Midday Shade

Just a quick one, today. I sat in the shade of some trees, surrounded by several clumps of nettles, to paint this. I had to work quickly as I was out cycling in my lunch hour, hence the smaller size. I'm thinking I'll probably stick to doing smaller studies for a while, concentrating on getting my values and colours right, without getting carried away with a full painting. I'll be able to paint more frequently, too!



Oil on gesso'd Jaffa Cakes box, 5.5x3.5

View from Foxhall Lane

As my confidence in painting out of doors increases, I find myself sitting in less and less secluded spots. Today I sat on the grass at the side of a country lane, pochade in hand and painted this scene. It was a lovely day and I really enjoyed talking to the walkers and cyclists that came past.



Oil on Gesso board, 8x6.

Old Cricket Pavilion

It's been much too wet to paint outdoors, this week. Not wanting to the lose the momentum I'm building, I painted this one from a photograph. It's an old disused cricket pavilion, at the same location as my lost post. When I was a small boy, many years a go, it was used regularly but now it is fenced off; to protect it from the youth element and the youth from the asbestos in its roof.

The subject of the picture is quite different from what I'm used to and some months a go I probably wouldn't have attempted it. It was a great learning experience, although I'm not sure I've got the colours of the buildings quite right.



oil on gesso board, 8x6

Carterknowle fields

This is a school sports field not far from where I live. A lot of local people use it to walk their dogs on, outside of lesson times. The trees in the picture are on a banking that separates two football pitches. There were goal posts in front of them but I thought the picture would be better without them.



oil on gesso board, 8x6.

Limb Valley

For working hard all month on an important milestone everyone was awarded a free days holiday, today and what better way to spend it than cycling and painting in the countryside.

It took quite a while to find a fairly simple subject and I finally settled on this rather striking tree. I sat at the edge of a field will my small pochade box, painting while the sun burnt one side of my neck and small colony of ants tucked into my legs - it was worth it, though...



Oil on Gesso board, 8x6

Woodlands

We've been enjoying a really hot spell here, lately. Knowing what I do about English weather, it was clear that it wouldn't last and it didn't. Before it ended, I managed to cycle out into the countryside and do a couple of 'plein air' oil sketches. Although I didn't do anything that I think is good enough to post, it did fill my head with new ideas about how to approach things and a renewed enthusiasm to paint.

Here is a slightly larger than usual painting, based on a photo of the woods where I walk our dog most mornings...



Oil on canvas board, 10x8

Ringinglow

It's been an absolute age since I last posted, here. It's not that I haven't been painting, far from it. The trouble is I haven't been happy with anything I've produced. I've been really struggling with oils so much that it took a lot of the fun out of painting. I decided, for now, to go back to acrylic.

This scene is based on a sketch that I did whilst out on a bike ride. It's a quiet country lane not too far from where I live. The tree really stood out, being covered in Ivy.



Acrylic on canvas board, 10x8

So cold...

Our boiler broke last week so painting chilli's seemed appropriate!

I've been having a hard time fitting any painting in, recently and an even harder time producing anything worth keeping. Still, it's all practice...



Oil on gesso board, 6x4

Normal Service resumes...

Deadline over! My free time is my own, once more.

I've been looking through a lot of my old art books this week, always nice to do every now and then, to see how your opinion changes over time. I was really taken by one I've got on Edward Seago - made me want to go and paint clouds!





Oil on canvas board, 8x6

A Pair of Pears

I've got a really busy week at work coming up, so am happy I managed to squeeze this one in before it starts. I'm pleased too because it was warm enough to be able to paint in my fair weather studio (or shed).

I'm continuing to learn a lot from these little still life paintings, I found the subtle greens and rusty browns particularly hard to mix, at first.



Oil on canvas board, 6x6