Dawn Light, Mevagissey

Oil on Board, 7.5 x 10 inches

The last small oil for the RSMA exhibition in October - now to a BIG one, well, relatively so...

People often very kindly comment that I paint water well, and I generally say that actually, painting water is a darned sight easier than painting trees and the other stuff above water. But, in this case, it was a lot more tricky. The water was ruffled by the early morning breeze, breaking up any reflections and casting very subtle streaks of dark and light tones on the sea. I blocked in the rough tones with a fairly 'dry' brush, not laying too much paint on, so that it dried relatively quickly, then dragged the adjacent tones and colours over the underpainting, using a palette knife and hog brush. Then, with a little blending here and there with a Rosemary Eclipse Long Flat no 6 brush, I peppered the rest with a well-loaded a 1" daler-Rowney Script System 3 Rigger, varying the colours throughout to suit. Quite enjoyed it actually!

Into the Light, Burnham Overy Staithe

Oil on Board, 10 x 12 inches

Another smallish oil for the RSMA show. The hook for this one was the intense sunlight bouncing off the water, spots of sparkling light twinkling like jewels. The Poppies growing in the foreground bank echoed the red buoys in the water, too - and yes, they were actually there! Boats are terribly fiddly creatures, and they have to 'look' right - getting their sexy curves is paramount. The next big studio painting is going to be a real challenge, with a LOT of boats resting at low tide on mud - right up my street, so look out for that one a-coming... 

Remus and Fearnot at Brancaster Staithe

Oil on Board, 12 x 14 inches

Another painting for the RSMA exhibition this October. I've painted this boat on numerous occasions, in different light and changing seasons and from different angles. Resting on wet, sparkling mud is always what attracts my eye the most, and oil paint is the most perfect medium to depict it. I love dragging a palette knife across a tacky underpaint to get the effect I'm looking for.

 

Lion Rock, Near Kynance Cove

Oil on Belgian Linen Canvas, 18 x 24 inches

 
Here's my second painting for the RSMA exhibition,  The glorious West Coast Patch is just full of paintable subjects, and on a bright, hazy Summer's day, there's no finer place to be. Looking down from the high cliffs on the surf crashing onto the rocks below makes us, mere human beings, seem very small and insignificant, compared to the power of nature. And what a superb subject to paint, rocks galore, all described with halos of light. I found the best vantage point with some lovely Gorse and Heather in the foreground, and placed a couple of figures on the top of the cliffs in the distance, which gives some scale to the majestic rocky outcrops.

Towards Morton

 Oil on Board, 9 x 12 inches

This one is a commissioned painting, looking down towards Morton, a village near Bourne in Lincolnshire.

From the top of the hill, there was a nice progression into the distance across the fen, with a lovely blue on the horizon line. The strip of bright yellow Rape field provided a stripe of gorgeous colour, and lots of umbellifored Cow Parsley adorned the roadsides for more interest. The sky was a uniform blue when I was there, which was a bit boring, so I used a little artistic licence and conjured up some light clouds for more interest too.