Debra Wenlock Art
Debra Wenlock is a colour-passionate artist. Her joyful paintings bring light and colour to lift your spirits!
Fantasy Birds…
Over Christmas I’m trying to keep up daily painting without slaving away at the easel, so these lovelies are what’s emerging from my playful paint brush.
They don’t originate fully formed in my imagination but rather evolve at warp-factor speed – my imagination working intuitively alongside a speedy brush.
If you’re interested to see more colourful bird paintings – please click here.
Dog Portrait – Who’s “Naughty or Nice” this Christmas?
Daily paintings for advent – 24rd December 2013.
Here’s Pip, and this is how she likes to spend her mornings – lazing on my tartan blanket… and doesn’t she look cozy?
She is very well behaved – and yet, there is definitely something mischievous in those eyes!
We’ll soon find out whether she’s been “nice” enough for Santa!
This is my last post for advent 2013 – but I will continue to paint and share the animals in my life! I hope you have enjoyed the series – and I would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions or comments.
Merry Christmas x
Piggy Paintings “Pigs in Pursuit” and “Peppermint Pig”
Daily paintings for advent – 23rd December 2013.
Ulster Folk Museum piglets follow their mother in pursuit of food – and later a little piggy looks happily satisfied after his munch.
These two paintings just seem to belong together.
Original pig paintings in acrylic on canvas, each measuring 8 x 8 inches.
View or Buy “Pigs in Pursuit” or “Peppermint Pig” at my Gallery Shop!
“Red Red Robin”
My twenty-second daily painting for advent – 22nd December 2013.
Perched in our Laburnum tree after the flowers had fallen, this young robin added a complimentary red amongst the foliage. The friendliest fellow in the garden – and another sweet song!
Not so much a Christmas robin… with the shortest day just passed I’m already looking forward to spring and summer.
Original robin painting in acrylic on canvas, measuring 8 x 8 inches.
Zebra Finch Painting – “The Littlest Birds sing the Prettiest Songs”
My twenty-first painting for advent – 21th December 2013.
A resident of the aviary at Ward Park in Bangor – another favourite (is that allowed?)
The zebra finches are chirpy and pretty like the chorus of this Be Good Tanyas’ song:
The Be Good Tanyas – Littlest Birds [Official Music Video]
Original finch bird painting in acrylic and oil pastel on paper, measuring 8 x 8 inches.
View or Buy at my Gallery Shop!
Fantasy Sea Bird Painting – and a little about the painting process…
My twentieth painting for advent – 20th December 2013.
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to paint – or I’m just too indecicive and there are so many options…
I consulted a sketchbook – and found some quick sketches done at the beach in the summer – birds. OK – use the shape.
What about colour… pick out some colours I like from my favourite tin of oil pastels.
What next… a word!
Some colour and pattern – painted quickly and intuitively – not worrying about what it will become.
Just beginning and background – here’s the start.
… and at some point I sketched in the bird shape, horizon and foreground with oil pastel,
got carried away with painting, doodling & pattern and forgot to take record any more stages, until –
And that was him finished. ( I really like those wee colour sample doodles I did on the left – I see spirals showing up in some future paintings.)
The finished article… but what kinda bird is it?
I think the original sketch was of a gull looking out to sea.
For now he’s my fantasy sea bird and I’ll be hoping to spot him standing on a rock one day soon.
Original sea bird painting in acrylic & oil pastel on stretched canvas, measuring 8 x 8 inches.
View or Buy at my Gallery Shop!
“Graham the Gull” – a pointillist portrait of a seagull
My nineteenth painting for advent, 19th December 2013.
Back to the beach with my camera where I managed very few decent photographs… The gulls just seemsed to blend into the water and all other wildlife was moving too quickly for the poor light conditions. But sometimes a good painting can be inspired, or rather – informed, by a bad photo… and, as I so enjoyed the pointillist approach that I tried on my recent sandpiper painting, I decided that I’ll create a mini series of dotty sea birds.
This one is named after my brother Graham – who seems to enjoy making pun-fueled comments on my Facebook Art Page.
Original seagull painting in acrylic on stretched canvas, measuring 8 x 8 inches.
View or Buy more seagull paintings at my Gallery Shop!
“Ewe with a View” sheep painting
My seventeenth painting for advent, 17th December 2013.
With a panoramic backdrop of Belfast Lough and the Antrim Hills, this ewe and her brood really have to be the most scenic sheep in the field.
I remembered to photograph the painting as I worked to give an indication of how the painting process works…
I don’t always begin the same way – but for this subject, with interlocking forms, I chose to create a quick “drawing” first.
Firstly sketching the main shapes with watery burnt sienna paint, and immediately filling in the darkest areas of background to set give contrast and beginning to give form in the mid toned areas.
I added broad areas of background colour – to set the scene.
The ewe and lambs were then given colour, form and texture and a little extra detail added to the scenery and forground to complete the painting.
All finished – my sheep landscape – “Ewe with a View”!
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas, measuring 8 x 8 inches.
This Little Piggy Painting – is my sixteenth painting for advent, 16th December 2013.
On the rampage, this boisterous fella charges out for a feed… his morning snack is a pile of turnip peelings.
He’s not having roast beef but, then again, he’s not going to market either – turnip is just grand!
Original pig painting in acrylic on stretched canvas – measuring 8 x 8 inches.
View or Buy at my Gallery Shop!
Lazy Daisy – Cow Painting
My fifteenth painting for advent – 15th December 2013 is another cow painting!
Sometimes I remember to take a camera when I take a walk first thing to record inspirations for paintings. The cows in the field at the edge of the village were having a lazy morning. This one glanced round at me, but all were taking it easy, having a lazy morning… bovine bliss!
This original cow painting in acrylic on stretched canvas – measures 8 x 8 inches.
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