by a pair of cockatiels that live in the aviary at the local park.

Step by step for the background… working quickly with acrylic paint, not worrying too much about realistic detail but enjoying slapping and dabbing on colour.

Cockatiels in acrylic - progress 1 

Next beginning to outline the birds in paint whilst bringing in more colours.

Cockatiels in acrylic - progress 2

I got stuck into painting at this point and forgot to take any more progress shots, but I can tell you that there’s some oil pastel there too on top of the paint! Here is the finished painting –

Cockatiels - acrylic painting by Debra Wenlock

I’m feeling warmer already remembering the day that I visited this pair!

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Wisteria Hysteria

Last week the wisteria plant that has been growing up the side and over our back door for many many years without so much as a bud, had eventually decided to flower! We had almost given up on this ever happening – thinking that growing it in a pot had been to blame for the lack of blooms. Really interesting too that this isn’t the usual violet coloured flower, but creamy with a bluey-purple centre – very sweet, as is the blue sky above, which is also a rare enough sight around here!
Wisteria & Blue Sky photograph by Debra Wenlock

 

 

 

 

 

Some things are worth waiting for aren’t they! It’s also one little think to make me think that maybe it wasn’t the end of the world that our house sale fell through last winter.

Now I’m wondering whether this plant is up to moving with us – but then it is rather well attached to the house and it’s roots probably do go on down through the bottom of the pot.

And – it’s an excuse to post my “Wisteria Hysteria” watercolour painting here and to think about painting some more of my own flowers this spring!

Started with a bit of sponge painting… a sweep of watery blue over a dampened ground – followed, when dry, by some gentle touches of the sponge and some splodgy dabs of pinks, purples yellow and green – wisteria, laburnum and folliage all in one! Branches flowed on from the tip of my dagger brush and then finally, when dry again, some shadow and edge defining inky deeps of dark bottle green and aubergine painted wet into wet.
Wisteria Hysteria - watercolour painting by Debra Wenlock

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“Passing Pickie” – Explaining the Title of my Titanic Art Exhibition

My painting shows Titanic passing Bangor as she makes her way into the Irish Sea for her sea trials on 2nd April 1912. After a return to Belfast later that day, she set off for Southampton at 8.00pm that evening.
Pickie is a promenade area to the west of Bangor Bay, County Down, Northern Ireland, once famous for the outdoor swimming arena Pickie Pool (though that came after Titanic in the 1930s.) I have read that the word pickie meant a little fish.

Titanic passing Bangor, from Belfast Lough into the Irish Sea - Acrylic Painting by Debra Wenlock
This is the one painting that really captures my reaction to the question I asked myself as inspiration for this series – “what would I have been doing the day that Titanic steamed past Bangor if I had been around in 1912?”
It would have been wonderful to have been aboard as a passenger for the sea trials that occurred on 2nd April 1912, but realistically it is more likely that I would have been an observer. The location of the painting is very close to where I lived when I first moved to Northern Ireland – so this is a favourite and well-walked coastal route for me and it’s also the area that I will be moving back to soon, so this one has a special place in my heart!
The original has sold – but I do have some lovely Limited Edition Prints available!

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Titanic Framed

Titanic Framed

Here’s Titanic framed in my favourite picture frame of my current exhibition. This old off-white and gold frame was donated a few years ago by a friend clearing out his workshop. The vintage picture frame was adapted to suit my painting by my extremely helpful partner.
I am delighted by how well the painting “Well-Wishers at Donaghadee” suits the colour, decorative moulding, golden slips and detail of this frame. It was great to have been able to display many of my paintings in reclaimed and repurposed frames. Bringing with them a wealth of character that blends so well with paintings of a historical subject. Happy too that they have been admired aged, worn, imperfect and all. So, a perfect pairing!

 

Titanic Framed Painting "Well-Wishers at Donaghadee" by Debra Wenlock

 

© Debra Wenlock retains all reproduction rights & copyright.
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