Yellow pavilion with Mercury fountain

The yellow pavilion

I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the gardens at the Alcazar Palace in Seville. Fountains, hedges, palm trees, Seville oranges growing on trees, ornate arches, peacocks, shady corners and vibrant warm colours... and all seen in the most beautiful light imaginable. Plus, Sorolla painted here so I was walking in giant footsteps. All this made it very difficult to calm down and actually paint! This was my first attempt in the gardens, I couldn't resist that wall of yellow and it's reflection in the pool.

Fountain study, Seville

Fountain in Seville
Oils 8" x 10"

I've just got back from a wonderful painting trip to Seville with friends. The sunshine and laughter was such a tonic for me. I've had an email this morning from a blog subscriber who said 'Are you ok? I am missing seeing your paintings'. I had forgotten that not everybody sees my posts on Instagram (I put almost daily snaps on there) or on Facebook, which I update about once a week. So I will get to work sending you, my lovely blog subscribers, some recent images of paintings!

To start with this is a little plein air contre jour study of a beautiful fountain in Seville. There were lots of people around and I was hoping to catch a figure sitting on the wall of the fountain but I didn't get the right person in the right place. When I visit Seville again I most definitely need a model with me!

Oasis in Chelsea

Oasis in Chelsea
26" x 28"

This is a recent studio painting, the inspiration for which came from my visit to Chelsea in July for Pintar Rapido. This is the market place that I painted but the day before the event there were no market stalls and instead children played in these water jets. I was absolutely captivated by the subject with the bright sparkling water seen against the dark buildings in shadow. 

I really enjoyed building up glazes of colour for the darks, something that is only really possible in studio paintings with the benefit of drying time. The wet and dry, sunlit and shaded pavement area was a challenge! I tried to give the children's figures a loose treatment, to add an element of confusion, movement and splashing water.

I'm not altogether decided if it's finished, but it is hanging on my studio wall so I can glance at it occasionally and maybe I'll dip back in.

I'm taking a little holiday from Facebook so I am sorry if you are used to seeing me on there. My blog posts will still automatically update to it because frankly I can't be doing with figuring out how to stop that right now! I will be popping back on from time to time. And if you miss me you can still find me on twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Why? Well I find those easy to dip in and out of, they just don't take up my time in the same way. 

Today (Wednesday 12th November) I will be painting a portrait demo at Patchings art centre. Still a few days left if you haven't seen my big exhibition there yet - it finishes on the 23rd.

Thank you Paul for coming all the way from Canada - you should really get a prize! :-)

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 ;-)

Fountain in the Cantina square

Fountain in the square

Just a quiet little painting this one and a memory of a really enjoyable afternoon. Believe it or not the white wall on the right really was that curved, or so it seemed to me anyway!  I could probably check that with photo reference. I really loved the simple tiled water fountain and the intrigue of the dark doorway contrasted with the brightness outside in the square. 

That blob to the left of the door is supposed to be a dog but that doesn't come across! There was also a cat or two milling around.

The moped on the right hand side was actually yellow but before I got any of the yellow bits painted it left the courtyard.

And isn't this the cutest photo? It's me and painter Mo Teeuw with a few local children who entertained us with antics while we were painting in this square! Many thanks for the great photo Eric Davis.

Me and Mo Teeuw with some of the locals