About Me

My photo
I'm a nature obsessed artist who lives in an little house in a little vilage in the Highlands of Scotland.I wander around a lot in the wilds and spend time just looking at things like birds and moths and trees and rocks. The rest of the time I'm drawing or painting, making odd things out of old stuff and drinking giant cups of peppermint tea. Imogen Greene is my pen name. I like the way it sounds and it just kind of suits what I do.

Friday 16 December 2011

UGLY BIRD


This is a bad photo of my first attempt at sewing since high school , which was quite some time ago as you can probably tell. This is a tiny little bird for hanging on the Christmas tree. I decided to make gifts for everyone this year but " Ugly Bird" is still at the experimental stage and won't be let out of her box anytime soon, a bit more refinement on my sewing technique is needed, me thinks! Perhaps a sewing machine would help............

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Wintry


This was taken a couple of days ago, the snow has been and gone twice since then and sounds like we will wake up tomorrow to more- severe weather warnings all round! The table and chairs have been packed safely away otherwise the wind might sweep them off into the night (they looked rather forlorn anyway, don't you think?, and I thought it was the kind thing to do.) I hope the little mouse that made these tracks is tucked up safe for the night too. It's going to be a wild one.



Thursday 8 December 2011

Papercut butterfly boxes


I'm really happy to have had an enquiry from the Peter Potter Gallery in Haddington about my butterfly boxes! I'm looking forward to visiting the gallery as soon as I get a chance. They have some on- going projects that look very interesting.
 I've been making new work all day and watching the sleet battering against the window in the gale force winds. I have the torch, candles and matches looked out in case of a powercut. Lets hope I don't need them!

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Looking back and keeping track


This drawing is my latest ETSY sale. As I walked through the snow down to the post office I had a bit of a think about how things have been going with the shop and just my art in general. I'm a full time artist and Imogens Attic is one strand of what I do.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened my ETSY shop back in Febuary. I'd spent quite a bit of time trawling the site before I took the plunge and was aware that there are a fair number of shops out there that never make a sale so I'm really pleased that the hedgehog is sale no25. Some of my sales have been to family and friends and I'm loving the support they've given me. I especially enjoy packaging up my works for sending overseas- so far I've sent things to France, USA and Australia. I think when you spend most of the time working on your own it's essential to celebrate every little success, so I have had the idea to put a World map up on my studio wall and stick pins in all the places an Imogen Greene original has landed. A way of keeping track of the migration of my little creatures.( I've been buying little things from fellow etsians aswell as a wee treat!) I hope that if I devote a bit more time to making new work and blogging more regularly the sales will continue.......... that's the plan anyway.

Wednesday 30 November 2011

WINTER HARES

I have finally got down to doing some new pieces for etsy
and thought it might be nice to do some ACEOs.
I've been meaning to draw more hares
 and spied some mountain hares at the weekend while hill walking.
They don various shades of grey & brown and turn white for winter
Some of them are half way to turning white
 and others are already there.
We sometimes call them blue hares-
 for the beautiful shades of their coats.
I've done a series of four at different stages of their winter change,
hope you like!
I took some photos of the process....


I'm working on a very smooth watercolour paper
Step1- a quick pencil sketch

Step2- drawing with a dip pen in Indian ink,
 mistakes still optional!

Step 3-Add light washes of acrylic ink, small changes can still be made and final details picked out with the dip pen.  




The finished article!.
 I will be posting these in Imogens Attic on etsy later this evening.

Monday 28 November 2011

Thanks Eliza!



One of my papercuts has been featured on Eliza K's blog along with a few other papercut artists.
Nice start to the morning!
I'm going to be busy over the next couple of days
making new work for etsy.
There will be new listings in my shop on Wednesday if you want to take a peek




Eliza K



Friday 25 November 2011

London visit


Just back from a week in London.
We spent time with our lovely family
and did some touristy things.
 The Da Vinci exhibition was brilliant and well worth the 2 hour queue,
We also came across the Grant Museum,
a Zoological collection of skeletons, skins, taxidermy and things in jars,
facinating and sometimes gruesome, not recommended for the softhearted!


I



Sunday 6 November 2011

Talking to trees


I wandered through the trees this morning
and said hello to a few oaks stranded among the pines.
they nodded back to me and dropped a few leaves,
very polite.


I think this a place for dreaming big dreams.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Morning Glory


I often have a walk in the morning,
it gives me time to mull things over, gather fresh ideas
and generaly clear my mind of any clutter.
This morning  I collected a few things,
including some chanterelle mushrooms.
It was a golden , blustery Autumn day,
back home I painted some of the collection,
you'll notice there are no chanterelles,
I couldn't resist and cooked them in butter for brunch.
YUM!


This painting will be added to my etsy shop soon

Thursday 20 October 2011

Night flyer


I just put this new little painting into Imogens attic on etsy.
The hares are still running around in my head
 and not quite ready to come out onto the page.
I've been a bit distraced ( you know I meant distracted, but I kind of like the sound of distraced!) 
over the last couple of days.
The men have come to paint the outside of our windows and doors,
which means that they have had to leave all the windows and doors open for most of the day.
We have been waiting since March,( yes March!) and now there is snow on the hills and a freezing wind,
..........................great timing guys!

Saturday 15 October 2011

The path home


Well, the weather for my hike on Thursday wasn't that great, lots of low cloud swirling around,
 but it did lift now and again just enough for me to get my bearings.
The red deer rut is in full swing, there were stags roaring in every corrie, what a fantastic noise they make!
I saw a couple of mountain hares as well, still that lovely grey brown colour on the body with white legs,
they may be in their white winter coats by the next time I take a wander on the mountain tops.

I've just added the fox onto Imogens Attic.
 I think a couple of mountain hares will be my next addition so look out for them!





Wednesday 12 October 2011

Sepia Ink Fox


This isn't quite finished yet but will be soon! 
The finishing touches will have to wait till Friday as I'm off hill walking tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to having a day out in the wilds.

A different ink drawing will be added to my etsy shop later tonight.
A badger, I've never drawn one before but I think he's pretty cute.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

What's next?

Old Pines (Detail)

One of the new additions to my ety shop.I have been trying to get more work done for etsy in between getting some new work done for my gallerys.This week the frames that I ordered arrived so I have taken over all the available surfaces in the house and there are bits of tape, mounts, glass polish,rules,dusters,packaging,off cuts,tools and work in various stages of  framing everywhere. Thankfully there is a growing pile of work ready to be dispatched. There should be two new pieces for Imogen's Attic by the end of the week too, a badger and a fox in sepia ink.

Saturday 17 September 2011

Painting again!


It did eventually stop raining for long enough for me to do this watercolour of the green lochan.
 It kind of captures the still feeling of the place when no one else is around.
I'm enjoying getting back into the studio and I have an exhibition to work towards for next year.
Sales in my galleries have been good over the summer but now I have to restock them-
What a lovely problem to have!
I've been neglecting my etsy shop a bit so I need to knuckle down and get into a proper routine,
 not one of my strong points
 but I will find my balance,
it's just a question of practice.

Monday 12 September 2011

Green Lochan


This is a local spot which I'm planning to paint soon.
 the water is a really incredible green colour.
We are experiencing some bad weather this week
but when it clears up I want to get out with my sketchbook and watercolours.


Wednesday 24 August 2011

Summer break is over!

I've had a long summer break which has been lovely.
Most of the time was spent on the West coast of Scotland
between Sheildaig and Achmelvich.
It's a fantastic stretch of coast, we paddled our canoe in the sea,
saw a sea eagle, otters,seals and dolphins.
Snorkeled with the fishes,crabs and avoided the jellyfish.


I have lots of ideas for new work,
and I've just ordered a new laptop which should arrive on Friday.
Can't wait!




Saturday 16 July 2011

BOOK KEEPING


I've been catching up on book keeping and de cluttering the studio.
It will be a much nicer place to work in once I'm done.
But it's taking a while.
It's good to take a step back
and give a bit of space to all those ideas whirling around in the arty corner of my brain.
There needs to be a bit of a de clutter in there too. 

Thursday 14 July 2011

Treasury





Well I managed to post a treasury by using an etsy app,
 pretty pleased with myself!
 and will definately use it again.

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Butterfly Collection


I have a large collection of very tatty old books,
If they are past saving I get busy with a scalpel.
I've made a little collection of butterflys using original pages
from a book of Grimms' Fairy Tales illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
They will be appearing in my etsy shop anytime now.


Sunday 19 June 2011

Afternoon Tea


I had a proper day off on Sunday,
took tea with the birds and squirrels at Jack Drake's
It was all rather nice.
I'll take my sketch book with me next time though.


Wednesday 8 June 2011

New work on etsy


 Due to other work piling up (which is a good thing! )
i'ts been a while since I had anything new in my etsy shop
 but I've just uploaded this owl and a raven to the site.
I think for my next blog I'll try and do a work in progress report
 and I'll photograph the various stages of one of my little creations.

Sunday 5 June 2011

Red Toad


I was walking in the hills above Loch Katrine last week and saw a red fox,
 we had a staring contest and he blinked first, disappearing with a swish of his bushy tail.
On Friday on another hillwalk in Wester Ross I found a red toad
Any guesses what the next red beastie I see will be?

Thursday 12 May 2011

So much to do..............so little time

Moth Collection No1

It's been a while since I posted, lots going on- visitors, an exhibition to prepare for, a blissfull short camping trip and up next a short holiday to a little island off the west coast called Shuna. I'm taking my sketching gear and hoping for sunshine with a slight breeze to keep the midges away.


From Achmelvich

Monday 4 April 2011

Comma Butterflys



I love the shape of the comma butterfly's wings,
I was trying to make the perfect one but failed,
Still, I like them-  imperfect as they are.

Sunday 3 April 2011

Some new butterflys


I looked through some of my old butterfly books
I  love the shade of blue of these little ones 
I took some artistic license with them,
So you won't find them anywhere else.
Just in Imogens Attic.



Tuesday 29 March 2011

Moth Collector


I painted this willow herb hawk-moth today.
I want to do a whole series of moths,
I think they'd look great in a collection of individual frames.
I've got lots of ideas for subjects to paint,
now I just need to keep the momentum up and get on with it.

Saturday 26 March 2011

March Hares


I seem to be getting obsessed by hares.
 I find them really interesting to draw.
 I think it's something to do with the proportions and angles,
 much sharper than cuddly bunnies,
 and they have such expressive faces.
This one went into my etsy shop last night.

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Treasury


I just made this treasury of lots of lovely things. 
I've been walking in the woods this afternoon enjoying the sunshine,
while trying not to step on the hundreds of toads that are on the move.



Monday 21 March 2011

More ETSY sales!



I am really pleased because my two newest pieces on ETSY have sold!
The wren was posted to Seattle this morning,
and the golden hare should arrive at his destination tomorrow.
I love the idea of little pieces of my work trotting off to the other side of the globe. 

Friday 18 March 2011

Networking and a new piece for ETSY


I've spent the last couple of days working with a fellow artist on ideas for ETSY and other web based art.
It's been fun and it still feels like we got some work done.
It really helps to talk through things with someone who's brain is wired up in a vaguely similar way.
Not that we're odd or anything.

This is my latest little piece of work.
I'll be posting it on Imogens Attic tonight along with something else that I'm hoping to finish this afternoon.
And I've now had two sales which is very encouraging.

Thursday 10 March 2011

New work on Etsy

Saw my first frog spawn of the season last weekend and spent yesterday doing this.
I used pen, watercolour and pencil.
 It's in my etsy shop now.



Tuesday 8 March 2011

Chaffinch No2


I've just finished working on this watercolour of a chaffinch.
I watched it and around 20 others while I had a cup of tea and some delicious cake at Jack Drake's.
It's a lovely tea shop with a viewing room onto a wild bird feeding area at Inshriach Gardens.
Tea  is served in old fashioned china cups and saucers-just the way I like it.

I had my first sale from my etsy shop last week.
The golden hare arived safely in Seattle a couple of days ago.
I'd love to go and see the real thing on Rathlin Island, Ireland



Tuesday 22 February 2011

ACEO's for Etsy



I've been doing some tiny drawings called ACEO's- Artists Cards, Editions and Originals.
A new format for me and great just to get me drawing, something I haven't been doing enough of lately.
They measure 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
I thought I'd try them in my etsy shop.
I'm trying to put new items in the shop every few days and as a result my work ethic has improved no end!


Monday 21 February 2011

Lochnagar in winter plumage


On Sunday G and I decided to go walking at Lochnagar.
Despite the mist and wind and cold it was at times quite magical.
The ice formations and snow drifts made crazy patterns, 
and the wind blew a flying ptarmigan in a curve towards us,
 it came so close I could see the panic in it's beautiful black eye.

Back to work today- I've been drawing toads and a roe deer skull
and now ptarmigan are next on the list.

Thursday 10 February 2011

New shop on ETSY


I've just opened my shop etsy. 
I posted the first couple of items last night and someone had hearted an item by this morning.
 It's great to have instant feedback!