Sketchbook peek

Since Christmas I have filled a whole sketchbook with portrait and figure drawings, and I'm not going to stop yet. These are some of my favourites from the book. Some days I only spend five minutes, others half an hour or more. Sometimes a linear drawing, most often I draw in tonal values with shading because I think that gives me more help for my paintings. I've been using soft pencil, charcoal or graphite sticks and I'm enjoying the subtleties possible after years of shunning the simple pencil in favour of bold pen marks.

How do I find my subjects? Well some days I can sketch from life and that's preferable. Otherwise I sketch from photos that I've snapped on my phone during the previous week, or from paintings or photos I've seen online (Pinterest is a good source) or I pause a video on my iPad and sketch from that. That's a great way to sketch groups of figures in conversation, and I particularly like regency costumes so I tend to go for a Jane Austen TV/film adaptation! To be honest I'm not too fussy about the source for the sketch, and it's better to just get on and do it than to hunt around for ages for something special. The sketch always has its own life and takes on its own importance. 

By the way, they don't all work out and sometimes I have to break off when I'd like to have gone further. But I know there'll be another chance tomorrow.

Snow glow

Snow glow

This is a study for a future studio painting, another in my favourite series of the snowy allotments. Is there anything better, I ask you, than when the sun glows through a greenhouse and lights it up like a jewel? I'm very excited about the abstract possibilities of this subject. 

By the way, blogger can't cope with the blues again! The shadow areas of snow are so much softer and more subtle in hue than they appear on the screen. Sigh.

Turkey at the allotments

The pens
Oils 12" x 16"

It's been a week off school and a week of birthdays and celebrations at our house. I've had little time for anything else, but it's been good fun. Great to get back to a working routine today though!

The week before I had a most enjoyable afternoon at the allotments with my friend artist Mo Teeuw. I mostly talked while she painted the view behind me and at some point in the proceedings I managed to paint this fabulous shed with the corrugated metal fencing that has seen better days. 

The turkey was a little further away and was making a big show of his feathers every time I walked near to warn me off. I thought he would make a great subject but there was nothing of interest to me in his environs. I did however like this shed, and it came with the added bonus of being within talking distance of Mo. And this was the outcome.

By the way you might like to look at Mo's blog - in January she managed to get out and paint every single day, which is no mean feat in the UK! Well done Mo x

The Notan principle

After the rain
Acrylics 10" x 12"

I just wanted to let you know of a new article that I've written for The Artist magazine. It's all about designing your paintings using the notan principle or quite simply, shapes of dark and light. This isn't necessarily a tonal value study, but a way of creating a pleasing composition or backbone for your painting and then keeping that all the way through the painting process so that the work ends up with a clear strong design.

If you'd like to get a copy for yourself it's in the March issue of the magazine which is out in UK stores now, and is full of lots of other interesting features as always.

I've been getting some very nice feedback from people who have found the article helpful.

A cold corner

Sleeping awhile
Oils 14" x 18"

My big painting from the allotments last week in the snow. I really am pleased and excited with this. I feel as though there is a real breakthrough going on for me at the moment, and that the recent studio work I've been doing with the Christmas market scenes is now impacting on my plein air work. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what's going on but it's all very exciting. It's all to do with being able to say it more succinctly - "marked by compact precise expression without wasted words".

Incidentally I should tell you that it doesn't always go swimmingly and sometimes progress seems just beyond reach but I always know that it will come. When I'm going through a period of self doubt I just believe that it means a change is coming. I had this belief strongly in November and December last year and now I'm starting to see why. I just tell you that in case it's any use to you, to encourage you to develop that belief for yourself and carry on when it feels like you're dragging your feet through mud!

In situ

So for now I'm very happy to see where it takes me!

A detail showing brushmarks

I love the interesting marks and edges in this painting and I'm going to hang on to it for a while here in the studio. It's leading the way for now...

View with a room

View with a room
Oils 8" x 16"

We were blessed with a covering of snow again last week! It arrived overnight and by three o clock the next day it was all but gone. Luckily I had the chance to make the most of it and was able to get out early with all my paints and equipment in the car. After dropping the children off at school I was ready to go and I managed to find an allotments which I knew existed but I'd never been able to find before.
Everything there was covered in a blanket of snow, and my excitement level was at about fever pitch!

At first the sky was quite brooding and overcast while I had a good look around taking lots of photos, but by the time I was back where I started the sun was shining and things really started to warm up.
This is the second painting I did there, which took less than an hour and a half. You can see how rapidly the snow was melting by looking at this photo taken after I'd finished. It went from everything blanketed in snow at 9am to mostly mud and greenery by 2.00pm. The plus side to this rapid thaw was that I was lovely and warm standing in the sun, and of course I love the chance to paint strong clear shadows on snow which I wouldn't have had if the sun had stayed hidden.

The thing that really grabbed me here was the table and stack of chairs which looked kind of inviting in the sun there, although covered in a fine coat of snow. I also loved the light valued canes against the dark trees behind.
I must confess I was really pleased with the economy of my mark making on this one, was able to describe effectively what was happening with just a minimum of shapes and colour.

A detail

On my screen the shadow area of this picture looks a ghastly blue, which it isn't in real life. It really is a lovely subtle violet. Hope it looks ok on yours!

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 :-)

Across the snowy fields

Across the fields

We haven't had lots of snow this winter, but more than last year anyway which was none at all! In the couple of days of snow we had in January I had a drive around the local villages and found this wonderful view, looking across the fields outside Londonthorpe. I was particularly struck by the shape of that lovely tree halfway down the hill, and the gorgeous light effect giving warmth to its higher branches. Also how that warmth contrasted with the cool violet shadows falling across the foreground field. Gorgeous!

While I was there I saw a villager pouring salt on the icy road, another clearing a driveway with a shovel and one struggling to get his car out of a side road because of the depth of snow there. An awful lot of disruption and then within two days, there was no snow to be seen except for a frosting of ice here and there. This tends to be the way of things when snow falls in England, absolute pandemonium and then it's gone :-) 

My annual review 2014 - October to December

City fish

Finally here I am with part four of my annual review so you might want to make yourself a cup of tea before you settle down to read it, it's a long one. Pleased to say I'm feeling well again, hurrah!

After 'A brush with the broads' I was quite soon back down to Norfolk to take part in Paint Out Norwich, a selected plein air event involving around 30 artists chosen from an open entry. Again this was another brand new UK plein air event so I was very excited to be taking part. I also had a role to play helping my injured artist friend Mo Teeuw to get around as she was unable to drive at the time and painting from a wheelchair! Luckily the event organisers were fantastic - helpful, enthusiastic and fun. 

I hadn't been to Norwich since I was a child and I didn't remember anything, so I was happy to go to any spot allocated to me. We had four three hour painting sessions in different parts of Norwich over two intensive days. In between times we framed the wet paintings and grabbed a bite to eat, and enjoyed jolly get-togethers in the evening.

Pulls ferry, Norwich

The painting 'City fish' was painted in Norwich market on a very cold morning, and I had lots of interest and chat with passers-by. As soon as I saw the old man with the flat cap I had to draw him in quickly (with the brush). I think he makes the painting really!

Pulls ferry is a much painted local landmark and when I was on my way there somebody told me 'there's a choice of only two views (to paint) there'. Really? There are millions of views everywhere in my opinion, so I set off determined to choose a personal viewpoint for the painting. In the end I settled on this reflection, as I loved the glowing brightness of the distant trees through the archway, and all the leaves littered all over the water and pathway like confetti.

Work to be done,  Elm Hill
First prize winner, Paint Out Norwich
Private collection

Another picturesque corner of Norwich is Elm Hill. I had seen a photo beforehand and was really looking forward to painting there. When I arrived I was surprised and initially disappointed to see the scaffolding covering the left hand side building and crossing the narrow street in front of me. At times the sun broke through the clouds and the plane tree cast wonderful shadows on the yellow building, which I liked very much. Then I decided to paint the scene scaffolding and all, as I do enjoy a chance to show the signs of modern life and plus, can't resist the red (road signs).

The lady in the cafe opposite loved it. She said she'd seen many pretty paintings of it, but that mine captured Elm Hill as it really is - her everyday view. So that was encouraging!

Apparently the judges (the artists Trevor Chamberlain ROI RSMA and Colin Self, and curator Amanda Geitner) loved it too, as my painting of Elm Hill won the £1000 first prize in the first ever Paint Out Norwich!

No I really couldn't believe I was winning another prize - absolutely amazing. 

And I was so happy for my friend Roy Connelly too - see picture below!

With prizewinners Roy Connelly and Chris Daynes ROI
Paint Out Norwich

I drove home in the middle of the night on a complete high and in a bit of a daze! I got home and crawled into bed at 3am. When I got up that morning I had to empty the car and unpack, and then pack for France and reload the car, as we were leaving for a week in France just a few hours later. There are sometimes drawbacks to fitting it all in the way I do!

Another fantastic trip was my time in Venice with artist friends Penny German, Felicity House and Wyllis Heaton. We also met with Ann Justin, Kelly Medford and Louisa Calder. So much fun to have company to paint with and spend the evening with. The extra good news is I don't have to wait too long for my next Venice trip, as I've decided to go again this year. 

The weather was absolutely ideal for painting, no fog or cold for me this time! We did have one day of rain, but there are plenty of places to shelter and continue painting in Venice.

Shadows in Campo S Giovanni e Paolo

The artist Felicity House

I love this one of Felicity working on the steps to a bridge. You can feel the heat in the sunshine, just look at that clear blue sky! People were most amused to see that I was painting the artist painting. I love the wonky shopping trolley too. This could translate well into a studio painting couldn't it?

Painting in Venice

Rising shadows at the Ospedale
Private collection

Some of my paintings from Venice are available to buy direct from my studio. If you'd like to take a look you can find them here.

Washing day, Venice

In usual style I arrived home from Venice in the early hours of the morning for a few hours of sleep before attending my own exhibition preview!
While I'd been away the brilliant folk at Patchings Art Centre had hung the exhibition and it all looked beautiful. I liked to see the title of my exhibition here at the bottom of the stairs, doesn't that look nice?

Opening day of my exhibition

A breath of fresh air exhibition
Patchings art centre

During the exhibition I went in to the gallery for some painting days, a couple of which were portraits from life. Here I am painting my mum for one of the demos. She has her feet raised on a box because she's only little, like me!

Painting my mum in the middle of my exhibition at Patchings

Portrait of my mum

In December I had several trips to London to see the Royal Institute of Oil painters exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. I was exhibiting this painting there, which was painted en plein air in August on the island of Bréhat. 

Evening at the beach, Bréhat
Private collection

Another event in December was the ROI painting event evening at the gallery. My friend the artist Adebanji Alade was one of the sitters. I had a couple of hours on this and am very pleased with it. It was a really fun evening too.

Portrait of the artist
Adebanji Alade

Lastly in December I got really excited about a local subject, the Christmas market in Lincoln. I painted only one piece while there, but I've been working on a series of paintings in the studio. I'm really enjoying making painterly marks and as always, striving to say more with less.

Mulled wine, hot chocolate

Christmas market, mulled wine stall
Private collection

Christmas market at dusk

Christmas market, snow

I hope you've enjoyed the recap of my year. And now it's almost February, amazing! I have got an absolutely packed year happening, and so much to tell you about! Did you have any new year's resolutions? And how's that going? Mine was to draw every day and so far so good! I've kept that up for the whole of January and am feeling very good about it. I can already see how that regular sketch work is impacting on my painting and providing painting inspiration. I'm focussing on figure and portrait drawing because I want to include more people in my paintings, and possibly also because it's a challenge and a good practice, and endlessly fascinating. I will show you some more on the blog soon, but if you're on Twitter or Instagram check out my account as you can see nearly all the January sketches there. All the best ones anyway, there are a few I won't be sharing! ;-)