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.

Friday 27 February 2015

Bird Hide, Newtown Creek


Bird Hide Newtown Creek

This is the completed painting that started life as an acrylic demonstration for George and the lovely Carisbrooke Priory Art Group last Monday. It just required a few finishing touches and the foreground completing which I settled down and did yesterday evening. Acrylics are a very forgiving and versatile medium and work well for quick, sketchy styles such as this, why not have a go?

Thursday 26 February 2015

Completed Demonstration Painting


View Toward Villefranche de Longchat

This is the completed oil painting that started life as a demonstration back in December which I have finally got around to putting the finishing touches on. It is what is commonly known as an L shaped composition for obvious reasons. I have  tried to convey the heat of the day and the view toward the distant Villefranche, this is just up the road from the Manoir de Gurson from where I run my French painting holidays.

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Newtown Bird Hide


Newtown Bird Hide

This is the stage that I had reached at the end of a demonstration in acrylics at the lovely Priory Art Group at Carisbrooke Priory yesterday morning. I have posted it here as it is as yet unfinished and will post a photograph of the finished painting for comparison at some point in the very near future.

River Yar Stage VIII


Stage VIII

There doesn't appear to be much progress but the work that has been added is quite time consuming, more boats and marina type detail with mooring posts and even a couple of masts. Next are the larger boats on the right and the row leading into the scene.

Thursday 19 February 2015

River Yar Stage VII


Stage VII

More boats and suggested detail has been added with  some reflections, special note should be made of the fact that light colours reflect slightly darker in the water and dark colour will reflect slightly lighter; Don't believe me?  Have a look next time you are there or anywhere that you see reflections in water, the degree of difference will depend on the clarity of the water, the murkier the water the more marked the difference can appear.

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Yar Painting Stage VI


Stage VI

In this stage I have started to add the river using the same combination of colours as in the sky. A little more definition was added to the edge of the banks where they meet the waters edge and then a little edge of very pale blue,  was cut along the exact point where the bank meets the water, this, along with the reflections are the tricks to making water look wet (more of these at a later stage). The next bit was to start putting in the 'illusion of detail' behind the row of moored boats on the right indicating the hotch-potch of ropes, fenders, outboard motors etc. etc. associated with a marine scene such as this.

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Yar Painting Stage V


In stage five I have painted the salt marshland that is between the hedge of the old railway track and the inlets from the main flow of the river Yar. You can see three distant boats in the right of the painting. The salt marsh was painted using just the following colours in varying mixes :- Cobalt Blue, Cad Yellow pale, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, Alizarin Crimson and Zinc white. For those of you who walk the old railway track you will notice that just to right of centre is the bridge that if like me you stop to look at the fish and watch the birds. The next stage is to start painting in the water, watch this space...