Back to the roses

Walled garden, Belton House
10" x 14"

I grabbed the chance to go back to the garden a couple of days later. I was rained off on this one, spent about half an hour fiddling about with the umbrella. Undoubtedly I would have gone on longer but really what more was there to say? I think it's all there, with a refreshing spontaneity. Sometimes we just go on too long... like an after dinner speech...

As seen (unframed) in a group of paintings in the studio

All of these paintings except the two small ones on the right are now wrapped up and on their way to Josephine Harpur Fine Art, to be exhibited in Suffolk shortly. 

I'm here!

Rose garden at Belton House
12" x 16"

Ok so it seems as though two months has passed since I spoke to you last - it isn't that long but I've been packing a LOT in to the last four weeks! I'll try to get you back up to date with a lot of mini blog 'postcards' and action shots!
This is my favourite of the three paintings I did for the 'Where in the world is plein air' video event. This was day three for me and again I was blessed with fantastic weather. It was a really hot day but I had a tree fairly close to me so I was able to step back in the shade and cool off now and then. What an idyllic spot and subject, I didn't know which way to look! The roses in England have been absolutely amazing this year.

It was a nice surprise to find one of my Facebook friends/blog subscribers sketching in the garden too :-)

Actually this is one of my favourite paintings of the whole year so far, and it's now in America at the Illume gallery in Salt Lake City along with my other two from the event. If anyone could show me a photo of them in situ I'd be enormously grateful, it's a little far for me to get to at the moment.
You can watch the video of it's creation here.
You could even be the rightful owner of this gorgeous painting :-)

Belton House fountain

Belton House fountain
Oils 16" x 20"

Here's a closer look at the fountain painting from last week. Despite the outbursts of rain I really thoroughly enjoyed painting this. I only live a couple of miles away so I can easily return here to paint the fountain again. Lucky me. Usually when I come here it's with the family at weekends and without my paints, so I will have to make another midweek visit.

We're having quite a lot of rain showers at the moment, with sunny intervals in between. I've got plenty to be getting on with inside but I'm keeping a lookout for a consistently fine painting day.

Here's a detail from the painting so you can get a better look at the brush marks. I especially like that squidgy turquoise stroke in the water section. 

Belton House fountain
Detail

Movie star!

In the spotlight!

Movie star? No not really, but if you were one of the school children on a trip to Belton House near Grantham yesterday you might have been forgiven for thinking that I was a VIP! 

I met up with a photographer there to have photos taken for a forthcoming article in a local magazine, the Lincolnshire Journal. 

The weather looked a bit dubious, and after an hour of painting I was caught in a downpour, thank goodness I had my umbrella with me! I could do very little for twenty minutes except stand close to the painting huddled under the umbrella. 

After the rain, painting again!

Luckily by the time the photographer came the sun was shining again. I think the magazine will be published in early June, so I'll show you what the article looks like when I get a copy.

I need to put a few finishing touches on my painting of the fountain and garden, and then I'll take a better photo of the painting to show you.

I'm also planning images for a 2015 calendar right now,  maybe this painting will make an appearance for the month of May ;-)

Wheeeee !!

Detail from 'Sledgers at Belmont tower'

Just time for a very quick post! If you're worrying about my big list... I'm plodding through it gradually (but you know how lists go.. things keep getting added on to the end!) but/and more importantly I'm putting in the time for painting and I'm very pleased about that. I'm still very excited painting in the studio - what's going on? Maybe I'm just having a good week or have I turned a corner?

Thanks SO much to everyone who has commented and emailed, it really is great to get a fresh perspective.

This is my son Oscar on the sledge... remember when I painted all the people sledging back in January? I've been working on a version in the studio - 'en studio air', I'll be able to show you tomorrow if I can take a good enough photo...

By the way somebody at my workshop yesterday left a lilac gilet behind, if you think it may be you I have it so let me know!

Sledgers in the snow

Sledgers at Belmont Tower, Grantham

I was really smitten with this subject yesterday. I wanted to go back today to see fresh snow but unfortunately we've had no further snowfall today or during the night. I did achieve a snow painting though, in the gardens of Belton House.

Here's a short video filmed yesterday (on an iPhone!) of me painting this at Belmont tower. It's lovely to feel the ambience of being there. I warn you though - you may feel the need for a hot chocolate after watching this!