Tree at Dusk- Liz

An acrylic painting to try

You will need; A3 Paper, Acrylics, table cover, water, sponge, cutting mat, and knife, pencil, various brushes, mixing palette, ink pen, template to draw round, board or table to work on.

Draw a circle around a saucer or cup onto some lovely thick paper. Preferably 200 GSM . Make a card circle template, keeping both the inside and the remaining outside shape. (Draw around a pint glass or small bowl) Artwork is often easier to handle if you make a small border around the paper’s edge. Draw your moon shape with your circle in pencil, at the top of your paper.

Paint over with a layer of white acrylic with a big paintbrush. Your paint doesn’t need to be watered down too much unless it is really thick. You should be able to see the circle through the paint. A clean decorating brush will do or use a square flat brush.

Enjoy the process of painting swathes of pink and blues into the wet white paint mixing as you go turning some areas lilac . Be loose with your marks. Any colours would make a nice background- Autumn tones for a morning light for example, or greys and blues for a wintery scene.

Add texture with a brush or sponge with a stronger version of your colours, especially at the edges or where you want your trees to go.

Next, place your stencil onto your circle and stencil some highlights and detail onto your moon. Use any combination of greys, blues, whites, splatters and speckles to crisp up and shape your moon. Leave to dry.

Once dry, use the full circle to cover the moon and sponge a little black over the top of the shape, continuing around the edge of your painting, and at the sides and bottom. Form an interesting frame for your woodland cove and hill by brushing and sponging tones of dark colour until you are happy with the effect. Leave some under colour showing to add depth. Any areas you feel are too dark, work over with shades of greys and blues.

Next the exciting part. Begin to form the trunks of your trees and plants with a fine tipped brush. Freehand is best but again, a stencil can work just as well. Add in animals, flowers, birds, little bits of grass and any other silhouettes you like. Press lightly and try and keep your movements fluid.

Lastly use a fine liner ink pen to finish the smallest detail, add in tiny specks of white or highlights and then all that’s left to do is sign your artwork!

Night Garden- Edna

Dusk 

Between the Autumn curtains, 
Lamps light scenes inside.
Intimate and every day,  
Homes and lives laid wide. 

Here is day returning. 
Evening yet to start.
Stages set and ready,
Each nightly walk on part. 

Trees have lights which sparkle, 
Glass is blown in bells.
Cinnamon and puddings,
rich, warm, sweet winter smells. 

Socks are knitted, slippers worn,
old softness in each tread.
Eiderdowns from wardrobes pulled, 
laid at the foot of beds.

There she is, outside again, 
blows air into her hands.
Stomping frozen toes in boots,
Finds comfort where she can 

Coveting the warmth inside, 
the fire just been lit. 
Feeling hot tears burning,
 her eyes so full of grit. 

She knew this place from childhood,
Long before this time.
Long before the street was paved,
With multi packs of wine. 

Long before Ocado, 
Long before the Spar,
Long before the matching lives,
Played nightly by each star. 

Lamps began the dusk for them,
Nightly lit by wicks.
Soup kept warm on top of stove  
Coal smoke and card tricks. 

Memories like picture books,
Snapshot moments, torn.
Rubbing numb, cold palms she sighs,
As curtains soon are drawn. 

In her hands she holds a case,
Her worldly goods, her strife.
She starts to walk towards the warm. 
Her chapter, her new life. 



Her plane descends quite smoothly,
It's just an hour away.
She wonders briefly at the house,
It's rainy there today. 

But here she is in flip-flops,
As dusk sets past the sand. 
Her Spanish wine is rich and deep,
He gently holds her hand. 

A room and all its contents,
Tells stories, this is true.
But, set the day on brand new plays.
And make your dusk less blue. 

LW