A new seascape…..

 …. in the making.  This is the first of paint on canvas, setting the scene with more work when this layer has dried.

In the meanwhile, I’m doing some art tuition with two very keen students who keep wanting me to continue with their lessons.  I must be doing something right.

Back soon with an update on the above painting.

When I change what I started

It must have been some 6 weeks ago that I started a fresh oil painting.  In my mind the subject was fields and distant trees, even a few buildings way off in the far distance.   Being oil paint, I decided on this occasion to let this layer dry, but when I came back to work on it, that feeling of the place I had started, had gone!  So the canvas sat on a shelf waiting.  Then the inspiration hit me. 

Watermouth Harbour

The completed painting, which I did a video of and added to my youtube is  here

In the video you’ll see the first background before I change the scene.

Busy bees

We’ve been busy over the last weeks and months.  And I’ve been painting in between times too.

So, if you haven’t been following on Youtube… ⤵️

Then go to my channel and have a look.  Youtube @annhydeArtist

More updates coming soon.

The break is over

After the Winter break from Lynmouth, I am back there this week.  It makes sense to have a rest from it over winter time.  There are fewer visitors for one thing, but also the weather plays a part.  Lynmouth is in a gorge, definitely a no go for driving if it happens to be icy.

This week there were lots of visitors, it’s half term here, so it was manic with parents and children.  Even so, a lot of people stopped to chat to me.  Some just pass the time of day and others ask about my paintings.  They also ask about techniques.  Think in all, I seem to do what could be described as a Walk In Tutorial, they go away happy with some painting insights they weren’t aware of, hopefully encouraged to pick up a sketchbook and pen, then do a 10 minute sketch each day. Meanwhile during the day I continue with the painting on the easel.  

Back in the studio, I have several paintings that are considered a Work-in-Progress, a bit frustrating having to wait for them to dry.  Worth the wait though.  When I look at them after a few weeks, I can see where I need to work on them.  Another method I use is to store them for drying upside down. That way, if I happen to glance at them, I’m not getting used to constantly seeing the scene I’ve painted.  When I get around to them again, I turn them back the right way up and That’s when I see them A Fresh.

This is now waiting to dry and I’ll get back to it in a few weeks …Click the image for the video

Title:  “Seeing is Believing on Exmoor”

Sailor Fude and the Lumos pens

As per my previous post, I’m now doing a blogpost showing something about the pens.  Obviously the previous post shows what they can do drawing wise, so I won’t repeat that.  This post is about the workings of the pens, how they are put together and my opinion of them.

Firstly the Sailor Fude seen on the left in the image below with the Lumos next to it … as you see both pens are the same length, I haven’t measured them, they’re pen length!

The main, and striking feature of the Fude is the turned up nib.  It looks almost broken and potentially impossible to write/draw with.   Nothing could be further from the truth.  The key to results, certainly from a drawing aspect, is the pressure applied to outlines.  It will write/draw like any conventional pen when pressure is normal, but if you need a stronger/thicker outline, then just apply a little more pressure and it will give you a thicker line.  

Not only does it allow this, but also gives you fine lines.  This is where the turned up nib comes into its own.

Simply turn the pen over, so the nib is facing down and start to write/draw with it, you will get those fine lines.

The thicker lines are seen in the drawing below…

What ink?

I use cartridge ink.  Back in the day when I had my long lost Fude they had a shorter barrel, so you can imagine how pleased I was to find that the longer barrel allows room for a spare cartridge to be stored.  What a great idea.

Now for the Lumos, which came from Tom’s Studio : 

Link here

The nib I have been using so far is the smallest one, the 0.1.  The pen came with a set of eleven nibs of varying styles and sizes.  These can be changed easily.

I have the Lumos Pro, which turns into two pens by separating the barrel half way down,  you can then add another nib, so basically you have two pens in one.  Take a look at the link where all the pens are explained, including the Lumos.

Ink and filling the pen:

This is where the Lumos is different.  There’s a reservoir that when attached to the nib is filled using capillary action.  Take a look at the link above, or via Youtube Here

I keep these pens, plus water brushes in a simple box for studio work and on-the-go sketching.

Tom’s Studio do a pen called the Wren, which looks very similar to the Lumos, all explained on their website, I might try the Wren one of these days.

~ Hope you found this blogpost interesting ~

                                                                ann :)

Sketches

I was lucky at Christmas and got two new pens.  The Lumos Pro and a Sailor Fude.

The Lumos is from a Dorset firm, www.tomsstudio.com  -  the pen has interchangeable nibs and is filled with ink using capillary action.  The reservoir can be washed out with water and refilled using another ink, very handy.

The Sailor Fude is one I’ve used over the years and needed a new one.  The design has improved too, with a longer barrel, that allows for a spare cartridge to be stored, what a great idea.  With its unusual nib, it makes very useful mark making and like the Lumos is good for sketching, which is exactly what I’ve been doing.  

So far I’ve done a couple of sketches and will get round to more next week.  

Finally finished

It has been a while, a month in fact, but then we have had Christmas and New Year in between…

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL

The donkey painting has dried enough for me to add more detail and tweaks, so here it is via my Youtube.

Click the image below - hope you enjoy seeing it.

Not quite there yet…

Another work-in-progress today.  I seem to have a lot of those, but there really isn’t any way of getting round the process with oil paints, and the paintings I need to keep on the go.

Giving this painting some drying time now, then I can do more to it.  Strangely, paint not only dries but also settles into place (well, in my head it does)…. I think it’s just that I need to step away from it for a while.  When I look at it again after a break, I see what needs doing.

DONKEYS looking at us over the fence…

Click on the image below for the Youtube video…..

~ Hope you enjoyed seeing this part ~ 

It didn’t record!

Whoops….I thought I was all set to record this painting from the beginning, but turned out it didn’t happen…...grrrr.  Never mind, these things happen.   So you join this on the second part of the painting process.

I’ll need to paint the sides of the canvas, but will have to wait until the painting dries a bit, then I can handle it from the easel.

Anyway, here’s “Stag on the Moor”  Oil on canvas measuring 8”x10” inches.   Click the image……

Blow The Cobwebs Away

That’s what this seascape felt like, so hence the title.  It’s nice to come up with a title whilst painting, but was exactly how it felt.  I couldn’t paint the wind blowing but I could show the waves crashing…. 

Click the image for the video…it is in timelapse 

~ Hope you enjoy seeing the process ~

Out of the comfort zone

You get into a set way of painting, generally, and there’s no reason why not.  Artists keep to their own style and don’t deviate.  Their work is recognisable because of that.  But sometimes it is good to do a different style, if only to see if you prefer it, or perhaps to use a snippet of the other style in your own work.

This is where I found myself the other day.  Painting in a very different style, more towards abstract-meets-contemporary (ish).

Heather on the hills of exmoor using mainly a palette knife plus lots of thick textured paint.

Click on the image to see a 6min+ video.

Hope you enjoy.

Textured and drying times

A question I often get asked when I’m plein air painting is….”How long did that take you”?   

I have always tried to answer this accurately, but to be honest it is really difficult to say a time.  For one thing, the painting often has to be set aside to dry.  That can take up to 2 weeks in the Summer.  The atmosphere is dryer and warmer, hence the oil paint dries quickly.  However, the Autumn and Winter are very different.  I could be looking at 6 to 8 weeks for a textured painting to dry.  

When I have a textured piece, it is better to complete it in one session.  That isn’t always possible though. As with this painting.  It ‘might’ be finished as you see it, but until it is dry and I look at it again, I won’t know.

This gets me back to the question…”How long did that take you”?   If I included the drying time, a painting could end up taking 3 to 6 months.  

I used mostly palette knives for this painting and the actual painting time was 2 to 3 hours.  There was a lot of colour mixing involved.

New video

Well, to be honest I have several new videos on Youtube, however, this is currently the very newest one.

Painted at the Exmoor National Park Centre in Lynmouth from photo reference - obviously I couldn’t angle my easel sufficiently to see this particular view, but I don’t think that matters.   In an ideal world, I much prefer to paint plein air but as needs must we get on with it.

So here you have it, just click the image ….

Still adding paint to canvas

Well, I haven’t progressed with the painting from my previous post, I’m waiting for the paint to cure a bit more, no point in rushing it.  So, this means only one thing, and that’s start a new painting.  Some of you will already have seen what that is, via the usual social media culprits, Instagram - Facebook - Tiktok, so lucky I have this blog to add it for those who haven’t already been bombarded with it ;)

Not sure what makes my decision of painting a landscape or seascape, or any other subject for that matter.  This time it was a landscape across Exmoor.  As I’m usually over at Lynmouth painting once a week, the landscapes of Exmoor pull me in and I can’t help myself.

This is still a work-in-progress as this paint has to dry, but mainly I’m there with it.  At this stage I’m thinking that when it is dry, I’ll add a pale blue glaze over the distant hills, that will send them back further into the distance.  

There’s a little story with this one.  I started painting it over at Lynmouth in the Exmoor National Park Centre, where I set up my easel.  I had debated painting this view or Watersmeet (a wooded valley with river), but settled on this one.  A lot of people stop to chat and there was this one couple who said they used to live up on Exmoor, not only that, but they said this was their view every day!  How amazing is it that I am actually painting that particular view.

If you click on the painting it will take you to the video.  I suggest you make a cup of tea or coffee and settle back, it’s a little longer than my usual attempts at filming.

Seascape oil painting - part 1

Another painting started at the Exmoor National Park Centre in Lynmouth.  It's always a bit daunting starting a painting from scratch - the blank canvas staring back at me - will it work or be a disaster!

Screenshot below from the video I took of the painting process...

so click the image and it will take you to the Timelapse clip - 9.15 minutes if you haven't already guessed!

This isn't a completed painting, only Part 1 - of how many I don't know at the moment.  Sometimes I just have to let the painting decide, or until I'm happy with it  ;)

It was a nice day over in Lynmouth with a few people stopping to have a chat.  I set up my easel near the cafe and some people say they watch from within the cafe while they're having a snack and drink.  So they get free entertainment at the same time, lol.

When this oil paint has dried, I'll look at it again and decide where I go from there - and yes, I'll be updating here.

Look-a-Likes

They aren’t related but the new pup is like a mini version of Dottie, and they adore one another.  

Thanks to our daughter for these photos of her two …Dottie and Gertie

Totally bonkers!

 

Daughter was slow in moving his fence so he could chomp on some longer grass!   He looks so wild, but take a look at the final picture, he’s got the most gentle eye, no wildness at all.  

Here’s a random little post to be going on with…..

Our daughter posted this on her facebook page…her caption was

HE ALWAYS LAUGHS AT MY JOKES

On a walk, look what I saw

 

This time of year nature is certainly springing up surprises

Like these daisies in their glory

But they just don’t seem to last long enough

Atleast the photo will remind us.

 - Have a good week all -

In the pink

 …..or rather On the pink.

For no particular reason, more a case of how I felt at the time, I chose to do a magenta ground for this canvas.  The idea is that when the overall painting is completed (eventually) there will be very subtle flecks of pink showing, which in turn give a warmth to the artwork.  This can also be achieved using other colours as a ground.

I thought this row of cottages made a good composition and something relaxing to paint - leave to dry in part - then continue when I feel ready.  It’s the cottages on Turkey Island at Porlock Weir, Exmoor.

If you click on the image above ⤴️  there’s a short clip from my Youtube channel.