Four Skies

Well only two actually. This was the theme of the Club meeting last Wednesday. I could not resist adding the land masses to anchor the skies.

Not great, but they are atmospheric. The second will become a full painting one day, I think.

Barn at Daylands Farm

On Wednesday 20th, 6 of us made it out to this farm. It belongs to a friend of Peter Snr. The architectural qualities of this barn caught my eye.

It was approximately 60% finished on site and then completed at home.

There is quite a lot going on, but it still is not quite there.

Lilly

Attended my first meeting of the Lancing Art Club on Tuesday evening. They are a very friendly group, and include some very talented artists. The subject for the evening was Wet in Wet, so I started this painting. It had to be finished off at home.

On the whole I am quite pleased with it, particularly the spattering on the stamen. The background should have been several tones darker.

Findon Parish Church

The weather has been atrocious, but there was a slight break in the rain on Wednesday and 5 of us made it to this lovely spot. We dodged the showers and battled the wind for a couple of hours, and this was the result.

The ewe tree caused me much trouble, but in the end I decided to include it, in order to contrast with the lychgate. The aerial perspective in this one is quite good, but the grey day meant that there were few shadows. I have "invented" one or two. It could do with some more.

PS Jean must have liked the blackberry. It has been framed and now hangs proudly in the lounge.

Blackberry

This was growing over the fence, and it reminded me of a thread started by Dale Ziegler on Wet Canvas in June ( I believe Dale quoted Georgia O'Keefe as his inspiration). It is painted on a piece of Bockingford paper measuring 15" by 11", so the berry is many times its actual size.

It proved to be a very good exercise for me - focusing on looking for the colours and being more careful with my brush strokes than usual.

Maybe this is an idea for my "series" for next year's art class.

Another David Bellamy exercise

The key point here was to avoid mud! Three colours were used - Paynes Grey for the sky and Cobalt Blue and Cadmium Red for everything else.

Still a trace of mud I fear!

Plein Air at Amberley

A pleasant trip out to Amberley today. Six of us made it, and while the rest painted in the churchyard, I was rather taken by this view acroos the valley to Bury. It looked rather quaint nestling under the downs.

More David Bellamy Exercises

Still working through these exercises. It would be great to say that I'm learning a lot - the first one follows pretty closely a demonstration in the book - but then you are given a reference photograph and allowed loose. The result is the second! The great man left the river in front out completely as being too distracting. BTW both pictures were painted with only three colours. The first was raw sienna, FUB and cadmium red. The second was cadmium yellow, cadmium red and FUB.

Monochrome landscape

No plein air again this week. Still working in London on Wednesday morning.

This little painting ( 12" by 6") is based on a reference photograph and exercise in the David Bellamy book. It seems to work OK, although I should probably crop an inch or two off the left of the picture.

Let's hope the weather is good for a trip out to Amberley next Wednesday.