Meet Dunno the Clown

This is a loose watercolour portrait I did of my friend Robert McGowan.  AKA Dunno the Clown.

Dunno is a very popular children's entertainer and magician in my part of the world,  Robert along with his wife also runs his shop Duo in Largs, where you can hire balloons for your wedding reception decoration.  This is also the place where you can meet and talk with Dunno the Clown in person.

For this painting, I began by concentrating on the negative space between Dunno and his little friend.  From there, everything became looser as it reached the edges.

Henrik Larsson painting

This is my tribute painting to Henrik Larsson.  One of the finest football players ever to have pulled on a Celtic football strip.
I had the pleasure of meeting Henrik a few times,  He is a terrific guy and very humble.
This watercolour of the great number 7 shows him in a typical pose.  He will always be remembered at Celtic Park.  Hail King Henrik!

Silhouette artist at work

When I first decided to have myself filmed whilst cutting silhouettes there were only a handful of videos on the subject available on You Tube.  Now there are loads of them.

Five years of Renoir in one painting

If you have been following this blog, you will have noticed those lovely big eyes staring out at you behind the 'Life of Brian' title.
Hopefully any art lover, especially a follower of the French Impressionist movement will have recognised this little girl.
She is of course the little girl in the foreground of Renoir's painting, 'Les Parapluies'  -  (the umbrellas).  1881 - 1886
Here is the LINK to the original painting.

And here is my full version of the girl . . .

This was started with watercolour pencils - and finished off with watercolour paints and a brush.

Today's blog title. 'FIVE YEARS OF RENOIR IN ONE PAINTING' is all about the 'Umbrellas' painting.  You can see the change in style across the canvas.  The lower right part of the picture, where this little girl stands is handled in a loose impressionistic way.  Other parts of the painting were finished in a more defined way.  It is a fascinating painting to study.  I have seen this painting close up at the National Gallery in London, and it takes your breath away - as do all Renoir's works.
I have taken parts of Renoir's works and created copies of them before.  I will no doubt add my small version of Renoirs 'Luncheon of the boating party' at some later date.  That one was done in oils many years ago.  Look out for it here.

As way of a contrast - here is another painting I completed a few months ago.  I always enjoy painting musicians and this was no exception.  This is a watercolour study of a Saxophonist.  I gave this to a good friend of mine, who is also a music lover.