Tethered, Monterey

Tethered, Monterey
24" x 26"

I came across this scene during my last walk around Monterey, the day I flew back in April. It was also the day I lost my cute daisy earring twice, once in my hotel room from where I managed to rescue it and then for the second and final time in the taxi bus on the way to the airport. But that's another story.

I was captivated by these reflections in the shallow water of the harbour. To be honest, everything is a subject here in the Monterey - because of the incredible light! I painted this in the studio on my return. I really got stuck in to the marks and just pushing and scraping the paint around.

It's had quite a pleasant cooling effect on me in the studio, during the mini heatwave we've had this week in Lincolnshire.

Lucky are the artists who live on this coastline in California!

California sunset

California sunset
14" x 18"

A recent painting inspired by my April trip to California, with memories of a very special evening amongst artist friends and new friends. The waves were incredible crashing against the rocks and I could have sat and watched for hours. The rocks and sea surrounded the beautiful house - what a dream house! If you lived here would you ever need to go anywhere else?

Monterey wharf

Monterey Wharf

Writing has been keeping me busy lately, as well as a little teaching, travel planning and organising next year's calendar and some new greetings cards. Still, I'm getting to the easel as much as I can! We had a fantastic weekend workshop at Old Bank Studios in Harwich the week before last. Next year we are already planning a plein air weekend in May so I really wanted to give you advance notice for a change! Email Bev at the studios if you'd like to be in that group next spring :-)

Sketches from PAC

Sometimes in the convention I was multi-tasking, sketching and listening and drinking coffee! Apart from the sketches, which help me to remember events, I've got pages and pages of notes to read through - I haven't had time to look at them yet! Maybe I should take my notebook up to bed with me tonight. 

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the event...

Carolyn Anderson "Once you take fruit from the kitchen and into the studio, it ceases to be fruit"

C.W Mundy "The power of the suggestive is much greater than the statement of reality"

C.W Mundy "I just want to see what I can get away with"

Quang Ho "When I do a painting there's an assignment, there's something I want to learn, there's something I go after"

Quang Ho "At the heart of painting is abstract design"

C.W Mundy "I'm willing to go out on a limb"

California flowers

California flowers
Oils 14" x 10"

I've come back from the convention full of inspiration, refreshed and raring to go - which is exactly what I was hoping for! It was terrific to spend time with my friends and meet lots of new friends and put a face to existing Facebook friends! Especially Cory who's been following my blog since just about the time when I started it in 2011 :-)

 The coastline in this part of California is incredible and I know I will have to come back here to paint. The light seems crystal clear and of course for me the sunshine makes a subject of just about anything. Take the backlighting on these flowers for example.

It was a wrench every day - be out painting or be in the conference centre watching all the wonderful demos and talks. Did I tell you they laid on free coffee all day too? Yes that pleases me ;-)

Look - freebies!

Look at all the gifts! I love gifts - and stickers! There are stickers for my easels ;-)

How finished is finished?

Morning sunlight on the campo

Ah, the eternal question! When do you know a painting is finished... if indeed, a painting ever is finished? And does 'finished' mean 'finished off' as in, well... I think you know what I mean!

Here's an interesting case in point. I was working on this studio painting a couple of weeks back and then I had to put it on standby and get on with other work. In my head this painting was labelled 'needs further attention, needs a lot more work, must go back to it, it's quite a way off being finished (the dreaded word)'.

Now today it's caught my eye again and what's happened? Have the studio elves been working while I've been in France? It caught my eye and my mind said this 'that's an interesting piece, it evokes a mood, what more is there to say? By golly I think it's .... (insert dreaded word here)'

What do you think? How much information is enough? For me this is the eternal question. Firstly you should know what you are trying to say in your painting. Then, it's easier for you to recognise when you've said it. That's about all the help I can give today but I know it's a topic I'll come back to ;-)

And now I'm a teensy little bit excited because the suitcase is zipped shut, my passport is in my hand and I'm heading to Heathrow ready to fly tomorrow. See you in California!