Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A change from spinning alpaca


Although I'm still doing lots of fibre work, mostly it seems for other people, which is fine and I enjoy the commission work although I don't blog much about it, It seems to fill up my spare time and computer time gets very restricted. But over a period of three months or so in very small chunks of time (i.e. 2 hours a week whilst attending a painting group) I've been painting this picture in acrylic paints. I'ts not completed yet but it's getting there. I'ts been a challenge as I haven't painted anything seriously for many years and have had to learn and relearn some very rusty skills. but I've really enjoyed the journey and look forward to starting another painting. The landscape is typical of Central Otago, burnt grassland and blue green hills. This particular alpaca went so well with the environment. The painting is based on a photograph taken by Ann Rogers (an alpaca breeder and wonderful photographer from Rangiora). Her subjects are alpacas from all over NZ and Australia. In the series I'm planning to paint a Suri and Llama.

4 comments:

Jody said...

It's beautiful Doe...I luv the way the sky looks with the purples and blues.
When I was a teenager I used to luv to draw too (I draw people) but never anything as good as that.

Doespins said...

Hi Jody,
I find people hard to draw (well the faces anyway). I've just put the finishing touches to this painting tonight, thanks for your kind comments. Back to some spinning.
Doe.

Jody said...

Doe I wanted to ask if you could tell me more about the Hamish Black Gotland wool and if you have any more pics of it to show? The reason I ask is that my alpaca breeder friend here is (on my urging)getting into gotland sheep breeding and we have some gotland/finn/shetland crosses coming (one of the ewe lambs will be mine). We hope next year to breed using AI with some of the Hamish Black semen from a breeder in the States that sells it. Thanks.

Doespins said...

I'll post a few more pics of the wool and the articles I've just knitted for Hamish tomorrow. Just on my way to bed now.
Gotland is extremely lustrous and quite strong. You get a beautiful silver grey up to quite dark greys.
Google 'Chocolate wool' for Hamish's site. he also has a group on ravelry.
It felts very well and I think it will be great for weaving with, I'm working on samples now. Lambs wool is the softest. Adult's is not suitable for next to the skin generally. I've blended some with alpaca and with silk and both yarns were very nice. the alpaca softens the Gotland, more than I imagined it would. I've visited The Black's farm a couple of times and the gotland's are very pretty sheep. They seem more curious than other breeds and athletic. The lambs start life black. I'm still experimenting with it, it is easy to prepare and spin. Low grease too.