Plein Air

Good day today out at Parkgate on the Wirral Peninsula, out of the city and into wide spaces and big skies over the estuary. I managed a half decent start, a free study in oils that attempts to give a feeling of the experience rather than a description of it. I am reminded of the Cornish painter John Wells,

'...but how can one paint the warmth of the sun, the sound of the sea, the journey of a beetle across a rock? One absorbs all these feelings and ideas and if one is lucky they undergo an alchemistic transformation into gold, that is creative work.'

I like the sound of that, think I'll go back tomorrow.

Studio Update

Been really busy the last couple of weeks now that the teaching hours have kicked in again, however I have managed to get to the studio and work on this latest piece. At about a metre wide it's a bit bigger than I normally work on but it's coming on. Trying to catch that moment of anticipation before a large belly of water crashes into the shore. This is part of a series of coastal paintings for the July show at Parkgate. At the moment I don't want to change too much so I think it's time to turn it to the wall for a week or two...stop me fiddling.

Studio Update, Vale.

Finally got back into the studio for a couple of hours the last few days. Just completed a small 15cm x 15cm oil on board to add to my Lakes series. This was worked up from an old acrylic study done sometime last year out at Lake Windermere.

A Passion For Painting

Been off line for a couple of weeks due to other commitments. Hope to put that right in the next day or so and upload some images of my progress in the studio. Special thanks to Jill Berry for nominating me as one of her 7 chosen artists for this blog award. As Jill explains it,

' I am choosing you for the "Passion for Painting" Blog Award! If you are not familiar with it - You can share 5-7 things you love, pass the award on to 5-7 others and link back to the one who passed it to you. I now get to pass it along by choosing my favourites which I will do on the next post

Studio Update

Done a bit more in the studio on these two pieces on paper think they're cooked now anything more would just be fiddling with the paint.

Just back from a short stay in North Wales so I haven't had much time to post new work. I have posted some drawings from the last visit. I hope to get started on some new pieces this week for the summer show in Parkgate on the Wirral.

Daily Painting

Left the studio pieces to dry and give me time to assess their progress and make a few notes on how to move on. This left me time to have another taste of daily painting in the studio set up. Setting out to do a single session painting really does require all my concentration. This effort took me just over 2 hours. I sat on my rucksack seat and used the pochade box on a tripod...practice for the great outdoors in the comfort a warm studio is the best place to iron out any problems that can occur outside, but obviously not all. Just to finish off I added a little to the two apples picture I did previously...should have turned it to the wall or put it away this prevents further fussing and fiddling although I think this extra work didn't detract too much from the original. No painting tomorrow, delivering work for the London Art Fair which is next week