joe cool painting,

great first attempt! pm'd you x

COOL DUDE!-- Great painting too....x

Great Sandra very dapper:)

Oh forgot to say well done with the no smoking must get myself motivated to try again!

Hi Sandra..
Well done on this painting ...
You are improving with every picture !

Brave of you to draw hands ..
it's not easy to paint fingers ...

I reckon you could improve the background slightly, but that's only a small constructive criticism ! Lol.

You're doing well with your non-smoking ..
I'm glad your efforts are making you feel more healthy ...
:o) x

Hey what dapper man you have there! like your painting, like you say figures are not easy but you have made a great job of him;0)
Pleased you are feeling so much better and have managed to stay off the cigs, I have never smoked myself but my friend did she has now been stopped for a year now0)

What a change to see a nice smart young man ,I like the way you have managed to put the folds in the trousers San ,well done it's great , I'm pleased to hear you have done so well in stopping the smoking , just keep telling yourself how much better off you will be both in the pocket and in health :o))

Brilliant on the no fags San and brilliant painting too....fantastic..he'll love it!

Well done San, both on keeping off the cigs and painting this from a photo ... Joe will love it ... wonder when he'll be seen wearing a tie next! ... :o)

Hi Sandra......my sons have never sat for their portraits altho' I have asked them. Now they both live in London it just isn't possible. I need a minimum of six sittings and the holidays are just not long enough. You are lucky to have a painting of Joe.....a stand in for the real thing. Well done.
I have spent the day tidying the garden after last nights high winds. It was awful.......the noise kept me awake.....at one point I got up to see if my green house was still there!!!!!!!!!

well done looks really great. pleased you have stayed off the fags, big achievement, i know how hard it is, i havent managed it yet. Very very windy here, bit nervous.

Like it a lot how many years did you say you have been painting.

thankyou so much everyone for kind comments, have replied pixi :o) joe often wears a tie which is strange for the younger generation haha, he likes to be different.
i was told to leave the background plain but wish i had made it more mottled with a sponge affect but thats one lesson learned.
its not perfect but i will keep on as i enjoyed doing a person for a change, iv had lots of encouragment at the art society, and they cant believe i havent painted before last december when i started, but i think as i have always been arty , that helps alot.
linda i would be smiling forever if i could paint a portrait like you :o))
shame you cant get one done of your sons, isnt that always the way, glad your greenhouse is still standing to :o)
nana and caz keep trying to give up the fags, iv been trying years and hope not to start again.
lol brian, glad you like it, wish i had started years ago but didnt have the time.
cheers everyone, karen hope your still at the paintings to lol
:o)))) x

cool painting sandra... your getting very good at this. Glad your pains are getting better... :))

Well done with the quitting and the painting.

thankyou holly, its heaven not having pain when you have had it for so long, i cant believe it was all down to the fags, glad you like painting to :o))
cheers Denise on both counts ;o))

just goes to show how bad smoking is 4 you....

I can see why the Michael Jackson comments, well done San, also on keeping off the ciggies, I`ve tried many times unfortunately I go backwards on a regular basis...

it sure does holly :o(
thanx sue, i have been the same and given up alot going back a few years but this time its made a difference to my health so i guess thats enough to help me keep off them now :o)

It's brilliant Sandra.
I hope you enjoyed your walk :o)

brill Sandra - great to have a talent like this :))))) Glad you're feeling better too and the cigs are gone ,well done there too :))))))))))))))))))))

well done Sandra..on the painting & giving up...:o)

cheers hywel, yes we went for a lovely walk then had early dinner at a lovely pub, bourght some homemade lemon curd and biscuits from a local shop ;o))
thankyou paul, trouble is im eating choc more now lol, thats the next thing to cut back :o))))
cheers joan :o))

lol Sandra - I love sweeties :DD Marshmallows I mix with cheerios - really nice!!!

My dad gave up smoking over 40yrs ago, he used to chainsmoke and worked all his life in a foundry, a few weeks back he was diagnosed with a lung cancer, did it stop me, no quite the opposite, if I`m stressed I smoke more, I know its daft but its my comfort, too much chocolate is bad for me as well, so is booze, I don`t do either of those, I forgot to say my dad is 87yrs old....

Well done San, keep up the good work on both counts.
I gave up the fags about 6yrs ago, just couldn't afford them, but still want one now and again ! ! lol

oooww that sounds yummy paul lol ;o))
i understand that to sue, i would probably still be smoking if the pains were still with me, but knowing i feel better has made me stop, i wouldnt ever tell anyone to stop if they wanted to smoke, you have to want to and get your head around it lol, took 18 months for me to even try ;o)
lol val i think thats the case with most smokers dont you, my dad and brother still get craves ;o)

I love your painting of Joe,San..it's great.well done,definitely a touch of the Michael Jackson look to me:o! without the gloves though ! Lol.Good luck on giving up the ciggies..I still smoke,but try not to let it affect anyone else..never done it in the house for years,or when people are eating..so it may sound hypocritical,but I agree with confined spaces being banned..although the pubs and clubs have lost a lot of business through it..I enjoy having one...and apart from this vice,I am pretty near perfect ! Lol...not..!

lol sandra, wish i could have the odd one but i just cant do it, then end up outside in all weathers as we dont smoke in house either, so that in its self wasnt doing me any good, kept getting colds last winter lol
so now dont drink, dont smoke, cant eat what i want cause of IBS, is life worth living anymore hahaaha
sure it is ;o))

You've got chocolate,haven't you? what more could you want ! :o)))))))

lol sandra even that i have to be carefull or i bloat haha

Well done on both counts, painting and quitting!

Well done San its so worth sticking to it, have you tried knitting or crochet to keep your hands busy

cheers Grandmage, just been for aour appointment at none smoking clinic, we got a certificate haha, been 6 weeks so we are officially none smokers lol even though still on treatment :o))
thanx Pam, im ok really and find i dont crave alot either, busy every day and in the evening on here or housework, never any time to think haha, art tomorrow and thinking what to paint :o))

Keep up the good work lass! 6 weeks is terrific. x

Well done on quitting! I'm proud of you, it's not easy, my sis in law had to give up after getting a clot in her leg, but she feels terrific now, the paintings are coming on really well, aren't they! I'm glad your health is settling down a bit for you, you've had a heck of a time!x

cheers Grandmage :o) x
Hi Libet, thanx for comments, i feel great and so glad your sis-in-law is doing well also, i need my own studio lol "i wish" no room here for all the artwork :o) x

This is fantastic news news, Sandra! Giving up smoking will do you the world of good - you've already noticed the "side effects" of no longer smoking - better health & money in your pocket, some of which could go towards your art materials!

Well, well done on your painting of Joe! It's really great! For a first time as well, that's even more fantastic! You have progressed no end in the last year! Keep it up! :-))

did I tell you that our exhibition went well with the same amount of framed work being sold--and the mounted work in the browsers sold very well --so thats my target for next year......:o))

hi Balcony thankyou for the possitive comments on smoking and the painting to, strange really im not missing the cigs as much as i thought i would :o))
hi meadow thankyou so much, im just in the middle of choosing a photo for my next painting, iv got painters block lol :o))
hi pam no you didnt tell me about that, great news, people do seem to go for the mounted work as its normally cheeper and they can have whatever frame they want, i hope you do well if you enter more mounted ones, it must be a great feeling when an artist sells something, im still waiting haha :o))

well done San i bet Joe will love it..and an even bigger well done on giving up the fags...my oh has doe 5 months now...i'm tring to get in the zone to join him...maybe in the new year...x

thankyou sandra, i cant wait for joe to see it, not the same on phone text, good on julian for quiting and good luck for you if you give it a go, not easy but you do have to be in the right frame of mind to try :o)) x

Hi Sanbaz really good, i have never tryed painting a person must be difficulty:)

hi sue, yes a bit tricky lol, but iv had good tips and pixi has given me pointers to which was lovely, i will try another but not right away, nice to try different ideas sue, hows your painting going at the moment, are you doing any xmas fairs?

Hi Sanbaz ,No i dont do fairs. there arenot any around here. I havent done anything to my tigar cubs since i last told you i was painting them :( I must get to them but we are allways out on a ride up the moors :)

like here sue, not alot round here and if there are its for locals only, seems we dont live in the right places to sell art lol, you may get time over winter to finish them sue, let me see when you do please ;o))

Well done Sandra, that's a great painting of Joe. I hope we'll get to see his face in the next one now that you've made a start on painting people. :o))
Don't weaken with the ciggies now, just remember all those aches and pains you used to have as well as the extra cash in your pocket. I've never smoked other than the occasional social cigarette many years ago so I can only guess at how hard it is to kick the habit but a big pat on the back from me :o)))

Hi Lily thanx for your input, im still doing well and really trying to stick to it.
i will do people again but not yet haha, very difficult,
just trying to find a photo for next painting.
my mum was like you and just the odd social ciggie unlike my dad who smoked for england lol but he gave up years ago cause of health.
nice to see you :o)) x

Sorry abit late but a really lovely picture, well done you, and well dont with the fags xx

cheers carole thankyou for your card, arrived yesterday, i havent even bourght any yet lol :o)) xx