Puppy Pattern

There's another challenge going on! Paperartsy's current topic is patterns.

My childhood doodles were exactly that. Patterns. There's something very pleasing and reassuring to me about symmetry. The Oxford English Dictionary defines pattern as 'a repeated decorative design'. I've drawn quite a few designs for this challenge and, today, I started the important bits.

I was a portrait artist for many years and preferred to work in black and white. I worked from photographs and, although my work was very well received, it started to leave me a bit cold. Technically, in most cases, there wasn't very much difference between one portrait and the next. Of course they looked different, and I do have my favourites, but I almost went into autopilot to paint. I just painted what I saw. Precisely.

Now, I embrace colour. I also embrace mistakes, wobbly bits (!) and things that are in my head. I still have to consciously paint and draw in a loose style, but I'm getting there. Apart from colour, the other important element in this challenge is Paperartsy products. In this case, they amount to the same thing. I had messed about with circular patterns and, being a huge dog lover, I came up with this...

I chose the most delicious Paperartsy Fresco Chalk Acrylic colours - Vanilla, Caramel and Toffee - and painted away. These paints blend beautifully; they're as smooth as butter. Anyway, here's the result. And it might turn out to be my favourite...

It may seem indulgent to you. I love dogs. And, like it or not, it is a pattern. Although, from a distance, if you squint, it could look like a cat's bum.

Love and peace x



I'm linking this up to Paperartsy's 2016 Topic 15: Patterns challenge, having been hooked after watching the Friday 5th Feb 2016 demo from Leandra - New PA Products (Feb 2016) Fresco Chalk Acrylic Paints.