by Clare Bowen | Feb 4, 2018 | Boats, Contra Jour, Emsworth, Hampshire, Sea, Seascape, Sky
Some plein air painting days don’t turn out as you expect…I went to Bosham first but with high tide, a biting wind, no reflections, and no boats it wasn’t inspiring so I went to my other favourite painting spot (Bosham Channel) but again with high...
by Clare Bowen | Jan 30, 2018 | Bosham, Contra Jour, Low Tide, Seascape, Sky, West Sussex
One of those that happened like magic! It painted itself. I spent sometime looking for the ‘right’ composition and ended up back at the first place I looked! I had been put off as my back was right next to a main road – loud and fast.But I...
by Clare Bowen | Jan 24, 2018 | Beach, Sea, Seascape, Sky, West Sussex, West Witterings
Very windy day but beautiful light. I got sucked into the big view and used a big canvas. I was pleased with the bones of it – composition and the sky but then I got home and it underwhelmed a little, I think the colours were too muted and so nothing to loose I...
by Clare Bowen | Dec 20, 2017 | Landscape, Sky, Trundle, Winter
Gorgeous light when I arrived at the Trundle yesterday. I liked the contrast of rich greens and strong shapes in the foreground to the soft pastels colours diffused by the mist on the horizon. You couldn’t see the sea or Isle of wight and the land and sky...
by Clare Bowen | Nov 22, 2017 | Beach, Charmouth, Cliff, Dorset, Seascape, Sky
This is a new board size and it works well for this sweaping sort of subject and when you want more sky in. A grey day apart from the sliver of light on the horizon, the sky was fun to paint. There’s an estuary going through the beach which deposits...
by Clare Bowen | Nov 21, 2017 | Dorset, Sea, Seascape, Sky
It was a grey day but the sun came out for 30 minutes or so and I grabbed it! When a subject is changing so quickly I paint it in the order it’s going change the most. 1. Clouds – the shape & colour 2. Light on the water the lightest...
by Clare Bowen | Nov 1, 2017 | Beer Devon, Cliff, Seascape, Sky, Water
I looked around after I finished the previous boat painting I posted and saw the light on the water and sky and thought I’ve got to paint that! So I turned my easel around and started straight away. The light only lasted about 30 minutes so it was a scramble to...
by Clare Bowen | Nov 1, 2017 | Beach, Beer Devon, Devon, Sky, Sunrise
I thought the sunrise was going to be a bit of a damp squib. So I had started another painting of the fishing boats but without the light it wasn’t working so when the flash of orange appeared I picked up my easel and almost ran to the edge of the beach! Then...
by Clare Bowen | Oct 18, 2017 | Boats, Gondolas, Grand Canal, Sky, Sunset, Venice
I stood in the Vaperetto water bus stop to paint this. It was a great view looking down the grand canal and the georgous light after the sun had set.It was very fleeting so I worked quickly and keeping it loose. I mixed the peachy pink colours with Naples yellow deep,...
by Clare Bowen | Sep 27, 2017 | Blue, Boats, Langstone, Seascape, Sky, Sunrise
I decide not to settle for a mediocre composition. I went to a place I had liked previously painted and the tide was so far out there was a trickle of water and mainly mud! It didnt inspire me – and it needs too!So I drove across Langstone Bridge onto Hayling...
by Clare Bowen | Sep 21, 2017 | Cows, Green, Landscape, Sky, Somerset, Trees
Somerset levels are quite flat and low level so the skies are amazing, dramatic and endless. Could paint them all day! A group of us liked this subject because when we arrived the light was behind the trees – contra jour and the cattle were standing with a...
by Clare Bowen | Sep 20, 2017 | Farm, Field, Landscape, Sky, Somerset
Horse drawn plows & tractors all competing for the best and straightest plowing! Quite mesmerising to watch, and also a bit of a culture shock when we first arrived in the field, with over 40 tractors, horses and farmers doing there thing, so different to the...
by Clare Bowen | Aug 22, 2017 | Beach, Contra Jour, Sea, Seascape, Sky, Spain, Trees
This was a tough painting! I started in the shade of the palms but as the sun rose I was exposed! Very hot and bright even my phone over heated and temporarily wouldn’t work!The composition was tricky as there were a lot of palms all in lines, I moved...
by Clare Bowen | Aug 18, 2017 | Blue, Sea, Seascape, Sky, Spain
The first painting in Spain, it took me a few attempts to decide on the composition. As I was drawn to the light on the sea and the sky. But I got sucked in to a traditional a view putting the buildings in, I wiped it down and cut the building off. When...
by Clare Bowen | Aug 11, 2017 | Boats, Buildings, Seascape, Sky, West Sussex, Yachts
What a great place to paint! So many options it was hard to choose until I saw this scene, when I couldn’t take my eyes from it. It was a great sky day too, I wanted to do some cloud studies but this scene won! It was Sunday morning, and the sailing club...
