Mighty Beech Corner

Oil on Board, 9 x 12 inches

I did this en plein air a few weeks ago and have only just got around to finishing it off in the studio. I finished off the bulk of the massive Beech in the foreground, but realised I had bitten off more than I could chew in the two hours spent on site, with the fishing-line tangle of branches in the upper section.

February is never the most colourful of months, apart from when there's a good frost or layer of snow on the ground, but this spot offered a good composition after driving around for as while, looking for inspiration. The main hook was the lovely light on the foreground Beech, with that great bough growing over the road, with those branch shadows describing its form.

I may have overworked it a little, but I do love painting enough of the tree branches to do it justice.

March Shimmer

Oil on Board, 10 x 14 inches

Back in the saddle painting again, and it's great to have a brush in my hand once more. I actually painted this one as a demonstration piece for the Tamworth Art Group a couple of weeks ago, finishing it off in the studio yesterday.

The bridge is over the River Welland at Duddington in Rutland, a stretch of river that owes me nothing, having painted it in all weathers, moods and seasons. 

I deliberately toned down the sky a little in order to reserve the pure Titanium White sparkles on the water. The back end of Winter/early Spring everything looks a little tired just before the growth of new shoots appears, but there is a surprising amount of colour still, with the gorgeous blues of distant trees and the warm accents of last year's dead reeds. The key is to observe the progessively lighter and bluer tones of trees as they recede into the distance - getting those tones right will give your own painting depth too.

New Gallery!!!!

So, you've probably been wondering where I've been for the last 5 weeks?  Well, I've had my head down planning, writing lots of artists' blurbs and bumph for various pages and loading lots of photos of fabulous paintings for my new fine art gallery, Peter Barker Fine Art, in Uppingham in Rutland.

The gallery will feature some of the very best paintings by 27 esteemed colleagues as well as my own work. The website is now live and you can see for yourselves the sheer quality of work that will be hanging on our walls, by clicking PBFA

Here are just a few of the paintings available at the gallery, which opens next month, date to be announced soon:

A Sunday Stroll, Scrooby - Oil on Board 10 x 14 ins
by David Curtis ROI RSMA

 Green Fields - Oil on Board 10 x 14 inches

by Graham Webber ROI AIEA EAGMA

Whitby Harbour, Evening - Oil on Board 16 x 12 ins
by Haidee Jo Summers

Studio Stuff with Green Striped Sock Monster - Oil on Board 12 x 16 ins by Tom Hughes

 Looking for Conkers - Oil on Board 8 x 12 ins

by Leslie Stones