#206 ‘The Thames at Twickenham’ 8×10″
Yesterday I had my first day painting with the Wapping Group. Is the longest established society of working artists in the UK, started in 1946 and limited to just 25 members. I went as a guest you can go 4 times in a season. I felt quite anxious but they...
#205 ‘Yacht Harbour’ 24x30cm
Not any easy subject! A mass of masts and mud! I was told it helps to paint the uprights - masts before you put the sky in. See pic below. I liked the light masts agaisnt the dark tree foliage and the hulls of the boats shining in the sun. I quickly put the...
Award Winner!
I have just found out I have been given 2 awards at The Patchings Art Festival in The Artist Magazine Category. So thrilled I can't quite believe it ????It's the Royal Talens award and The Artist Exhibition award. If you get a chance could you vote for...
#204 ‘View over Southsea Common’ 21x30cm
This is a view from my Mums flat in Southsea - Portsmouth. I painted on the balcony, 7 floors up. The common grass area is already dry and burnt from the sun we've been having. The building is Southsea Castle (built in 1544) and the light house was built in...
#203 ‘Morning Light, The Trundle’ 24x30cm
Painting this morning back at the Trundle I was here a few days ago but in the evening. I decided to take a risk and try a different technique to what I have been practising recently.To cover the whole board in paint and then paint over the top to adjust the...
#202 West Witterings Beach 18x24cm
Yesterday we were out in West Witterings in Hampshire. It was sunny and the sea breeze was blowing. I burnt the backs of my knees (missed the sun cream here!) It really felt like summer and it was teaming with people.I started one composition and it wasn't working so...
#201 ‘Evening Light, The Trundle’ 9×12″
I painted this last night, a hot hazy evening, with beautiful light.I had forgotten how wonderful this view is. It is a huge expanse, looking left is Chichester and right is Portsmouth and in the distance the Isle of Wight (all Hampshire.)I didnt have long before the...
#200 ‘View from the Old Dairy’ 18x24cm
Yesterday I was on a great workshop with artist Richard Pikesley, there were 9 of us on it and we focused on tonal key and greens! Having had a day with Richard 6 weeks ago it was really helpful to check in and see if I'm on the right track. He said I...
#199 ‘Sunflowers’ 8×8″
I went to RHS Wisley with a painter friend. She is a botanical artist and has not painted outdoors before.These variety of sunflowers are called 'Baby Face' and when people walked past them they made them smile. Yellows are always tricky to get the tonal...
#198 ‘Setting Sun, Sky Study’ & Sketches
This was the fourth painting of the day, so I was warmed up and flowing! Although when I did it at 10pm it was dusk and could hardly see what I was painting 🙂 There isn't much tonal contrast just colour contrast. I enjoyed getting the paint down quickly.I...
#197 ‘Flags & Fishing Buoys’ 24x30cm
This was near our hotel and all of us artists past this scene and went ooooh! So brightly coloured and great shapes.I drew it the night before so I could work out the shapes and composition. It was still a challenge though! I haven't been mapping out before I...
#196 ‘Low Tide, Port en Bessin’ 8×10″
For some reason the flies loved this painting. I was working with another artist near by and her painting wasn't attractive to them! Look at my palette pic to see how many were in there. First I tried to save them by the end they were being mixed and and applied to my...
#195 ‘Port en Bessin, France’ 18x21cm
I simplified what was there and emphasised the bits I liked. Building up a patchwork of colour, shapes and tones. A tricky subject but enjoyed piecing it all together.A young French couple watched me paint for a while and then using google translate asked if it...
#194 Morning Light, Port en Bessin 18x24cm
There was a window of lovely light which I wanted to capture. To be bold in the mark making, blocking in and simplifying the shapes and keeping the colours fresh to help show the light.I am now back home from the French trip. It's been hard keeping up with blogging...
#193 ‘Pholos, Ile de Re’ 10×10″
I heard from the other painters about a lovely old boat on blocks out of the water. There were 6 people painting around the area. I joined them with uncertainty as it was a big subject to tackle. The drawing & structure is important to get the angles...
#192 ‘Morning Reflections, Ile de Re’ 18x21cm
I wanted to get a quickie in before we left for our next location. An early start where I was rewarded with beautiful light, really calm water and perfect reflections. I worked on a small board and time limited seamed to help being decisive and strong with...
#191 ‘Mist Clearing, Ile de Re’ 10×10″
I had completed a painting of this misty scene the previous day. It was a landscape board and smaller scale. I wasn't 100% happy with it. Luckily the mist came back so I was able to have another go...When I started the tide was up and the mist thick. Mist...
#186 ‘Cherries in a Green Pot’ 6×6″
I wanted to paint from life (not from a photo) while we were doing the Open Studios last weekend. My Mum kindly gave us some cherries to eat, they looked so good I painted them, and then ate them!I enjoyed painting the cherries more than I thought I would, the rich...
#185 ‘Storm Over West Wittering’ 21x30cm
Very testing conditions! It was last week when the wind and rain was battering the country I went to the coast thinking it would be dramatic down there. It was 🙂 I tucked up against a groin but it really made no difference. The wind was so strong I could hardly...
#184 ‘Fishing Boat, Emsworth Harbour’ 18x24cm
Painted this yesterday morning, nice light, especially compared to the grey drizzle of today! At the moment I am enjoying painting boats and their individual characters! When I arrived the tide was mainly out, and as I was paintiing it was creeping in around...
#183 ‘Turning Tide, Emsworth Harbour’ 21x30cm
Painted this a few days ago. I was standing at the end of the jetty that I had previously painted #178. When I arrived the tide was almost at it's lowest, it's surpising how quickly it turned and changed. When it did the boats turned 180 degrees! And the mud flat...
Surrey Artists Open Studios 2017
It starts today! I've been meaning to write this post for a few days but the preparations for the Open Studios always take longer than I think.We are ready (just!) and excited to open the doors to the public today and for the next 3 weekends - see pic below for...
#182 ‘Table Mountain, Cape Town’ 24x30cm
I made this painting from the drawings I did in Cape Town on our recent visit (see below). I didn't have my paints with me so it was great to actually paint it! Sunrise, with beautiful soft light on the mountain and deep turquoise blues and apricots of the...
#181 ‘Spring, Devils Punch Bowl’ 24x30cm
I started this one a few days ago....But decided I wanted to get more information to finish it so I went back the next morning to do a drawing and really look at the shapes and tones.It was early morning light between 5-6am it had a warm glow and strong contrasts. An...
#180 ‘Spring, Bramshott Common’ 18x24cm
I started this one outside 30 mins in I looked behind me and saw and big bank of dark cloud coming. It didn't take long before the light I was painting was obscured! So I painted what I could remember and then finished in my studio. To show you how different...
#179 ‘Frensham Little Pond’ 8×8″
I zoomed in to be close to the subject as I wanted to study the colours, reflections and light. Subtle variations in tone, with just a few really light, bright greens. It isn't a classic view of this pond but still hopefully has a feel of the reeds and water!
#178 ‘Emsworth Habour Jetty’ 5×10″
This is the second one I did a couple of days ago in Emsworth Harbour. I was running out of steam by then and the light wasn't as beautiful as the early morning so I packed up. Back in the studio I ended up wiping most of it off see below as I wasn't happy with how...
#177 ‘Morning Reflections, Emsworth Harbour’ 18x2cm
I got up at 4.30am for this painting! Rather early but needed to get down to the coast and paint and get back again before my husband went to work at 8.30am - we have our shared dog staying, he's blind and can't be left alone.It was beautiful at this time so still and...
#176 ‘Low Tide Emsworth Harbour’ 18x24cm
Back home I wanted to explore what I had learnt with Richard Pikelsey as soon as possible. So I set off early to paint in Emsworth harbour. With a very low tide I was able to stand out on the mud flats and use a little boat as my table 🙂 see belowI liked the...
#175 ‘View Towards Abbotsbury’ 18x24cm
This is the second painting I did with artist Richard Pikesley.We struggled to find something decent in the murk of drizzle and low cloud. The view we eventually settled on you could easily have driven past as it wasn't spectacular but it had some great light in the...
#174 ‘West Bay Harbour’ 18x24cm
I feel very privileged to have had a painting day with an English artist Richard Pikesley he is a wonderful painter and the president of the New English Art Club.I felt like I needed some input and direction on how to progress my paintings to another level. I...
#173 ‘Morning Light, Southsea Promenade’ 9×12″
I went back the next day to paint looking west into the morning sun. I featured the sky and old fashioned lamp post. The sun on the sea was bleached white just some warmth from the yellow.The string of fairy lights were fun to paint, I used 4 brushes one for each...
#172 ‘Southsea Promanade’ 9×12″
I have been out painting over the past 3 days. The first day at Queen Elizabeth Country Park nr Petersfield. Being early morning there was no sunlight and the tones were very close together and a bit dull on the wooded subject I chose. After an hour and half of...
Sketches of South Africa
Arrived back home yesterday from South Africa, a wonderful trip visiting my sister.Pen & Ink, Table Mountain. We saw the sunrise over Table Mountain twice - It was so good we had to go back and see it again! Beautiful colours and I was itching to paint them.We...
#171 ‘The Red Boat’ 8×10″
This was taken from a photo a took last year in Harridge, Essex. Contra jour with the flags lit in the sun. I didn't feel confident enough to paint it then. So I had a go yesterday in the Museum, not easy when the subject is nearly all in shadow. I painted the boat...
#170 ‘La Plagne, The Alps’ 9×12″
This was taken from a drawing I made while in the French Alps. (see below)It really helpd to have drawn it as the tones are quite close together and having studied it in person helped with the painting. (didn't make it easy though!)The light source was...
#169 ‘Morning Light, Devils Punch Bowl’ 8×10″
This is the second of the snow paintings in this area. I really enjoyed putting the light in - once all the darks and mids were in place. I'm starting a painting by mixing the main colour and then using that paint if I can as a starting point to mix other main...
#168 ‘Morning Shadows, Devils Punch Bowl’ 8×10″
I made a sketch of this scene back in February when it was snowing, see pic below.I liked the feathery tree with the dark behind and the wonderful blues. I worked on using thicker paint to create a more shimmery light.I enjoyed painting it so much I have done another...
Haslemere Museum Exhibition & no. 167 Langstone Study
We had our Private View last Thursday. It went well, had a good turn out, lovely feedback and some sales! You can see some daily still life paintings and my plen air land and seascape. I hung 44 and had 10 left over, I didn't want to crowd the wall. Everyone said it...
#166 ‘Frensham Great Pond’ 12×12″
I have been itching to do some painting especially outside. It was a beautiful day yesterday and so lovely to be by the water and painting again, I even had to take my coat off it was warm!Initially I was disappointed with the view, but when I looked into the sun -...
Drawing The French Alps
We recently returned form our ski trip in La Plagne France. It snowed and snowed! The drawing above was after a big dump of snow overnight. I used 3 tones - dark, mid and light - the white of the paper.The one below is when it started to melt, and there was no snow...
Update Post – Away & Exhibitions
I am away for a week or so skiing for my birthday 🙂 very excited as I used to be a ski instructor in my 20's and love being in the mountains.I am not taking my painting gear, a hard descion as I'm sure there will be lots of inspiration in the Alps, but will take my...
#165 ‘The Gate, Devils Punch Bowl’ 11×14″
I did a quick sketch (see below) when we had a dusting of snow a couple of weeks ago. I liked the limited colours and that you could see the Punch Bowl sweeping around in the distance - when the mist cleared a little!I drew it out three times on two different sized...
#164 ‘Sunset, Frensham Pond’ 9.5×12″
I had made a dash for the Pond as I saw the sky had potential to be a wonderful sunset. But in my haste I forgot my Pochade (outside easel) very annoying but took my board, and sketch book and drew the scene several times to try and learn the subject and imprint it on...
#163 Dawn, Langstone Harbour 9×12″
Before the sun showed itself and the warm glow of light. This is the 6th painting of the Langstone area and as I get to know it I see more subtleties and details which I try to include in my painting.Difficult to manage all the dark tonal areas but I worked from the...
#162 Langstone Mill 9×12″
When I arrived it was about 10am and being winter the light was warm and soft, no wind and perfectly still waters. The tide was going out and the reflection soon disappeared but I blocked in the main shapes before it did! I painted the sky in a very light...
#161 ‘Langstone Harbour’ 9×12″
I wanted to try my favourite subject of the moment in daylight. Previously I have painted the area at sunrise. Going back today the colour of the light was different, I could see more in the mud flats as they weren't as silhouetted and they had a green tinge...
#160 ‘Newlands Corner’ 8×20″
I started this last weekend. But when I got back to the studio I found I couldn't finish because I didn't have enough information, it was the fist time I had visited and it was misty with the sunrise. So I went back and did two drawings of the subject. I must...
#159 ‘Langstone Mud Flats’ 12×12″
The past week or so my time has been dediatcated to the two oil classes I teach. We did a 3 boat seascape,very pleased with how the students managed a tricky subject!Today I was itching to get out there again, and I managed a weather window before storm Doris blows...
#158 The Chantries, Surrey Hills 9.5×12″
Very busy at the moment, as I have two exhibitions in March, one joint with my husband and one in a gallery. So I'm painting like a mad women to supply both! I've discovered two new areas I like for painting (The Chantries & Newlands Corner, both on the North...
My plein air experiences, insights, battles and painting life blogged as often as I can.
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