Clouds

 Morning skies can vary so greatly can't they.  Last week the eastern sky was like this when I woke up

I joke not!   It really was this vibrant.

Obviously this came with the old saying

"Red sky in morning - Shepherds warning"

And it stood by it too - we had Storms - and I really mean STORMS!

However today, although cloudy, we are hopeful of a calm end to 2020

The sky to our west, over the Atlantic ocean, looked to be brewing something up, but they often clear away and there seems to be enough bits of blue to

"Make a sailor a pair of trousers"

The clouds looked a perfect reference material for future paintings, 

so I captured them to file for later use.

Our area has been stepped up to Tier 3 from midnight last night, but for us personally, nothing greatly changes.  We can still go for walks with plenty of space to stretch our legs - the main thing is everyone pulling together and try to get over this worldwide virus.  Slowly, gradually, we will all get clear of this.

Now lets tackle 2021 head-on

No matter the medium....

...there is something enjoyable about putting the first strokes of paint onto canvas and watching the scene appear.

Looking for inspiration

A recent walk along a local lane

and a little video - (well, it is just over 5 minutes actually)

 to find some art inspiration.

Added the video to my  Ann Hyde - Painting Diaries Youtube channel

Yes, I did find some art inspiration along the way.

So if you want to 

☞ click the link here

and walk along with me

~ there's no voiceover, just footsteps - this is simply a quiet walk in the countryside

and concludes with some Exmoor ponies ~

 

Okay, surely someone hasn’t thought this through....

 

Update on the Giveaway...

From my last blogpost, we now have a WINNER for the Giveaway 

Bizarrely enough Liz happens to live not that far from us.  No it wasn't a 'Fix', that's exactly why I use an independent Number Selecting Gadget app on my phone, the result is then out of my hands. 

Apparently Liz has since told me that she never wins anything, so this has made her day.  

That's a Win Win for me, as I have cheered up someone's day.

🎨 🎨 🎨

A painting Giveaway

 The thing with some of my Oil paintings, is they are small - approx 6.5 x 4.5 inches, or thereabouts.

Plus I do some paintings as experiments - to see how a much bigger painting will work...

 i.e. setting the landscape, deciding on colours, will it work Yes or No

And, with that I can get a definite feel for the artwork and generally know if it will be nice to get into a larger piece.  Recently for these little pieces of art, I do them on primed cardboard.  A good way to use up excess cardboard I find myself with, but also they are quick and easy to prime.  

On the other hand, I then end up with a few little artworks that will start filling up the studio and they might just as well be with someone who will love them.

So with that in mind, last month I did a Giveaway over on my Facebook  (it was very popular)

 - and the same is happening this month -

Quite easy to organise a Giveaway - I ask people to do a LIKE on that particular Facebook newsfeed post -

I then make a numbered list of all the names and then in a weeks time

- Wednesday 25th November at approx 6pm UK time -

I will use a number gadget I have on my iPhone, it will randomly pick a number

and that number with corresponding name will be the 

WINNER

The painting up for grabs this time round is:

(I'm sorry if anyone doesn't do Facebook and can't participate, 

but if I get enough feedback I may well do a Giveaway here on my blog in the future)

🖼🎨🖼🎨

On the beach

Amazing what can show up on the local beach - this week was no exception as this Buoy floated in

(that's the coast guard taking a look)

then the next day young Barney (the doggy day-care pup)

discovered it...he was so proud of himself

(he thought it was a laugh)

Then the following day a lorry went down onto the beach and collected it.

If we hear where this was from and what happens next,

I will add a blogpost, but otherwise it may well go down as

Yet Another 

Look What The Tide Brought In

🌊🌊🌊

 

Slideshow Oil paintings

From an app on my phone, so I hope the quality is sufficient...

(click the pic)

More experiments

 

The above painting is now on my Etsy shop - I wasn't expecting that.

The idea with the painting was to "try it out and see if it worked", but

decided it was such a pleasant scene that it could go straight onto my shop

↴ here's a close-up

The next two paintings are definitely experimental.
I've painted these on primed cardboard

Happy with how these turned out and am currently preparing a canvas

measuring approx. 24"x18"

May even combine some parts of both the above paintings into the new canvas painting -

at the moment it is all

an

Experiment but a fun process

🎨🎨🎨

Different styles and experiments

Trying out different styles and art techniques can be fun and also relaxing.  Before I start with a large painting though, and in this case very likely a canvas piece, I'm experimenting with views/colours/textures in oil-sketch-form,  mostly painted on cardboard as they are quick little sketches.  I cut some backing-board to approx. 6" x 4" and triple prime the painting surface.   Perfect size for these little experiments.

This one is dry and I think it could make a good large canvas - what say you.

Of course, a large painting based on this, won't be 'exactly' the same - 

every painting is slightly different when it comes to the final artwork, 

but I'm sure you get the idea.

And talking of ideas...

I'm going to do a Giveaway with this little painting sketch.  As rough and ready as it is, I reckon someone may like it - So if you go over to my Facebook newsfeed, the details will be there.

www.facebook.com/sketching.william

(Yes before you say it, when I originally set up my Facebook newsfeed,

I called it sketching.william, even though you can find me as Ann Hyde)

 

Rain stopped play as they say....

This could have been my last painting session this year at Arlington Court.  The weather has definitely taken a turn towards Winter.   At least I got over there for some plein air painting, for what was a very short season.  Here's a clip of my set-up and the beginnings of a painting, before the rain - (I didn't record my frantic attempts to pack up my art supplies, by then I was soaked)!!!

(click the pic)

I'm still working on this painting

 and will add it here when completed.

Part 2 - painting plein air

 Finally  - a sunny day meant I could return to Arlington Court and 

complete the painting started the other week (see previous blogpost)

(click the image below for video)

For this session of painting plein air, I'm calling the painting Done,

although there will be one or two 'tweaks' to be added in the studio.

~ Hope you liked seeing this ~

 

 

 

"There's a plane on the beach"

Yes, those were my words as we drove along and I spotted the plane on the beach.  Hubby didn't believe me til we stopped and he saw it for himself.   We had just been for a walk and were heading back above the dunes, so we had a great view across the beach.  Long story short, we stopped up there and hubby walked down to take photos and video.    At the present time, we still have no idea why the plane had landed, but at least it took off and went skyward safely.  (How it managed to land without incident is amazing - there were quite a few people walking the beach at the time).    It has to be said, that we are not used to having random planes land there, so it must have been some sort of emergency, that thankfully got sorted.  

One of my facebook followers suggested that perhaps it was a William fan stopping to see him....Oh why would that not surprise us 🤣

anyway...enough waffle from me....here's some pics:

If you click the picture below, it will take you to the video: 

🛩 🛩 🛩

Clean up time....

The palette I use for Oil painting is excellent, but not intended originally as a palette at all.

It is in fact an Ikea glass shelf with a grey toned back.  This works perfectly for mixing paint, as it gives a mid-tone and allows me to choose how the mixing goes, either darker or lighter.  

The best part, is the clean up of this palette.  I can leave Oil paint on there for days/weeks and when it comes to cleaning, scrape some with a wide-scraper, or use some methylated spirit which successfully dissolves the oil paint.

As you see, this time I had a Very Messy Palette!

If you click on the photo, you'll see my Clean Up with a difference.

Well, you just knew I couldn't keep away from a good view...

'Twas a lovely spot today for some plein air painting. Set up my easel again at Arlington Court National Trust - Amazing how the sun and shadows can make the same scene look so different from one day to the next. The shadows changed as I worked and feel I could do with a row of small canvas boards to capture how it changes during the day.

I now have to wait for this layer of paint to dry and will be back another day to add more to it and hopefully complete this one.

Lots of visitors stopped for a chat, that really made my day.

close-up

Equine art

A friend who recently visited and saw some of my paintings, made the random comment that I don’t seem to paint horses.    She was partially right.  Recently I have been working on seascapes, interior scenes and landscapes.  I do paint animals from cats, dogs etc, but her comment stuck with me and I decided to paint one of her horses -  add the image to social media - not tell her so it would be a surprise, and wait to see if she recognised her horse.   As yet I haven’t heard from her, so either she is yet to see it or it doesn’t look like her horse!  

Oil on canvas board

8x10

( * watermark does not appear on painting)

Peinture terminée - in other words Painting completed

You may recall I set out the design of this little 8x10 on art board, that was

after doing sketches from watching The Chateau Diaries on Youtube

Not an easy task, it took some time to get the scene together

but finally I've  now completed it using Oil paints

click on the above image to see a short clip of this on the easel

If you want to see more about the chateau then check out Youtube:

The Chateau Diaries

A bit of a storm...or two

Storm Ellen has visited and caused havoc -

at any rate it has on the beach at Woolacombe

There stood a row of some 70 beach huts - known as the 'painted ladies' due to the fact they are all given ladies names

Then on Thursday 20th August 2020 the storm came in with high tides and Very Strong winds, 

which meant that some of the beach huts took a dip!

We got some photos on Thursday evening

People who had hired a beach hut were desperately trying to retrieve their belongings, but not all managed the task and their belongings were lost (hopefully they didn't leave anything too expensive in the huts)  - here's a link about the hire of beach huts, although I wouldn't advise trying to book anything at the moment!!!  

here's a couple of clips, one from Thursday night - 26 seconds of a floating beach hut -
just click the picture to view

and then Friday morning -
again click the picture to view

During the afternoon diggers arrived on the beach to add huge sandbags 

around the base of the Life Guards Hut

click the picture to view -  debris and sunset

click HERE....for 8 seconds of digger and sandbags

 ~ Have a great weekend all ~

Painting a kitchen...

No, not literally, but an Oil painting on art panel.

Going to start this one today. I've set out the 'drawing' - hope you can see what it hopefully will be, a kitchen interior - if you click on the image the small in-sets may show up better...

Inspired

No guesses as to the inspiration for this weeks painting - you only have to look at the current Header

- but for those who miss this blogpost and read it in the future when the Header has changed...here's the inspiration

Oil on canvas board

16" x 12" 

I titled it "Further To Fly" because it felt like you could take off and keep going.

A sunny day for painting

Yesterday was a perfect Summer day for plein air painting.  Taking the opportunity, since the forecasters reckon it will rain later this week, I decided to go back to Arlington Court.   I love my Volunteering, what a great way of being there for visitors, we chat, laugh and I get the chance to inform them about Arlington. It's a Win Win for everyone.  Plus the painting went well (between talking) and I still have it In-progress for the next visit.   Fingers crossed the weather will be good on that occasion, I need the light right.

If you click the picture above, there's a short video clip 🎥 ⤴︎

Plein Air at Arlington

It's so nice to be back at Arlington Court doing some plein air painting.

There aren't as many visitors at the moment (the beer virus has changed a lot of things!)

Plus I'm corralled with my own invention of posts/tape to keep the social distancing issue clearly defined - I feel a bit like a zoo exhibit (shush now)

This painting is still a work-in-progress

and if you click the pic ↑ I've done a short video-clip  🎥

- heck you even get to see me briefly -

A walk on Holdstone Down

We had intended to drive down to Hunter's Inn the other day, 

but when we got as far as Trentishoe

we were faced with 

a sign to say Road Closed

Thinking 'outside the box' we turned at the junction on the left and followed the road up there, intending to outwit the system and turn right at the top of the hill, then make our way back down to Hunter's Inn.....but no, there was Another sign to say Road Closed.  Seemed like they didn't want anyone visiting Hunter's Inn, so we opted to stop at

Holdstone Down instead.

Nobody else about when we arrived, and being able to park easily in this pull-in and walk up the hill to the Triangulation Station at the top - well worth the walk for the view

and William had a good time too.

I took a short video of the 360° view
~ click the picture below to see ~