Fishermens shelter and London workshop

Fishermens shelter
Oils 14" x 18"

I had the immense pleasure of spending a couple of days in the fishermens shelter in Portscatho last year, when I put on a little pop-up exhibition with The Harbour Gallery. I was really inspired by the large window overlooking the sea and the way the sunlight came into the room. I did paint this view while I was there but I always felt that I had another one in me. 

Now I've painted this larger version in the studio and I'm really happy with it. It's one of six paintings that I'm framing up at the moment to send for selection to the Mall Galleries for the annual Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibition. 

This August I'm going to be running a day workshop at the Mall Galleries in London about 'Capturing the essence', talking about the ways I use simplification in my work. What is important to include and what can be left out?

Find out more and book yourself a place here :-)

Evening light, Harwich

Evening light, Harwich
24 x 30 cms

At the end of the first day of teaching in Harwich (a chilly day with a strong north-easterly wind) I took my paints back out to the Quayside. It wasn't weather conditions for the faint hearted, but once I'd seen this subject well... I couldn't care less about the practical difficulties. I just get so excited and carried away... I only noticed I was shivering with cold when I was packing up afterwards.

I LOVED the red flags and of course the dazzling light on the sea. It was a real challenge because the boat was silhouetted against the water but there was still colour to be seen within that silhouetted shape, but very very muted. Even the bright red flags had to actually be painted as dirty reddish greys. A great learning experience, and I was really happy with the end result and happy that I'd earned my hot dinner.

Majestic tall ships

Tall ships at Falmouth

I'm in Cornwall this week, not far from Falmouth, which reminds me of my 'tall ships' series painted in Falmouth last August. This was definitely one of my favourites from the trip, and surprisingly I still have it. I just think it has a terrific mood and an urgency of execution and - oh how I love this word - economy. So I've just entered it in the Royal Society of Marine Artists 2015 exhibition, along with other current favourites. Keeping fingers crossed!

Explaining my absence...

Tall ships at Falmouth docks
Oils 12" x 16" unframed 16" x 20" framed
£950

I should have sent you a postcard, I know... but I've been a busy girl dashing about all over the place again. I've had the pleasure of five days of painting in Cornwall, mostly at Falmouth where tall ships from around the world were moored for the first time since 2008, for the Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta. 

What a fantastic carnival atmosphere there was! There were thousands and thousands of people there and it was pretty hard to find a spot to paint at times. It can be pretty overwhelming in such a crowded place, but once you've staked your spot by setting up your easel and start working you can pretty well block the rest out and you become sort of a part of the scenery.

For the last month or so I've been taking advantage of the fine weather and taking canvasses out with me to paint, rather than panels or boards. I've absolutely loved painting on the soft yielding surface of canvas. It's always been my preferred choice for the studio but takes a little bit more effort to carry outside and isn't ideal on a windy day.

My favourite size to use outside has been 12" x 16" and sometimes 14" x 18" and I will be exhibiting my latest paintings from France and Cornwall at Patchings art centre near Nottingham, where my very 

next solo exhibition will open on October 4th.

Yes it's very soon and yes I'm very busy finishing and framing, signing and varnishing right now!

Click here for details :-)

Detail 

If you can't wait til then to get your hands on one of my tall ships paintings and claim it for yourself then you might like to take a look at the Harbour Gallery as Mark already has three hanging up on the walls, all framed up and looking beautiful, including this one.

Squeezing in wherever I could get a view!

Colours of the regatta

Painting at the harbour in Mousehole

Of course I couldn't resist this subject, with those brightly coloured flags having appeared, and the turquoise sea. After a rainy morning the sun came out and stayed out for a brilliant afternoon. I ended the day watching the sun set at Sennen Cove. This whole place is magical. It is no wonder at all that so many artists have lived and painted here.

The watermelon seller

The watermelon seller

There is such a nice story behind this painting. I absolutely loved this subject and the day before yesterday I was able to stop and paint it. I only had an hour and a half though because I had to give a demo somewhere else, and because it was by the side of a busy road lots of people stopped their cars to chat while I was doing it. So, it wasn't quite enough time and I didn't quite get it finished.
Yesterday was another (and my last) chance to get back there to finish it off. However, I came down with some kind of bug and woke up with a splitting headache, sickness and upset stomach.
I was so determined to get back to the subject that after the morning resting I asked my friend Sandie to drop me off back there. But all the way there I felt very poorly and when I got there and set up my kit I didn't feel good at all.
So I gave it a go but even standing up was such an effort. Being ill I suddenly felt a long way from home and I thought maybe I'd done the wrong thing in attempting it when I could/should have stayed in bed.
Then the man at the stall, who had noticed I was struggling came over with a chair for me to sit down on. I was very touched and while I was sitting on the chair shivering despite the heat he cut a watermelon in half and brought it over to me with a plastic knife and fork. I can't tell you how touched I was by his kindness.
I managed a couple of bites of watermelon with tears streaming down my cheeks, and then somehow I found those inner reserves of strength and was able to get up and finish my painting. The rest of the day and night I was still a wreck but very pleased I'd got it done and all thanks to the kindness of a stranger.