#345 'Chicken House' 10x10" & NEAC

Back in our friends garden, I didn't plan to paint this but thought is had a charm. I made a quick 'Notan' sketch before - which is a Japanese name for light and dark design:

This allowed me to see that most of the painting was mid and dark tones with a few pops of lights - the chickens. I used Tombow pens they do many greys, I used 3, a light mid & dark.

This pic is trying to capture the chickens while they were moving and having a bite to eat from their red bowl.

I used fresh marks and not too worked especially around the chickens. Their house was tricky as it was in a lot of shade, but still enough to show the light and dark sides. Simplified the background as it wasn't important.

Last week was the Private View of the New English Art Club exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. So proud to have one in this show, really tough competition to get into as the standard is very high. 

The NEAC call themselves the Contemporary Impressionists, which really fits my work. My painting is hung in the main room of the gallery on the small painting wall - at the top 'Silver Birch in Snow' The show finishes on the 23rd June it's worth a look if you can get there.

New English Art Club 2018

'Silver Birch in Snow'  8x10"

I have just found out that this painting has been selected for the New English Art Club annual exhibition. I am so pleased as it's a really competitive show to get into and this is the first time I have done it!! 

The exhibition runs: 15-23rd June at The Mall Galleries, London

Some stats: 1500 paintings were entered online & 104 have got in, that's less than 10% 
I had 4 selected which got through the first round:

It's hard to know why the 'Silver Birch in Snow' painting got through and the others didn't get chosen. 
I also went to the best framers I could, they are called 'The Artistic Framing Co' in Hampshire UK. Hand painted frames with silver or gold gilding, not cheap but decided I wanted to give the paintings my best chance!

I have just looked back at the timings of this painting back in mid December. It was one where I walked around a lot trying to find that 'perfect view' but came back to the first view I'd seen! Therefore had very little time before the sun went behind the tree line. The painting only took me 40 minutes!! Funny how your perceptions of making a 'great painting' takes time but especially in plein air sometimes it's quite the opposite.

#297 'Albert Bridge' 12x16"

During a rainy day when plein air isn't so easy or appealing I painted this in my studio from a small plein air I did in September last year. 
I had started it (see pic below) and then it sat in my studio for a month. I was unsure as to whether it was going to work out and with a little encouragement from my husband I continued and finished it.

I decided I wanted to mess it up before I started to apply paint. So I took some fine sand paper to it.... See pic below.

This helped take away the harsh edges and allowed me to add paint freely over the top. I have kept some of the sanding showing especially on the right hand trees.

The board is lot bigger than the plein air study and so there's more subject that will fit into it.

I used a glaze medium to thin the paint called Robersons Matt Glaze instead of Sansodor I normally use. A lot stickier, shiny and thicker consistency unsure as to whether its' better than Sansodor!  

Considering I wasn't even going to finish the painting it's turned out well and it is now for sale on The Mall Galleries website for the Buy Art Buy Now section. So exciting to be represented by the Mall Galleries online!!

see link...

https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/buy-art/art?artist=25931&sort_by=created