New Paintings

My Latest Paintings

Misty Morning Le Manoir de Gurson

It's worth getting up early occasionally to see scenes such as this and you know you just have to paint the scene. This, and the following two paintings were all executed using Artisan water-mixable oils. Misty Morning was painted on a   12" x 10" stretched cotton canvas. the muted pastel colours of the distance and indistinct forms give the painting depth and allows for the foreground trees and shrubs to be painted in grey greens to give a soft focus effect as seeing the scene through a typical early morning, low lying mist on what proved to be a hot summers day.

Lake Windermere from Waterhead

This and the following 14" x 10" painting was mostly painted live in front of an audience at the SAA 'Its All About Art' show at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London on the 24th July 2014. I took them home and put the finishing touches on them. They are both painted in Winsor and Newton water-mixable oils on stretched cotton canvases, it is great to work on a stretched canvas its strange but you get a response from the canvas which seems to improve the painting and on the whole the canvas is normally of a better quality which also aids the techniques used for oil painting.

A Field in Bourton on the Water

A very quick painting the aim of which was really to demonstrate the ease of rendering sky, clouds, middle distant trees and a simple foreground which added together can make an interesting if simple landscape. 

Oil painting is the most forgiving of mediums and the advantage of using water mixable oils is to not have to use noxious turpentine and thinners and be able to simply wash your brushes and equipment with a little soap and water. Why not have a go? If you don't fancy going it alone why not come and have a few lessons with me? All of the details can be found on my website www.murrayince.com or just click on the link! 

Relaxed Painting Holiday In France

Le Manoir De Gurson

There are a few places left on the first weeks painting holiday with me at Le manoir De Gurson in the beautiful Dordogne region of France (May 24th to 31st). The second week is fully booked (8 artists). This is a wonderful area with much to paint and in an extremely relaxed, friendly atmosphere. If you are looking for a v ery goodl value for money painting holiday this is extremely difficult to beat. Have a look at the website www.manoirdegurson.co.uk

'Le Chateau De Gurson' The Old Prison Cell and Chateau ruins, not your accommodation!

Easter Exhibition At Ventnor Botanical Garden

I am exhibiting at The Ventnor Botanical Garden over Easter and will have the most paintings I've ever exhibited in one place with many bargains on offer. The exhibition opens on Thursday 17th April and closes on Monday 21st of April ot is open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm daily. I will be painting during the exhibition and will have details of all of my forthcoming painting holidays and workshops both here in the UK and in Europe.

Totland Bay And Fort Albert From Headon Warren

Coach Trip To 'It's All About Art Show'

 

I have provisionally booked a coach with Kardan for a trip up to the SAA's 'It's All About Art' Show on Thursday July 24th the cost will be £26 per person which includes the return ferry fare and coach of course, but does not include the entry to the show, however I can pre-order tickets on your behalf. The show entry ticket costs will be £10 per person which still means that the trip will only cost £36 in total. The coach is a 48 seater and I will need a minimum of 40 people to be able to run this one at £26, should we get more than 40 a small refund may be possible.

 

There will be a great deal to see and do at the show and for more details about the show have a look at the web site  www.saa.co.uk If you have never been, it is fascinating day out and many extremely good bargains can be bought.

 

If you would definitely like to go let me know and I will put your name down immediately, I must have it filled by June 1st or I will have to cancel.

The coach will pick up at Coppins Bridge Car Park in Newport at 07.15 to get the 08.00 ferry from Fishbourne, these will be the only two pick up points so that we only need the one driver (time constraints). 

For those of you who have never been there are ample opportunities to watch many live demonstrations and even to participate. There are art materials everywhere you look at bargain prices and the chance to talk to many specialist manufacturers and artists.

Places are obviously limited, if you can let me know ASAP I'll put you on my list and places will be on a first come first serve basis. I will be doing two 45 minute demonstrations in 'Artisan' oils and of course would love to see you on the day!

Very Best Wishes,

                         Murray 

New Book

101 Top Techniques For Artists

I have just received my advance copies of the new SAA book '101 Top Techniques For Artists' for which I am one of the 101 contributing artists. It will soon be available from the SAA priced £14.99, signed copies are exclusively available from me...... if you would like your copy de-valued? I have some now!

Vectis Artisans

Vectis Artisans 3rd Exhibition

I and my friends The Vectis Artisans have an exhibition of our work at Quarr Abbey from Thursday 20th of March until Tuesday 25th of Mrch from 10.30 to 16.30 daily. It will be a great mix of mediums and styles including stunning photographs great paintings and fantastic sculptures! The Artisans are myself, Becky Samuelson, Kate Bolton, Robert Jones, Sheila Luke, Juliet Collins, Pamela Stirling and Brian Gilbert. We are all full time professional artists and share a love of the Island and its inspirational land and seascapes.

Low Tide, Brook Beach

TV Demonstration

Pastel Painting On 'A Splash Of Paint'

I will feature on next weeks episode of 'A Splash Of Paint' (Monday 24th March) where I paint a sunset at Freshwater Bay from one of my friend Sheila's photographs. If you view it please make allowances for the 25 minute time limit for painting it. It is painted in real time so it is what it is, warts and all!!

It is view-able on Sky 192, Freesat 402, on the SAA Online channel (via their web site www.saa.co.uk) or on Youtube after Monday 31st of March.

Chateau De Gurson Ruins And Old Prison, A Pastel Painting.

The Beauty Of Gouache

What Is Gouache?

The question I am most frequently about Gouache is what is it? The short answer is that it is posh poster paint or opaque watercolour is made using pigment and gum Arabic. The pigments used are very high quality and the result is a strong level of opacity with a soft, matt finish, it is not suited to delicate transparent washes as you can achieve in watercolour. So what about painting with Gouache? I hear you ask... It is great for working from dark to light with many subtle attributes which can be employed and has a delightful soft surface and as it is opaque and matt makes it a terrific medium for reproducing whether it be scanned or photographed. I will be running some Gouache workshops in the near future so if you are interested drop me an e-mail and I'll keep you informed, in the meantime here are a few Gouache paintings, I especially like working on the black paper, it makes bright colours seem even more vibrant.

Kingfisher on heavy black paper

Driving Home For Christmas

Ann Hathaway's Cottage

 

Shorland Old Farm, Exmoor

Drawing And Sketching Holiday

There are still a few places available on my sketching and drawing holiday at Shorland Old Farm at Challacombe on the Devon side of Exmoor. A chance to be creative on a very relaxed and highly informative  holiday in a beautiful, picturesque part of the west country. Shorland Old Farm is a charming 17th century farm house a wonderful subject in itself. Sandy and Mark are our genial hosts and the food which Sandy creates is a culinary voyage of indulgence. A truly delightful holiday venue, Shorland Old Farm is geared up for creative holidays, why not come and join us! 1st to 7th of March 2014 

For more details and to book go to :- http://www.shorlandoldfarm.co.uk/art-holidays-courses/

'Seaspray' A Study In Pastel

The above scene of a wave breaking over the rocks was painted in Artists soft pastels, to this stage as a demonstration to the lovely Black Cat Art Group of Shanklin I promised that I would finish it off and put it here on my blog so that everyone could see the finished painting and below is the finished piece.

'Seaspray'

This photograph of the finished painting is closer to the true colour though is not quite right. The first stage painted as the demonstration took around two hours and the finishing of it took a further 2.5 hours. It is 47 x 33 cm in size and is painted mostly with Unison soft pastels on Pastelmat charcoal grey pastel paper.