#425 'Venetian Cafe' 30x30cm

This week I have been looking after the family Shih Tzu dog, while my Mum is away. He is 12 and has lost his hearing from old age, plus he has gone blind from bad breeding, poor sausage, so it makes painting a little tricky! But I did manage this one in the studio with snatches of 10 minutes of time in between checking on him in the house!

Matte

This scene I couldn't resist with the yellow wall so bright and glowing in the sunshine, it was my last day in Venice so I snapped a pic and did a quick drawing and here is the result! The Square is Campo Santo Stefano and its the 'Art Blu Cafe'.

#415 'Venice Reflections 2' 20x50cm

The second in this series. I started en plein air but mainly painted in the studio. 

I liked the rich blues and oranges complementaries really pop! Strong brush marks and thick paint again, seems to lend itself to this subject.

An artist friend I painted with in Venice she calls this type a sky hole painting. You can see why! Not easy to get the composition right, helped to study it while I was on location.
This is how I started....

Getting the big surface areas in first.

#414 'Venice Reflections' 20x50cm

I drew this one out in Burnt Sienna plus another while in Venice but decided to paint them both in my studio so I could take more time do it in layers. 

Was aiming for vibrant colours, thick paint, strong shapes and unusual composition.
I did do a plein air painting in full no #391 while in Venice which I used as reference for this one.
The initial blocking in of colour:

Once I had covered most of the board I put it to one side and work on the next one - see following post. Being similar in colours I could learn from one as I moved to the next and back again.

The next day I put on a thick layer of paint. At this point I wasn't particularly happy with it which allowed me to attack it and not be worried about ruining it. It does help a painting to taking risks and push to se how far you can take it.

It's not a usual composition you see for a Venice canal. It was the view we saw every time we left or house, I am happy Ive managed to capture it!

#396 'Ospedale, Venice' 9x12"

It's hard to believe this lovely old white building was used as a hospital, such grandeur in Venice! 
I focused on getting the colours vibrant as they were sunlit and the strong shadows on the building and the water. 

#393 Monet's Spot no.2 8x10"

9am softer more diffused light than the 8am painting with rapidly moving water sparkle. Not putting in too much detail like windows, just suggesting them.

#392 'Morning Sun, Monet's Spot no.1' 10x12"

8am - Strong tonal contrast with the sun peeping over the building. Warm sky and cool water colours.
Blocking in and simplifying the tonal shapes with a yellow glowing sky.

beginning stages with water sparkle

See next post for 9am....

#383 'Early Mist St Marks Basilica' 9x12"

Very misty at some points the Basilica almost disappeared! The tonal values were so close together, I had to make sure the darkest darks were quite light. Also not putting into much definition or hard lines - a suggestion of shapes.
I couldn't resist putting the white Nun in scurrying across the square!

#372 'Venetian Alleyway' 6x12"

I felt inspired to try a sky-hole painting and this alley is right on our doorstep in the Dorsoduro area. It's afternoon light on a very narrow long alley leading to the Grand Canal at the end. The light at the end was so bright you couldn't see any details. 
Incredibly difficult to get the drawing right as the perspective tricks your eye and you put the distant buildings in bigger than they are! 

Artist, Maria Rose was painting in front of me and our front door is just on the right!

#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.

#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.

#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

#330 'Sunrise, Bosham Hoe' 30x40cm

A quick sunrise painting of Bosham on a largish canvas. Getting the essence of the scene, brush marks still visible, did this in a hour. It was a beautiful morning, so still and glass like refections.
Tricky to paint as there was an ethereal quality to it, sort of thing I'd like to have another go at straight away!

Here are the beginnings, just blocking in shapes for the buildings, and then picking out lights and darks and roof line.
Painting the sky at the same time as the water, to get the mirror reflection effect.

#321 'Early Morning, Chelsea Bridge' 8x10" & The Artist Mind

An artist mind and attitude has so much to do with painting as their body! It can really get in the way sometimes. 
On Thursday I went to London I had prepped a lot the night before to make me feel ready and have some sort of plan. The last time I went to London I didn't prep and my painting was dreadful! So that was in the back of my mind I wanted it to be a positive experience. 

It was absolutely stunning when I arrived at Albert Bridge the sun was just coming up over the Thames River and the light on the water was gorgeous. I was too late to paint it but had to suffice with photos and drinking it up.
I set up contra jour it worked because there was a haze of cloud not too bright in my eyes. Just as I started to apply the paint the sun broke through and dazzled me! So bright off the water I couldn't see the subject (see pic below) so I abandoned this painting - I will have a go at in the studio.

I walked to the other side of the bridge with the sun behind me.A complex view that I couldn't get my head around  (see pic below). My board didn't fit the subject very well so the composition wasn't working and the board was too slippery, these two factors alone through me I wiped off twice and started again. Meanwhile my mind is doubting and panicking ....'I wont have a painting to show for all this effort or I've lost it I can't paint any more!! Quite ridiculous but thats what happens on a hard day.

I turned around and saw the Chelsea Bridge view and thought that's a better subject. It fitted a smaller board and I painted it in less than an hour. My mind was now quiet and happy! Such a rollercoaster. Painting plein air you never know if it will turn out. I think everybody who paints struggles with self doubt and fear of 'failing' It seams however many paintings I get under my belt it still happens, I hope I can work on this!
'The Artist Way' by Julia Cameron is a great book I've had for for years and does focus on the mind and creativity.

#316 'Tracks Through the Snow 10x12"

I went back to the same area as the previous painting the following morning - you can see the church in the distance, I'm stood further away. I loved the tracks and countryside feel.

Enjoyed the colours of the bushes on the right side and the strong fence line. I try to see colours in darks, just because they are dark in tone doesn't mean they are dull! 
It was a brighter day but still no sunlight. The sky was grey blue and I brought some of that colour down onto the snow as it reflects like water. 

I had painted in the big tree in the distance but decided it was competing with the church for a focal point so took out. I worked hard on getting the elements placed well before I began the painting which usually mean lots of drawing in and wiping it off again, important to start the composition well!

#314 'Low Tide Crossing, Bosham' 8x14" & When to Scrap a Painting!

My husband Nick and I went down to Emsworth - Hampshire/West Sussex coast line to paint and photo for a long weekend. This was my first painting from it.

It was a struggle painting and I nearly ditched it 3/4 of the way through. I didn't think it was working and therefore I felt despondent and upset and so couldn't see the wood for the trees! I hate being beaten so I took it back to our place and Nick said it's good! Looking with fresh eyes I realised it was not a disaster!! and actually came out well in the end. 

Lesson: Don't scrap a painting immediately wait as long as you can. If I'm unsure I have them up on my shelf in my studio and after a while and if I still cant bear it I will put them in place where all the others are! I have quite a stack, wether finished or not. At a later date I go through and can see if I can learn from them and how I'd do them differently now, and I can also see the progress I have made with a current comparable painting.

I don't tent to paint over them as I don't like the surface it creates, some artists reuse their boards which can be an economical thing to do.

A thing I learnt from another artist is keep starting paintings it's the way you really learn and improve. The finishing come with time & practise but it's the starting that's the real foundation to your work. So sometimes that's what I say to myself just start this, and usually I can't help but continue!

Heres a pic of how I started this one:

The sky was beautiful so I put it in first and it also helps with the colour fo the mud and water.

#310 'Winter Covers, Bosham Quay' 10x12"

Yesterday was blowing a gale in Bosham Harbour but it was a bright wintery day and of course the best spot to paint was at the windiest point!

I like the bright blue covers of the yachts and the old barn style building - the sailing club. 
A challenge to make the painting work as a whole. So I linked the sky colour to the water and the masts of the boats through the dark of the building. The clouds I made stronge shapes, the blue of the sky was bright and clear. 
The barn was super dark almost black in the shadow part and the light side was tricky to get it dark but showing the light as well. 
The boats were fun to paint emphasising the covers - as it's the bit I liked. The fronts of the boats were in the light and the brightest part of the painting, almost Titanium White with a little yellow added.
The wooden struts of the harbour wall I didn't want to overpaint as they can look stiff, I put them in sweeping strokes and making sure I added the light after to give a sense of sunshine. Leaving some fo the ground showing through to make the painting link together in another way. 
Pleased with how this one turned out when I wasn't sure it would work.

First stages...

#292 'Winter, Winkworth Arboretum ' 8x10"

I completed this oil sketch in one hour this afternoon. 

The sun was out for about 20 minutes when I started which was a bonus as it looked so much better with the light on the trees. Squinting my eyes I could see quite a difference with the lower foliage being in shadow. 

First stages...

One of my new things I'm working on is not copying exactly what I see in the subject colour wise, so the dark area I exaggerated the red-violets more. Taking what I see as a starting point but then using complementaries together and lifting certain colours more. Which will hopefully be a more pleasing result. When I first started plein air I thought you were supposed to mix the exact colour for everything you see but you don't have too which is quite liberating!

I was watching You Tube again last night prepping for todays painting and I saw Roos Schuring painting and an interview after, she is a well known Dutch painter. 

She has wonderful brush strokes and thick paint in her work. Something I picked up was she said don't use too soft a brush as the brush marks wont show so well, use old bristly stiff brushes. So I dug out my very old rejected brushes (Escoda Filbert no.16) and had a go today. They worked really well for the winter foliage. Here is the link to Roos painting if your interested......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mLlY5k4whg

#290 Tower Bridge 10x12" & Preparing for a Days Painting

The sky was beautiful when I arrived a typical English with cloud fluffies and crisp blue behind them. I was lucky as by the time I'd painted the sky it had clouded over and it was mainly grey! So different and not as magical.

I thought it maybe helpful & or interesting to read what I do to prepare before a days painting especially in a big city....

Weather forecast Check for rain & wind. Sun & cloud was due so perfect! How windy? - Gusts up to 30mph = cold and need winter tripod & layers.

Research on google other peoples paintings of this area eg 'Tower Bridge plein air paintings'. And ask questions of myself 'what do I like, what compositions work well and formats'...

Google Maps
Drop the man onto the map to see a photo of the view and whether it makes a good painting subject, also helps to work out board size shape..

Tube station check how far it is to walk - with all the gear! (or parking if I drive.)

Suncalc app on Android phone 
Put in any position on a map like Tower Bridge and see where the sun direction will shine onto your subject at anytime of the day. Great tool for working out your painting position.

Equipment pack my bag ready with boards, loading my palette garage with paint, pochade, tripod...gather my warm clothing.

Watch You Tube of plein air painting demos of people I admire e.g. I watched Lena Rivo a Portugese artist who is amazing! I love her work and and afterwards felt inspired geed up for my day in London.
Or Watch one of my painting DVD's for example a good one pre London is Ken Howards 'Variations on a Theme' as he is painting in London and it's good!

Intention Have ideas before you set out....That day I decided that I wanted to paint Tower Bridge, a bigger size than previously and with more colour, especially in the sky.

I want to get the most out of a painting day especially when I'm making an effort with the travel and carrying kit around.
Turning up at a location can be overwhelming and you just want to paint it, but to prepare beforehand helps give direction and goals and also allows for smoother travel time and generally more prepared on all fronts!!

Before I refined it

I got the painting home and was going to post it on here and Instagram but wasn't 100% about it. I knew it needed some work but it wasn't obvious what until I started on it - 
What I did...Darkened the water in the foreground, refined the boats and buildings. Happier now!

#245 'Sunrise, San Giorgio' 8x10"

I got there before the sunrise so I could mix some initial colours and draw out the basic shapes. I knew it would be quick and I wanted to capture the light and colours of the moment. At the same time I drew out a second board which I will post tomorrow.

When the sun peeped up above the horizon I was so pleased on the position as I didn't know where it would be - having had misty starts for the past 5 days!

The colours I used are just hinting at the warm peachy glows and set off with the two blues. A few comings and goings of boats, and the silhouetted skyline. I could paint this scene over and over! 

While I was painting that morning a lovely American chap came running past and really liked both paintings and wants to buy one, really pleased! It's so good when people want to buy what I love to paint :-)

#244 'Gondolas, Grand Canal' 8x10"

I painted with Sally Balick another artist, who helped firstly because it was such a busy spot and to be with another person helps, also to get ideas on how others tackle a tough subject.
You don't realise how much the boats move until you try and paint them. Up and down and side to side they bob. I realised I needed to fix a position they move into then Wait until there in that positon again and do another mark. 
I used mainly 8x10" boards on this trip but it would have helped have a squarer format, Sally used a 10x12" which fitted the scene better. See below pic, also shows how busy it was around us!

I kept it loose and brushy to give the feeling of movement so it wasn't tight and polished. Leaving some of the ground orange colour also gives this feeling.
There was a high contrast of tonal values between the ends of the boats and sea. Thankfully none of the gondolas were taken away while we were painting them that's always there in the back of your mind they could go at any point!

This is a much photographed and painted scene but it's my take on it and it was fun and a challenge to do, so why not!

Only in Venice! a bride was being photograpahed so close to us, it was a worry with our wet oil paint and her white dress!