I'm back! - Holiday Paintings and Photos

Hello lovely people! 

I am back from holiday and feeling all refreshed and relaxed, for the first time in a long time.
My partner and I rented an Airbnb in a renovated cow shed in the british countryside, a couple hours from where we live, and it was the most blissful experience. 

The quiet, the fresh air, the animals (the owners had 2 incredibly friendly kittens, some adorable chickens and some very talkative ducks), the walks...It was paradise. 

Exactly what I needed to feel better and let go of some of the stress and worries of these past couple of years. I felt so happy during our 8 days away I could have cried. It was amazing. I could have used a few more days but duty calls and we had to get back, but at least we feel so much better. :) 

I took it easy most of the holiday, but I also tried to get a bit of painting in.
I didn't manage to do as much plein-air as I was hoping, as the english weather doesn't lend itself terribly well to using watercolours outside XD, but I did fit in a few quick studies, which you can see below. 

I first attempted to paint the building that was in our little garden, and tried 2 different types of approaches. I struggled quite a bit, as I am no veteran or expert in outdoor painting, but it did help me loosen my plein-air painting muscles a little. 

I gave sketching the little kittens a rough go, but they never stood still so that exercise didn't last very long, haha XD

I also started a sketch of a beautiful tree stump across our house, but I got rained on soon after and never went back to finish it sadly. 

On exercise I had never thought of trying out but thoroughly enjoyed was doing tiny very quick thumbnails of a scene, in an attempt to capture the most basic forms, values and colours. 

I LOVED doing that. I am seriously thinking about making myself a James Gurney style outdoor easel and going out and painting that way more often. 

I find outdoor painting incredibly difficult, but also really energising, and I am always amazed at how much I learn every single time I try it. I want to more of it, no doubt about it!

I also had a very rough go at sketching some of the chickens while they slept in their tree but the cockerel didn't exactly like me being so close to his ladies, so I didn't stay around too long. XD 

The chickens had a coop right outside our airbnb door, but they favoured the tree to sleep in, and the hour of the afternoon when they started settling in their trees and looked like big soft squishy lump in the evening light quickly became my favourite part of the day. 

My last attempt at an outdoor painting was probably my favourite.
I painted our hosts' house at a time when the afternoon light hit it beautifully and I couldn't resist sitting down and trying to capture it.
I started the painting out by laying down the rough shapes, colours and values down, in a effort to capture everything before the light disappeared, and I then took a picture and finished up the details later. 

I was really chuffed with this study, and I left it as a gift to our hosts after we left, which they seem to really appreciate. :) (Which was reassuring, I am never sure how people will feel about getting a painting as a gift, haha)

All in all, this was probably one of the best holidays I have ever had.
I am deep in the holiday blues now, and I dearly miss all the animals, the morning walks and the peace and quiet. But at least we got to experience its bliss for a while, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. 

I will be finishing the inktober drawings this week and hopefully will be able to get the calendar done and ordered next week.
I also need to start prepping all your rewards, organise my Christmas sale, and get ready for my first art market in December. Lots to do ! 

I better get to it, haha!

I will speak to you all soon,
I hope you are all well,
All my love,

Myriam