Sunflowers

This was painted in response to the November challenge in Wet Canvas.

It measures 30 cms by 40 cms and is painted with St Petersburg paints on Arches Aquarelle NOT paper.

It received very positive feedback in class today.

Nelson Lakes

This is approximately 30 cms by 20 cms painted with St Petersburg paints on Bockingford paper. The reference is my own photograph taken during our holiday in January 2008 to New Zealand.

It was painted as part of the theme of Shape, Perspective and Tonal Fields for Art Class. The aim was to use the three classic fields of foreground, middle distance and far distance. Some useful feedback was received from the class.

At least it made me think of something other than the persistant rain we are experiencing at the moment.

Winter trees

This was painted at Art Club. It is based on a WIP by a professional artist in "Draw It! Paint It!" magazine. I just love the sense of light in the distance.

It was quite well received at Art Class. Maybe I should do my own picture, combining this with the exercise on chairs we did at class last week.

Boats on Worthing Beach

This one was painted some time ago, from sketches done on the beach with the Club in the summer. It was entered in the Lancing Art Club exhibition in August and received some very positive comments, although it did not sell.

Pen and wash on Bockingford paper, it measures approximately 28 cms by 35 cms.

Jean must like it - she has it hanging in the bedroom!

Rain

This was the result of some studies on weather during Art Class. It is intended to be "semi-abstract" and measures 24 cms by 18 cms. As usual it is painted with St Petersburg paints on Bockingford paper.

It seems to be like Marmite. People either love it or hate it.

Painting Boats at Shoreham

This one was painted following a day out with the Art Class in August. The figure in the middle distance is Des.

It measures 28 cms by 36 cms painted with St Petersburg paints on Bockingford paper.

"Easy Peelers" was well-received on Wetcanvas and at Art Class. The only slight nit was that the oranges should contain more colours.

Worthing Street, Rainy Evening

This was painted as the final piece at Art Class on the theme of weather. The inspiration was Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day.

It is approx 40 cms by 30 cms painted with St Petersburg watercolour paints on Bockingford paper. It was very well received in the class.

During my quiet period several important things happended that I failed to record.

Blue Stripes was accepted into the Still Life category for the Leisure Painter national exhibition. It didn't win a prize nor did it sell, but it was quite a success neverthless.

Also Beachy Head sold at the Thakeham Art exhibition in July and Red Admiral sold at the Lancing Art Club exhibition in August.

Easy Peelers

We moved home on 30 April and since we have lost three much-loved people in quick succession. While I have still been painting, for some reason the urge to post my work disappeared. Hopefully this will now change.

The still life measures approx 29 cms by 39 cms and is painted in St Peteresburg watercolours on Arches Aquarelle NOT paper.

The title is how this net of clementines was described on the Supermarket till receipt.

Beachy Head

This was painted as the Easter break assignment from Art Class on Coastal Scenes. The reference was a photograph from the Wet Canvas RIL by Stephie20.

It is approximately 13" by 9" painted with St Petersburg watercolour paints on Bockingford paper.

Overall I am very pleased with the light airy feel to it, and the sense of scale. It has been criticised for the lack of tone and detail in the cliff. In my defence this was a deliberate decision.

The Dome Cinema

This was painted with the Art Club, following a demo on Line and Wash. It is approximately 13" by 9". The kind folks at Wet Canvas helped with "bumping up" the shadows.

The Dome is our local "flea pit", built in the 1920s and refurbished with Lottery money recently. It featured in the movie "Wish You Were Here" back in the 1980s.

Angel

This was started during last Tuesday's Art Club meeting, continuing the theme of Fur and Eyes. It had to be finished off at home, as it was much more difficult. Angel has very little fur and she is holding her head at an angle. Her left eye was repainted several times.

It is approx. 13" by 9" painted with Atelier Interactive acrylic paints on Bockingford paper.

In the end it is a good likeness and, despite all the repainting, retains a lifelike feeling.

Seven Sisters

This is another small picture for LAC summer exhibition. Again 14 cms by 9 cms.

Not at all sure about this one. The colours are good, but the landscape is much more difficult to execute convincingly at this size.

Shells on blue

This is 14 cms by 9 cms and painted for Lancing Art Club summer exhibition, specifically for the small picture section.

St Petersburg paints on Arches NOT paper.

The originally is a little lighter than this, I think.

Fur and Eyes

This was painted at Art Club during a session led by Peg.

It is approximately 9" by 12" painted with Atelier Interactive Acrylic paints on Bockingford paper. The reference is a photograph from the Wet Canvas Reference Image Library.

Peg did a great job of driving us all on to achieve some surprising results.

Ath-THowra

This was painted as homework for an assignment to explore textures in watercolour by painting rocks.

It is 12" by 15" painted with St Petersburg watercolours on Arches Aquarelle 300 gsm NOT paper. The reference is a photograph from our trip to Oman in January. We stopped here for a picnic lunch. The water is fed from a hot spring, and the local boys were having great fun in the water further up.

Under sail

This is approx. 15" by 12" painted with St Petersburg water colours on Bockingford paper. The reference was a photograph from the Image Library on Wet Canvas.

It was painted at Art Club last week, when the task was to paint a sailing boat. It turned out OK, but there should be more shadow on the water.

Elephant in folds

This was the homework from last week's class - to paint an object on a large piece of material. The aim was to practise graded washes.

Patterns of Daily Life

I missed class last week, so this was painted as two weeks homework.

It is painted with Atelier Interactive acrylics on canvas, and is approximately 18" by 14". Rather rough and the pepper is a bit "squeezed in" ( it was added later to balance the composition). Nevertheless it has received positive feedback, especially for the knife.

Blue Stripes - revisited

This and two other paintings, The Workman and Futurescape, failed to be accepted by the RWS for their 21st Century Watercolour Exhibition. Clearly I still have a long way to go.

The reason for reposting is that I have added further shadows to the small jar on the left, in response to further feedback. In addition it has been entered to the Artist's magazine competition.

Inside/Outside

The title was the half-term assignment at Art Class.

It is approximately 16" by 12" on Arches Aquarelle paper, painted from a still life. The natural light failed and finishing it off under natural light has rather confused the shadows.

Still it has attracted much positive feedback.

Minaret from Nizwa Fort

Another exercise from Art Class - to design a book cover. This was based on a reference photograph taken during our trip to Oman.

The lower area was deliberately left undeveloped to accommodate the book title.

Fungi

This was painted from a reference photograph during Art Class.

They are called Shaggy Ink Caps and are apparently edible.

Landscape with cows

This was painted at the Club, when the topic was landscape. I tried to incorporate some cows, as we had been looking at this during class the previous week.

Trees in Gouache

This was an exercise in class to introduce us to gouache. A piece of Bockingford watercolour paper, approx 15" by 12", was prepared with a grey tone in acrylic and allowed to dry. This scene was then painted over it from a reference photograph in gouache.

It is rather flat and the gouache dries to a different colour - all rather frustrating.

Seat in the Shade

This was painted from one of the reference photographs taken during our trip to Oman.

We were having a picnic at the hot springs at Ath-Thowra when this local lad walked down and sat in the shade under a tree on the opposite bank.

Sketches from Oman

I've been neglecting this blog, since our return from Oman. We had a wonderful time visiting our friends, and they kept us so busy that little painting was done.

The first is a pastel sketch of the view from David's back garden.

The second is a quick watercolour sketch done while Jean collected shells on the beach.

Pastel Portraits

These were done at Art Class, following the demonstration by Russ Calver last week.

Both were done from photographs. The second is quite a good likeness.

My first attempt at pastels.

Seascape in acrylics

Another picture painted following the instrustions in Arnold Lowery's book. It was great fun applying the paint "impassto" with a painting knife.