A fun little snippet

click the image ⤵︎ 

Part 1 video on my youtube channel

Okay, so if you want to sit back and see this video, I suggest you make a cuppa - put your feet up and hope you'll enjoy.   

I managed to (not only remember to video) but set up my iPhone and record my painting process at Arlington Court the other day.  A challenge in itself, as I kept getting interrupted by visitors - but not complaining, that's what it is all about - visitors enjoy seeing something different and an artist at work often brings people to a stand still - they chat and hopefully I impart some useful painting info to them.  

....(as ever, click the image below ↴ - it all begins with a blank canvas)

Now to wait for this - part 1 - of the process to dry

Finding inspiration

 My recent bike ride into Barnstaple was well worth it.  Not only for the exercise, but I also love riding my bike.  Yes, it is electric, and some people say that is cheating because you don't have to peddle - Ha! if only  - you actually have to keep peddling  🚴‍♀️  if not, it shuts down and believe me it is really difficult to peddle.   

An added bonus to riding along the Tarka Trail (apart from not having to cope with traffic) is being able to stop when I see something to photograph.  The other day it was this view of the estuary.  Wow! you wouldn't believe how flat the water was, like glass with the clouds reflected.   

 ~ if you click the image, there a short video clip ~

I will definitely be making these view a painting some day soon.

Back to Etsy

Busy restocking my online shop on Etsy recently.  

Although I hadn't actually 'closed' the shop, I put it on a back burner for a few months this year.   When you read and watch other artists online, they go on about having your own website, so in the end I gave in and opened one.  I listed a lot of paintings, then added them to the usual social media sites, Instagram/Twitter/Facebook groups etc etc, but the response was so slow and in the end decided to close it.    

Hence, now I am restocking my Etsy shop and adding some new works.  I have a few in the studio at the moment that are waiting to dry - Oil paintings take time to dry and I won't rush adding them online if they aren't ready to send out.  

Here's a link to my shop

and I will keep you up to date here on the blog about latest works being added

Indifferent weather

That time of year, the weather is to say the least very unpredictable at the moment - so my plein air painting visits to Arlington Court have to be 'adapted' to say the least.  On my journey there, I went through mist/fog (again) - to dry - to sunny and back to fog - then it even showered.  Finally, on arriving at

Arlington  

it was too cold to be standing about painting.

There is a back-up plan though.  I was able to set up my easel in the Exhibition/bookshop room, at least it was dry and reasonably warm (I kept my coat on).

I had previously taken a photo of the scene I wanted to paint - plus I have done some little 'studies' of the scene...

here's the reference

(glad I took this photo - although I don't adhere to it strictly for the painting, it does at least give me the basic elements I need)

My previous little studies...

these help a lot

I recently bought a leather-bound sketchbook with a lots of pages, looking forward to using this - and I also prepared all the pages too - some with pva and some with gesso - some of those pages I left as is, but others I have toned with various colours....the idea is, when I have a scene that needs a particular background tone, I'm ready to use it.

Click the image below - a quick clip of the pages in this sketchbook ↴

and I've already started using it

These all helped with the painting yesterday...

this is a close-up of it on the easel (the clips on the side are where it was attached to the pochade/easel)

I've added a fuller version to my Youtube channel - so if you want to see this just click this link  ←

For now the painting is drying, which will take a week or so - then I'll decide what need tweaking.

A cold misty day....

 ......not the sort of day for standing outside painting.  That's what I was faced with yesterday at Arlington Court.  My intention was to paint a plein air study of a hydrangea - they have some lovely shrubs over there, so before the flowers went over too much, I wanted to capture at least one of them.   

A good idea in theory, but it was cold and misty when I arrived yesterday - life of a painter!  Thankfully the staff at Arlington are really helpful, they agreed for me to paint in their Exhibition area (currently the bookshop, where I painted the other week).  But first, I needed some reference photos, so off I set with my camera...

As you see, some of the flowers were going over, but even so, there was something very nice about them too.  In amongst all the blues, there was one pink flower...

did you spot the spider!

As tempting as it was to paint the pink version, (and that would have been minus the spider),

I opted for blue

and went with this photo for reference - thought it had a nice shape

My easel set-up

work-in-progress stage

At this point I left it.  This oil painting needs to dry, otherwise I would be moving paint around too much.

It also gives me the chance to set it aside, and come back to it when it is dry.

I will then work on it again, to hopefully complete.

~ Will update you on this in a week or so ~

Alla Prima

 

(Alla Prima = painted in one go) 

I will leave this one to dry, then look at it again in a couple of weeks time.  It was painted very spontaneously (the weather changes here so quickly) - but does convey the drama of the day.

and yes, it will be listed for sale.

 

Finally this one is considered done...

 ....I think

Apart from a bit of drying time, for those completed tweaks, this painting will eventually be online.

I really enjoy doing these landscapes - all based on the views from nearby Exmoor and also, not so far from us, Dartmoor.  They are both a wealth of information and inspiration for painters.  

here's a very short little clip from my Tiktok showing this painting

- as always click the image:

Some alla prima indoor art at Arlington

Had a great day at Arlington Court yesterday - not my usual plein air painting in the grounds, but this time setting up my easel in the bookshop - Arlington have been fortunate to have been donated a large collection of Art related books for their shop, so it made an opportunity to have an Art in the Bookshop Day.  

Worth all the prep work and meeting some lovely visitors - plus painting an alla prima piece. This little blue chair is part of the collections at Arlington, so it was a good opportunity to paint an Indoor scene for a change. I have also Donated a collection of my artworks to Arlington, which will be on display for purchase (see images). Many thanks to the staff at Arlington for their support, you are very much appreciated 🎨

"Little Blue Chair" artwork : Oil painting 8x8inch box canvas

ref photo ↴

hopefully the above paintings will help raise money for Arlington Court

(note: I donate 75% of the raised funds to Arlington and 25% will help me buy more canvases and paints)