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.
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.
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.
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"...
