The Last Outpost.... a seaside painting.

Good morning Friends,

I saw a cobbled wall, a crumbling sandcastle, with a plastic flag stuck in it, with beach huts beyond.
It struck me that if I painted the beach huts as red, white and blue, there we would have the colours of the Union Jack. The Three Lions flag harks back to Richard the Lionheart, who first used it on his Great Seal.

I could imagine a child playing with their sandcastle, repelling all invaders, saving their own country - hence naming the painting:

The Last Outpost

 

Painted with Winsor & Newton paints, on Saunders Waterford 140 Rough Paper - a quarter sheet.

A meditative painting..... and a starry night which needs your help!

Good morning Friends,
I've got two paintings to show you today, both painted in watercolour.
The first is a calm, meditative one.

The Boathouse

I can imagine sitting on the foreground island and getting lost in a reverie.


The second is a starry night abstract, which I really struggled to photograph. It may be my little compact Fuji Finepix isn't up to the job. The electric blue rings are all painted to the same level - blue all the way round. Yet when I photographed them, some turned out white! How that happens, I have no clue. Perhaps you can help me, by giving me some tips on how to photograph a night time painting. Until then, I'll have to let you imagine that all the rings are indeed blue.

The Voyage Home

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions, and your comments on my paintings.

Chesterton's Donkey .... and a Rainy Day Sunday

Two paintings for you to enjoy today - firstly, there's the finished donkey painting. Inspired by a poem (see HERE)

Chesterton's Donkey

and then, when it was raining fit to bust yesterday, I painted this:

Rainy Day Sunday

and if you haven't seen the cover of my novel, All in the Leaves, you can find that, HERE 

Book news, a painting in progress.... and a quick sketch.

Good morning friends!

I've been a bit lax on the painting and blogging front this week... with a good reason. I've been making the final changes to my novel, All in the Leaves! It will be going off to the publisher this week - and should be out for sale by the end of the month!
It's very exciting.

So, what I have to show you this week is a work in progress and a quick sketch I made as I was waiting for the sky wash to dry.
The work in progress was inspired by a favourite poem of mine, by G.K. Chesterton, called The Donkey. You can read the poem HERE

In these four quick sketches, I worked out my placements for all the parts, so it would feel like a cohesive painting.

Having decided on number two, I drew the picture and started on the washes; painting the sky, the mountains, the blood red moon, the river and the first layer on the field,

then I painted the figs on thorn, some reflections, the colours on the fish, and some of the background trees.

Here's the quick sketch I made whilst waiting for the sky to dry:

The painting has been left at this point, because the novel took over - I'll show you the rest of the stages next week, because I should get to finish it on the second half of this week.

From next week, I should have time to visit your blogs- and I am so looking forward to that relaxation and enjoyment. I never knew how much time and energy writing, editing and polishing a book would take. I don't regret it, but would like a few more hours in each day!
Hope you have a good week.