Friday 25 July 2014



Well I have been looking at this clock blank for some months/years and wondering what to paint....... this glorious sunshine and my Ellis' Orange Apple Tree laddened to the max with gorgeous eating apples made me think of this design by Ritva Rasmussen.  Ive used it on a soap dispenser in my downstairs cloakroom and love it every time I look at it so decided to paint this.  I used the main design from her book and then adapted some of her separate apple branch designs to create the sweeping effect across the clock.  The apples were a delight to paint and I was loathe to paint anything else but they looked eerie floating without branches and leaves..........wish Id varied the size of the leaves a little more though!!  Leaves were done with a floating stroke work technique which is very effective if you remember to strike the central vein through the leaf before it dries!! which I did most times............  the grass was a doddle just a wash of Plantation Pine and flicks of undiluted PP.  The cute little apple fairy was a delight to paint and loved the way the branches showed through his wings.  I decided on how to paint on the numerals leaving just dots for the in between numbers rather than "Mug Out" the design with numbers and then I had a tussle putting on the hands!!  Thank goodness for my fav clock shop "Its About Time" in Killamarsh, they are full of old wind up clocks and restored my Mums old clock to look like new absolutely marvellous company would recommend to anybody.

Well its finished and now sitting in The Nichols Building Shalesmoor Sheffield with a price tag of £15 looking for a new home............... I do hope somebody nice buys it!!  It is as you have gathered a favourite piece