For a Cat Person I Seem To Be Very Fond of Dogs.

Yes I am a cat person I admit. We've owned a lot of cats over the years. Not all at once. I can even tell you some of their names. (Don't worry I don't use them for online passwords)

The first one was Mr. Spock, then I think there was a Simon and Smokey. After that came Rusty and Tabby. There was Suzy too, a very independent lady.  Finally came Ginger and Zebra although during their time Bertie (a girl) adopted us too.

This is the stately Bertie
who's not as gentle as she looks.

So yes we've had our fair share of cats, but we've never owned a dog.

So it came as a bit of a shock to me then when my son's family welcomed a lively border collie into their home.

Think of all that food, all that walking!








Grace, their lovely border collie, quickly filled the house with her presence, and it became apparent that this was where she was meant to be. She's just another member of the family.

I'd never realised what great companions dogs could be. I'm beginning to think I should have gone down the dog route but too late really.

Grace is about about seven years old now, although memories are a bit fuzzy as to her actual age.

She's featured a lot in my paintings, but what I can't convey as she scampers across a beach is the warmth and comfort of her physical presence, almost like another human being but much more tolerant.

© Mary Kemp
Grace the Border Collie
Encounters a Wave

 Other dogs have crept into my paintings too.

At the moment I'm working on a painting of a whippet at sunset.

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New Paintings

It takes me a long time after I've finished a painting before I share it.
Of course it needs to dry. Then I look at it, think about it, perhaps add something, sometimes turn it to the wall in panic. It all eats up the days.
So now I want to share with you two paintings that have been "on the go" since the middle of last year.

© Mary Kemp
"Paddling Not Drowning"
Oil on canvas 60 x 60 cm

The paddling part of this was inspired by the group with the dog on the edge of the beach at Southwold. I was on the pier and felt as though I was rushing out to sea as the waves washed forward onto the sand.

The second painting is of a boy trying to make his way over the pebbles but being handicapped by the dog snuffling at his feet. I did rather distort the colours on this  but then, what is real?

© Mary Kemp
"Boy and His Dog"
oil on board 60 x 50 cm (24 x 20 ins)

If you'd like to see more of this series of paintings visit my newly spruced up website at www.marykemp.co.uk

Painting in Adversity

At the moment I'm battling through bad weather to get painting. The studio was too cold on Monday to spend long there, everything I touched was cold despite the heater having been on for at least an hour. Today it's much warmer, and it's only when the sky's dull and the temperature dips below freezing that I wimp out. 

In case I haven't told you before I work from a wooden studio in my garden, a space full of light and air, which I feel is pivotal to my inspiration, but it does have it's drawbacks in the winter!

But being the trooper that I am I won't let this slow down my art for long.

At the moment I am working on several seaside scenes and of course the inspiration for these is the English coastline in summer, so far away from my suburban garden this week.

©Mary Kemp

©Mary Kemp

This pair I have on the easel, side by side, are of a girl I saw walking her dogs on Scarborough sea front. What struck me about her was how matter-of-fact she was, striding out, doing a job, quite in contrast to the holiday makers that she overtook. I decided to paint in quieter colours than usual but this is just the beginning of them. You'll have to wait before I reveal the completed pictures.

The Best New Year Resolution Ever! Draw More.

Well, as usual I've made loads of New Year's resolutions. Like eat less and exercise more, be tidy....
But the resolution I really ought to make is DRAW MORE.

My sketchbooks from last year are not nearly as full as usual. And whilst I've painted a lot somehow the drawing has come a very poor second.
We've battled coughs and colds over the Christmas period, another excuse to be idle, but I've left the sketchbook out enticingly and done a few sketches.

© Mary Kemp
"Getting Ready for the Party"

I know it's important to draw.

• It helps hand eye coordination.
• Makes you see, really see, not just look at , but explore what's in front of you.
• Improves visual memory.
• Gets your hands working, so important whatever you're trying to do.
• Keeps the ideas flowing. When you're drawing one idea often flows seamlessly into another.
• And the more you do the better you get, and the easier it gets.

I've written before about my sketching equipment and I continue to refine it.
For round the house and non sketching expeditions this is what I use.

© Mary Kemp

8" x 8" spiral hard backed sketchbook.

Pencil case containing

Pencils

Gel pens

Soft colour pencils

Small palette of watercolours

Sable brush in it's own case

Plus small bottle of water, collapsible water pot and a tissue or two.

© Mary Kemp

© Mary Kemp

"Fruit and Veg"

I don't spend too long on these sketches. They are just practice, the warm up to my finished paintings, to keep my eye in over the winter months.