Venturing further afield

There's inspiration around us here in Devon, but it is nice to visit other places.  Seeing what goes on elsewhere and even a couple of counties away, there are new painting ideas and scenes to capture.

No doubt one or two of you may have seen via my Instagram and other social medias, we were in Hampshire and Dorset (the counties border one another and on any one outing, it is easy to slip into the next county when travelling about). 

This blogpost covers several outings on different days, but to start with, our accommodation was a wonderful caravan, all fully equipped and soooo very nice, balcony as well.  It worked perfectly for us, lucky to have booked this.......here's a little look at our 'home' for the week  (click the image)

_ note:  can I say at this point that, the LINKS from my youtube, Do seem to add RANDOM follow ups.....nothing to do with me...so please keep this in mind -

Our base for the week was Poole in Dorset - and once settled in,  I got to do some early morning en plein air painting 

click the image below for a short Time-lapse ⤵︎

Staying at Rockley Park in Poole (we've been there before some years ago) and it didn't disappoint. 

The south coast (particularly the English channel) have a lot of boats of all shapes and sizes.  We don't tend to see so much shipping activity in North Devon.  However, saying that, with the obvious tide out (see below pic) there was little going on....until a jet ski came along.  Of course, I had to video it  : click the pic ⤵︎

 

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Another trip out was to Hengistbury Head.  Down at the Head beach, are loads of little beach huts,  affording spectacular prices too - I can't quite comprehend the reasoning to spending vast amounts of money for a wooden shed on sand, that can be blown away in a storm or even end up with the sand getting washed away!,  but heyho everyone to their own.  

Makes for a good visit, we had my bike in the car so I rode down 

google map

My trusty sketchbook was employed, of course!

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Another day - another walk....

 down from our accommodation to the waterside and the view overlooking  Poole Harbour -

The chance to get the above photos for future painting reference.  I had an assistant photographer to help out where I couldn't clamber down in my sandals....(you'll spot hubby getting some pics near the pond which was on our way down to the following views)

click the image ⤵︎

So pleased with photos hubby got ...

 ~ More than a few paintings within these photos I'm sure ~

 ~ When we reached the sea, there were even more photos and possible paintings ~

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On our travels I like keeping my sketchbook with me.  Even when you come across a random shepherd's hut - makes for a few minutes quick sketching

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Finally, a quiet saunter around Poole Park - proved to be surprisingly nice - 

 - even the wildlife were relaxed -

click the image below

⤵︎

PLUS, I was even able to walk on water!

Yes you heard correctly

 ~ proof of this, click the image below ⤵︎

Then it was holiday over and heading back to Devon.

Holidays are always nice to take, 

but there is nothing like getting home.

🏡

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.

Vignette time

 

Decided that on this occasion it would be useful to paint a small study - this will inform a future larger painting.

I've added a short vblog to my youtube channel too...

https://youtu.be/GMQtQMhbWKw

(or click this image)

Silly season weather

Can't seem to plan anything due to the weather changing, especially for plein air painting.  I try to set a particular day in the week for Arlington Court painting, but then the weather has other ideas.  Even when I look at the weather forecast it all goes off kilter!  ☔️

Hence the other day I grabbed a sunny-ish day at last, whoop whoop 🌤

The advantage to painting, is you can move things about from the actual scene.  When trees are in the wrong place, I move them in the painting.  Not too much though, I still want the scene to be as realistic to life as possible.

I was going to take my other easel (the one in the photo above is a pochade box on a tripod) - my french easel would have been fine but I'm finding it way too heavy and cumbersome - some things are better used in the studio.    I had hoped to video using my iPhone, which meant needing the tripod (dilemma time!).  Semi-resolved as I held the camera briefly for a very short clip of painting, but later turned to Amazon for a cheap tripod just for the iPhone in the future.  At least that should work much better and I'll be able to take you all along on my plein air painting days via my Youtube channel.

Meanwhile, click this image for the little clip I did manage to get...

And I'm back at Arlington Court - what a surprise!

 

The weather for my plein air painting session last week was, can I say, a bit "Iffy"   - there is no doubt, look at those clouds!   But I kept going.  I had a Plan though and was prepared to pack-up all the painting gear and head off.  However, the clouds moved away.  Replaced with others, but at least it didn't cause "Rain Stopped Painting", as opposed to 'rain stopped play' 🏏

I had set-up my easel further away from the pathways on this occasion.  Not to avoid people, but to get the angle I needed of the House.  Even so, a lot of people came over and chatted.  I hadn't noticed at the time,  a lady sat on a nearby seat who was sketching and eventually came over to chat with me.   I quite envied her simple approach to just sitting quietly and sketching on her own......although it turned out she was 'entertained' by listening to me chatting with the various visitors who stopped by.  Her comment was a surprise to me, as she thought I was so patient with people interrupting me when I was busy painting.  How kind of her to say - then she saw my Notice inviting people to stop and chat.  I pointed out that people hadn't even seen the Notice, and she was even more impressed that I was so patient with the visitors.   Wow!...this simple little fact really cheered me.

If you click the image above, hopefully the short video will play.

A sunny painting day

I've missed a few painting sessions at Arlington Court recently, one main reason was due to the weather...somehow I couldn't see myself trying to hold down the easel in a ferocious gale.  

So, finally I was very pleased to get back there yesterday.  If you click the final image there's a little screenshot video....enjoy!

~ Thought the painting was beginning to blend with the background ~

~ click ⤵︎ ~

My Youtube channel:   Ann Hyde - Painting Diaries

Plein air again

Another visit to Arlington Court - oh so lucky with the weather (it has since been raining non-stop)

Turned out to be a very good day weatherwise.   I did have a major rethink on the painting - the right hand side in fact, but heyho this is how the painting process goes sometimes.  It's quite nice to change something when not sure about it. 

 

Below is where I'm in the process of changing it...taken out a large tree 

For now the painting will have to dry.

This is why Oil paintings take time

1. If you happen the change something

and

2. Waiting for paint to dry

Plein air painting

I missed plein air painting last week at Arlington Court - for one thing the weather took a definite turn for the worst.  Those in the UK will completely know what I am on about - but those who don't, I will say that after weeks and weeks of lovely sunny weather, it all came back to bite us.  (I knew it would and why not, nature has her own agenda and the balance has to be completed.  The fields were looking so dry, and as for  the gardens, they needed a watering) --- Quite why we need the HIGH WINDS TOO, is beyond me but heyho it is what it is.....meanwhile I am .... 

It's good to be back at Arlington

With Easter over now and the weather so good (in other words it has warmed up, I am not a fan of painting whilst freezing cold!) and so I have been plein air painting again at Arlington Court National Trust after what feels like months and months.  It is so good to be back there.  Can't believe how lucky we are with this weather at the moment, and making the most of it.  I guess we will pay the price with a deluge of rain at some point, nature has her ways, but meanwhile I've been painting in the open air, how wonderful again at last.

This first week back has really been about getting in a couple of warm-up sessions, to get back into it.  Even so, I have managed to do 6 hours.  Admittedly that was not painting the entire time, I stop to chat with visitors and hope they enjoyed seeing my paintings.

Now back in the studio, the paintings will dry and hopefully be ready for my visit next week.

This Oil on canvas is looking across at the house....a given subject as the canvas is happens to be 8x16 ins.

click the image below....

  I saved this clip onto my Youtube channel, hopefully it makes a good place to save videos)