Here a sheep, there a sheep.

Arran Hill Farm

Oil on canvas  12 x 10"

Bridget Hunter 2012

Where I live, wherever I look, there are sheep, usually the Blackfaced Hill Sheep, hardy wee souls. It's the same when I visit the islands off the West Coast to sketch and paint.

They are such a part of the landscape that you almost forget their presence. And it's a bit of a dilemma as to whether to include them in a landscape painting. But in this oil I decided to include a few to add to the character of the farm.

Red Jacket with Cat

Oil on board  10 x 12"

Bridget Hunter  2012

I don't know cats, have never owned a cat. I'm a really a dog fan and always had a dog around the house.
But I'm still inside as its too cold to go sketching landscapes and I'm a bit fed up reworking still lifes. I've been browsing through sketchbooks when I came across sketches of a cat that chooses to live with my relatives in Wales.This could be a bit of a challenge - to try to capture the essence of Smudge, his air of indifference to my drawing him as he dozed on a convenient red jacket. It reminds me of a poem by Eleanor Farjeon
   

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Pencil Sketch
Bridget Hunter 2011

Smudge, the reluctant model.

Pen, watercolour HP paper

Pen, cartridge paper

2B/4B pencil, cartridge paper

watercolour, gouache, cartridge paper

I've finally managed to form a working relationship with Smudge the Cat. He no longer moves away whenever I get close with the sketching kit. So here are more studies - not paintings yet - though I hope to develop some into oil or gouache works.

Never work with Animals?

Smudge the kitten, 2010

Watercolour, sketchbook

Smudge the cat, 2011

2B pencil

I'd brought paints to Wales in the hope of working. But its rained - practically the whole time. So I've been trying to sketch the house cat here. But he's not co-operating and languidly changes position each time I try to capture his image. How did Gwen John ever do her wonderful cat studies? Here are my attempts so far.