Is it good enough?

Hi with a bank holiday this week and things opening up a bit , everywhere is getting busier. I have also seen friends I haven't seen for a while. I love to walk and being in Devon we are lucky to have 2 coastlines we can get to. On Sunday morning we woke up to blue skies and headed North....wow, it was stunning 

 

The next day on my daily walk , I noticed the cow parsley was beginning to do it's thing, I have a 'thing' for cow parsley so I was ridiculously excited.

Finally a trip on Tuesday with my best friend to Topsham, it felt like a different season from Sunday, very windy and cold, but still beautiful,

So with this cold spell here in Devon this week and we are experiencing lots of different weather. Maybe that's why I thought I could paint some penguins. Like everyone I wonder about the quality of my work, not so everyone will say nice things, but because like anyone doing a job, I want to do it as well as I can and keep improving.

 

I think all artist struggle with this question, I have been lucky enough to be asked this year to donate a piece to the Explorers Against Extinction exhibition , which does a fantastic job of raising money and awareness for endangered wildlife and it's habitats across the world. The problem for me with anything like this, is what to paint, and is it good enough?

So I spent 2 days creating my penguin piece

Firstly I sketched them out and added a horizon, I wanted the setting sun in the distance

Then I began on the penguins starting with brightest colours first. I want to make them look like real personalities, penguins seem to have that look

Then to begin on their black coats, trying to show the sheen on their backs , it all takes time, I spent a few hours on each bird , playing around with lights and darks.

Finally when I had my group finished, i let loose on the sky

My favourite colours and techniques, I want their world to look magical, I want my painting to have an air of wonder.

I stand back and see what to do next.

Some icy clingfilm I think and an overnight rest to see what happens

I take off the cling film in the morning and see if it's worked.

Final touches now, I want them to stand in their space so I add some shadows, and I think i need to break up some of the colours so I add a flurry of snow

 

 

It is done but now the question I started with, is it good enough?

 

p.s. after all this I decided to send in a bumble bee....you see I just can't ever decide x