Evening street study, Seville

Evening street scene, Seville
Oils 8" x 12"

Talk about a rush! When you attempt a subject like this you know that time is short. Most of the street was in shadow and the warm evening light was still hitting the tops of the buildings, mainly on the left hand side but some coming across the sides of the buildings on the right too. It was one of those 'nothing to lose, just bash on with it' moments. Again I knew I had no time to be finickety with the drawing or details in those buildings - an effort to catch the light and atmosphere being order of the day.

Horse and carriage

Horse and carriage
Oils 8" x 10"

My first painting from the Seville trip was this study of a horse and carriage. I was really taken by these horses lining the streets ready for tourists to take a scenic ride. When this one arrived in front of me I noticed the light along the horse's back and around the ears. Captivating. Of course I didn't know how long I would have but decided it was worth the risk. It could have been that that five minutes later I was wiping the board down because the subject had gone, but actually I had probably forty-five minutes or more before the horse moved. I think the horse in my painting is perhaps not anatomically correct but this kind of quick study is much more about capturing an impression of the light for me. I'm pleased with the atmosphere and the palette of colours captured so am tempted to make a studio painting based on this - in which case I would be able to take more care with the drawing. The light in Seville was nothing short of marvellous, such a contrast from the winter light in the UK.

Hot roasted chestnuts

Hot roast chestnuts, Christmas market no 7

Another beauty was the very Victorian chestnut stall, complete with vendor wearing a top hat and waistcoat. Again the red, and the dark mauve sky - a killer combination. There were also coloured lights around the top of the stall and in the trees which were a detail too far for this little study but would definitely have a part to play in any future large studio painting. I am such a sucker for coloured fairy lights - especially the ordinary lightbulb sized ones, strung up in trees. Maybe I should go to Blackpool? Or... the Christmas lights at Mousehole, that's probably more my scene!

I did intend to take photos throughout the painting process but only managed two and then forgot. It gives you a good idea of the goings on though, and it's the way I've tackled all of these market paintings.

I start with a warm mid grey and do a general block in of mid-toned neutral areas. You'll notice I'm not doing any kind of drawing of shapes, just dealing in broad masses.

I then work in the darkest darks, again it's masses that I'm looking for here. You can't really tell with the photo but this is not a general black, but subtly different colours - some cooler, some warmer, some reddish, some more violet. 

From here I paint in the yellow and red colour group and then the blues and then the lightest highlights. 

Squinting all the while, I'm aiming for the structure or skeleton of the scene. The viewer can put the meat on the bones.

Magic and bubbles

Bubble stall, Christmas market no 6

Back to the Christmas market theme, which I can't get enough of at the moment, my favourite part was the bubble stall.  I will definitely be painting a studio version of this subject because it was a 'coup de coeur' moment, I knew it instantly. The red and white of the awnings against the dark stonework and dusking sky, the life and movement provided by the figures and the fun - oh the FUN - given by the vapour and bubbles moving upwards and out towards the sky!

So what I'm really enjoying at the moment is working these small (around 10" x 12") studies on Arches 'huile' paper. It's like a very lovely watercolour paper but it's oil primed and I love using it. The paintings can still be framed without glass, you just attach the paper to a board and varnish as usual.

Anyway, I will perhaps work on half a dozen small studies of this very subject, while exploring ideas about colour and composition for the larger painting. I find it very freeing, this way of working. The big challenge will be retaining the freshness on a larger scale. We'll worry about that later though :-)

Christmas market

Christmas market no 1 - mulled wine stall
10" x 12"

I loved the lights, colour and busyness of the Lincoln Christmas market that I visited a couple of weeks ago. I did find a place to set up and paint but it was away from where I wanted to be and I got very cold! After a couple of hours of painting followed by a warm up in a cafe I decided to walk around taking photos on my phone if anything caught my eye. It was very busy by then and day was turning into dusk which was the very best time for me.  I find it magical when the artificial lights start to take over from the light from the sky.

Since that day I've been developing the theme in the studio, and trying some new approaches. In many ways this is easier to do in the studio than en plein air, when it's best to get the job done as quickly as you can (especially in this weather!).

With this one I really wanted to keep the drawing quite fluid, so I started with painting large shapes and masses rather than a linear or drawn approach. If you imagine screwing your eyes up so that you can only see a blurred vision of the subject, that's how I began. 

I carried on with large shapes and then assessed which places needed more definition and which didn't.

I wanted to describe a little more the two central figures and the lights and decoration of the stall, but to leave the background group of figures as loose marks and large shapes. I think it's best this way as the figures look as though they are moving and populate the scene without dominating it.

You can probably tell I really enjoyed the whole process, I think it shows in the juicy paintwork!

Detail

Detail showing broad treatment of figures

Sails up in harbour, Paimpol

Sails up in harbour, Paimpol
SOLD

Here you go, the completed painting! Hope you like it. I really do, it was so worth me being a little more patient than usual. I can't wait to give it a coat of retouching varnish because it will really bring out the deep dark colours and provide a pleasing all over sheen. Next job is the framing!

And here's a close-up...