It's a conspiracy!

It's lovely Fiona , I avoid lots of gaps on trees they look better as a block , with a few breaks , that's how I do them ,. Don't paint exactly what's there use artistic licence and rearrange till it's a pleasant shape, you can paint all day to try an make it nice but if the underlying composition isn't pleasing it won't work , also generally avoid cattle all separate group them and have only one desperate . Hope that's useful , hows the birds?

I thought this was a strongly painted watercolour at first. You have caught the blustery feel very well you will not find many animals in my paintings, for similar reasons!

Thank you for the tip ref painting a group of cattle rather than spreading them out, yours always look so natural. The birds are all fine Dennis thank you, Percy is still about, he brought a friend with him a few days ago, think he might be in love! Yes Stephen, animals are perhaps to be avoided from now on by me too! Thank you?

I like this pastel, Fiona. The time is very bad with great storm also in Italy.

This has tremendous potential Fiona.I particularly like the expressive marks in the foreground. Everything that you have done here is fine. The field with the cattle and the trees on the right in the background are lovely. I think that the only thing missing from the composition is a sense of depth. Would you consider removing some of the screen of trees on the left ( coming about two thirds across) leaving a low boundary hedge with a few fence posts perhaps in place of those trees and inserting a distant mountain to give more depth to the scene? I believe this to be the only reason why you feel that the painting is unbalanced.I think that you have painted a lovely picture here and I hope that you don't mind me offering my opinion.

I think that Dennis is absolutely right and explained it very well too. I also noticed that the colour of the sky behind the bare trees doesn't match the rest of the sky. It's much lighter and makes the trees look even barer. But all that is very easy to go over again with pastels and is well worth it because it's a lovely painting, Fiona.

I spent some time painting sheep in Cumbria last week. They never keep still. Call the nearest " sheep " a Herdwicke and every one will believe you.lol

If you'll forgive the comment Fiona, I think the trees look a little uniform in their height, and the middle ground a little cramped between near and far due to too much activity in the foreground.. These are not criticisms; you're too good an artist for that. Just take them for what they're worth and carry on turning out your excellent work.

I like this Fiona, the good contrast work and make the atmosphere . The distant trees are great and nothing odd about the bare trees they add interest, you don't need same across the horizon. A great foreground lovely marks. Dennis's expert cattle tip is good. Your range of contrasts always attract me.

It's a lively and very expressive piece so that's always a good start. The trees are fine and the sky colour. It is slightly overworked and fussy in places, the eye has nowhere to rest, So I would lose the foliage on the bottom left and leave the more interesting clump on the right, that will give it some breathing space.

I originally didn't realise this was pastel -though it was watercolour. I'm not experienced enough to give constructive comments but what I do particularly like is the foreground foliage -to me it is very real. Thanks for your comment on my recent painting -I have replied on there and will send an E-mail today.

I would change the sky colour to make the trees pop a bit more and also introduce some white into the cows , I like the piece it's energetic and the greens are convincing

Carole and Alan have kindly said it for me. I just love your colours.

Perhaps you could include a stream and a bridge ..lol Sorry, couldn't resist! I actually like this just as it is. I like the colour and composition as a whole. It's good!

Thank you Cesare, I think everyone is getting a bit of the bad weather, hope it soon passes. Peter, of course I don't mind you giving me your opinion or advice, I would rather have it that way. A fresh pair of eyes always spot something to add....or take away. Thank you for your input. Thanks Satu, now it's pointed out is obvious ref the lighter sky, that's my favourite bit of the painting actually...lol. Lol, good plan Brian! Thank you Jim and I don't mind in the least, I welcome feedback, I maintain that's how you can improve your own work, by listening to others. As I have mentioned above, you often don't see the obvious yourself. Thanks again.

Carole, thank you very much. The trees are the only part I like to be honest, the cows are a disaster but now Dennis has pointed out his secret there, I hope to do better if I include animals into the landscape again. I usually try to avoid them if I can. I see where you are coming from Alan, and that would work, but would it tip the scales the other way, as in all the darker and heavier tones on the right hand side. Or am I talking nonsense as usual? Thank you darling for your advice.

Many thanks Carol! Received your email, will get back to you shortly. Thank you Dermot, yes changing the sky colour would be a bonus. Gudrun, thank you! Louise.......Nooooooooooo! Lol! Thanks very much for your feedback. Are you not painting at the moment?

Well you've had shed loads of advice from the guys here Fiona! I think you've done a great pastel painting - I can't do anything with them so I can appreciate what you have done and it looks good to me!

You're right there Margaret, just got to apply all the good advice now.....you will notice though, that I can't do anything with them either...lol. Thanks very much.

Yes dear, you are talking nonsense... remember, you don't have to fill every corner just because it's there. Scrub that L/H grass stuff out and see for yourself. The two top sheep look okay, that black one might be an exhausted tup!

I'm very good at nonsense Alan, as you know! Will do, and I'll let you know how it looks darling. Ref the sheep, they are cows...lol I bow to your knowledge of what an exhausted tup looks like.....😱😉 Thank you X

Hi Fiona, It's always good to see your work and I'm still here. I just haven't been doing any painting for weeks now. I'm not sure why that is but that urge to paint just isn't happening for me at the moment. I daresay there are a few reasons why I haven't felt like painting and it's a bit worrying really but I'll just have to sit it out. I did try splashing paint on an old painting I disliked only this morning in an attempt to wet the brushes and rescue my dried up watercolours but so far, it's not really working. I might post later if it looks any better! And it's still raining lol (not)!

Sorry to hear that Louise, I hate those barren periods, just coming out of one myself. That's why I'm enjoying pastels at the moment, they are instant...no colour mixing no preparation, just pick a piece up and scrub it on the paper. Yes, a bit dusty but worth putting up with. I don't mind colour mixing with oils and watercolours but when you don't have the motivation to faff about in the first place all that can be a bind. I'm sure you will be splashing about and turning out your fabulous watercolours soon, I hope so. We need a challenge! It's rained here for the past three days, the managed to peep out for an hour this afternoon. It looks like rain all week.....deep joy! Looks like another painting through the windows.....