Welcome to my Blog

I am pleased to welcome you to my blog and though I am a complete novice when it comes to blogging I am excited by the possibilities it presents and look forward to showing you my work, the work that some of my students produce and to answering any questions you may have about aspects of the work, techniques used or just discussing painting and drawing.

Thursday 15 August 2013

Porlock Weir The Finished Painting


This is the finished painting of Porlock Weir. I have painted in the beach flora (no I don't know what it is) which as with the distant trees, I start by painting in the shadow colour and gradually paint lighter foliage, usually two shades and finally the highlight colour placing the colour on with a No. 2 round bristle brush in the direction of growth. I strengthened some of the shadows around the boats, painted in the missing fenders, put some lighter tones on the grass area on the right and slightly lightened the main roof of the house and darkened the two smaller roofs. I put a little more definition on the right hand beach and signed it in the bottom right hand corner, a little smaller than usual but it is there! This painting is 800 x 600 and is a little larger than my usual work. Don't think that painting on a larger scale is any more difficult because in fact, I find that this makes it easier rather than more difficult! Why not have a go?!

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Porlock Weir Update




I have been working on my painting of Porlock Weir for most of today and it is now about 90% complete.
I have painted in most of the foreground beach, added a little more detail to the far beach whilst I had the colours on the go and added some ropes, stones, seaweed and shadows to the foreground beach. I still have a bit of sharpening up to do and will put some judicious glazes here and there to alter the tonal values in some areas where I am not entirely satisfied. There is one more picture to come in a day or two which will be of the completed painting, I can hear you all holding your breath....

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Porlock Weir Progress

My Porlock Weir studio painting is progressing as you will see in the picture below. 


I have put more definition in the shadows in the trees and having completed the boats I then moved on to painting the masts of the distant yachts some detail of the middle distant boats followed by the water and reflections, added the nearest boat and moved on to the reflections and seaweed in the foreground. I will now go on to intensify the shadows under the water of the sea weed and paint the foreground beach and detritus and beach-side plants.

Tuesday 6 August 2013

SAA 'It's All About Art' Show, London July 25th 2013

I was invited by the SAA to go up to the Business Design Centre, Islington on July 25th to do a 30 minute painting demonstration on the Professional Associate stand which I did and thoroughly enjoyed after the initial but very brief trepidation wore off. It is the first 30 minute painting I have ever produced and though it is not quite my usual style I was not too disappointed with the result, I would call it an oil sketch, I leave you to judge it's validity....



I will be going up to SAA headquarters in Newark in October
to film three 30 minute painting demonstrations for the TV programme 'A Splash Of Paint' hosted by the ever popular Matthew Palmer along with various tips and techniques and the popular 'My Favourite' and 'What's In My Box' for which I am having fun with deciding what to do. It goes out on Sky channel 191 and Freesat 400 on a Monday from 17.00 to 18.00, I will keep you posted as to when it is likely to be aired.

'Porlock Weir' (800 x 600) A Painting In Artisan Water Mixable Oils

It was great to meet friends old and new at the Open Studios weekend and here is the painting that I was working on over the last two days of the event. I was at Yarmouth Town Hall last Sunday exhibiting with Ann Greenhill my friend of many years and worked on it on the pavement outside. the stage to which I have currently brought it. The colours on the picture below are more accurate though far from perfect. The first stage of the painting was to draw the main parts of the composition though much simplified as a lot of the detail would be lost in the painting and in fact the detail is put in with the brush.

The next job was to give the canvas a watered down coat of Raw Sienna acrylic which sealed the pencil lines and killed the white of the canvas making tonal value and colour choice easier. I then drew the major lines back in with a wash of Cobalt Blue acrylic. Next I start with the oils and the painting of the sky which I kept simple as the rest of the scene is complex. Next is the painting of the distant tree clad hillside in shades of pale blue/green which pushes the hill into the distance (aerial perspective). I then paint in the middle distant tree covered hill which forms the backdrop for the buildings. Continuing my method of painting from the distance to the foreground I paint in the buildings, sea walls and boats. I have a fair bit left to do but the most difficult part is almost complete then it's on to the foreground... I will post another photograph when I have completed the middle ground. The water and reflections will be good fun and I look forward that stage!