Art in the Aquitaine A Holiday with a Difference

The Needles from Headon Warren

Stage 1 As demonstrated to West Wight Painting Circle

Stage 2

Stage 3 

Stage 4

Stage 5 

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9

Stage 10 The finished painting

New Exhibition

Stag Rock, Low Tide

I am exhibiting 40 paintings, many new at Quarr Abbey from Thursday April 6th to Tuesday April 11th from 10.30 to 16.30 daily with free entry. Come along and say hello discuss painting and have a look at the new additions to my portfolio!

Clun Castle The Finished Painting

Clun Castle The Finished Painting

After some more deliberation I decided it did need the Rooks, they give the painting a bit of life and there's something about Rooks, Ravens and Crows that give castle ruins a sense of the Gothic, probably to do with Hollywood and the Hammer House of Horror, but I like it!

Clun Castle Stage V

Clun Castle Stage V

I painted the grasses and flora in the bottom right hand corner using my two haired brush, no this is not an exaggeration I took two hairs from a decorating brush and taped them tightly together to a cocktail stick, made some well wetted paint with painting medium and painted each blade of grass a method which is actually a lot quicker than it sounds. Next was to paint the wild flowers on the hillside, some yellow (Ragwort I think) some white ones and some blue ones (I'm no Botanist).

I put a little more variation of colour on the middle distant trees and the field to the left and signed it thinking I was finished, however having now lived with it for a day have virtually decided to paint in some birds which will constitute the final stage, watch this space!

Clun Castle Stage IV

I have now roughed in the castle's hill and next have to highlight certain areas and finish the bottom right-hand corner with the addition of some dry, pale grasses and finally paint in the wild flowers that cover the hillside.

Sketching and Painting in The Dordogne

An Amazing special offer on this holiday!

2017 Sketching & Painting Holiday near St. Emilion at Le Manoir de Gurson

Week Starting Saturday May 6th

A Watercolour Painted En Plein Aire at Le Chateau de Gurson

Come and join me for a truly memorable sketching and painting holiday in this historic and beautiful region of France, enjoy the relaxing and inspirational haven that is Le Manoir de Gurson. I will do demonstrations and be on hand for much one to one tuition allowing you to make the most of the glorious countryside and picturesque French towns and villages. By way of celebration we are offering this holiday at an  amazing £595 per person as this will be the last one at Le Manoir. For more details please visit and book through   http://www.manoirdegurson.co.uk/art-holiday

View Toward Villefranche de Longchat 

Second Chance Sketching and Painting in Puglia Holiday

Polignano al Mare

The sketching and painting holiday that I am leading with HF Holidays in September 2017 has proved so popular that a second week has been arranged starting May 30th 2017 giving those of you who were disappointed that the September week was fully booked so early the opportunity of booking if you wish to come on this brilliant holiday with HF Holidays and me. We will be based in a luxury hotel in Altamura visiting some fantastic and diverse towns in the region. For more information and to book visit the HF Holidays site.

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/activities/leisure-activities/art-craft/?destination=35

Open Studios Christmas Special

'Snowy'

Don't forget to come and have a look at the Christmas Open Studios exhibition at Tapnell Farm, 'The Cow Company' this Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December. Lots to see and do! I shall be painting a few mates for 'Snowy' so you can see how I do it. I will have my full selection of Christmas and Greetings Cards of my artwork for sale and full listings of all my classes, workshops and painting

holidays available for 2017.

'Into The Farmyard, Widecombe' Final Stage

Here in the final stage I strengthened the lights and darks of the hedges and grass verges, put in the shadows, leafs, suggested some stones and detritus, painted the dappled light in the foreground and finally painted some stronger shadow lines under the roofs of the outbuildings to make them a little more three dimensional. I could have gone on fiddling but this is not a good thing to do so I signed it and called it finished!