Jessie Lilac Blog

 Having talked about all the mediums I love to use in my last post, I have to say that I often come back to watercolour even though I find it the most difficult because it has its own mind and if you have any experience of it yourself you'll know that it quite often does what it pleases! This painting is a combo of watercolour and coloured pencil and I used it as a Mothers Day card to give to my mum this year. I'm thinking about getting it printed to sell in my shop but I haven't made up my mind about that yet.  At the weekend, we often go somewhere a bit different and last Sunday we visited Buckfast Abbey. It's always so calm and peaceful there. I'm not Catholic or even a church goer but I love the spiritual atmosphere and the beautifully kept abbey and gardens.    The Millenium Show garden has a beautiful wall made from cut logs. Isn't it lovely? I'd love a wall like that in my garden. My own gardening efforts are a bit hit an...

I'm working on an illustration project at the moment but it involves more serious drawing than my usual style so a bit of drawing practice was in order! I've set myself a task of making a doodle each morning. I've also joined the sketch-a-day group run by  Ruthie  on Facebook and this week the topic is insects. I copied this from a photo of a stag beetle. I couldn't have done it from life, they scare the bejeepers out of me! It's done in pen and watercolour. Meanwhile out in the garden, I woke to a coating of pretty frost. Last winter it was so mild I didn't see any frost in the garden at all so it was a surprise to see the pretty white coating on my rosebud. Icicles are so pretty aren't they? Even the poor primroses had their share. As I write this post today, the frost has gone and believe it or not the flowers have survived! It's still quite cold but that won't stop me going to the beach. ...

summer autumn winter Right outside my back door grows a virginia creeper. I watch it change dramatically through the year and constantly marvel at how it can grow back so beautifully from how it looks today in the winter. It seems almost impossible. I've had a difficult couple of months with health problems and a busy time with family things and my exhibition so my art making has taken a back seat. I'm still knitting and crocheting though and I've almost finished the jumper I'm making for Middle Daughter. For fellow knitters, you can see the details here  if you like. As I've got no new artwork to show you, I'd like instead to show you a lovely little film about the artist Del Kathryn Barton. I came across this a while ago and kept it in my favourites folder so that I could watch it again. When I'm missing my painting I like to look at other artists' lives and work. I hope you enjoy watching it too. xx

Summer's such a lovely time for colours! I took the photo above at a local National Trust property, Coleton Fishacre in Devon. Quite often when I visit here I don't go into the house. When I first used to come here many years ago, the house wasn't open to the public but when it was, I was one of the first to have a look around. We had to wear what looked like plastic carrier bags on our feet to protect the newly finished flooring. I'm very pleased to say that's not the case these days. The house was near to closing for the day so we had a speedy look around the lovely art deco rooms, not much time for photo taking I'm afraid. But I did take a quick photo in this room. I love wood and the beautiful wood on these chairs was just gorgeous. The garden there's pretty lovely too with my favourite summer flower, delphiniums. ♥  ♥  ♥  Such colour! ♥ I'm told these are called Penstemon. ...

Hello Spring! It's finally here and what an entrance! A glorious warm sunny day today following the excitement from yesterday of the solar eclipse. It must mean that new starts and changes are afoot don't you think? My paintings seem to have changed with the lovely sunshine. What do you know? I've found myself painting flowers again. (close-up crop) (side view showing the deep sided canvas) Here's my new painting hanging on the wall. I love my purple walls. :) It's called 'Morning Revelation' and measures 12 x 6inches, which is 30 x 15cm. It's painted on box canvas (I think some people would call this gallery wrapped canvas?) and the sides are 1½ inches, or 4cm deep. As you can see above, it's ready to hang on the wall, no need of a frame. Please click here to see all the details. :) You might have noticed my blog banner is now sporting this new cheery painting. I thought it would be perfect to welcome in the Spring...

Thankyou SO MUCH for your very helpful suggestions in my last post. You are all so amazing and very much appreciated! I'll have a renewed energy with my next painting. :) I hope you've had a lovely weekend. I've had a busy time, what with trying to clear the bottom of our garden which has turned into a mini woodland. This sounds nice doesn't it? but with young trees underneath the weight of a soggy heavy fence, growing sideways across the ground in a desperate attempt to survive, there is a lot more work to be done! Messy isn't it?! I've also been busy adding new items to my Society6 shop . Would you like to see a few of them?  I have lots of mug designs, please click here to see more :) and tote bags, please click here to see them :)     There are lots of different phone skins and case designs. and wall-clocks, please click here  to see :) My designs can also be bought as greetings cards or prints , ...

  Hello! It's a very sunny day again today and I've had a busy family filled couple of days. It's lovely to be able to sit in the garden and enjoy the flowers that are springing up everywhere. One of the pots of flowers that have caught my eye lately is the one with verbena growing in it. I love the way the flowers grow in clusters together. I like it so much I was inspired to paint my next painting featuring them. Here it is: It was fun drawing all those little flowerheads! I've listed this in my Etsy shop if you'd like to have a look. :) Sitting in the garden took a different turn yesterday because I had a bit of an accident with the deckchair...! OOPS! I couldn't move for ages because I was laughing so much. Enough time for my children to take a picture! Have a lovely weekend and I hope it's sunny where you are too. I won't be sitting in a deckchair any time soon! x x