Michael Mackellow .... Art

Blue Flag Iris .....

2011-02-18T02:38:00.000-08:00

Acrylic on canvas faced board 33cm x 41cm

What is it about irises
in the garden
whether blue flag or yellow,
deep purple, white with red
why do they catch the attention, the imagination
more than lesser blooms?
A certain allure
that Georgia O’Keeffe didn’t taint
a beauty that draws you in
to ponder and marvel on
a delicacy that is real
but a perennial that wears well
the seasons in England too
bitter cold and short summers
a herald for the Spring
whether in bog or flower bed

Sunflower .....

2011-02-18T02:34:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on canvas 38cm x 46cm

I see you there in glory shining bright,
Following the sun and its path of light.

Standing tall above all others in the field,
You grow, conquer, and do not yield.

Stargazer .....

2011-02-18T02:33:00.000-08:00

Acrylic on canvas 38cm x 46cm

Every second, I am a stargazer
Every minute, I am a stargazer

Every hour, I am a stargazer
Every day, I am a stargazer

Chrysanthemum ......

2011-02-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

Acrylic on canvas 38cm x 46cm

The rose is called the queen of flowers,
Surrounded by her sisters fair,

A lovely throng of beauties rare,
She holds her court 'mid summer bowers,
'Neath smiling skies of sunny blue,
Gayly they bloom the summer through
Brightening all the golden hours.
But when the autumn days have come
Then blooms our sweet Chrysanthemum.

White Tiger, fur like powdery snow .............

2010-02-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

Eyes of sky, nose of rose,
fur like powdery snow.

Glistening teeth, sharpened claws,
These weapons are not for show.

Stalking your prey, graceful yet fierce,
Holding your tail like ice.

More cunning than a fox, swift as a hawk,
Your enemies need to think twice.

Stripes of raven, nature so calm,
Who can compare to such beauty?

Iris

2009-10-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Iris, most beautiful flower
~
Iris, most beautiful flower, Symbal of life, love and light; Found by the brook, and in the meadow, Or lofty, on arable height. You come in such glorious colours, In hues, the rainbow surpass; The chart of colour portrays you, In petal or veins of your class, You bloom with the first in Winter, With the last, in the Fall, you still show; You steal the full beauty of Springtime. With your fragrance and sharp colour glow. Your form and beauty of flower, An artist's desire of full worth; So Iris, we love you and crown you, MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER ON EARTH!
~
Poem by Edith Buckner Edwards

Umbrellas

2009-10-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

Umbrellas

Under a toadstool crept a wee Elf,
Out of the rain to shelter himself.

Under the toadstool, sound asleep,
Sat a big Dormouse all in a heap.

Trembled the wee Elf, frightened and yet
Fearing to fly away lest he get wet.

To the next shelter--maybe a mile!
Sudden the wee Elf smiled a wee smile.

Tugged till the toadstool toppled in two.
Holding it over him, gaily he flew.

Soon he was safe home, dry as could be.
Soon woke the Dormouse--"Good gracious me!

"Where is my toadstool?" loud he lamented.
--And that's how umbrellas first were invented.

2009-09-13T00:45:00.000-07:00

Still Life

Who knows what tomorrow brings?

2008-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

watercolour A4
our road ahead is long and dusty
there will be mountains in the way
but we must make new steps every day

2008-10-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

Lest We Forget
These men and women soldiers all;
They served us proud their duty call.
They gave their lives for us to be
Safe from harm and living free.
Don't ignore peace; lest we forget
The greatest gift from each honored Vet.
Keep their spirit close in memory;
They died protecting our liberty.

Still Life - Shelia's Kitchen

2008-09-08T03:31:00.000-07:00

Pots and Pans ready for a good "Cook-Up" .... Watercolor on A4 Paper

After the "Cook-UP" there are some things left .... Watercolor on A4 Paper

A still life painting is a work depicting inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, plants and natural substances like rocks) or man-made (drinking glasses, cigarettes, pipes, hotdogs and so on) in an artificial setting. Popular in Western art since the 17th century, still life paintings give the artist more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition than do paintings of other types of subjects such as landscape or portraiture.

clean knickers and sensible shoes

2008-09-05T07:41:00.001-07:00

Mother says that a “good” little girl should always wear clean knickers and sensible shoes .... Flapper women were not only known for their 1920's fashions, but also their behavior, characterized by the extent to which it "pushed the envelope" of what was acceptable and "lady-like". They rode bicycles and drove cars, drank (often in public), smoked cigarettes through long holders, and were sexually liberated, throwing "petting parties", the Roaring Twenties equivalent of the modern sex party. As a further mark of their uniqueness and separateness, the flappers even had their own vocabulary, with expressions such as "snugglepup", being a man who attended a petting party, and "bamey-mugging" term for having sex.

Still Life - but it is STILL LIFE!

2008-09-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

There will be Tears! and Vegetables are Good for You - Painting "Still Life" is fun, mainly cos' you've to work ward at getting a composition that is interesting and likely to hold the viewer's eye for more than just a few seconds.

Life is just a ..........

2008-09-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Life is just a bowl of cherries
Don't take it serious,
Life's too mysterious
You work,
You save,
You worry so
But you can't take your dough
When you go, go, go

and as Tiger Lily pointed out

My momma always said,
"Life was like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you're gonna get."
Forest Gump (1994)

Sails, Mist and Mountains

2008-08-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Sepia - Sails, Mist and Mountains.

Jennye's Provance

2008-08-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Jennye's Provence

Jennye entered a really lovely blog on "Photoblog" which prompted me to paint this scene - I have since sent the painting to her - I hope she likes it!

Watercolor Sepia Figure Studies

2008-08-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Adriana ..................................................
Toya ............................................................
Isobella ..................................................
Abril (Spanish for Avril) ........................................
Lola ....................................................................

Watercolor sepia paintings are so satisfying cos' they need to have "depth of tone" and when you get it right it works so well!

Bridge of Sighs .... watercolor, sepia A3 paper

2008-08-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

This is such a nice scene to paint, as it is a real test of getting the perspective absolutely correct, if not it just does not work!

Legend has it that if lovers kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge of Sighs they will be assured eternal love. The bridge was originally built to transport prisoners from the prison (on the right hand side) to the interrogation rooms of the Doge’s palace (on the left hand side) and the sighs of the condemned prisoners could be heard on their return from interrogation. The only prisoners it transports now are Prisoners of Love.