#460 Langstone Harbour Reflections 11x14"

A familiar area to me (because I used to live around here and Ive painted here many times), looking slightly more east than usual though, I liked the contour of the South Downs on the horizon.
Plein air is not easy! When I arrived it the clouds fluffy and reflected in perfectly still waters. By the time I had set up and started to map out the wind had got up and not reflections to be seen! The clouds were moving so quickly as well, it was catching a moment in time. I waited till near the end when the waters calmed again - although the tide was pretty low but still able to put the reflections in. Even with this trickiness I enjoyed it very much!

Reflections painted at the end - low tide

#457 '6am Langstone Harbour' 24x30cm

Some paintings just paint themselves, and this was one of them! Gorgeous colours and light, making the most of the recent good weather. I set up usually an hour before the sun is due to rise as it gives me time to mix colours and do a small quick study of light, helps to get my eye in and satisfying too.
Here's the 5am one:

I used a tinted board which I haven't used so much recently - tinting with a mix of Burnt Sienna & Ultramarine with Gesso acrylic white you can see the colour peeping through. 

Painting plein air you can choose when you commit to a time - this was just as the sun was peeping up, it looked good about 109 mins later too and I wish I could have done another! It's when a photo is handy I can use the info form this one and the photo and do another in the studio.

I have painted Langstone many times now, it's different every time and each time makes a difference as I learn more of the subject and memories of previous paints fuel the new one.

#423 'First Light, Langstone Harbour' 30x40cm

A wintery day, and lucky to have a break in the weather as it didn't look hopeful when I arrived - solid cloud and raining! I'm pleased I didn't drive home, waited in the car and some beautiful light and cloud formations appeared, just my sort of subject!

Decided to include the cars on Hayling Island bridge to help the composition and I used quite thin paint in place to let the linen coloured canvas show through.

#409 'First Light, Langstone' 12x12"

I used a textured linen coloured board by Loxley. Not tried this type before, its quite rough and I think the subject work well with this style. 
Thinned the paint with Distilled Turps  - experimenting to see if it's any better than Winsor & Newton Sansodour which I usually use. Strong smell but I think I prefer the consistency. I added thick paint especially around the skyline of the trees - the important bit! Paying close attention tot he silhouetted shape of the boats not needing much details just get the shapes of them right.

3/4 of the way through, tide coming in, sun just up!

#405 'Sunrise, Langstone Harbour' 18x24cm

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The second painting of a morning (see previous post) 

A small sunrise oil sketch, very enjoyable subject, hope to go back before the boats disappear for winter!

Slightly textured linen board gives a different finish.

The tide was coming in so made the most of it with the light reflecting on the water. (previous painting the tide was out)

#404 'Dawn, Langstone Harbour' 10x12"

I arrive early when it is still dark so I can faff with where I'm positioned & composition, board size and format. Mixing some colours and being as ready as I can be before the sun comes up!

Those inky clouds where there when I arrived and dispersed fairly quickly so put them in before the light really came - using my double head lamp:

I don't bother with details of the boats until the end, it's more about the light and colour. I simplified the muddy area and how many boats to put in and choose where to position them too.

I did another small painting straight after see next post....

#294 'Low Tide, Langstone Harbour' 8x10" & Video

I went back to Langstone (in Hampshire near Portsmouth) yesterday it's been a while since I painted their. It is an inspiring place even with just a trickle of water! 

Video News
I've been wanting to video my painting process and share it for a while. My recent delves into watching people paint on You Tube has inspired me to try. 

Its not easy knowing there's a camera on you the whole time and I decided to keep it simple and not do commentary but I kept having to shut my mouth as I wanted to explain what I was doing and justify some actions! It does feel like your going to be judged.

But annoyingly my battery ran out so I only got 3/4 of the painting - about 40 mins worth. But it was a good first attempt. I'm not sure if I will post the long version as I put the camera on the right side and my mixing arm rather gets in the way of the painting, I will try again and put the camera the other side! 

The painting has a limited palette and emphasising the light on the water - keeping everything else tonally darker. 
Happy I was able to produce while under pressure!
Here is the video a speeded up version of about 40 seconds. What do you think?

#233 'Dawn, Langstone' 8x10"

I decide not to settle for a mediocre composition. I went to a place I had liked previously painted and the tide was so far out there was a trickle of water and mainly mud! It didnt inspire me - and it needs too!
So I drove across Langstone Bridge onto Hayling Island but on the way over I thought yes and turned around.
With much walking around I came across this composition I stood under the bridge, - not possible when the tide is up!
With all that faffing the sun had nearly poked its head over the horizon. I quickly drew on a board the composition and made a note of the lovely colours, it was beautiful and iridescent.  I decided to try and painting it back in the studio. This can be hard to capture the freshness of plein air inside. 
So, I tackled the painting like I do when time is of the essence outside - not spend long on one area and no procrastinating in applying the paint!
The subject is about light and colour and also the quality of how the paint is applied so it gives a lovely oil sheen and not dull.
I'm pleased with the result.

#163 Dawn, Langstone Harbour 9x12"

Before the sun showed itself and the warm glow of light. This is the 6th painting of the Langstone area and as I get to know it I see more subtleties and details which I try to include in my painting.
Difficult to manage all the dark tonal areas but I worked from the darkest grading back to the lightest adding paint at each grade. The main two colours are Red-Violet & Yellow-Green tertiary complementaries, which work well together. 
The boat in the foreground, I had to really hold back with the tone, as I wanted to paint it lighter, (as its a white boat) but there is no light source on it and facing away from the light direction. So it was very dark just a suggestion of a boat and I quite like that you don't see it immediately.
I want to paint a bigger one of this area but it feels quite a leap after small boards...I have an 18x24" in my studio I'll let you know how I get on!

#161 'Langstone Harbour' 9x12"

I wanted to try my favourite subject of the moment in daylight. Previously I have painted the area at sunrise. Going back today the colour of the light was different, I could see more in the mud flats as they weren't as silhouetted and they had a green tinge instead of pink. I focused on the the tonal values, really observing the subtle changes.
I managed 3/4 outside and then a chap came up to me to talk about painting and by then the wind had frozen my face and my I couldn't form the words to talk to him! 

It's funny how just one thing out of kilter can throw me. When I arrived I unpacked and found my Sansador solvent had emptied out into my bag! So I couldn't ware my pink pinny and had very little solvent to thin the paint with but once I was into the painting these things were forgotten.... 

I noticed I have used a different make of board on each of the 4 paintings I've done of Langstone and they all give a different finish:

1. Belle Arti, Italian canvas panel - fine cotton but quite grippy, I gessoed and sanded before painting.
2. Gerstaeker German canvas board - less of a canvas feel and not so absorbent.
3. Seawhite of Brighton English wood painting panel - bare pine wood require 3-4 layers of gesso, with sanding on the final layer.
4. Gesso Ampersand - an American, high quality, very little texture, the paint doesn't sink, nice to work on. I put a layer of raw umber stained gesso to colour the white.

See post numbers 159, 147, 142 to compare the boards and Langstone paintings :-)

#159 'Langstone Mud Flats' 12x12"

The past week or so my time has been dediatcated to the two oil classes I teach. We did a 3 boat seascape,very pleased with how the students managed a tricky subject!

Today I was itching to get out there again, and I managed a weather window before storm Doris blows in. 
Beautiful light, I love this place! It's the third painting of this area (numbers 152 & 147) 
The contrast of the dark rich flats and light from the sunrise, I can't get enough of!
Keeping the mud interesting and making the really dark areas a little translucent so they're not too heavy. The sky has light, bright thin paint which lift the darks.
Hope to go back in the next few days, I did two quick drawings as well to gather more information for a possible bigger painting later. 

#152 Low Tide, Langstone Harbour 9.5x12"

I painted this yesterday out in Lansgtone harbour, similar area to painting no.147
It was bitterly cold with a north wind blasting me. My hands were numb before I even started! I had gloves and hand warmers but it wasn't enough. 

I haven't painted plein air in a couple of weeks and was surprised at how rusty and out of sinc I felt. I had prepared all my gear the night before, and even that I felt resistance getting into the studio and doing it! I can see how artist block could develop by just not painting and not having that art thinking and routine...

The view I chose needed work with the composition - see pic below. But I thought it had potential. I managed to start but was so cold I could barely think. I got the essence in and then retreated home.
I finished it yesterday afternoon (too late to take pic and blog). Something I was mindful about was the dark bank of mud in the foreground I wanted a line of water to lead you to the mid ground and boat. So I added to the wiggle of water that was there already. I took out the second boat as the compostion was unbalanced with it.
I'm happy with the outcome and very pleased to be painting again!

#147 Sunrise, Langstone Harbour 9.5x12"

Loved painting this! The sweeping shape of the mud flats and gorgeous light. I haven't painting the sun en plein air before. I had to be quick as it's dangerous to look straight at it, so once it peeked over the trees I tried to capture the glow, difficult with the intense colour and light tone. Also restraining how much yellow-orange I put in the rest of the painting to help the composition and give it more impact.
The mud I emphasised the red-violet colour and not the green seaweed. Putting in the big shapes first and the small details last like the mast and boats and birds. The sticky-up shape in the foreground I put in roughly to begin with and then went back to put in detail but when I looked up it was gone, the water comes in so quickly!

I painted this yesterday morning but photographing in the afternoon the result is so poor I had to wait to post it today, I'm missing the long summer days and more time to paint.