#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.

#456 'Dawn, Tower Bridge'

Painted on the same day as the previous Tower Bridge I posted, just a little later in the morning about 7am. I finished it in the studio as it was a bitter morning -1 degree! Seems a distant memory now with the lovely sunshine we are having. 

The cloud was actually behind me in the sky but I felt the composition needed something more so I turned around and painted it in :-)

This is where I got up to en plein air. 30x40cm

#435 'Sunrise, The Grand Canal' 50x50cm

A studio painting developed from a plein air piece. I painted this subject over 15 times, so I know it well and felt comfortable painting it bigger. One for my solo show in May in London!

Plein air study

Sketch book drawing on location (later in the day with more traffic on the water)