Part 2 video on my Youtube channel

This is the waiting for paint to dry phase.... ⤦

Having waited for the Oil paint to dry, I've returned to this painting and completed it.  In fact, I have to say, it didn't actually need much work - keeping it 'natural'  (in other words...no fuss) was my aim.  

That's the danger area though! - you go back to a painting and start 'Changing' it, where's in fact, it already has the look you are going for, but just need to enhance it slightly.   To my non-artist followers, I hope that makes sense.

(as ever, click the image below for a Time-lapse of completing this piece)

Part 1 video on my youtube channel

Okay, so if you want to sit back and see this video, I suggest you make a cuppa - put your feet up and hope you'll enjoy.   

I managed to (not only remember to video) but set up my iPhone and record my painting process at Arlington Court the other day.  A challenge in itself, as I kept getting interrupted by visitors - but not complaining, that's what it is all about - visitors enjoy seeing something different and an artist at work often brings people to a stand still - they chat and hopefully I impart some useful painting info to them.  

....(as ever, click the image below ↴ - it all begins with a blank canvas)

Now to wait for this - part 1 - of the process to dry

The beginnings of a Landscape painting

I actually remembered to do some video filming yesterday when I was painting plein air again at Arlington Court - National Trust - (click the image below, you can always scroll to speed it up!)

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.

Plein air @ Arlington Court

As often as possible I go to Arlington Court to do some plein air painting...(you know that right, I go on about it enough).  Of course the weather does change my plans - early in the week the forecast looks good for a specific day I've chosen, and then on the day it is terrible!   Okay, I have to be flexible with my days, but generally I do find the day I have in mind works out.  Last week was such an occasion and although the sun didn't show itself, the rain stayed away...bonus Yes.

Having recently completed a view of the House itself, I moved slightly further down the path and turned around to face the church.  It appears between the trees in one particular spot and that's where I set up my easel.

Not all my efforts of setting up/easel/folding table/paint/brushes etc etc... were put into just this little postcard sized study, I did a couple of 8"x8" canvases, but didn't get around to taking photos of those in situ.  All the paintings will have to wait for the layer of paint to dry, then I can get them completed on my return visit - When... I WILL TRY TO REMEMBER TO TAKE A VIDEO AS WELL.  📽

Interview

Last week saw Volunteers Week at Arlington Court, and in fact for the National Trust generally.  A chance to show people the various roles that Volunteers do for the Trust, and hopefully encourage others to start volunteering too.  So, I guess it was inevitable that whilst I was plein air painting, I got hijacked into doing an interview!  To be honest, I could have said No (and nearly did), but thought it was only going to be a brief moment of total humiliation and I could cope with that.  

So, me the introvert, compromised with only briefly talking and then took the opportunity to face the easel and pretend the camera wasn’t there!   

(Thanks M who filmed this, you were so patient).

And now all I can say is click the image below to see the interview, and I would like to point out that I don’t look like me…why is that!?, and it doesn’t sound like me either…I think they used photoshop, lol.

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

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)

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 ~

 

 

 

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

Continued plein air painting...

Remember this painting.  I did more work on it in the studio...

...and now I feel it is Completed

I can't seem to get a decent photo of this, the canvas is long and narrow, but I hope you get the idea.

Always a lovely time painting at Arlington Court

and on this particularly occasion it was lovely in the shade of a huge tree.

I took a quick (and short) video from my set-up

which was peaceful to a point....

Where does the week go

Before I know it, 

it's time for another of my

 'Art Escape to Arlington Court' painting days.

Again, I set up by the house.

This time I brought a different shaped Canvas with me,

I thought it would be nice to use a Box Canvas.

You will see that I am in the shade again.  Although the angle for the painting was different, it gave me the chance to get the tones and colours.


and I got a lovely surprise when I was offered a cup of tea.

Look what turned up

I thought it would be extremely churlish to refuse the scone,
so I enjoyed it - and it was DELICIOUS



~ Have a lovely weekend all ~

Calling this one done

Here's a reminder of the painting set up at 

Arlington Court during my plein air painting day

Having got home to the studio 

I've worked on this canvas.

At some point you have to

step back and say

PAINTING  COMPLETED

I intend to do another plein air painting of this scene, 

but on a different shaped canvas.

🎨 🎨 🎨

In the shade of a huge tree.....

and very thankful for the shade on such a hot day...

Work in the studio

I could have kept going with this painting from 

my plein air session at Arlington Court on Friday.

(here's a photo I took at the time)

When is a painting finished?

Overworking a painting is fatal,

not going that extra nano-inch is fail.

Well, in the end you have to stand back and make an

objection decision.

ask yourself:

"Does this painting work?"

"Does it convey the feeling of the day?"

"Does it tell a story?"

and the answer for me with this painting is

YES

so here's the completed painting whilst drying on my easel in the studio

Titled:  "Looking Across the Ha-ha"

🎨

footnote: a

Ha-ha 

(click link)

Lovely day for plein air painting

I set up my easel 

at

Arlington Court

for a couple of hours.

That's it so far

As you see, I like to take all bar the kitchen sink with me!

Headed home to spend another couple of hours 

doing the finishing touches to the painting.

(Will do a post of the completed artwork soon)

🎨  🎨  🎨