'Peaches in Morning Light'

oil on board

6" x 6"

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The halved peach had begun to go squidgy and when I cut it open it had started to discolour inside. It was an interesting grey green colour in places, so instead of eating it I painted it. Tomorrow I am looking through my work and selecting pieces for the two group shows I'm involved in, both of which run in September. I'll post the exhibition details nearer the time. 

'Orange Juice on an Orange Cloth'

5" x 7"

oil on canvas board

I painted this very quickly today as I only had an hour to work. I'm quite happy with it considering the time limitation but I plan to spend just a little more time on it tomorrow. I decided to make this painting when I saw the orange juice sitting on the tablecloth in the gorgeous sunshine. It was interesting how the bright orange of the cloth made the orange of the juice look almost yellow. I also loved the pink against the orange...pink and orange has always been one of my favourite colour combinations. Long may the sunshine last!

Pathway Through Newball Woods

6" x 6"

oil on board

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Yesterday I took my new transportable easel and went out on location. It's a very long time since I worked in the great outdoors and I'd forgotten how organised you have to be! I arrived at the woods whilst it was overcast and set up my easel out in the open...big mistake! The sun came out, which was wonderful at first but I'd positioned myself in the full sun and it was becoming increasingly hotter and brighter by the minute! I had no sun hat and no umbrella to give any shade (they went straight on my list of things to take next time!) By this point I was in the middle of this little oil sketch above and decided that I'd started so I'd finish despite feeling I might melt away at any minute!  Eventually I decided that enough was enough and it was time to pack up. I did a little more work on the painting back in the studio just to pull it together and then left it alone. 
I'm at the moment planning my next excursion but will definitely be better prepared next time!

"George' almost finished

oil on board

8" x 12"

NFS

Well...I didn't manage to get back to the painting until today (it's just been one of those weeks!) but I made good progress and have brought it very close to completion. I need to re-visit the hand and resolve it a little more and then I think I can call the painting finished. I've really enjoyed making this painting and working with faces again..so expect to see some more very soon!

'George' - second stage

I worked for another three hours on 'George' this afternoon and now have the majority of the painting complete. But the light has deteriorated so badly right now that I've decided to call it a day. Tomorrow is taken up with teaching and other commitments so it will be Thursday before I'm able to get back to it. Ah well, at least it will be dry enough to be able to scumble over the top which at this stage will be useful. The next posting should be the finished painting if all goes to plan! 

First stages of George!

8" x 12"

oil on board

I started this painting of George late this afternoon. As you can see he's a proper chilled out baby! I've spent about two hours working on the painting so far.This is a real challenge as his skin is flawless like porcelain unlike a nice worn in face of an adult with lots of undulations and contour lines to work with!  His skin has a cool hue so I'm using a warm contrasting ground. I'm happy with the way it's going so far and even though I'm working from an image I will limit the time I spend on the painting so as not to overwork it...probably one more long session and a short session just to add any finishing touches. I'll post you an update tomorrow!

'Flowers in a Mug on a Green Ground'

oil on board

8" x 8"

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I spent an hour on this yesterday and about half an hour today and have just this minute put the finishing touches to it. I've used the same subject on the green ground that I used on my last painting on the red ground. I wanted to show how the ground colour directly influences the outcome. The ground colour in this painting was bright lime green which I think gives it a fresher feel. I let the painting do the talking as I worked on it and found myself re-inventing the colour of the mug, changing it from almost black to a more muted blue. I prefer this version because of its freshness and because it's a looser depiction probably because it was executed in half the time. 

'Flowers in a Cup'

oil on board

8" x 8"

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I made this painting on a red ground. It's one of my favourite colours to work on. Because the red is so bold it insists that the colours painted onto it are also bold. I used a vivid orange over the red on the lower half of the painting which adds vibrancy to the complimentary blue where the orange peeps through. Tomorrow I have a bright green ground to explore! 

'Peeled Banana and Cherries'

oil on board

6" x 6"

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This batch of cherries was so delicious they just had to be painted! I had to work quickly painting the banana as it was wilting fast! It was the last one left from the bunch and had started to change from its newly picked vibrant yellow to a strange dull and murky colour. But it was such an interesting colour I decided that it also had to be painted! 

'Man in the Moonlight'

'Man in the Moonlight'

8" x 12"

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This is my 'Man in the Moonlight'. It is one of my favourite small paintings so far. I introduced phthalo turquoise and prussian blue back into my palette for this one and worked the painting on a burnt sienna ground.  I have to say that the colours in the image aren't quite true to life. In the painting, the tablecloth is warmer with slightly more yellow and the blue in the lamp is a little greener. If you would like to bid for him just click on the link under the image and it will take you straight through to the bidding page on the Daily Paintworks website.

'Pear, Lemon and Peeler'

Acrylic and oil on gesso board

20cm x 18cm

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This painting was begun in acrylic and finished in oil. The composition originally consisted of the pear and lemon on the table cloth. I painted it for my class as an example of loose brushwork on a small scale. I came across the painting again recently and decided that the composition needed a third object, so I included a man-made metallic object in contrast to the organic fruit. Acrylic paint suits the classroom situation as it dries quickly and is water soluble so produces no fumes. But it also works well for the underpainting of an oil painting for the same reason that it dries quickly therefore shortening the painting time. You can then go on to complete the painting in oil.  

'Inuit Indian'

oil on board

6" x 6"

I made a painting today of one of my favourite things - a carving in volcanic stone of an Inuit Indian. In my mammoth clear out during 'the move that didn't happen' this was one of the things that didn't go. It's a very simple but beautiful little carving and it has been in my possession now for a number of years. So in its honour I painted it. 

First Daily Paintworks challenge

Oil on board

8" x 8"

SOLD

This is my first 'Daily Paintworks Challenge' piece. The Daily Paintworks website sets a different challenge each week and artists are invited to participate. (You don't have to be a member to participate, so anyone out there interested...why not have a go!) This challenge is called 'The Phone Photo Challenge'. It was fun to do and quick to execute. I find that making these small, fast paintings works in a sense, like keeping a sketchbook or visual diary. They record my visual ideas and document my journey as a painter.