Fishing boat at Staithes

Fishing boat at Staithes

I have had a fantastic summer, I hope you have too. I've got so much to show you from June through to the end of August that I thought it was high time I wrote a blog post or two... for those who are not avid Instagram users!

Here's one of my favourites from my teaching trip to Staithes in June. The attraction was the light coming through those buoys and even though it clouded over soon after I started I had sketched out the shape of the shadow cast by the boat and managed to stick to the effect of the sunlight. You wouldn't know that my group, who were watching me paint this were actually shivering with cold by the time I'd finished! I don't tend to notice the cold because I get so involved with solving the problems in the painting ;-)

Next year I'm going to be taking two courses for the Staithes art school, one in June and one in July. If you are interested in coming please contact Al straight away via the website because places are already booking up so quickly. The dates aren't on the website yet for next year but it's probably best to enquire now because it may be too late if you wait. It's a very special weekend and I'd love to see you there :-)

Fishing clutter

Fishing clutter
8" x 6"

I was teaching a plein air painting weekend in Harwich with a really keen group and this is a demo painting of some interesting shapes and colours I spotted just along the road. It doesn't matter what the objects are, I neither need to know or name any of those items. I just need to find the shapes fascinating so that I can enjoy the experience and show my excitement to the viewer of the painting. 

Luckily my group were happy for me to go on with it until it was finished as I was really involved and it would have been hard to tear myself away! 

I'll be teaching a plein air weekend at the Old Bank Studios in Harwich again next May, book a place if you'd like to join me there!

Fisherman's shelter

Fisherman's shelter, Portscatho
8" x 10"

Just so that you can find me when you come by for a celebratory drink tomorrow evening (Tuesday 25th August) 6.30 - 8.00 pm, this is where I'll be - at the fisherman's shelter in Portscatho, Cornwall. Right by the harbour and the red telephone box, you can't miss it. 

I'll also be painting at this fab venue on Wednesday and Thursday from 11.00 am - 4.00 pm.

I have a poor mobile phone signal around here and no internet access in the daytime so if you need more information please contact Mark at the Harbour Gallery. We can't wait to see you in this idyllic place :-)

Whelk sheds, Brancaster Staithe

Whelk sheds, Brancaster Staithe

Yesterday was just what I needed after a couple of frustrating days in the studio. I drove over to Brancaster Staithe and met with my hardy fellow painters who hail from Lincolnshire, Rutland and East Anglia. We have formed a group and try to meet to paint here once a month, and there can be anything up to about 20 artists present which is not bad considering it's been all the 'worst' months so far throughout winter. If you are in this area and are thinking you would like to come along just drop me a line. You can either reply to this email (if you receive my blog posts by email) or head to my website and contact me from there www.haideejo.com

Anyway, as I was saying I was starting to go a bit crazy after two days working in the studio on my own and things not going that well... you know?! 

So getting outside to paint in the bracing fresh air and then enjoying a rollicking good lunch at the Jolly Sailors with my jolly painter friends was just the tonic! (and would you believe it today the studio work went well - yay!)

Near the start of painting

So it was a mostly overcast day with occasional sunshine and high tide when we arrived. I love the mud and rivulets of water there when it's low tide, such as in this painting which was sold in my exhibition last month -

Wet mud and reflections at Brancaster Staithe
SOLD

But yesterday was high tide and the water surface was rippling due to the wind so although I love the boats I didn't find the reflections particularly inspiring. I love the view I did find of the sheds, as there was great structure and shape and colour and the subject wasn't overly reliant on the light.

I was very grateful to the fisherman for letting me stand outside his shed. He was telling me how flooded they were in the storms in December, and about all the debris washed up outside including a caravan!

Mind you, I think he was getting fed up of me in the end when he started to hose his car down right behind me and I had to pack away in the middle of the swirling water!

I've STILL got my exhibition online on my website with prices, but only for a couple more days so if you haven't had a chance to look yet please go there now before it's too late! www.haideejo.com

Razzle dazzle

Razzle dazzle at Mousehole harbour
Oils 24 x 30 cms
SOLD

They say no news is good news and the reason I haven't been in touch for a few days is that I've been so busy planning great events for 2014 which I will look forward very much to sharing with you. I've also been painting away in the studio and although I haven't got anything finished to show you yet I will be able to share step by step photos when I do. Plus I'm working on two articles currently for The Artist magazine and reading a couple of my latest Amazon purchases - one is a David Curtis book from 1994 and the other is 'Catching the light, the art and life of Henry Scott Tuke'. I've finally got around to watching the film 'Summer in February' about Alfred Munnings' time in Cornwall with Laura and Harold Knight, and I've eaten through most of my large supply of birthday chocolate. I have no more day workshops in 2013 but I'm looking forward to visiting Horncastle art club and York art society for demos this side of Christmas.

This is a painting from last month's trip to Cornwall. It was quite a challenge to simplify all that but so thrilling to try. This subject would definitely be worth revisiting in the studio. I have pushed the sky completely out of the composition to focus on that intense area of light on the water and the lead-in lines of the ropes in the foreground.

Deuxieme câle

Deuxieme cale

This is the deuxieme câle, where the ferry leaves or arrives on the island when it's medium tide. We always check the tide timetable before catching a ferry because it may be a ten minute walk to the boat or a twenty-five minute walk if the tide is low.
I found painting this really tricky with the reflective qualities of the wet mud making it so light in value and it's bumpy textured qualities adding extra complexity! I really didn't think it was working and then I stood back a few feet and suddenly I could see it and it all clicked into place.
We are quickly racing through our last week of summer on the island.

Rowing club at Putney

Rowing club at Putney

Things get hotter! The day after painting with the Royal Institute of Oil painters at Maidenhead I painted at Putney with the Wapping group - boy was it hot in the city! Thirty degrees celsius I found out later. There was actually a weather warning in place, we're not good at dealing with weather extremes in this country. Heat and cold both take us by surprise. We're fine with rain and drizzle though.
Anyway, of the four paintings spanning the two days this is by far my favourite one and it only took HALF AN HOUR to paint - how does that happen?!
In fact I confess that I almost didn't start it, thinking it was too ambitious a subject for the time frame but there you go! Surprised myself by managing to capture the essence of the scene, with probably no wasted strokes!

Rowing club at Putney - detail

This is the other painting from the day, the one I laboured over in the sweltering heat -

Towards Putney bridge

And this is a better look at the afternoon one from the day before - 

Basking in the heat

Fishing on the Thames

We in the UK are in a state of shock. I must try to explain to my international friends. We are currently experiencing what can only be described as ... summer.
The days are hot and long, the sun is shining and the sky is blue and clear. The thing that's really taken us by surprise this summer is that it hasn't been one glorious day followed by the default setting (rain) but actually waking up each day to beautiful sunshine.
It's like the summer we fondly remember/ dream of.
Sun screen has taken up residence in my painting kit and long may it continue!
Yesterday I was painting by the river Thames in Maidenhead with members and friends of the Royal Institute of Oil painters.
Today I'm heading to the Thames again but this time it's Putney to paint with members of the Wapping group. Maybe I will find another willing fisherman to model like this one.. thanks to you Dan :-)
I'll post a better pic of this when I get a chance to take one.

Wet morning on Water Street

Wet morning on Water Street
8" x 10"

The first painting of my first day of the Florida trip, in the rain in Apalachicola. I loved the reflection of the red plastic storage container on the wet concrete, and the green fishing nets sprawling along the ground. I was standing in the same spot as with yesterday's painting, but this view is looking to the right of that shrimp hut.