That warm feeling

 ...that's how this painting makes me feel.  Now we are heading out of Winter and into Spring, those chilly - freezing - bitter cold (you get the idea) days are receding,  some of my paintings have been on what I call "catch-up".  Having started them back in those 'chilly - freezing - bitter cold days'  and waiting for the inevitable Paint To Dry phase, I have now completed this 8x10 canvas panel.  

Something very nice about completing a painting after the long wait for paint to dry, but this painting certainly takes me back. When the fire was lit, those shorter days seem to be a memory now.

Another one going overseas

New Listings on Etsy

Keeping busy in the studio with new paintings, one currently on the easel and in progress,  but others that have dried over a few weeks/months are now Listed in my Etsy shop.

All the above are Oil paintings, where I used archival quality paints.  They are lovely to work with and so smooth to apply to canvas or art panel - no wonder I keep painting so much.

Here's a link to my Etsy shop, 

but there's also a link in the right-hand sidebar

 ~ Have a great weekend all and stay safe ~

It's beginning to feel a lot like........Groundhog Day!

Wednesday already, where has the week gone.  At least I can add another new painting to my Etsy shop (link or click my shop icon in the right-hand sidebar).

Title:  Time For Tea

Oil on canvas 12" x 12" (30x30cm)

Yes, you have seen this painting on my blog before.  But now it is completely dry and ready for somebody to have in their home

About the view:  This is The Tearoom at Clovelly in Devon

(here's a link about the village and its history)

Here's a short video clip of the painting on the wall

just highlight the link then 'Go To Address' :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GQHacrtUYyoSa4V7P6frkR-FUpVTj4iq/view?usp=sharing

Time-lapse

My blogpost "Time-lapse painting 7th April"  - I was intending to add the Time-lapse of this painting, but got sidetracked and forgot.... Vimeo had been playing up, so I finally decided to use another way to show it.

After much ado, hopefully it's finally here - so just click the picture to view - it is almost 5 minutes long, so make a cuppa and put your feet up...

Callum Wylie Foundation

To put you in the know, before I add links.  We've a lovely friend in a local town whom I've known for many years. Although we haven't been in touch of recent years, you know how it is - busy lives - but last year we received an invitation to a fundraising event at her home.  Fundraising for a Foundation in the name of her late grandson.  This did come as a shock,  nobody should be faced with that kind of loss.  Of course, we accepted the invite and met a number of people connected with the family and their Foundation.   The event was a success raising funds, which was great to know.

It was some time later that I took a closer look at their facebook page : Callum Wylie Foundation

I guess, being an artist and seeing the wonderful photos on facebook of Callum enjoying the sports he loved, I felt compelled to do a painting.  Really, I only intended to do one.  If it turned out okay, I would offer it to Callum's parents for them to either keep or to sell towards the Foundation.    In the end, I painted 4, various sizes and scenes.   At that time, I contacted Callum's parents to let them know, but didn't add photos of the paintings since I wanted the paint to dry and would look objectively at the artworks later.   As it happens, they have dried well and I am very happy with how they look. Obviously, now I could show Callum's parents the paintings, albeit online, and they are very pleased with them, mentioning the art on their facebook and the Foundation's Instagram accounts.  How nice of them to do that, even though they will have to wait for the paintings until after this Lockdown Virus issue!   I'll add links and relevant text/photos etc for you to browse ....

from their facebook page, showing the original reference photos...

Facebook : Callum Wylie Foundation

Instagram: Callum Wylie Foundation

🖌 🖌 🖌 🖌 🖌

Think I got into seascapes don't you...

Having painted "Magic Carpet" (see my previous blogpost)

it got me into doing another Seascape

This painting was from one of my reference photographs.  We'd taken a walk along the coastal path locally, and at the end of the day as the sun was setting, I took a photo.  Not realising it would be inspiration for a future painting, just a photo of the moment.  So glad I stopped and bothered to take in this view - which has become a 10" x 8" Oil painting on canvas panel

Title:  ONE OF THESE DAYS

Magic Carpet

After some tweaking, leaving, tweaking again and

finally deciding this is it,  COMPLETED PAINTING

I have painted this scene before in Gouache, last year in fact, after a trip down to Lizard Point in Cornwall.  The light was so perfect and having looked through my photo references, decided it was an Oil painting this time, which I've given an unusual title (*footnote will explain why I chose the name for this piece)

Photos are a great memory of places visited, but somehow a painting puts me right back there.

Title:  MAGIC CARPET

size 8" x 8" (20 x 20cm)

*footnote: 

 click here ⬅️

Wildly different...

....must be the 'lockdown' that's made me deviate from my usual style

Oil on canvas 

Title:  WILD AND FREE

Size: 16" x 16"  (40 x 40cm)

When all is over with the virus and the lockdown...

.....I expect there will be a surge of people heading for the countryside and seaside

Oil on art panel - 8" x 8" (20 x 20cm)

Here's a slightly different style on my easel today

I felt like letting loose and instead of going for a more detailed painting,

I decided to make this one very impressionistic (that was a long word this early in the morning!)

Trying to convey movement is obviously a challenge in any painting, after all it is a static object.

still on the easel - Oil on panel

Title:  FREE REIN

4" x 6" (10 x 15cm)

Having got into the miniature oil painting yesterday....

I found a subject dear to my heart

and HAD to give this one a go

Oil on art panel

3½" x 3½"  (8.89 x 8.89cm)

  "HIGH JINKS"

This has to be one of the smallest Oil paintings I've done...

Based on a watercolour painting by my art friend John Hoar.
His artwork is stunning, he certainly is a master when it comes to watercolour paintings.  Do take a look at his website, here.

So why would I even contemplate trying an Oil painting from a Watercolour, especially as watercolours have their own unique qualities.   The Challenge of it, I think that's why.
Obviously Oil paint will never be transparent, but in itself I felt I could convey
something that would speak for itself in oil.  

1. Vibrant colours

2. Make an emphasis on tones

3. Miniature painting - that alone is a challenge because of getting the detail in so small

Really pleased I gave this one my time, as I feel it works in its own way.

TITLE:  SWEET CONFINEMENT

measuring a mere: 3½" x 3½"  (8.89 x 8.89cm)

here's a short clip of my process, although I have to apologise for the shakiness, 

trying to video and paint at the same time is quite tricky!

 What do you think? 

On the easel...

just need some "thinking" time with this one,

but reckon it's pretty much there.

If nothing else I've got a title...

  "THINKING TIME"

Oil on canvas

8" x 8" (20 x 20cm)

Update...
Gave this some thought over an hour or so - one or two tweaks
and

this is completed

Currently this one is on the easel,

but I reckon it's done

(from photo reference : thanks Lil @EMHydePhotography)

"SCOT FREE"

8" x 8"  (20 x 20cm)

on canvas

Oil painting - think I'll call this one done

Easy to fiddle

keep tweaking

changing

looking at

again and again

So this one I am calling DONE

"THE WRITER'S DESK"

Oil on canvas

16" x 16" (40 x 40cm)

Based on Max Gate Dorchester

where Thomas Hardy had lived

read about it HERE 

Small Oil painting

Wednesday 

What's on the easel

Title:

"AN OPEN DOOR"

Oil on canvas 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm)

this painting started with a magenta background:

 ~ Loved painting this ~

On the easel

This Oil painting is still on the easel

Based on a room at Arlington Court, 
I've used artistic license a bit, that's the fun part of painting.

Small Oil painting

Small 6”x4”inches  Oil painting on art panel.  Gave me the chance to work through the layout and overall appearance before I tackle a large canvas.

This was painted a few days back, so decided it was time to tackle a bigger version

approx. 4ft x 3.5ft.

Of course changes are inevitable and the large canvas enables me to

add more detail and texture

Title: EVERYDAY A SUNDAY

Now this can wait on the easel until it is touch dry.

🎨 🎨 🎨

A look at Leading Lines

Leading Lines are important in a painting, although they may not be obvious. They tell the viewer where the focal point is and draw the viewers eye around the painting.  Not a new invention, the old masters used leading lines in their works and we still do today.

Here's my reference photo taken on a recent holiday in Cornwall

Veryan Beach

I do a quick sketch to get an idea of layout

in the next image I've added notes to show where the leading lines are

- also you will see a barely perceptible grid of thirds,

that's why I made a note about moving the building over to it

                                      ⤵︎

This was enough information for me to set out the drawing onto a

6" x 4" board for this oil painting

(small and quite fiddly to paint in detail, but nonetheless I enjoyed this little piece)