Hello everyone

Oil Seed Rape flowers

Aren't they just gorgeous? Not so much if you're a hay-fever sufferer though, I guess. But, I found some wonderful fields of these flowers on my recent dog walk. The sun was dazzling through them, too. It was just intoxicating. I could just fill my house with these. I don't think my husband would be very impressed though. He says bugs attack him. Surely that can't be true?

Well' we've finally been granted spring weather here in Fribourg, Switzerland. And my, wasn't it worth waiting for? It's been a long time since both myself and the dog have returned panting from a walk. And I was wearing sandals. All that rain has paid off, too; since everthing is growing with ferocity now.

And aren't the tulips just gorgeous, too? I like sometimes finding one single tulip on a wild walk. Always makes you wonder how it got there.

Spring tulips 

Simply delicious. I took this photo last year, whilst the sun was streaming through the lounge. It's available at www.boundlessgallery.com as a print. Can't you just smell those blooms?

I'm planning doing a portrait of someone VERY famous soon. Can you guess who it'll be? Hopefully you'll recognize it, when it's finished, or I'll really be in trouble.

We bought a new lawn-mower the other day. One of our usual french-speaking successes! Not! It said it was 'powered' making us think that it didn't require the need for pushing. Hmmmm! So we ignored petrol-engined power mowers tempting us with their motors. 

My husband looked at me with such shock, when I'd done a quarter of our lawn. I don't think he'd ever seen me looking so red or sweaty before. It did make him laugh. He could hear me coming up the stairs, panting and started laughing. I felt good doing it at the time. It was just the next two days that left me knackered! I did forget to empty the grass holder though. Surely that would've added a lot of extra weight??  Let's hope so eh? I'll keep you posted on my sweating progress.

More flowers are necessary to take away the smell of sweat. Look at the wonderful wild cherry blossom. It is such an impressive display this year. Can't wait for the little berries to munch.

Wild cherry trees

I can't get enough of spring flowers can you? I've even put a few in the front of house pots. Bizarrely, I was wearing sun-glasses when I chose them. So I was a little surprised to realize they were purple, not blue, when I got home! That's a lesson in not wearing sun-glasses sometimes, I guess. They do turn the world an odd colour, depending on the type you have.

As the Americans say: "Have a nice day!"

Hello bloggers are you getting wet?

So, you're sitting down with a nice cup of tea. What do you choose if you are Swiss? A nice knopper biscuit! We bought these in the supermarket today. Not sure how you would pronounce these? Have a go? I guess they sound fantastic if you are speaking french. Very silly in English though. How was the knopper? Well, my husband had one and said that it was very nice, in a waferish kind of way. I didn't try one. I don't like waferish biscuits.

Well, driving round is dangerous at the moment here in Fribourg, Switzerland. 'Cos the puddles of water are steadily growing into ponds each day. It's getting so that you have to snake around the roads to find the dryest parts. Just as well I don't drive here then. With those wind-screen wipers going like frantic insects. Very distracting. I shouldn't be watching the wipers, should I?

So, I've been a busy little bee myself, oil painting away. I'm on a real artist roll at the moment. So, I don't really have so much time to sit and chat with you and a knopper and a cup of tea. I've been up to my eyes in little yacht boats. Don't please show me another rigging today! I'm all rigged-up now. Here's my lovely new oil painting I finished yesterday. You'll know by now that I love painting water. It's just so yummy to do - and those reflections! Hope you like it. This one's for a gallery in Geneva. It's Lake Lucern. Love those blues, don't you? (Just say yes!) Think I'll try a sunset next.

Actually, if you look very closely, you can see a pair of very grubby socks. Those are my feet astride, trying to get a good photograph. Well, not my feet, you understand; you know what I mean! I really don't know what to call it. 'Sailboats At Sunset' sounds a bit unoriginal.  If you have any better ideas, let me know!

Just before I go: you must remember how small I said Swiss portions were? Well, honestly; this is a little pot of custard, that came with our dessert.

Hmmmm! ENJOY!!

Hello spring bloggers!

Are you full of the joy of spring?

Aren't trees interesting? Such individual things. Our wonderful wild cherry blossom are just on the cusp of bursting forth. Their little pinky-white buds are teetering on the edge of flowering. They are at least 50-100 feet up high, right up against the Swiss blue sky. Very pretty today. They know I am just waiting to pounce with my new camera. They are right!

I did a lovely view of Lake Leman in Switzerland yesterday. In gorgeous, sloppy, messy, oils, of course. Nothing beats slip-sliding in oils. Just trying to keep if off the floor is the tricky thing. Because my studio is far too nice for spills. It will find a home in a gallery in Zurich for now. It's huge! Lovely to work on such a huge canvas. I can only really do really large ones for here, since shipping internationally is high.

I do do some commissions though, if you would like a similar one done. I've called this one 'Nature's Window' since it's such a beautiful natural view. Those reflections were lovely to do, especially with a palette knife.

Mmmmm, just had a lovely meat pie for lunch. My husband and I often take turns to do the pie, ready-made pastry of course, makes it so much easier. So easy to do, since you kind of throw all the vegetables in at once. Very tasty thanks. Gives a real boost to the afternoon's painting, too.

Yes, where was I: yes, there's quite a process to an oil painting. When you've finished it and it's touch dry you oil-out the painting. This protects it from the varnish and brings out all the rich colours of those oils. But you have to wait a while for it to be touch-dry first. Then, usually after about six months it has hardened enough to put on a fine layer of varnish. Gloss or matt, it's your choice really. I like a little shine, to bring out those rich, deep colours.

Anyway, hope your tulips are blooming!! www.boundlessgallery.com

Hello spring grins!

Here I am showing you my lovely spring red beads. Must be the time of the month again! They're really cute though, with lots of old-fashioned roses on them.

Well, what a gorgeous sunny day it is today. Birds tweeting in the trees, blue skies from ear to ear, buds just about to break. And my husband brought me back some amazing BIG BUGGER brushes from England (for painting of course)  Thankyou honey!! He did use some of them to give his dad's dog a good scratch though!! Was that allowed, I guess so! The little dog didn't imagine they were for any other purpose. Bet it made her smile! So, I was compelled to buy some matching BIG BUGGER canvases to match. I can't really ship such giant paintings internationally. Sorry! So, they'll be for a gallery here in Switzerland. It costs a fortune to transport large canvases abroad.

Here's a lovely one I did a couple of days ago of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. It was the first time I really used a palette knife. For some reason, I didn't think I'd be great with a palette knife. But it worked like a dream, sliding on and off the canvas. And so easy to remove the paint from, too.

Original Swiss landscape painting

There's a lovely little figure of a girl dipping her foot in the water, in the fore-ground. I love the colours, don't you? But in the summer, the light is glorious here. I think this one would go well in my house. When it's dry (after nine months!) Love oils, but the only disadvantage is the drying time really. Because you can't varnish them until they've fully dried out.

I just checked the myself in the mirror before I took the dog out for his 'promenade' and saw huge streaks of blue paint all over my mouth! Still, at least you know what tone of blue it was!

Doggy heaven

Here's Axle finally enjoying spring in his garden with a favourite chew. Yum! Heaven is a chew and a ball, I think. You can just see a lovely patch of wild primroses growing behind him. There's lots of little yellow and purple ones scattered in our garden now. Very sweet. Here's another one for you.

Wild Primroses.

Find me on www.boundlessgallery.com and www.originalart.com or ask me for a commission anytime on my own site www.moorethanart.com  I promise I won't get paint on you