new hobby

Well done San.!!.....a good first effort......the best of luck....its a lovely hobby....all the better having an Art Room, you can leave you stuff out and not have to clear it all up every time. Enjoy!!

thanx Alice, i found doing this i already learned on a few mistakes and hope to improve, do you paint to? ;o)

hey, well done you!! its very pretty. i had a couple of lessons for just the same reason as you, and i love colour. but im not so good at art and the teacher did most of the painting for me!! i just didnt get it, but now i have 2 nice little paintings! good for you ~ keep going and keep us posted
p.s. i think the trees are great!

thankyou sticki for the encouragment, im wanting to do a class but all i see is courses which i dont want, they are for grades etc, all i want it a local art class for fun and learning, so will keep looking and painting ;o))

Well i'm impressed Sanbaz, having had a go at various times at drawing (i'm not very good though) i am better with fabric love to sew and make up things of my own, any hobby is great if it makes you happy and thats a lovely little painting, keep it up!!

I sound like a teacher lol!!!

lol sewing... thankyou so much,, i use to like sewing to, was good at scool and always love to watch my nan sewing and crochet, but i lost it and never went back, but im enjoying this and will carry on ;o))

Well done Sandra, an excellent first effort. You're very brave having a go with oils, it's something I've always shied away from. I'm quite confident with pencil and sort of OK with watercolours and keep thinking maybe I'll take it up again but well, just never seem to get around to it! LOL. Keep at it :o))

thankyou so much lily, now im scared of water colours so wet and runny, you can go back with oil and even rub it out and start that piece again as it takes alot longer to dry, i might try a water colour sometime as iv got some paints ;o)) so get your paints out again and enjoy

you can put oil on top of oil too ~ when opportunities [not mistakes of course] arise. i had 1 to 1 tuition which was very good ~ and not a bad price for several hours ~ tutor said it was best that way cos otherwise everyone is a bit competitive or gives up cos they are not so good as others ~ i can see his point. i went to a class once but didnt feel i learned anything ~ just drawing shapes of bottles? think you are a bit far away from the tutor here sanbaz but if you fancied a days outing i could give you the contact details ~ the artist i went to has a studio in a rather nice craft centre.

Another string to your bow, San, well done for taking up a hobby that will still keep you thinking of gardening, even if you are indoors! I used to do patchwork, then lost interest, don't own a sewing machine and can't knit or crochet! Bit of a lost cause really ... lol! Keep up with the painting, a lovely hobby to have. : o ))

thanx sticki that would be nice, would be good to kknow and maybe get to have a look when on a day out ;o) i will take you advice and maybe see whats going on around here as far as tutors are concerned ;o)

cheers shirley, not sure about another string to my bow, even though i enjoy a few things like poetry, cooking, gardening and now art lol, just a novice and just enjoy it for me, dont think i will make my fortune lol :o))

That's great Sanbaz, it's good to have a hobby and be happy rather than bored. Winter can be depressing if you let it. You did a nice job with the painting. Make sure to post all your paintings, we all want a look. ;o)

cheers Alex glad you like it, your right winter can get you down, i feel lost without the garden to do and no colour to cheer me up, so this will keep my spirits up till spring :o))

great stuff sanbaz - very good details

thanx paul for your input :o))

San, my honest instant reaction was...."Ah, that's gorgeous"! Well done San, and thanks for sharing. Do some more....it's sooooooo pretty! :))

aww karen your very kind, i am happy with first attempt but room for improvment haha, its finding your way of painting isnt it :o)) x

A great first attempt, Sandra! I think you're very brave, not only for taking up painting but for showing your first painting here so everyone can see it! Kudos to you! :-))

I hope you enjoy this new hobby of yours!

thankyou so much balcony, i have to say i was nervous but as i will never get into an art gallery it had to be on GOY lol :o))

Good for you San, power to your elbow, two of our daughters are very talented, also my brother and sister and a great Uncle, quite often it goes hand in hand with gardening and cat loving? I used to, now I am in to photography........thanks for showing us your first painting, I am looking forward to seeing more as you go along, a lovely winter hobby.
Never say never regarding getting your work in to a gallery, you never know!!

thanx dotty, photography is something i like to and my mum likes it also,she worked in a photo shop before she met my dad,, also she is good at art and so is my brother and my two sons, so i will be carrying on with my new hobby ;o))

well done Sandra,thanx for showing us i think its great, cant get the hang of oils myself..not too bad with pencil & sketching i think we need a hobby at this time of the year as we are indoors much more..i made something last winter keep thinking i will put it on in a blog..maybe..well done Baz too for decorating the room for you.(or is it he gets the tv remote more now ) lol.

lol joan and thanx, i wish i could sketch but cant, strange as you would think both came together but dont, my joe can draw but not pain and johnny draws to not sure about paint with him, baz is good but i wont go up at evenings to often cause then he says he misses me lol but i have days and weekends if we arent doing anything, thats one good thing about working part time ;o))

ahhh thats sweet..:o))

isnt it just hahah ;o))

whatever you made i hope you do a blog joanella ~ would be lovely to see.
i thought that was very good of Baz, great to have a special room.

thanx Stick..:o)

;)

thanx sticki he is a good hubby and yes cant wait to see what you been up to joan :o))

Well done Sanbaz. I would love to be able to have a skill like painting. I did try but haven't got any natural ability at all in that field. Have done crochet, knitting, cross stitch quite well over the years, but gardening sort of took their place. Your sky looks lovely and I love the snowdrops.

thanx mags glad you like it, its not to hard for simple painting, i watched you tube demo`s, just type in oil painting for beginners and up they come, i sat and watched the artists skills and addvice, i have two favourites i enjoy watching which are wilson bickford and oops cant remember other name lol :o))

will put it on tomorrow..dont expect much lol ..

Well done on your first painting Sandra, I can`t paint or draw but I wish I could. I`m looking forward to seeing your next one. What a lovely hubby you have decorating a room especially for your art. :o)

thanks joanella ~ will look forward to it

i`ll be here joan :o)
thanx sandra he`s not a bad old stick lol, im hoping my next one will be better after feeling the way the paint goes and making mistakes, but its all fun :o))

Good for you San,and It will be a great way of passing the winter for you.You have done a good job,and I really like it.
i am hopeless at drawing or painting,but I envy people who can...thanks for your offer of doing my hair,while I am a bit stuck..that was kind of you..:o))x

San...you have yourself all set up with your own art room and a desire to paint for pleasure...sounds like a winning combination to me.

You have made a great start with your first picture and I am looking forward to watching your progress through the winter months when you can't get out to the garden. It is good that you have found something you will enjoy....and to fill the hours now you have less family responsibilities. It's some "you" time :) Happy hours of creativity to you, San.

I went to art classes a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I always said I couldn't draw......but I can now.! Then the College stopped all the "social" courses, a crying shame!!!...We used, pencil, water colours, pastel, acrylics but not oil....I still have all the gear; I might be tempted to get going again, depending on how bad the winter is.....

Well done San ! I think it's great that you have embarked on a hobby that you have always wanted to have a go at ... i'm sure you will spend many an evening lost in your world of painting , I'm totally useless at drawing and painting , i'm good with a needle and thread ,embroidery that kind of things .. Good luck with it :o))

thanx sandra glad you like it and hope your feeling a bit better ;o)) x
thankyou so much jacquie the me room is coming along nicely, baz hopes to finish decorating before friday as the cupboard coming, then i can get all our paper work stored away, then up with the new curtains and looking for a nice chair for me to sit and have my cuppa lol, then away i go hopfully :o))

Alice iv been looking at courses but not sure i want to do something i have to get an Alevel at, i just want a relaxed class for enjoyment but cant find one here, sounds like you did well at yours and think you should keep going at it, would love to see one of your pics ;o)
cheers amy, you have a great talent there to being able to make your own things with sewing and need patients to,
think we all have a talent of some kind, its enjoying it that counts even if it doesnt apeal to others ;o))

Good for you San!! I've been thinking the very same thing myself, but haven't the motivation yet, or the space....:o((
That's a lovely first picture, it looks as though it's a window view, and you'll always cherish your first one.
Like you there aren't any classes near me when I'm not at work...though I met some ladies the other week and all retired so I'm looking forward to being a pensioner, then I'll be free......Lol!
I enjoy pastels though they can be a bit messy....just need a CONSERVATORY....there...do you think I've shouted loud enough....Lol!!
Enjoy your winter-time San, all your photos to have a go at painting....:o))

You need to SHOUT LOUDER Janey ...LOL...

I keep shouting Amy, but its not CONSERVATORY!!....Lol!

That's great Sandra :o)
It's nice to have different hobbies. I hope you keep it up.

Well done Sanbaz. It's great for first attempt. I would love to do some thing like that but am no good at art. I am good with needle work. During the winter months i embroider floral designs. At the present i am doing a cross stitch pansy picture to be framed. Seeing your painting makes me feel like wanting to learn how to paint too.

thanx janey, i do hope you get your conservatory and you get to do some painting to, keep shouting lol, all the walls have had their first coat in the spare room and its looking nice and bright, cant wait :o))
thankyou hywel it is nice to do different things, stops me thinking lol, i mean its calming and takes my mind off bad thoughts ;o)

thankyou to Rohima, you must have a good eye for colour doing your cross stitch and what a lovely passtime, you should have a go at painting, google oil painting for beginners and click onto you tube videos, there is lots of help and tips for beginners ;o)

I've never tried oils San-- I do go to a group ( not a class) and its nice because you do your own thing and the lady who runs it just helps and advises, help from the other folk really motivates you as well, some of these things are at weekends too ( the one I go to doesn't advertise much and is almost full-- allword of mouth!) try asking at your art supplier they may know about the private ones. The horticultural college nearest to me does a range of classes-- usually either one offs at weekend or 2-3 sessions--- , some gardening ones but others are painting all good fun!
I think that your first painting is lovely, landscapes I find difficult!! ( well most subjects really!) but i love it and thats the important bit... happy painting xxx

Well done, Sandra - I'm sure it's given you a real 'buzz' to have completed your first painting.

I used to paint in oils - I haven't for ages. Maybe I'll start again now you've inspired me. :-)))

hi pam and thankyou for your surport,thats what im after, a group not a class as such, so will try find out pam,im like you i love it and im no expert but its about what we enjoy isnt it :o)) xx
thankyou also barbara and yes i did get a buzz from it, so relaxing to, hope you start your painting again, would love to see one of yours barbara if you want to show me lol, by email if you dont want to post it on here :o)) x

I was looking for art classes and found things ain't wot they used to be on the evening class front - it is, as you say, all geared to exam level, no 'social' classes at all any more. I'm told you have to check online or in the paper for local artists to be offering a course privately if you want that sort of thing now. I fancy doing dressmaking, but that's disappeared as well... brave of you to do oils, never tried those - pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil are my things, but would really like to master water colours as well. Though not as much as sewing classes, I'm fed up with not being able to find what I want clothes wise in the shops, and when you do, it doesn't fit well... but I can't use a sewing machine, how anyone does a straight seam on a sewing machine seems to be completely beyond me.

keep your eyes open for exhibitions, ours is advertised in local shop windows, libraries etc. and art suppliers, and Bamboo you may find some shops have classes , often for cross stitch or quilting but may help on the dressmaking classes or even material shops or sewing machine, my art class was word of mouth so I hope you are successful both of you

bamboo iv been online hours searching and have given up now as i have a headache with it all, im going to go to our local library and see what they know, shame about your dress making classes, my boss she has gone for many years, its run by a local lady at the school but they are far and few between unless you want a double distinction at the end of it lol,
glad you enjoy painting to bamboo, wish i could see all members paintings to inspire me :o))
hope you find what your looking for to :o)

we crossed pam, thats what im doing, going to local libary, they use to have a small gallery there and if not there will go into town to main library, im not giving up lol

Ha ha, well I've got this far in life without finding what I'm looking for, I have no doubt I won't find 'it' now, lol!

Well done you, i think its brill, good luck with your next one, i can't draw or paint, but you are so proud of yourself. see you soon.

San...I went to a class sponsored by the local council at our library. Although I didn't continue into the next lot of sessions (didn't really get much satisfaction out of painting) they are still going strong in the library.

Perhaps you could check with your local council if you've not done so already? You are determined so I'm sure you'll uncover a group if there's one to be found :)

just thought San-- and Bamboo do you have WEA ( workers education) in your area they meet in the church rooms here, I'm sure the library would know -- hope you find something xxx

lol bamboo, if you werent looking there would be lots of classes haha
thanx carol for your encouragment my friend, nice to see you to, hope all is well with the kitties :o)) x
thanx jacquie for advice and yes im going to check out a few options in hope something comes up,, mind you will have taught myself by the time i find one lol ;o))

thanx pam not sure about WEA here will google and see thanx x

Well done you.. on your first painting.... its a great hobby... i used to do a lot of art work...... i to have ventured into something new selling cards from flower pics in my garden.... something to do in the winter....

thanx holly and good for you, they sound lovely, do you fit the picture in or print it in the card, sounds great :o)

Well done Sandra you should give yourself a pat on the back, it is a very good first atempt, expect you have gotten lots of pleasure from the whole process. Oils are my second passion after gardening, but havent done any for quite awhile, think you may have inspired me to start again! I find oils arer so satisfying and forgiving to work with and love the smell, colour and textures, hope to be seeing many more of yours in the future;0))

i put the pics on the card... : O )

just seen them holly, very nice :o)

hi carole and thankyou so much, glad you like it to, didnt kknow you painted either, found out so many of the GOY members paint since doing this blog, hope you start yours again now :o))

lovely painting sandra , really gud 1st effort !! keep going you may well b selling b 4 long .... i too like art. not dun much 4 a long time , i preffer drawing and takeing pics . doing crafts .. anything really. as some one said its all hand in hand and creative. i was thinging of doing some knitting lol !!! why dont u do one of your garden .... very pretty x

thanx cristina for your surport, dont know about selling lol
nice to know you enjoy art to and crafts, like you say they seem to come together dont they, as gardening is an art to in itself.
i have thought about doing one of my garden if i get better at it, maybe one day :o))

Excellent Sanbaz well done .The best drawing i have ever done was of a mini car in a session at work ,with lots of help from the art teacher but otherwise mines on the same level as a 4 year old ...LOL..:o)))

What a lovely first effort Sandra, its great when you can stretch yourself, and as you say you learn as you go along. Glad you shared with us, look forward to the rest.
Shall you be painting your own Christmas Cards ?.

That is so pretty San I hope you are going to frame it :-)))

lol mushy didnt you keep it up then, i was told not to give up as it gets easier ;o))
thankyou stroller glad you think its a good first effort, it sure encourages me when i get nice comments,not sure about xmas cards just yet :o))
thanx annella yes i will but takes time to dry with oils, but i will and with it being my first i can look back at it along the way :o))

lovely pic Sanbaz.....like yourself I looked for a hobby and tried watercolours.Have a few efforts some ok'ish others rubbish.If I could only enjoy the effort rather than looking for a good end product.You have given me a little jolt in trying again though.Look forward to more of your paintings.

i'm curious - do you have lots of hanging space on your walls? you're going to need it =))

thankyou shelia, hope you dont mind me calling you sheila as you profile name is quite a mouthfull or typing keys full lol
glad you like my first painting and hope you continue to do yours to, why not try oil its quite good as it takes time to dry and you can rub out mistakes etc, ;o)
lol cate its a box room so nothing on walls at present but will take a few paintings lol, if i get better will give them as presents haaha thanx :o))

I'm battling with acrylics San-- they dry too quickly so you have to use a retarding gel---i seem to do much better with more detailed work and the 'free brush' looks easy but-to me- a nightmare!!

yes acrylics do dry quick so i wont try them till i feel confident enough, one of hubbys friends text me today, they were in a charity shop and there was a ready sketched canvas someone had done but hadnt got painted, so he bourght it for me lol, sent me text with picture but couldnt make it oput properly, looked like a farmhouse or something ,he must have faith in me but will keep it till i feel a can have a go at it,
your right things can look easy but come to do them and its so hard, but keep on pam and do what you can, im sure it will come, well im hoping it will for me to lol

it brightens up a winters day, got my art group tomorrow morning and -- this is really scary-- this weekend they are running an exhibition and everyone has to take part, it even has a writeup in the local paper...., I'm making a cake and helping with the teas ( and i'll try to ignore the comments about my pictures...if any....) making cakes is so less stressful its like me on show up there....maybe i'll not admit whose they are if anyone asks--- eeek

aww pam im sure it will be fine, please let me know how you get on, send me pm if you dont want to say on here, better still send me a pic of your painting, i will send you my email just incase you decide to show me :o))

This is beautiful, Sandra. i could gaze at this for ages! :-))

aww thanx david, so kind, im made up and all the encoragment i get is great :o)) x

Well Sanbaz i think its fab what a hobbie My stick men look ill but I keep trying. well done you keep it up :)

Sanbaz, that's really impressive for a first attempt! Good for you, to take up something new, and I'm sure you're going to love it. Being totally absorbed in something we enjoy is SUCH a good way to forget our troubles. I used to do a bit of watercolour, and found that if I was trying to paint water, I could just do a very pale wash and then a faint reflection (of a tree, or bridge) and, hey presto, it looked like water! Lovely idea to give them as presents, but you might not want to part with them . . . I've taken a few to be miniaturised at the photocopy shop, then I can fit them into "aperture" cards from the art shop. People say they love getting home-made cards. Lots of luck with more paintings. :o))

PS. what I can't do is upload them on here!!

thanx jewells lol i bet they arent so bad ;o))
thankyou for your encouragment to sheila, its so nice to hear of so many members enjoying art isnt it, i must give water colours a go sometime.
if you take pics of your painting then upload the photo like you do for garden plants etc, would be lovely to see more members paintings, so interesting how we all have different views of things ;o)

i've tried most mediums except oils and they are all so different, when you look at Noseypotters pastels I am in awe--

yes pam and think we would all love to paint like leigh, brilliant artist :o)

Well done San, I`m not into painting myself, haven`t got the patience to be honest, however that does not stop me admiring other peoples efforts, keep it up and will look out for more when you post some..
Sorry I`m late to this Goy is playing me up at the mo......

hows it playing you up Lincs? I just find it tediously slow at everything, I havn't the time to wait so often for it to react-- it was never a problem before the changes

I see several people complain about the speed of GoY since the "lads" did the upgrade but I, personally, don't see any difference. Depending on the time of day things can be either quicker or slower as there are very many people sharing the same line.

We have cable, never been on the phone line, & we get fairly good service - for our needs at least. Neither my wife nor I are into downloading huge files or playing games online. The times for seeing blogs with many photos are very reasonable most of the time. If there is some text between photos you don't notice the next photo downloading. They are only noticeable when a blog is made up of almost nothing but photos so, as you scroll down, you notice the next photo loading. Other than that I see everything just fine & don't notice the delays.

I put 4 pics on yesterday afternoon, never known them to upload so quickly! My only problem is, sometimes when I press 'End' to read the latest comment on a blog, I'm taken to the middle of the comments instead of the end.....

Yes, Shirley, I have the same happen to me....ending up in the middle of the comments when I've pressed "End" and I have not worked out why. I think it may happen more if a blog is particularly long with either a lot of comments or many photos.

I`m experiencing mega gremlins, its very frustrating, I log in and read the blogs, thats fine, however my comments box is not there,so back up the page ,log in again, knowing Im`going to be told already logged in, back down the blog to see if I have a comments box if lucky its there , write a comment,submit and xfingers, on a good day my comment is there otherwise its go through it all again because comment disappeared, writing a blog is nightmare because pics won`t load, I get the apologies page a lot as well, its a right old rigmarole, every blog the same thing happens, I thought it was me but I do know of another member who has the same problems so it cannot be my setup can it, would probably be easier if it was,lol..

Might be worth contacting Peter and Ajay over these issues ? I can see the steam coming out of your ears!

I have Shirley, so am hoping it can be sorted,especially as its not just mine, I`d be lost without my Goy fix,lol......

Ha ha, Lincs, I know what you mean, my OH has gone to watch footie, it's cold and damp outside so I'm on here for the next half hour. A typical dreary November day out there. : o (((((

thanx sue, not for everyone, been practising my painting today, get a bit frustrated at times cause know what to do but it doesnt always end up as it should lol,
sorry your having probs on here, im ok and dont seem to have had any probs with mine, have you sent msg to the lads sue just to check its nothing at their end, if it isnt then try another server, i use firefox as i had probs with internet explorer, hope it sorts out soon for you.

Lovely first painting Sanbaz. I tried oils and persisted but oils never clicked with me finally. When I retired I did china restoring and pottery and china painting and mixed media and watercolour classes for years. Not all at once! Our council still supports classes, thankgoodness. Romford has a refurbed arts centre in an old house. Earlier I did lace classes but it started me off with RSI. My watercolour muse departed. The evidence I CAN do it is on my walls and in folders which I often browse, and on other peoples walls too. I now use good quality colour pencils when the urge to draw comes over me. I hope you keep at something 'arty' as long as I have done, and enjoy it as much.

thankyou dorjac, im going to blackpool art society this week to ask about their classes on tuesday which would be great for me as i dont work tuesday, think its about £25 yearly subcription and then you only pay to go to talks, outings etc,
its the only place i can find round here which is mad as blackpool is a big place, might go talk to someone at the library to, must be something.
you must be good at the art thing looking at the things you have done, thats great, anyway im going to keep trying, not giving up just yet lol :o))

well impressed it is lovely. Enjoy ur new hobby,,, till spring then u will be busy painting your garden flowers etc as u will be so confident by then

When you've done a few pictures you can put them up on Flickr and the whole world can see them Sanbaz. Not that anyone really looks at them, as there are zillions. We looked at an old Antiques road show today. There was the most beautiful 1960s oil of red roses in a glass vase with reflections. The lady nearly fell out of her chair when the expert said it might fetch 20K!!!!!!!

lol marydoll i would love to paint my garden but a long way off that i thinks , but thankyou :o))
dont think i will bother with flickr Dorjac, happy to keep them to me and my friends on GOY if they dont mind,can you imagine painting something and someone buying it for that amount wow, i love roses but am practising them, very hard, well i think so lol :o))

roses are very difficult, they don't look as if they should be but they are! -- especially in watercolour as you really only get one 'go' at it still 'onwards & upwards',,,,,,,

Im so very Impressed well done Sanbaz, can not wait to see the next one ,keep your new hobby up your very talented, :)))

pam i would imagine in water colours they are dificult as it just runs into each colour etc, but we keep trying lol :o)
thankyou mark nice of you to say, i would love to be able to do very detailed painting but with shaky hands and lack of patients its not a good thing lol
funny story today , just got to doing last details on my new art work and guess who ran in the room and jumped on my table,,, CASPER,, oh no you can imagine the scream and as i tried to grab him he ran through all the paint some being red grr, across the cupboard through the hall on my light carpet and down stairs,, sounds funny now but at the time was a nightmare :o(
called the vet as didnt want him being poisened and washed him off but now has red paws haha, but they said should be ok as long as i soaked the oil off which i did,
so spent last hour touching up my painting and not as bad as i though, cleaned the carpet and any paw prints along the way,
going shopping now to unwind lol :o))

a cat who paints--- could be a masterpiece----as to watercolour there are many tips and tricks from using rock salt & candlewax to scrunched up clingfilm!-- its another world, I recommend a few good library books :o))

P.S. by the way the ad at the side of this page is for oil paints......

Should be OK Sanbaz, they had a blitz on all the poisons in all paints a good while back. No Cobalt now or Cadmium and lots more taken out. There was a big remix and some subtle differences, which upset the professionals ,who had been sucking their brushes for years in watercolour. One or two fab colours got the chop. My cat once came home with wood preservative on his paws from next door but one....should have heard the wails of fear when I washed his feet in a shallow bath.

lol pam and dont get me started with all that havent got my oils right yet, never mind cling film hahaha, no adds here i got rid of them last year with help from a member.
thanx Dorjac for making me feel better, i was so worried but vet said as long as i washed him should be ok, at least i know whatever i do to him he doesnt scratch lol, he was making some strange sounds and struggling but i can cope with that ;o))

Talk about "Puss in boots" !We now have a "Puss in paint!" :-D

lol balcony, iv posted a pic of my painting now ;o)