Harlyn Surf

Oil on board, 12 x 17 inches. 

 

Painting waves can be very twee if you're not careful, but they're just such gorgeous subjects, especially with sunlight straight ahead, piercing through the wave tops - couldn't resist! Lots of expressive brushmarks and observing the shadowed colours of the breakers is the key, then carefully placed highlights will then 'pop'.

#waves #breakers #harlynbay #surf #spume

Foreshore Activity, Burnham Overy Staithe

 Oil on board, 12.25 x 33.5 inches

 
Another painting for the RSMA exhibition, and this time I opted for the long, panoramic shape, to concentrate the eye on all the goings-on on the foreshore of this lovely place in Norfolk, full of painting subjects. Looking into the light, this provided dramatic light effects, with lots of little cameos all over the picture - just wanted to capture the busyness of a Summer's day out. #burnhamoverystaithe #northnorfolk #norfolkcoast #oilpainting #marine #seascape

Harbour Lights, Mousehole

Oil 10 x 14 inches. 

Quite enjoyed trying to get that half-light as the sun has dipped below the horizon, and the shop, car and street lights glow, with of course those gorgeous reflections in the water - great fun to paint.

The Harbour Gap, Mousehole

Oil 10 x 14 inches. 

Another marine subject for the RSMA show. There was a lovely light in the harbour when I took a photo for this painting. Mousehole just abounds with subject matter - at almost every turn is a potential painting.

Portree Harbour

Oil, 6 x 8 inches

I'm painting a few marine subjects for the Royal Society of Marine Artists exhibition later in the year, and this tiddler is the first. The lifeboat in Portree Harbour, painted from a photo I took a couple of years ago on Skye.

Deer at Wakerley Wood

Oil on canvas, 18 x 26 inches. 

Started this one a year ago and put it in the back of the studio, so dug it out and finished it. Woods are always great subjects to paint, and none more so than at the end of Winter, with a touch of frost on the fallen leaves, and arays of sunlight catching the tussocks and old stumps. I added the Deer for a bit of life and focal point, with the logs, sunlit leaves and branches pointing to that point. Almost every time I've been in the wood, I have seen the Deer, usually just their back ends as they scuttle off to safety.
Lots of texture in this painting - had fun painting the leaf carpet with a heavily-laden palette knife.

Hummikngbird Hawk Moth

Just been to the gallery to pick up a painting, and as I walked past the little garden in full bloom, I spotted this little guy - a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, a frequent day-flying Summer visitor to Britain, and a suspected resident now. I didn't have my camera with me, but luckily had my phone in my pocket, so managed to nget these three pics of him, hovering over W
allflowers, and sipping the nectar, never settling on a flower, just using his long proboscis, just like a Hummingbird does, hence the name. Keep your eye out for this beautiful little insect in your garden!