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Tuesday 19th February 2019   06:04 PM

Commissioned Painting

Part 2 Adding Lamia and Basajaun
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The painting was now getting interesting as I started adding the the characters. I felt the original draft of a hairy Basajaun with leaves covering his modesty was a little too strong and gave him a tunic made of hide. I also covered Lamia with a white dress but put her webbed feet in a stream running from the far hills.

I loved doing all the birds and animals using my sketchbook and reference books to find some rather odd characters. I did make a few changes from my draft and my patron sent me more animals to be included.

I decided to complete the grassy area before tackling the water and started adding the millefleur which is how the painting is today.

I am really enjoying painting this rather quirky subject and wish I could spend every day on it but I am unable to as I still have three full days of teaching every week plus work for other exhibitions. On the plus side this does mean I can view the painting and think what happens next instead of rushing.

More posts to come as I progress.

Tuesday 19th February 2019   05:43 PM

Commissioned painting

Part 1 Medieval mythology
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During the last Cambridge Open Studios I met a couple from the Basque area of Spain. They were really interested in my drawings from the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College here in Cambridge. They were fascinated by my sketch books and the resulting paintings and revisited during the last day to ask if they could commission a painting in my medieval style with elements of Basque mythology including the figures of Lamia and Basajaun.

After a few days we arranged a meeting and discussed the project. Being extremely busy with my son's wedding and an exhibition, they agreed that I could take my time and as the painting is very complicated with many overlays I suggested a time of one year to which they accepted. A short while afterwards the young man gave up his job with Arm and moved back to Spain to be with his girlfriend. So now everything is done by email!

After a fairly detailed rough draft and preparing the canvas I painted the first layers and added the hybrid Basque castle with King's College, shown above. The next stage was adding the forest. It was now December 2018.

Saturday 16th February 2019   06:29 PM

Cambridge Urban Sketchers

At the Museum of Cambridge
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A beautiful Spring day for this month's Cambridge sketchcrawl and there was a big group at this fascinating venue.

The Museum of Cambridge is a hidden treasure trove of artifacts with collections including household objects, paintings and toys all with masses of interesting local history. It is set in an old coaching inn from the 17th century next to Kettle's Yard on Castle Hill complete with (unlit) open fire for the punters and a space where the drinks were held.

It was a very popular venue with so much to draw and afterwards we moved on to share our sketchbooks and chat at the Castle Inn.

Today I went with a couple of pre-prepared, double pages to give my drawings a bit of colour as paint is definitely not allowed in a museum. My first sketch was in the kitchen where loads of old paraphernalia was laid out including irons, items on a range, cupboards full of outdated equipment and the collection of sweet shop jars that I drew standing up with my book balanced on the palm of my hand.

My second drawing was right at the top of the building from the only window that was not covered by a white blind. The view was of the beautiful terraced houses on Northampton Street with a distant view of a St John's tower wrapped in scaffolding and, loud with buses and cars trying to get into the city.

As always going sketching with this group of fellow sketchers was an absolute delight and I am already looking forward to next month.

Monday 11th February 2019   07:45 PM

Three paintings on the go

Cambridge libraries
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At the moment I have three paintings on the go.

My work is extremely detailed and full of many layers and because I paint in oil each layer takes a time to dry. Rather than just sit and wait I tend to have a few on the go. The three I am working on are all pretty large, well they are for me as all that detail takes forever.

The one shown will be exhibited at Byard Art in June. I don't know the title yet but it is about the books and libraries of Cambridge. You can just see two of the libraries at the bottom. I am doing all the intricate detail over the undercoat to show off the wonderful buildings. The following stage will be painting books flying all over the place, adding the millefleur and then the finishing touches. Probably take me another month.

I am also painting the glorious mulberry tree at Queen's and the third painting I am working on is a commission for a couple in Spain which is very influenced by my medieval drawings.

Saturday 9th February 2019   09:12 AM

Part 3 of my 30 day sketch challenge

sketches 21 to 30
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Here are the final 10 sketches that I made for the sketch a day challenge.

I loved some of the prompts though others were more difficult but overall I really enjoyed the regularity of making one sketch a day. I received the prompts in the morning but never had enough time to do the sketch until teatime which was good really as subconsciously my mind must have been working.

Twice I was urban sketching with others and managed to incorporate my sketch with the day's prompt.

I shall most likely take part in the Urban Sketchers drawing a day in May and maybe do the Inktober drawing a day later in the year. Thank you for following and liking my sketches on Instagram and Twitter.

https://www.facebook.com/maureenmaceart/posts/2038486296267306?

Maureen

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Painter living in Cambridge. Mixes fantasy and realism and loves medieval art and it's detail. An avid sketcher.

Blog Archive

* 2024
* Birmingham Open Studios
* Delivering paintings to the RBSA
* Last Cambridge Open Studio of 2024
* King's Parade Sketch
* Cambridge Open Studios
* Tree of Birmingham for a client
* Having fun making collages with my art students
* Sketching at the Heong Gallery
* Cambridge Drawing Society Spring Exhibition
* Drawing at the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge
* The January Challenge
* 2023
* Live painting at Byard Art
* Demonstration at Byard Art
* Arts & Craft Fair, Pitt Building, Trumpington St, Cambridge
* A portrait of me
* Cambridge Drawing Society - Autumn 2023
* Inktober
* Try your hand at Gilding
* Birmingham Open Studios
* Teaching in my home
* Sold at Byard Art, Cambridge
* Thank you to everyone who visited my Open Studios
* Last weekend of Cambridge Open Studios 2023
* Cambridge Open Studios 2023
* Summer Exhibition 2023
* Cambridge Open Studios
* Cambridge Open Studios 2023
* Making planets
* Reverie at the Leper Chapel
* A new me
* Lost in Reverie
* Talk to the Cambridge Drawing Society
* First outside Urban Sketch of the year
* Cambridge Drawing Society Spring Exhibition
* Cambridge Art Classes
* Paintings in progress
* Work in Progress
* #TheJanuaryChallenge
* 65 Million artists
* 2022
* Exhibition at Michaelhouse extended until 17 December
* Small paintings with patterned gold leaf
* Of Day & Night
* Teaching students in my studio
* Of Day & Night
* Self Portrait
* Art in the corridor at Addenbrookes
* Christmas Cracker 2022 Exhibition
* Birmingham Open Studios 2022
* Birmingham Open Studios
* Birmingham Open Studios
* Life Drawing at the Tithe Barn
* Cambridge Open studios
* Cambridge Open Studios 2022
* Art demonstration
* Silent Auction
* Classes starting March 2022
* Newmarket Open Exhibition
* 2021
* Making a Tezlip pattern
* Winter Open Studio
* Winter Open Studio
* Mill Road Winter Fair
* Cambridge Drawing Society exhibition - October 23 - 30 2021
* A talk about my Lockdown Sketches
* The Rest House, Bournville
* Taking part in Birmingham Open Studios
* Art in a changing room!
* Life drawing at the Tithe Barn, Landbeach
* Sketching in the garden
* Cambridge Open Studios
* Art Exhibition at the Tithe Barn, Landbeach
* A haircut
* My very first book
* Still sketching
* Cambridge Drawing Society Exhibition
* Art Exhibition at the Tithe Barn
* Update about my Lockdown Sketches
* My Lockdown
* 2020
* SEAW exhibition
* Urban Sketchers are back
* Summer Exhibition
* Cambridge Open Windows
* Paintings off to Byard Art
* Sketching with my students
* Cambridge Open Windows
* Drawing what I see
* 20 x 20 exhibition at Byard Art
* Cambridge Art Classes
* Coronavius and my art classes
* Coronavirus
* Sketching the Market
* 30 day sketchbook challenge
* 2019
* November
* Winter Open Studio
* Christmas Cracker Exhibition
* October
* Birmingham Open Studios
* August
* Cake Tree
* Space pictures
* July
* Getting ready for Cambridge Open Studios
* Sketching in the garden
* Sketching with Cambridge Urban Sketchers
* June
* Drawing during 'The Silence of Time' exhibition
* Along your Street exhibition
* May
* Packing the paintings
* Basoka dreams / Dreams in the forest
* April
* Cows at Trinity
* Cambridge Art Classes
* March
* Cambridge Drawing Society
* Urban Sketchers in Eddington
* Messing around with watercolours
* Pyjamas
* February
* Commissioned Painting
* Commissioned painting
* Cambridge Urban Sketchers
* Three paintings on the go
* Part 3 of my 30 day sketch challenge
* January
* Another ten photos for the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge 2019
* Sketch a day challenge
* January in Byard Art
* New Year, New resolution
* 2018
* It's almost Christmas
* Look what's in the window!
* Christmas Cracker exhibition
* Winter Open Studios
* Winter Open Studio
* Urban Sketching
* Christmas Cracker
* Talk/Demonstration at Ely Art Society
* Friday morning Art Classes
* Sketching with my students
* Exhibiting at Addenbrookes
* Painting on a wet day
* Cambridge Antiques Centre
* A customer hangs her painting
* Two more mini paintings
* Drawing at the Museum of Classical Archaeology
* Urban Sketchers
* Painting some mini pictures for an upcoming exhibition
* Ely Art Society demonstration
* Painting Kings and Cows
* Painting Kings and Cows
* Painting Kings and Cows
* World elephant day
* Visiting Addenbookes
* In the basement at Byard Art
* Thank you to everyone who came to visit my Open Studio
* Drawing at the Botanic Gardens
* Open Studios have started
* July means Cambridge Open Studios
* Sold at Byard Art
* Edible drawings!
* First Sketch to completed painting
* Zoology Museum visit
* Paintings in the window
* Paintings at Byard Art
* My studio and garden
* Urban Sketchers at Novi
* May Drawing challenge
* Byard Art
* Sketching at the Parker Library
* Drawing at Queens College
* 2017
* New painting
* Winter Open Studio
* Cambridge Drawing Society Exhibition
* Cambridge Busker
* Cambridge Urban Sketchers
* Cambridge Open Studios
* Cambridge Art Book
* Haddenham Gallery
* Drawing at the Parker Library
* Teaching Art
* Observational Drawing
* 2016
* Winter Open Studios
* Winter Open Studio
* Lost Crusaders
* Drawing at the Parker Library
* Cambridge Open Studio
* Cambridge Open Studios
* Curiosity Gallery, St Ives, Cambridgeshire
* Running with Brushes
* Cat on a Mat
* Winter Open Studio
* Cambridge Drawing Society
* Mixed Media Workshop
* Cambridge Art Classes
* Pop up shop
* Cambridge Drawing Society at Addenbrookes
* Busy Painting
* Cambridge Drawing Society Exhibition
* Samovar Tea House and Gallery
* 2015
* Pop Up Market Place
* Etsy Handmade Fair
* 2014
* Cambridge Christmas cards available
* Cambridge Open Studios
* Strawberry Fair
* Cambridge Open Studios 2014
* Clavering Easter Art Show
* Cows, Bowers and Towers
* 2013
* My Shop on Etsy
* Prints
* Potentials
* Cambridge Art Classes
* Silvanite Woods
* Tree of Knowledge
* Cambridge Open Studios 2013
* New exhibition at Williams Art
* Art on The Hill
* Cow Prints at St Ives
* 2012
* Christmas Gift and Craft Fair
* Art Classes in Cambridge
* Cambridge Open Studios 2012
* 2010
* Moos & Blues
 

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