#369 'Afternoon Light, Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

I am finding it difficult to keep up this blog and do the intensive painting! As some times I'm managing to do 4 paintings in a day.

So I will still keep posting but write less as the writing part takes so long to do! Better that than not posting at all....

Monet & the famous Ken Howard paint this view.  Not an easy subject and I wanted it loose, brushy and rich colours..... 

I painted with the artist Julia Hawkins always good to see how someone else tackles it!

Julia & my easel, what a setting!

#368 'First Light, Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

Did painting no.367 then immediately wanted to paint the scene again as the light was gorgeous! I moved off the bridge but just next to it in a cafe space. 

I'd just started mapping in when the guy said you have 30 minutes until you need to move...So I painted like billio and this is the result! It shows it can be done a painting in half an hour. It's sketchy but spontaneous and hopefully has the essence of the moment. 
Fairly limited palette and checking the tones - the sky was darker than the water ...

#367 'Pre-Dawn Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

This was so fun to paint!! Although a little daunting too as many artists over the years have painted this subject standing on Academia Bridge from Monet to Ken Howard...

We are very lucky as this bridge is a few minutes walk from our house. It's a dream subject for me, wonderful shapes within sky and water setting, and it changes every day and hour! So I hope you can bear with me for painting it several times while I'm here :-)

The buildings make such a great skyline shape but the actual body of the buildings its deciding how much detail to put in. The low light means you can't see much and it's quite far away. But I felt it needed some suggestion of windows and things. As I paint this scene more I think I will experiment with how much to include.

#366 'First Oil Sketch of Venice 2018' 8x10"

When I arrive in a new location I just want to get the first painting under my belt! Start it off and get into the flow, I also just feel itchy to do it!

So this was it, feeling my way with the colours, shapes and the strong bouncing light of Venice. 
Decided to do a limited palette of Red (Scarlet Lake with a little white & Yellow Ochre), White (Titanium) & Black (mixed with Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine) helps create a more harmonious painting and easier to start with. 

Painted at about 4pm in very strong afternoon light, it's off the Campo Barnaba, just a few minutes from where we are staying in the Dorsoduro area.

Also did some sketching...The bridge right outside the house we are staying in!

'Flying with Oil paints & Art Equipment

FLYING WITH OIL PAINTS & art equipment. Thought you might want to see what I'm taking to Venice - I am very lucky to be going for the whole month of September! 🎨 

It's the longest and biggest painting trip so far.... 
Last year we came back from Venice in October after a 6 day trip, I was just getting into it painting wise and then we left. I said on the boat back to the airport I want to come back and paint here for a month!  
So I found a house in the Dorsoduro area (near the Academia Bridge.)
For the first 2 weeks I have got other plein air painters coming to share and help with the cost of renting the house, it will be good to paint with them.  
On the 3rd week my Mum and sister - who lives in Africa and her partner are coming their first visit to Venice so very exciting to share it with them. 
The final week other artists again and back to intensive painting... 

It's been quite a build up I have never prepared so throughly for a painting trip! I really want it to work, so I have paid close attention to details! I closed my 2 cases yesterday and my weight allowance is 23Kg per case, I am over the limit! I need to put some into my husbands case! 
So its just last minute things today it still feels quite unreal, we leave tomorrow morning. 
I hope you will follow and support me on this exciting journey...

Also if anyone has any suggestions on areas to paint! Or tips for Venice gratefully received 👩‍🎨Please make a comment.

My Equipment List - all put in plane hold luggage:
See above photo

• Oil paint put in:  'Lock & Lock' airtight container with my label (see pic) - don't say oil paint!
• Sennelier Green for oil thinner & gel medium - plant based, safe for plane travel
• Palette knife
• Seawhite A5 Sketch book & Tombow pens
• Viewfinder 
• Masking Tape
• Headless matchsticks - for stacking wet oil paintings together
• Pva glue for matchsticks
• Business Cards
• Glass pots & jars to clean brushes
• Paint Tube Squeezer
• Apron missing from pic!

PIC 2 

• Raymar wet painting carriers sizes 8x10", 10x12" 11x14" 
• Open Box M easel palette
• Manfrotto Be Free Tripod 
• Palette Garage - holds paint, no need to carry tubes when out plein air 
• Bamboo Brush Roll - all from Rosemary and Co
• Solvent brush dipper & cleaner 

PIC 3 

Painting boards 2,3mm MDF
Wrapped in tissue, to keep them together in my case with sizes:
8x10" 10x10" 6x12" 9x12" 10x12" 8x14" 11x14" 20x50cm
This lots coming with me then the same again coming with my mum half way through September 😊You can't have enough boards!! 

PIC 4

Safety travel sheet for oil paint, 'Flash point' above 60 degrees this is the number that how easily something catches fire.  So anything above 60 is safe to fly with but some airlines differ, you should check. I will by solvent to clean brushes in Venice in a hardware shop. Oil paint is allowed on board - in the hold, not in hand luggage.

PIC 5

My painting of Venice from last year's trip.

To end something I found useful is a blog post by Katherine Tyrrell 'Making a Mark'- called Top tips for travelling artists' worth a look if you are travelling with art equipment.

#365 'The Swan Inn, Haslemere' 8x10"

This weekend I painted with Haslemere Art Society on the high street on Haslemere. It's to promote the annual exhibition at the Museum 8-15th September. 
A fun morning with the members and a few passers by taking an interest and a subject I wouldn't have usually tackled! Enjoyed it though.

I also tired recording it on my sports action camera - I wore it on my chest with a harness - see pic above.
I recorded the whole duration of the painting and then it took me longer to make it into a video than to do the painting! 
I didn't realise how much I move when I paint back and forth, I couldn't watch the end result it made me feel sick! So I'm trying another method... as I thought it would be good to show my painting process, once I have made it work I will post it on here.

#364 `Underway' 8x10" - Palette Knife Painting

This was a wonderful boat in Cornwall but sadly I didn't have my painting gear with me - we were about to see my Aunt. So I did 4-5 sketches of it and this painting is from one of them. 
I'd been saving this linen covered board for years, wanting to use it but unsure of how to tackle such a rough surface, I knew it needed a different approach to a smooth board. I thought this subject would lend itself to it. I decided to try loading thick paint onto it with a palette knife. I blocked most of it only taking 30 minutes. 
Would have been quicker but I was getting through my mixed paint so quickly - I must have used at least 3 times more than I normally painting with! 

This is the first stage, with colour swatches on the sails.

I then used the brush to refine some areas but I wanted to keep the feel of it loose and fresh. The subject worked with not putting in too much information.
I think this boats called a 'Cornish Lugger'?

#363 'Early Morning, South Parade Pier' 11x14"

I started this a couple of weeks ago but didn't have time to finish it en plein air so I've just completed in my studio.
Its a familiar subject as I used to live near by, although I haven't painted it up close before and with a radical cropping! When I was looking at it a little sail boat came into view it looked great framed with the strutts of the Pier. So I thought to focus in on this part instead of trying to capture the whole thing.

Quite a complex beast!  I wanted enough information without it looking stayed and stiff, so I didn't finish everything off - I'd leave bits for the eye to fill in. 

The beach was empty being 8am, just an occasional dog walker I decided to put him near the pier so his lighter blue top stood out next to the darker areas. Also not so obvious in the composition.

The sky was a darker blue than the usual milky skies we can get, quite tricky to get it dark without it looking too heavy. I had painted it on once and scraped off and then brushed on with less paint & more medium the second go.

I was drawn to the white building next to the blue sky. I used a very subtle mix of whites, tinted with grey/violet and warmed with yellow. Also combining Titanium White and Michael Hardings Warm White

My Mum who lives near this Pier said they have put flags on the poles and it looks really good. Tempted to add them in for a bit of colour and more interest?

Initial tonal underpainting

#362 'Sandymouth Beach 10x12"

Last painting in Cornwall. I really enjoyed this part of the world, it helped to have amazing weather, light and skies!
This is a wet sand and sky painting. I worked on the tones - the sand was surprisingly dark and the sea even darker. I tired to paint the waves over the top of the dark sea colour it didn't work so I wiped out wave shapes with kitchen towel and was able to get a better purchase and make the waves light enough.
The wet sand puddles were quite dark too, reflecting the sky in colours. People went into the sea as I was painting which helped with scale and interest.

I did some sketching through the trip so hope to do more paintings of Cornwall in the studio...

#361 'Crackington Haven' 11x14"

A large imposing cliff the locals call Sleeping Dragon. A great paintable subject...with low tide and the water on the sand reflecting the cliff and sky. People to give scale and interest plus the colourful life guard flags. The sky I'd taken time to put in the sweepy clouds and then some fluffy dark clouds came over the top so I took a risk and painted fluffies over the top, I'm pleased with how it turned out.
It was quite a big board but works well with the huge cliff.
I was lucky as I was just finishing up and then the rain fell...

Rain clouds approaching!

#360 'Widemouth Bay' 20x50cm

The North Cornwall surf was so much fun to paint! 
Looking the other way the beach was busy with people, life guards and surfers, it looked interesting but this way attracted me more because of the colours. - Looking into the sun creates strong tonal shapes and less colour, looking away from the sun i.e the light shining directly onto the subject makes the colours strong and less about tonal values.

Although I still worked on the tones I compare what is a similar tone within the subject:
sky and the sand are similar 
The distant sea and the rocks 
Wet sand & foreground sea - squint your eyes and have a go!

The sky was changing with lots going on in it. The foreground rocks helped with composition, the tide was high so only the tops of them stuck out it was good to have the water around them - low tide it's just a mass of rocks.

Spot the ring of sandcastles, they were making them as I was painting, I decided not to include in my painting.

This is one of the those paintings that did it itself. Hardly any wiping off and quite quick to get it all in.They dont all happen like that! 

#359 'Sandymouth Surf' 8x10"

A quickie in the early evening light. I put the marks down and left them, an impression of the moment. 
The people walking into the shallow sea with their boogie boards. The light on the water so strong almost to much to look at it. See pic below...

Beginning stages, rough silhouette of people and waves, yellow base colour before the white light.

I stood right next to the water line but the tide zoomed out so fast it was miles away by the end of the paint.

#358 'Morning Light, Kingsand' 8x10"

I walked for miles trying to get a view with the Cornish houses and sea behind but nothing looked right and then I saw this simple but lovely subject, with old looking boats and amazing light. 
Unusual yellow sky, contra jour sea sparkles, it was a quick painting to capture the moment.

I enjoyed watching the children jump into the water next to me, lots of squeals and laughter especially when a jelly fish got in the way!

Spot the kids behind my easel.

#357 'Rocks at Kingsand' 8x10"

I have spent a few days in Cornwall with my husband. We have been visiting family and friends but I have managed to fit some painting too! 
I haven't painted plein air in this area before, I want to go back and do more, so beautiful and paintable.

Before this one I had started a painting looking the other way it wasn't going well and I was looking around and saw this view, I turned the easel and it took only 50mins start to finish, I liked the distant haze of the cliffs contrasting the strong rocks in the foreground. Also the lovely colours in the water.
Broad brush strokes and no fussing got it down quickly.
Next painting posted tomorrow....

#356 'Early Light, Southsea Beach' 9x12"

Good to get back to plein air painting as I had a week in the studio doing commissions, finished and happy :-)

A quick painting session this morning before piking up our shared dog (Matte) from my Mum in Southsea. 

I was really pleased to find these great shaped clouds and contra jour sparkling light on the water!! 
I didn't do any of the usual things before - like sketch and mix piles of paint... I just got the board out and did the sky straight away, as it was breezy and the clouds were disappearing to my right fast.

The tonal values were really important getting the lower half of the sky darker than the sparkling sea but still a yellow glow. The light on the clouds were lighter than the overall sky but darker than the sea sparkle. A lot to assess in a one a hour painting!

After this one I turned around and started another this time of an old friend South Parade Pier, painted many times when I used to live in Southsea. Sadly I ran out of time so will post when its finished!

#355 'Middle Ward, Windsor Castle' 12x16"

My first plein air competition! I found it quite nerve wracking to start with and didn't realise how big is would be with 100 artists! 
There were areas we were allowed to paint in the grounds and it had to be choose before hand - tricky if you've not been before! 
A stinking hot day with no where to shade & the reflecting heat from the walls and concrete made it unbearable at times. So I'm pleased with the outcome, it's also not what I'd usually choose to paint. The sky was lovely and the building silhouetted which made it hard to get the right tonal value and colours of the building. The people I think bring some life into it and it was soooo busy, an amazing amount of bodies go through this place. 
Spot me with some kids!

The size of the board was big and it being a new subject, it all felt out of my comfort! 
We had a pop up exhibition at the end where it was judged and even though its big for me my painting looked too small to stand out well.
No awards but a big learning and not sure whether I will enter again next year...time will tell!

A note to say I am painting two commissions at the moment in my studio, hence less posting on here but I will be back at it soon, lets hope the sun continues just a bit longer! Clare

#354 'Sunset Bosham Harbour 11x14"

I faffed for an hour starting another one, putting two much building and foreground in. Then I realised it was the sky I liked so started again and focused on the sky...
I had only a little time then before the sun went below the cloud line, very fast mixing and painting!
Quite a big board so used a big brush and thicker paint in the area I liked and thinner up above.
I stopped when it had changed too much and started another but a drawing preparation for a painting.

The Sky turned a gorgeous pink!

Award Winner :-)

My painting is being shown at The Patchings Art Centre Exhibition. The judges, including the editor of the Artist Magazine & painter David Curtis, look around the show and decide who will get awards. I didn't know how my painting would go down as it's a little different to the norm...but so chuffed as I was nominated with two awards!

The first is 'The Artist Collection Award' which means I am one of the top 10 and will be in a separate exhibition at the Patching's Centre next year.  

The other is an art company - Royal Talens they choose my painting and I get £250 worth of their equipment!! 

I won the 2 same awards last year, didn't think I could do it again!!

Background to the painting....

-9 my toes were so frozen they were white, I defrosted them in the bathroom sink!

Debate of the yellow sign MOD - some people really didn't like it but I put it in and left it there.

It was snowing and although I had my big umbrella up the snow still hit may board...

Little pit marks from the falling snow!

#353 'Preparing to Sail, Bosham' 9x12"

In this gorgeous weather Bosham has Mediterranean rich colours and sweltering heat! Painted on Sunday when the families were turning up to sail. 

A lovely commission open to what I wanted to paint in Bosham. I turned up and really liked the blues and sweeping path in leading the eye nicely to the yachts and building - which I can't remember the name of?

It got better when the people arrived and the sails started going up. So much potential for paintings this area.

Nearing the end of the painting and my view was now almost fully obscured! 

#352 'Moored by Richmond Bridge' 11x14"

I started this on a Friends of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI) plein air day. 

Standing under Richmond Bridge - its cool there!

There were over 20 great plein air artists on that day and although it was inspiring and lovely to work next to them I felt a pressure to 'perform' and produce a decent painting. It took me till lunch to settle and during the morning I had started 3 paintings which were all scraped! Then I started this little boat and I was away!

8x10" study completed en plein air

I actually completed this little study on the day and Ioved it so much I wanted to do a bigger version and slightly different angle.... so I started another one :-)

I mapped it in a underpainting of Burnt Sienna on site but then the group went to the pub and so it was abandoned till the studio...

Having just painted it once to do it again helped as I was familiar with the shape and colours. I made the boat large in scale to feature it and give a strong composition.

#351 'Sunflowers' 12x12"

A busy week, hard to keep on top of all the artists jobs to do, including this one!

I am lucky that my Mum supplies me with great flowers to paint, like these :-)

I decided to paint outside again as the natural sunlight works well on a still life especially flowers. I started early so there was only a little patch of sun on the lawn and had to move the flowers at least 5 times chasing the sun around the garden! But it worked out nicely.

I didn't paint the colours of the table or the shape as I wanted it soft and undefined - making the flowers as focus.

I used thick paint towards the end as the subject seams to lend itself to oils and juicy brush strokes.

Click on this close up to see the mark making.

#350 'Summer Grazing' 10x12" & National Garden Scheme

I did a 1 to 1 plein air day with Elizabeth St John this week. She wanted to paint the view from our garden as we focused on mixing greens. 

Sheltered by a big pine tree we weren't too hot and managed to get two paintings done. I suggested she mixed her colours before we paint - getting a light and dark tonal version of each colour - especially the greens! I always mix my colours before I paint as it gives a pile to dip into and your not frantically mixing with a brush and running out of paint! It also allows for good harmonising within your colours as you mix the piles of colour with each other.

We were lucky to have the cows coming into our scene at the end which really helped the composition and give a good focus.

My husband Nick and I are taking part in the National Garden Scheme this weekend at a friends house, she has a wonderful 2 acre garden in the middle of Haslemere and has kindly given us a pitch in her gazebo to sell my paintings and Nicks photography. A percent of sales will go to the N.O.S charities. Come and visit us and the beautiful garden if you're nearby.

Address: 'Barsdey', 11 Derby Road, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 1BS
Open Times: 1-5pm
Entry cost: £5

This is one of Nicks photos of Bardsey Garden: