Good morning everyone. Yesterday I went to see my acrylic painting at Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield and I was very pleased with it. Such a good exhibition of a variety of excellent painters, showing how to paint the sea.
In fact, there were oil, acrylic and watercolour paintings, resin, textiles, ceramics and photos. And what a thrill to be exhibited with them. And a nice opportunity to paint the sea.
My Painting in the Show
Finally, here’s another of my seascapes, I’m taking it to be framed this afternoon. Then it’s all ready for my solo show next month. But more of that later! Meanwhile, here is another seascape to look at.
Good morning everyone. Today I’d like to show you this intuitive abstract in acrylic- it’s all about the sea. Well, it wasn’t about anything at the beginning and I was playing about with colours. As usual, I put the first draft down fairly quickly, in some gorgeous shades of green, gold and blue. Actually, if you follow my blog, you may have noticed that I love this palette. And here is another seaside picture to prove it!
The Path down to the Sea
Anyway, to get back to ‘The Power of the Sea’, I worked on the picture from all four sides next. Then, at the end of this second session, I decided which version I liked best. And I chose the one with hints of waves, a cliff edge and a busy sky. Honestly, I don’t really know how this happens! But,the next hour is spent strengthening these images, And then I do a lot of looking over the next few days( or weeks!) Finally, I spend some time balancing up the composition and adjusting colours and tones. Until the painting says ” I’m done”. So, I suppose I can’t call this only an intuitive abstract. But, also a collaboration between my subconscious and my thinking brain.
Details of ‘The Power of the Sea’
The WavesThe CliffThe Sky
As I say, I don’t know how it happens, but it’s a lot of fun, and, quite addictive! And just look at the sea in this post here, in a very different mood.
All of my work is for sale, at reasonable prices. Just go to the Contact Me page and send me an email for more details.
Good morning everyone. Well, as I write this post all about summer paintings, the rain is falling in a steady drizzle. And the temperature has dropped a few degrees, so it’s not exactly hot and summery. Nonetheless, the day is warm and fine in this acrylic painting of a scene in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Perhaps you don’t know this area of rounded hills and sheltered valleys (the dales) in the north of England. But it’s one of our favourite spots and only a couple of hours drive from our home.
This view shows a very distinctive feature of the valley of the river Swale – the very numerous small barns. Actually, there’s practically one for each field and the farmers used them mainly for storing the hay. Whatever the reason, they are picturesque and very sketchable! In fact, the whole area is covered by a network of public footpaths and quite easy to explore. If you want to find out more about the region, look here.
Another One of my Summer Paintings
The Path to the Sea
Now, this is something completely different! And it started off as an intuitive abstract I painted in March this year. As the winter dragged on, my thoughts turned to sunshine and holidays by the sea. Slowly elements started to emerge which suggested a landscape I’ve often seen in France. Of course, this was back in the day when we used to travel – seems an age ago now! Anyway, we would often camp near a small seaside resort. And, somehow, this scene reminds me of parking the car on a rough patch of ground. Then struggling down a path made of soft sand to the idyllic beach, with only a few families to keep us company. Happy days!
Finally, I hope you enjoy looking at my summer paintings and dreaming your own dreams. Here is another lovely scene you might like. As you may know, all my paintings are for sale at reasonable prices. Affordable art! Just go to myContact Me page and get in touch.
Hello everyone. We’ve just come back from a lovely short break in Scarbrough on the Yorkshire coast in the UK. And it was quite sunny and perfect for sketching scenes! To be honest, I did this first sketch in Ravenscar, which is a half-hour drive further north of Scarbrough. Actually, it’s quite a fascinating place, the resort that never was.
Now, I must explain that the location is stunning, right on the edge of a dramatic stretch of steep cliffs. We love to spend time there, gazing down at the lush, expanse of under cliff, which comes between the top of the cliff and the rocky beach. But, this is really the problem because the path to the beach is very steep, and the beach has very little sand. So, not at all the best place to site a resort with relaxing walks and easy access to a nice sandy beach. However, this is exactly what the Peak Estates Company tried to do in 1890. And they planned the entire resort, buying up the land and everything. Even the streets and the sewers were laid out. Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off, the venture failed. Nonetheless , the place has a cafe, a hotel and a National Trust Information Centre, so it makes our visits there even more worthwhile.
Perhaps you may wish to know that I was sitting at a picnic bench on the green in front of the one and only cafe as I sketched this. And, it was closed for the day!
Sketching scenes at the Mere
The Ducks at the Mere
Yesterday, as we were setting off back home, we parked the car right next to the lake. Then we had a cup of coffee and watched the ducks, geese and swans, as they preened and squabbled. In fact, they were never still for long, a bit inconvenient when you’re sketching!
Sketching on the Balcony
Behind the Flats
Finally, here’s a watercolour painting of the view from the flat we usually stay in when we visit Scarbrough. Actually, I did a small sketch on the spot and then I painted this larger version at home two years ago. Incidentally, this view shows the undercliff area at North Bay, Scarbrough. But it’s not as extensive as the one at Ravenscar. Nor as cut off and mysterious like a little lost world!
Perhaps you would like to look at the landscapes and seascapes in my gallery here . And there are more paintings of Scarbrough there too. After all, it is one of my favourite places!
