Staithes rooftops

Staithes rooftops

This was worth walking up a hill and missing breakfast for... although I did have second thoughts once I was set up and began to draw in the complicated arrangement of shapes. When I say 'draw' I do mean with the brush and paint. With an architectural type subject I start with a linear sketch-in with a smallish brush, but I am always keen to move onto large value shapes as soon as I can. With a subject like this it's too easy to get lost in detail at the expense of the mood or get so worried about accuracy that you run out of time and lose the light. Luckily I had a strict time deadline which got me reaching for the big brushes and I got what I was after here.

This painting is now available to purchase at Staithes art gallery.

There is a brush set with ten of the brushes that I most commonly use available from Rosemary & Co. Click here for details :-)

Roof with a view

New roof with a view

We went to Granada for a couple of days and the second day was really hazy in the afternoon - no strong sunshine or shadows to be had. We walked uphill to the Plaza San Nicolas to overlook the Alhambra palace. The previous afternoon we had painted here while enjoying a fabulous clear view of the palace and the snow topped mountains.

After the uphill walk I needed a little sandwich and recuperation time while I considered what to paint. It was then that my friend Karl Terry called out to me "I've found a great subject Haidee. You're going to love this!".

I did indeed love it! Karl had found these workers laying a new roof against the backdrop of the hills and palace. It even had cypress trees - which I love - and a tree in the foreground covered in Seville oranges. It would have been great to see some rim lighting around the men and the bits and pieces on the roof, but the hazy afternoon light had it's own charm. 

Painting next to Karl

Drying in a sea breeze

Drying in a sea breeze
Oils 12" x 16"

Here's a lovely calm painting for you from this summer in France. It's one of the many new paintings I'm framing up this week for my new exhibition! 

There are frames all over my studio and my lovely friend Imogen has been here all day painting them for me while I try to get a few paintings finished off and signed. 

I've managed to write a newsletter at last - I discovered that it's really easy to do through my website, although it has no frills and I can't add pictures so it's not a permanent solution. It is however a terrific way to give you a brief overview each month about what I'm busy with so if you'd like to be added to the list just send me your email address and I'll pop you on.

Another new discovery is how to add a 'store item' to my website so at the moment you can buy my lovely 2015 calendar direct from there using your Paypal account or credit card and this is just the start... I will be adding some paintings and cards but not yet... large show to get ready!

Take a look at my 'store item'!

Staithes rooftops at sunset

Staithes rooftops at sunset 8" x 10"

I did a lot of walking in Staithes, it's a place where you're either walking uphill or downhill in any direction. After one uphill walk I found this great view as the sun was starting to set. I loved the sky and this view over the rooftops of the village. Behind me here was a bench overlooking the sea.
If you've ever tried painting at sunset you will know that everything changes at an alarming rate! I knew I would only have an hour at most.
After an hour of painting I packed away and clambered back down the hill and it was really dark and cold down there when I got there. I had a lovely meal with friends waiting for me though :-)
I'd love to paint here in summer and have a longer painting day.

The high viewpoint looking over the village

The painting when I stopped on site

This is how the painting looked after the session and came back with me. I still liked the concept but wasn't satisfied it was finished so when it was dry I painted a blue/green glaze all over every part of the painting except the sky. This had the effect I wanted of tying the land mass together, unifying everything and providing more tonal contrast with the bright sky. Some of the building roofs and walls got a bit too gloomy though so when the glaze was dry a couple of days later I painted those bits back in and also lightened parts of the sky and I'm happy with it now, yet unfortunately I've given you a rather poor photograph again!