'From the North Shore, Rutland Water', oil 9 x 12 inches. 

What artist can resist a contre-jour subject, with pure sunlight bouncing off water - it just gives that instant, dramatic light effect, which is such a challenge to replicate with paint. Titanium white is so inadequate as a brightness, but a fair illusion can be achieved if you get the relative tones right and a flare where sunlight meets land. Here's hoping anyway...! #intothelight #contrejour #puresunlight #dramaticlighting

 'A View of Semerwater, Yorkshire Dales', oil 12 x 17 inches.

I painted this one from a reference photo on the way to the Lake District last year. I just loved that big Oak in the left mid-ground, the rolling hills, dramatic sky, sunlight on the distant fields above the lake, the lake itself - just asked to be painted. Now SOLD

#yorkshiredales #semerwater #oilpaintingforsale #peterbarkerpainting

Here's one of mine, a commissioned piece that sold for Christmas Day, 'Gossamer Sunset' a 9 x 12 inch oil of the view at Morcott through a line of Oak trees.

                 'Barnsdale Bluebells', oil 6 x 8 inches. 

A commissioned painting. Hopefully by the time these beautiful flowers are carpeting our woodlands next year, Covid19 might be well on the way out of our lives...

#bluebells #barnsdale #englishwoodland

Snow by Duddington Bridge

                           Oil 9 x 12 inches. 

Painted using a photo taken during the beast from the east in 2018, I just loved that intense, reflected sunlight on the water, with jewels dotted all over the surface. The challenge with snow is getting the tones right – the brightest light was that reflection on the water, so everything else had to be toned down from that, accordingly.

#snowatduddington #snowscape #riverwellandinwinter #rutlandinwinter #wintrylandscape #winterriver #sheenonwater

Otis

Pastel 11 x 10 inches

Here's a recently finished Pastel portrait of 'Otis', my step-daughter's Border Terrier, done for her birthday. Otis is a flighty, full of energy terrier, never staying still for more than a nanosecond, so I wanted to capture that sense of urgency in him.

The Derwent in Borrowdale

                           Oil 7.5 x 10 inches.

 

One of the most beautiful parts of England, especially at this time of year - blues, reds, greens, oranges and yellows.

#riverderwent #borrowdale #englishlandscape #lakeland #lakedistrict

Great Langdale Cottages

                          Oil 10 x 14 inches. 

 New studio painting. Just liked the way the cottages were perched on the steep hillside, and the right-hand chimney was set against the lovely white side of the second cottage. Rather a complex frontage to sort out, and not at all simple to paint loosely, so I didn't! I wanted to capture all those bits and bobs to set a jumble of shapes in contrast to the stark mountains behind.

#greatlangdale #lakedistrict #langdale #lakedistrictpainting

Barrowden, from Morcott Windmill

                           Oil 12 x 17 inches

 

A recent commissioned painting, with the view from the top of Morcott Windmill - not a view many people have! #barrowden #morcott #rutlandlandscape

Over the Valley, Burbage South

 

Oil 9 x 12 inches

 

Another painting from the recent trip with artist friends to the Peak District. This was the last painting of the day, hurriedly drawn and the basics sketched in with oil and finished in the studio. I was somewhat hampered by leaving my specs in the car after trekking up to the venue, so the first painting, 'Rock Formations and Millstones, Burbage South' was a double challenge in the ferocious wind and being semi-blind! This second effort was a little easier having tucked myself out of the worst of the wind and trekked back to the car to get my glasses! The figure, perfectly placed for the composition, is fellow painter, Ian Leyton, who was painting down below me.

#peakdistrict #peakdistrictnationalpark #burbageedge #burbagesouth #burbagesouthboulders #pleinairpainting

Nelly

 

Here's a recent commissioned painting of 'Nelly' for a lovely couple, entailing a lot of subterfuge from husband, but successfully received for the lady's Birthday today! Oil, 11 x 9 inches

#dogportrait #oilpainting #blacklab

*GIVEAWAY!*

Over on my Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/peter_barker_artist/ and on the gallery Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/peter_barker_fine_art/ you can win a £250 voucher to spend on one of my paintings! All you have to do is

1 Follow @peter_barker_artist and @peter_barker_fine_art Instagram pages if you don't already.

2 Like the Giveaway post.

3 Comment and tag two friends - any extra tags count as extra entries.

And, if you share the post on your story it will count as an extra entry and remember to tag me so I know.

Promotion ends at 9pm on Sunday 11th October, and the lucky winner will be picked at random and announced here and on Instagram soon after - GOOD LUCK all!

Tintern Abbey

                         Oil 12 x 17 inches

 A dream subject, looking straight into the sunlight, with the abbey ruins silhouetted against the backdrop of distant blue forest, and twinkly jewels of sparkles on the water. I used my artistic licence and moved a couple of the willows in the foreground for composition's sake. Of course, many of you will remember Terry Wogan and Pauly Walters' joke..."Tintern Abbey" (said in a West midlands accent)...to which the reply was "'tis"...

Rock Formations and Millstones, Burbage South

                               Oil 9 x 12 inches. 

 

Finished in the solace of the studio after painting in a hurricane at last week’s paint-out with Terry Preen, Jenny Aitken, David Curtis, Chris Slater, Matt Dnahsnam Kay, Ian Layton and Tim Rose.

Even though the temperature was about 18 deg, it was incredibly cold, and as the wind got ridiculously strong, it was impossible to do anything approaching a delicate brushstroke, so much as I would like to have finished it in situ, it was impossible. The calm of the studio is perfect for adding final touches, like the figure to give the monumental scale of the rocks.

Cottages at Grasmere

Watercolour 9 x 12 inches

 

I didn’t quite get the shaft of light on the hillside above the cottages, which was the hook to paint this view. I may paint it in oils, my default medium, although I enjoyed the tussle of watercolour, especially depicting the low cloud over the distant blue mountain, with the crisp edge disappearing into the cloud.