#471 'Mortson Quay' 11x14"

I timed the paint to be in-between tides, but the water rushed in so quickly I painted the edges of the banks first so I had a pleasing shape before it disappeared. (see picture below for how the water looked when I finished)
Contra jour light, around 8am. I used a pre-stained board with Burnt Sienna, very light in tone but gives a warm base to work on. Especially the lights show up straight way - on a white board much harder.
I didn't put all the boats in as the size board couldn't take it, editing out to make the composition work.
Just my sort of subject!

Standing on a rickety jetty trying not to drop anything between the gaps!

#467 Morning Light, Langstone

7am in the summer time and the sun is already quite high but there is some warm interesting light. 

Driving down to the coast I thought I'd check out Langstone first before I went further along the coast towards Bosham. But this scene grabbed me and I could envisage it on the upright format. I knew I didn't have long before the sun would be out of my picture and the tide was rapidly emptying! 

I started blocking in the main elements that are going to change. I put the horizon in first just above a 3rd up and then the boats. The clouds made a lovely pattern around the sun which I sketched in. Also the shape of the mud flats I like the little opening of water which leads the eye in. 

I spent an hour and 20 minutes painting on location but by then the tide was gone and the sun had moved it was a different painting. So I stopped and completed that afternoon in my studio while it was still fresh.

11x22"

#463 'Towards Chelsea Bridge' 35x45cm

Working on a larger scale again out en plein air. Was lucky with the sun coming out so provide sparkles on the water and great silhouetted shapes. My sort of subject! I wanted to paint as much as possible outside -because it takes me out of my comfort, pushing to make decisions and bring areas to a conclusion, I took about 3 hours and did 90+% of it, pleased to manage this, and with the outcome.

#442 'Snow Shadows' 30x40cm

The second painting done straight after the first. You can see how much the sun has moved to the right and rose. Warmer blues and lots of colours in the snow! But also a limited colour palette - warm and cool.
In this one I wanted more of the shadows as I didn't get to emphasis them in the first painting. So I used a bigger board, portrait format and a high horizon line. 
I'm pleased with the result :-)

Putting in the bit that will change the quickest first- the shadows 

#395 'Evening Sparkle, The Grand Canal' 8x10"

A great spot at the end of a jetty close to the Maria Della Salute for a wonderful sky line and also near the gondola action! The sparkle was a so bright on the eyes!

#394 'Campo Ognissanti, Venice' 9x12"

I've not painted this before, canals are always a challenge this one was in contra jour which helped to simplify the tonal shapes. With morning light so the sky is a warm yellow, the sparkle moved across the canal and was gone within the hour. The boat in the foreground helps with composition a larger shape against the smaller houses. The skyline is the fun bit to paint the lovely dome and chimneys!

Painting with artist Sally Balick on a quiet locals area in Dosoduro.

#381 '10am Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

Painted without drawing out first as I know the shape now.
Risked painting in the day hoping I wouldn't be moved on by the police!
Not too many colours to keep it harmonious. Painted the sparkle first before it moved out of my painting view.

#380 'Late Afternoon, The Grand Canal' x2

I painted the one below first as it was above the San Giorgio Maggiore and a huge sparkle 
on the water. 

and then as the sun went around it was above Maria Della Salute which is the main picture.
I had started this one the other way up see pic. But thought the composition would be stronger if I turned the board to portrait!

#377 'Hazy Light, Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

The scene got better as the light came around the buildings and sparkles on the water!

#374 'Morning Light, San Giorgio Maggiore' 8x10"

I took a risk and included the foreground wooden structure, I wasn't sure whether it would work until I had done it. 
Using a limited colour palette of warm and cools and limited tones too.

Bringing colour sin from the sky and the building into the water also allowing the brush marks to be visible.
I put in the sparkles on the sea quite quickly as they disappear out of view. Also how the light effects the buildings where it hits and if they are very silhouetted.
Making sure the closest structure was darkest in tone.

Remnant sparkles on the bottom right corner.

#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.

#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!

#328 'Bosham Quay' 9x12"

I haven't painted in while because my lovely Mum in Law died last week, it wasn't expected and very sad.

I am now back to work and this weather has been glorious for plein air allbeit a little hot!
I timed it just right for this contra jour - sparkle on water - tonal painting.

The tide went lower and the reflections on the posts disappeared before I could put them in. Luckily I was there long enough for the tide to come back up and I could paint them!

Also the light moved really quickly off the water and wet mud, it was very light in tone just warmed a little with Naples Yellow.

Because the yacht is silhouetted in the strong morning sun it is quite dark in tone even though it's a white hulled boat! 

The people in the boat moved around a lot but stayed sitting for enough time to capture them. I didn't want them too pronounced so they come out of the shadows.
The jaunty lean to the boat helps with the composition.

A local chap asked to see my painting when it was 3/4 finished, he said he really liked it and ended up buying it almost off the easel - I wanted to finish it first and let it dry a little :-) 
A great start back to painting...

#309 'Meon Valley' 9x10"

First visit to paint in the Meon Valley with the Isle of Wight in the distance, a lovely area and will do lots more here.

Surprisingly cold with still some snow on the ground, I was drawn to the rounded shapes of the hills overlapping and skeleton tree shapes of winter. 

Making the tones and intensities of the greens work and keeping the dark trees in the foreground strong. The middle distance I wanted to paint bluer than it was, kept adjusting the colour to a warmer light mix. A little bit of light on the water in the distance. I thinned out the foreground trees as they were too dense and stopping the eye from moving up through the painting. Just off square format to emphasis the rounded hills. 
Pleased with this one, as landscapes are not easy!

#304 'Afternoon Light, Woolacombe Beach' 8x14"

The last painting of our Devon trip....

Nipped home for lunch and came straight back as we knew the light was going - rain due. I didn't know what I would paint which often happens, you just have to see when you get there what looks good and inspires.
This was it, actually the same view as I had done an hour or so previous!
This time the sun had come around to make it more contra jour, the clouds were building and the light and colours quite soft.

This is how I started getting the main shape of the cloud and the shape of the light.

Having the strong foreground rocks makes the rest looks light and soft. Keeping the palette limited and harmonious helps to make it look contra jour. Not putting in too much detail as its a big view. 
Hope to go back, an inspiring place :-)

Painting on the cliff top

#301 'Light over Baggy Point' 8x10"

Within minutes of starting this painting my subject disappeared - the light! A huge raincloud came over, I carried on for a bit but then abandoned and started another one. 

The rain cloud was amazing so dramatic, I enjoyed painting it. The photo doesn't really show the subtleties here is a sneak preview... It's not quite finished.

Then back to this one after the rain front went.

I wanted to make strong brush strokes no fiddling. I was on a top of a very windy exposed cliff and I had to attack my painting so it had the same energy as the subject. The sea was so loud the crashing waves. Quite a spot!

#298 'High Tide, Woolacombe Beach' 8x10"

My husband and I are in North Devon for a week, to paint, photograph and rest. This was my first painting, it was tricky as I forgot my plastic palette insert for my pochade so mixed my paint on the back of a board (not ideal!) It's surprising how just one thing can throw you when plein air painting.  Also being contra jour the light on the water made looking at my painting difficult so I ended up turning the pochade away from the scene and looking over my shoulder at the subject!

It's mainly a tonal study keeping the colour palette limited and trying to observe the tonal comparisons eg is the sky the same tone as the sea?

After an hour or so I scraped off areas, painted over parts I was not happy with it, but got it home and it wasn't as bad as thought! So here it is, 

Here's the start:

#293 'Winter Sun, Emsworth Harbour' 8x14"

Some plein air painting days don't turn out as you expect...I went to Bosham first but with high tide, a biting wind, no reflections, and no boats it wasn't inspiring so I went to my other favourite painting spot (Bosham Channel) but again with high tide it wasn't working. 
Last location was Emsworth, the wind was so strong and big gusts I didn't think I could manage it, and of course the scene I want to paint was exposed on the harbour wall. Just about everyone commented to me a hard day to be painting! Yes I thought ;-)

I started by thinking just get a few strokes down and then I can finish in the studio... (Sometimes when it feels daunting or hard to start this thought can help.) No need to worry as I finished on the spot and quite enjoyed it! As I wasn't so careful and just did it quickly and intuitively. 

Another thing was I had my sunglasses on I can't remember the last time I painted with them on, but being so bright it takes out any definition so with them on I could see more and it protects my eyes. I will use them again for contra jour.

Packing up I had to let go of my pochade, and of course a big gust of wind and it took off you can see how close I am to the water, I caught it with one tripod leg. Gave me and the swans a fright!

#291 'Cutmill Creek' 9x10"

One of those that happened like magic! It painted itself. 
I spent sometime looking for the 'right' composition and ended up back at the first place I looked! I had been put off as my back was right next to a main road - loud and fast.
But I enjoyed painting it and tried to keep the brush strokes loose and visible.
The board was given to me from artist friend Sarah Manolescue. A trial for a new format being 9x10" quite unusual but it worked well for this subject. If it was square the composition is harder to get right.
This is right next to Bosham, a great little area, I have now painted 3 times, many more to come!...