'Two Pots and a Mirror'

'Two Pots and a Mirror'

6" x 6"

oil on board

My grandaughter bought me this little pot out of her own pocket money :)

Then she asked me if I would paint it! So here it is, just for her, two pots for the price of one! I like using mirrors for the abstract shapes they can create, but not round ones I've decided...they're very tricky! It's been an interesting exercise exploring once again all the different tones and colours of grey you have to use to achieve white. Half closing the eyes is an invaluable way of identifying values, I can't recommend it enough.

My entry for an exhibition.

'Looking Back'

50cm x 40cm

I took my entry over today for submission to the open show at Ropewalk Gallery in Barton-on-Humber. This piece, 'Looking Back', is from my 'Modern Woman' series in which the image has been scored into the paper without any preliminary pencil marks. It's a very risky way of working as the image made with the scored marks only becomes clearly visible when charcoal is applied over the surface of the paper. I then work with the resulting image. It's risky but exciting to work in this way as it provides an element of unpredictability and the freedom and opportunity to move right away from the starting point. You can see another piece from the series, 'British Girl in Turkey', if you go to my Facebook page and look at the cover photo at the top of the page. Click here for the link.

Hope you're all having a great bank holiday weekend!

Study in graphite "Statuette of Joan of Arc'

12" x 8"

 'Joan of Arc' is one of my favourite possessions. She's made from parian marble and is beautifully white. I had a lovely afternoon drawing her.  

'Tomatoes and Pan'

10" x 12"

oil on board

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I painted 'Tomatoes and Pan' this afternoon. It took approximately two and a half hours to complete. I imposed a time limit again and didn't go over it and I'm happy with the result. It's certainly not overworked and that's the way it's going to stay, and to make sure, the things have been put away and the tomatoes will be eaten within an hour! 

Commission of Henry

12" x 16"

oil on stretched canvas

This is 'Henry', the commission I was working on during last week. I'm hoping I've captured him. I only had a photograph to go on. There were no sittings and I've never met Henry so consequently couldn't work from memory either. I'm now awaiting a verdict to see if I'm anywhere close to accurate! Will keep you posted as to the outcome!

'Pots with Pear in Dish'

10" x 12"

oil on board

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I set a strict time limit for this painting. I didn't want to spend too much time on any one part and end up putting in too much information and subsequently tightening up. My time limit was two hours which was easy to set as two hours was the only amount of time I had to work so I couldn't go beyond it even if I wanted to...this seemed a good plan. All went well and I was just giving myself a pat on the back for achieving what I'd set out to do when I realised I'd left out the reflection of the blue and white pot! Duh...! That was yesterday afternoon. Today I painted in the weird and distorted abstract reflection and strengthened some of the values. 

I don't think it's important what objects you paint, the importance lies in the way in which the light falls on them. Sometimes you can suddenly notice something that you've passed many times previously which had stayed invisible until that moment just because the light is falling on it in a different way. Changing light alters our perception of what is around us and provides an opportunity to translate that visual excitement into paint. Sometimes I feel very privileged and lucky being an artist.

'Alexander' revisited

8" x 8"

oil on board

SOLD

The last few days I've been busy on a commission in between working on a painting for a future exhibition. This morning I've been varnishing paintings and I've reworked the right eye and eyebrow (on the right as you look at the painting) in 'Alexander'. It's something that's been bugging me for a while so today I decided to put it right and be done with it!   

Further work on yesterday's painting

10" x 12"

oil on board

Click to bid

I've made some changes to 'Pot, Apple and Very Old Spoon' and I now feel satisfied it's resolved. So this afternoon I'm resisting starting a new painting because I have to figure out which work to submit to some forthcoming exhibitions which means mayhem in my workspace whilst I get it all out and try to decide! 

'Pot, Apple and Very Old Spoon'

10" x 12"

oil on board

This is my afternoon's work after teaching this morning. The light coming through the window in my studio was just right for a still-life set up on the floor. I'm pleased I've painted this lovely patterned pot at last...it's been waiting its turn in my studio! 

'Mushroom Study'

6" x 6" 

oil on board

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I enjoyed painting this little mushroom study this afternoon. I knew I only had a limited amount of time so I chose a simple subject for a quick study. It does look very 'mushroomy' so I'm happy with it :) I used a warm orange for the ground colour and then worked over with a palette of burnt sienna, yellow ochre, ultramarine and titanium white which were enough colours to mix a range of warm and cool greys - warm greys for the mushrooms and cool greys for the cloth.

Ice Cream on a Winter's Afternoon' finished

8' x 8"

oil on board

Click to buy

I've finally finished the Ice Cream painting. I resolved all the bits that I mentioned in my previous post plus a couple more. The alterations have improved the painting and made it easier to read so I'm  happy with it now. :) By the way...you can see one of my portraits all beautifully framed up if you click here  The link will send you through to Ashcraft Framing who can always be relied on to do a brilliant job! Have a great bank holiday weekend!

'Ice Cream on a Winter's Afternoon' not quite finished yet!

8" x 8"

oil on board

This is the first time I've been able to get back to this painting since Monday. There are still some bits to resolve...a very skinny ankle for one thing, a hand that ISN"T holding the bag and some incoherent distant ground! But putting all that to one side, I had a great day teaching yesterday. It's very exciting...my Wednesday morning class are preparing for their first exhibition in June! So the tension is mounting!!!