The Thelwell exhibition

On a recent trip down to Hampshire, we were fortunate to have visited again Mottisfont (National Trust) near Romsey.   They happened to have a Norman Thelwell Exhibition on at the time, so you can guess where I headed straight for.

Here's a catch up for those who haven't heard of Norman Thelwell, so you are literally 'in the picture'.

information thanks to Wikipedia (click this link)

caption on this next image reads:   "It's another of those threatening letters"..... brilliant!

As you will have seen from the above pictures, Thelwell wasn't only an illustrator/cartoonist, he was a full blown Artist too.

I took a rather shaky iPhone video at the exhibition, showing snapshots of paintings - so click 

HERE for that.

Painting from a photo

Every so often I see a photograph that I really feel I need to paint.  Sometimes in watercolour, sometimes in Oil.  On this occasion Oil's were the choice and I'm so glad I decided, both to paint it and also use oils.

If I'm painting from a photograph I always ask the photographer's permission, but there are the odd occasions when I go ahead without asking first - why?   Because, even before I start the painting, I know that if it turns out as I hope, then that painting will be 'given' to the person concerned as a surprise.  (It wouldn't be a surprise if they already knew would it).  And a surprise it was, as my local friend very promptly messaged me when I added it as a post to Facebook - this is when I knew I had got the painting right.

I titled this one "A World of his Own" and the canvas measures 9 x 7inch.

and the painting is now in it's new home.

https://youtu.be/PQSnaciBArc

Small oil painting on panel, 4x6 inches. When the paint has dried, I’ll do any adjustments needed. These small artworks prove useful as testers for larger paintings, which this will be one day….>>>

https://youtu.be/oIexvuAeEC0

Update: and after a day or so when this paint had dried, I went back again to work over it and add further details.

* please note that I had closed a blind to stop too much sunlight coming into the room.  Unfortunately, it picked up a yellow hue (which I wasn't aware of when painting), but hopefully you will enjoy seeing the painting anyway, so click the image below ⤵️

 

Picture to Painting

Looking through some boxes recently, I came across this photo.  It was taken at least 10 years ago and for some reason I had kept it.  I think the ‘me’ back then was thinking it could make a painting.  And the ‘me’ now agrees.  It’s the clouds that win me over, even with the landscape, which is stunning.  Reckon this will definitely be in line as an Oil painting.  I currently have a painting on the easel, but as soon as that one is done, this is going to be the next.

And if you wonder where this photo was taken,  it’s on the outskirts of Salisbury in Wiltshire.