Busy sketching and painting at the moment......watch this space!
Friday 30 December 2011
Tuesday 20 December 2011
Moorland River
measuring 12" x 9"
I must say that the more I use these Interactive paints the more I like them.
I must say that the more I use these Interactive paints the more I like them.
Thursday 15 December 2011
Work in progress
Just thought I would add this post, of my latest Work in Progress. It shows Bideford Bridge in North Devon.
There are buildings but because of the distance I won't detail them - after all you wouldn't see window frames or curtains at that distance!....so basically, the buildings are little spots of paint...how easy is that!
There are buildings but because of the distance I won't detail them - after all you wouldn't see window frames or curtains at that distance!....so basically, the buildings are little spots of paint...how easy is that!
Using Atelier Interactive Acrylics it measures 16" x 11"
As I say, it is a work in progress, think I'll leave this to dry so far
and take another look at it in a couple of days time with 'fresh eyes'
As I say, it is a work in progress, think I'll leave this to dry so far
and take another look at it in a couple of days time with 'fresh eyes'
Friday 9 December 2011
Guest on Dion Dior & More....
Wow!....An Interview
I have today been the Guest Artist on Dion Dior & More's Blog
THANK YOU SO MUCH DION - I'm what you might call Chuffed To Bits (that's very pleased in case you were wondering)!.....says I dancing a jig.
I have today been the Guest Artist on Dion Dior & More's Blog
THANK YOU SO MUCH DION - I'm what you might call Chuffed To Bits (that's very pleased in case you were wondering)!.....says I dancing a jig.
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At last the Sketchbook is complete
Croyde Bay
Putsborough Beach
and finally
All I need to do now is check it through, tidy up any bits and pieces I feel need it and
at last SEND IT OFF!
at last SEND IT OFF!
Saturday 3 December 2011
Radically different
I wasn't sure whether to put this painting on my blog, but I guess sometimes it is good to show something completely different....and this IS completely different. I painted it yesterday ready for an Exhibition with North Devon Arts at the Broomhill Art Hotel early next year (we can submit 2 pieces - I'm still contemplating what the second one will be). I did a smaller version of this back in the Summer for the Square Picture Show and as it was enjoyable to do, I thought I would give it a go but bigger! (Sorry about the shine from the camera flash)
Titled: On the Edge
Friday 2 December 2011
Painting with Oils
We have just returned from a trip to Bristol and Bath and it included a One day Workshop PAINTING...yay. Plus we got to stay in a lovely Hotel (which incidentally had a Big Fat Gypsy Wedding there at the same time)...they, of course, liked William the lurcher and who wouldn't, but they probably were very polite in not commenting that we had William in our room with us (I don't think gypsy dogs are allowed indoors - but I could be wrong there). Anyway, back to our trip.....and as always I sketched part of our room to start me off (somehow I don't feel I have arrived unless I get my sketchbook out)
I started by drawing the chair and then measured everything from that
and this one is of the building opposite

with a Christmas Market going on
The following day I got to do an Oil Painting Workshop. This was with
in the Bob Ross, Bill Alexander technique. I have taken a days workshop with Sharon before, and painted the classic mountain scene....a very clever method of showing you the techniques you can use for your own paintings. On this occasion I put in a particular request to be shown how to paint a rose (turns out I had chosen the A level subject...trust me!) and also an underwater scene of a dolphin. Sharon very kindly accommodated my request....so here's the rose

I started by drawing the chair and then measured everything from that
and this one is of the building opposite
We drove over to Bath one day for a sightseeing tour - obviously having lived near Bristol some years ago we knew our way around, but it was nice on this occasion to go over to Bath and do the tourist thing...plus I took some photos (some of which appear on William's blog).
The following day I got to do an Oil Painting Workshop. This was with
okay, I could have done with longer on this one, but I did learn the theory and with a very clever grid system which Sharon uses, I got the principles involved - I'll be working on a new version soon. I was glad to get the opportunity to do the underwater scene too

I can't wait to get started on a bigger version with more dolphins
Workshops are a great way to learn and test your own abilities, and find they stop me getting too 'comfy' and 'set in my ways' - something that can happen all too easily......so I really do say
Many thanks Sharon for all your help
I really enjoyed my day
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Barnstaple and the Sketchbook Project
As you will see I have travelled from South Molton up to Barnstaple in my little Sketchbook.
Barnstaple is the largest town in North Devon and used to be spelt
Barnstable - you'll note it is spelt with a p instead of a b these days -
although it is still pronounced with a b.
I still have a few pages to go and hope to get this little Sketchbook completed soon.
Wednesday 23 November 2011
A seaside shell in watercolour
Inspiration comes so simply sometimes. This one was of a lovely shell we found on Saunton Sands beach a few days ago. .. (also mentioned on Williams blog here).
Yellow Ochre - which I also spread around for eventual background
and whilst wet dropped in a little Burnt Umber on the parts I knew would eventually need more shading
when this had dried I then added more Burnt Umber with a little Raw Umber here and there -
this is where more detail is also brought in to show the patterns on the shell -
I also lifted a little colour on the top of the shell with just clear water and a tissue for the highlights
I started out with a very fine pencil outline, just a guide really. Then a simple wash of colour using
Yellow Ochre - which I also spread around for eventual background
and whilst wet dropped in a little Burnt Umber on the parts I knew would eventually need more shading
when this had dried I then added more Burnt Umber with a little Raw Umber here and there -
this is where more detail is also brought in to show the patterns on the shell -
I also lifted a little colour on the top of the shell with just clear water and a tissue for the highlights
and a mix of Ultramarine Blue with Burnt Sienna mixed together for the base shadow - using clear water to fade it out slightly. I then used a spattering technique for texture.....
and there you have it
A loose impressionist style Shell
Happy Painting everyone!
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Dartmoor view
Sometimes painting out of your comfort zone is good for you - I have been working on an acrylic landscape which, although not quite finished, I thought I would add to this blog. It has taken me away from my usual paintings - a change is as good as a rest as they say.
On this occasion I have used Atelier Interactive paints and a moody view of Dartmoor
On this occasion I have used Atelier Interactive paints and a moody view of Dartmoor
Well, I did warn you it was out of my comfort zone. I'll add a little bit more to it, possibly put some people walking. Overall, I am quite pleased with it and I do intend to use these Interactive paints again....one day!
Thursday 10 November 2011
Warwickshire
On our recent trip up to Warwickshire we stayed in the gorgeous Bosworth Hall Hotel
Set in 11 acres of parkland we got to see the glory of Autumn at its best
and discovered what looks like an Oak leaf (it has acorns afterall) but the leaves aren't your usual oak leaves...or at least not the ones I have ever seen before - so if anyone out there can assist with the identification I would love to know what it is called and where it originates....
as I said, the Hotel has extensive grounds which included a Swimming Pool and Spa area
I also got to have a day out at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. They were holding an Art Materials Live Show over 4 days. Wow....loads of art stuff and demos all under one roof, it was utter bliss....
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Playtime with paint
I have set some time aside just to 'play with paint' and for that I used a simple picture of berries, roughly based on this photo.
I started by doing a pencil outline and moved on to some other versions just to see how they developed.
Top left is obviously pencil and bottom left was Rotring Artpen with brown ink. Bottom right was an Edding55.
There you have it : Playtime with paint!
Parts of this I added extra paint to whilst the first layer was still wet, but I also waited for some to completely dry. Then went in with fresh colour - it certainly showed you can build up the layers easily that way.
I love wetting the paper and dropping paint in and watching to see what happens, so I've added a very short video
first I just put clear water on the paper
Hopefully you can see the wetted area - and I left a gap near the middle for the highlight
(please note this is the first time you will have actually seen me doing painting on video - don't get too excited now, it's really short)
When it dried this was the result
as I said, this was 'playtime with paint' and since it looked like an expression, I added some extras to it then submitted it to this month's
Challenge title : Imaginary Animals
'Don't get smart with me son!'
There you have it : Playtime with paint!
Sunday 6 November 2011
Bonfire night
the bonfire is lit first and burns quite a way down before the fireworks are lit
(Health and Safety look away now)
Friday 4 November 2011
This week's Challenges...
Using Gouche - my new pan set of Caran D'Ache
which activates quicker than watercolours and so far I
am quite pleased with them
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Not wishing to waste paper, I used the back of an old envelope for this
painting. It worked for the tone of the painting so really I was half
way there before I even began!
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Faringdon Countryside View
Faringdon Countryside View
This View is from my Travel Sketchbook and done 'en plein air' - Faringdon near Oxford which, apart from being a lovely city to visit, also has wonderful countryside surrounding it.
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Field Sketch - View
Reflection in the Sand - View
Taken from a photograph of William on the beach. The sand was still very wet and his reflection showed up like a mirror. As I like doing, I loaded my brush and did the whole picture with one load of paint but limited myself to doing it in one minute....
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Field Sketch - View
A local scene, captured before the lone tree loses its leaves this Autumn.
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Taken from a photograph of William on the beach. The sand was still very wet and his reflection showed up like a mirror. As I like doing, I loaded my brush and did the whole picture with one load of paint but limited myself to doing it in one minute....
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Sir Crow
Watercolour 8" x 7"
Sunday 30 October 2011
Berries and a Virginia Creeper
Following on from yesterday's post about our trip to the Isle of Wight a few weeks ago, I thought I would just drop in a couple of photographs I took on one of our walks there. At a distance, and how the light was shining, this tree looked like it had millions of tiny red lights on it
and I expect you have guessed
on closer inspection it was a Yew tree with berries
these berries are actually called 'aril's' and are wax like - almost looking artificial because they are so perfect.....but then nature can be perfect sometimes don't you think....
another plant I couldn't help but photograph was this Virginia Creeper, doing what its name implies and 'creeping' over a wall making a perfect design
It looks almost 'staged', which is why I had to take a photo!
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