Portrait Painting and Rhubarb

We picked the first rhubarb of the year this morning.

I love it when it's new and tender pink. Of course, it grows like a triffid so the novelty of rhubarb for pudding every evening will soon wear off. When it gets older, if I can't give it away, I make chutney!

I spent most of the day in my studio attempting a portrait of a cat in acrylics.

I need to resolve the right cheek and tone down the colour of the fur before I'll be satisfied with him but it was good to be out in my studio with the door wide open to the garden and the birds singing in the sunshine. Every day we are reminded of what dangerous times we live in - I'm just pleased to have my painting to absorb me, keep me sane and make me happy. Hours just evaporate when I'm painting!

Last night's effort was a pencil drawing of an iris. This morning I added a watery wash of colour in the background. That sketchbook is beginning to fill up already.

COULDN'T REST!!

While I was waiting for dinner to cook I popped back out to the studio and added a wash of transparent raw umber acrylic ink to the cat's fur.

So much better - why didn't I think of that before??

Talk again soon - Linda x