Anita Davies's Page

Jake has been back from Memphis for almost a week now and I can't tell you how happy that makes me.
Sadly, he felt poorly the last two days of his holiday and when he broke out in spots back at home we discovered part of the reason why...Chicken Pox! He has also been suffering with a very sore throat and so, he has been well and truly 'off his feet'.
Now, while I hate to see my children suffer, it has been so good to have him to myself for a bit. (Well at least I'm honest!)
He is such a wonderful young man.

He brought everyone gifts back from his trip and himself a new wardrobe....or two! I created the journal page below with the twin nib Sharpie he gifted me.

This recently finished commission was quite different for me. Designed around the clients fine bed linen, that is decorated with silk embroidery. The pattern is small and random and fills a border that sweeps across the cream background framed by a double pleat.
I decided to focus on one element of the design; the pink floral one, because the client has plain pink curtains in her room. I managed then to include most of the smaller elements all bound together by the swirly lines that appear throughout.

To appreciate the painting fully you have to be infront of it, pearlescent medium adds a pleasant surprise to some of the petals on the pink flower, the paint on the leaves was applied to resemble stitching and texture medium and gutta were used to create texture. I applied two raised strips at each end of the canvas to replicate the pleats that frame the pattern.

The linen is elegant, feminine, delicate and slightly oriental in appearance, my aim was to capture that essence while providing a focal point and creating a piece that would tie all elements of the linen and the room together.
I went through many sketches before I reached this point and was surprised at how much of the time spent on this commission went into the planning of it rather than the painting of it...reminding me that it's often the simplest of design that have the most graft behind them.

I was happy with my result and the client was very pleased...It looks wonderful in the room, holding focal point across the top of the bed.

I've started a new daily journal and this time I chose a small Venezia filled with Fabriano paper. I love these hard cover books with their decorative red tiled design. This size slips easily into my bag and should prove easier to use and fill as the weather draws colder.



Here's my first entry:

These are the rest of my entries in my Summer 2008 journal (a large watercolour Moleskine).
It's been a wonderful week with Harry; we've fished, shot clays, walked along the beach and ate fish 'n' chips, rested and even been spies for a day.

You may remember the baby book above that Harry gifted me for Mothering Sunday, well I've made a couple more entries in it since my last update and thought I'd share them with you.

These are the final few pages in my Flo journal, filled with Bockingford paper, made for me by Kala. It has been a wonderful Summer spent with this brightly coloured floral sketchbook, I shall miss her.


This is my beautiful stone planter, recently rescued from a skip in London. I sketched it very quickly, while freezing and smoking and standing...Quite the challenge!

Below, a page of doodles and a little location sketch...



This page was created while watching 'The Sculpture Diaries' on More4 and is the final page in my 'Flo' journal.

6 Skeifs Row, Benwick

Still battling with the weather here and trying to get this project complete in time to publish the results into a book for release before Christmas.

4 Lilyholt Road - Benwick

Another Benwick addition to my Close to Home project.
An unusually coloured home captured early morning before the sun broke. Luckily the tall sunflowers added a little warmth to the painting in the sun's absence.