#407 'Emsworth Moorings' 10x12"

I tried painting this boat about 2 years ago when I first started plein air. I drew it out onsite but didn't really know how to tackle it so it was left unfinished. A tricky boat subject!

This time a bigger board and lucky with the refections. Although I had very little time to get them in as the wind picked up as the tide rolled in. So I finished in the studio which is sometimes helpful when a subject is harder there is more time and less panic that the subject is changing!

The side of the boat (hull) in shadow getting the tonal value not too dark and still warm as well, The top of the boat was quite blue - in shadow but also reflecting the sky. I'm pleased with how it turned out. 

#327 'Slipper Mill Pond' 8x10"

I drove past this scene and thought it looked good but still went to 3 other places first thinking I could find better! I had seen this subject in the winter and thought it had promise, but its even better now with the spring foliage. 

Getting a good composition meant I was standing on the side of the road right next to the water. The swans kept looking up at me thinking of was going to feed them especially when I was bending down to pick up a paint brush - not bread!

I like the little house in the distance gives it scale and looking through the negative space between the foreground tree and house.
Tricky weather, April showers - heavy ones, had me rushing for cover, wish I had brought my brolly. 
Will return to do a bigger painting here....

#295 'Late Afternoon Reflections' 10x10"

I had a plan to paint the sunset at Emsworth (Hampshire), I had seen it recently and went back to paint a certain view. But on the day you have to choose what's good and yesterday it was these beautiful still waters, reflections and strong colours...
A lovely subject to paint, it makes a difference with how colour saturated a subject is by where the sun is. This time the sun was opposite the view, recently I have been looking more into the sun, which takes out the colour and makes it more tonal.

I enjoyed painting the colours of boats, although quite complex with mixing each colour and then separate but connected colours for the reflections!
The boats were arranged in this composition although they moved about quite a bit on the incoming tide. I took out a couple of boats to make it more pleasing.

A family next to me were feeding the birds they were going mad for the bread, the swans didn't get a look in.

I have managed to finish and upload a speeded up video demonstration of the previous painting, have a look at number #295 for the 40 second video....

#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!

#267 'Early Morning, Emsworth Harbour' 15x40cm

Driving down to the coast it was a grey blanket of cloud so I was pleased to find this beautiful sky when I arrived and I liked the little glimpses of light on the water.

Painting a sky one of the things I think about is edges. Making some of them soft and others hard. I do this by wet into wet paint, or wiping with my hand or rag to soften an edge. The hard edges I paint and leave. Also keeping the tonal range close together and changing the colours warm to cool. The sky when its a feature like this I put in first - also it changed quickly as ever!
I had to be careful that I didn't make the boats to poppy in tone or colour as they were contra jour and not very lit. But I wanted them to have some differentiation between the mud and boats to see them!
The sky line is roughly mapped in as I didn't want to draw attention to it - its not important. The sweep around of water there is a big contrast of tones between the water and the mud so the eye is drawn to this bit which it good (& intentional!)
Here is my palette and on location pic:

#256 'Pheonix, Emsworth Harbour' 24x30cm

This scene didn't look that inspiring when I started the painting but knew it would get better as the sun rose. I liked the jaunty angle of the boat and part reflection obscured by the mud. 

It wasn't long before the tide rolled in and the boat was upright and floating. I made sure I didn't start painting it like this as its whole different painting on top of it! (see above pic)
There are three main colours two of them being complementary Red-Orange & Green-Blue, they do seam to go together well and the other a warm and cool grey.

Two areas I found difficult in the painting were the strip of houses on the horizon and the cabin of the boat. The houses I repainted until I finally cracked it, painting a block of similar tone and then over painting and picking out some roof shapes, it didn't need much. The Boat cabin was getting the drawing right and the tonal values within it. The mud line also got to fussy and overworked so wiped it off and had another go. (See pic below for the 3 areas.) 
I sometimes re paint san area as many times as it takes, it often adds to the painting to have ghost of marks underneath, so I don't think of it as a negative thing - although it can be frustrating sometimes!

#255 'Morning Light, Emsworth Harbour' 5x10"

I did this one straight after the previous painting posted. Just moved around the harbour a bit.    I am a sucker for sparkle on the water! 
The boats were really silhuetted and strong shapes. I moved my body so the compostion of them worked - and then I didn't have to move them on my painting. I did edit a few out as it was too complex for the size board.
Again painted quickly as after 40 minutes the sparkle was gone. Limited tones 4 main ones. The colours mainly yellow and blue - Ultramarine & Naples Yellow.
Looking for little highlights on the boats as well especially the tops where the sun hits them.

When I get back to my studio I always get the paintings out and line them up on my shelf to decide if they work or not. I'm pleased with these two as a pair - it's not often they work together.

#254 'Fishing Boat, Emsworth Harbour' 8x10"

A quick painting of a still morning. Passers by were commenting on what a lovely morning to be painting, yes, so lucky I said. 
Not easy though, as this scene shanged within 30 minutes of starting it. I posted the photo (see below) on Instagram to show how different it looked - the wind had picked up so no reflections and the the boat had turned 180 degrees, oh my!
Kept the colour palette limited as it was contra jour the colours are mire subdued and silhutted. I ratio of tonal values: most of it is light eg the sea and sky being the same and a small area of very dark tonal value which makes the composition interesting.
Little highlights of almost white dotted around for the sun sparkles.

#205 'Yacht Harbour' 24x30cm

Not any easy subject! A mass of masts and mud! I was told it helps to paint the uprights - masts before you put the sky in. See pic below. I liked the light masts agaisnt the dark tree foliage and the hulls of the boats shining in the sun. 
I quickly put the father and little girl plus the lady looking down. The lady was there less than a minute, you never know how long they will stay for! 
Making the masts smaller and closer together gives the impression of space receding. One observation on masts.... They are generally lighter against the land background and when against the sky they are darker in tone. 

Back from The Patchings Art Festival, it was exciting to see my painting and it's awards :-) Also got to meet Ken Howard - a painting legend and watch David Curtis do a great seascape demo, all very inspiring! 

#184 'Fishing Boat, Emsworth Harbour' 18x24cm

Painted this yesterday morning, nice light, especially compared to the grey drizzle of today! 

At the moment I am enjoying painting boats and their individual characters! 
When I arrived the tide was mainly out, and as I was paintiing it was creeping in around the boat. At one point I thought it looks better now than when I started so I changed the green mud to some watery blue, I like the reflection of the boat in the water too. 
Careful not to overwork the boat, so it is in keeping and fits with the rest of the painting.

#183 'Turning Tide, Emsworth Harbour' 21x30cm

Painted this a few days ago. I was standing at the end of the jetty that I had previously painted #178. 
When I arrived the tide was almost at it's lowest, it's surpising how quickly it turned and changed. When it did the boats turned 180 degrees! And the mud flat near me disappeared! I had blocked everything in but finished during the Open Studios yesterday putting more light on the boats and water. 

We had a good start over the weekend with visitors to our Open Studios. We're open again on Friday. 

#178 'Emsworth Habour Jetty' 5x10"

This is the second one I did a couple of days ago in Emsworth Harbour. I was running out of steam by then and the light wasn't as beautiful as the early morning so I packed up. Back in the studio I ended up wiping most of it off see below as I wasn't happy with how the paint was applied. 

So there was a ghost of a painting left and having been closely looking at the subject the day before I could remember it quite well, so it came together quickly.  I also looked at the drawing again because what had attracted me was looking through the uprights of the jetty to the boats behind. 
A mistake possibly was using too small a board so the scale of the boats were mini! 

#177 'Morning Reflections, Emsworth Harbour' 18x2cm

I got up at 4.30am for this painting! Rather early but needed to get down to the coast and paint and get back again before my husband went to work at 8.30am - we have our shared dog staying, he's blind and can't be left alone.

It was beautiful at this time so still and quiet. Although rain wasn't forcasted it rained enough to make the mixing and applying paint difficult, it goes sticky with the moist air and the board resists the brush. 

Choosing a subject I ended up trying 3 separate paintings. The first I wiped off. The second is this one I'm posting now. The third I finished yesterday and will post tomorrow.
The tide was going out so it was hard to find something that wasn't going to change radically. Choosing a subject that was further out fromt he shoreline allowed for this. But the two boats in the foreground were moving with the movement of tide, everytime I looked up they were in a different position!
The reflections were so perfect and fun to paint. I really studied the tone of the boat and how the reflection compared to it - lighter or darker...

#176 'Low Tide Emsworth Harbour' 18x24cm

Back home I wanted to explore what I had learnt with Richard Pikelsey as soon as possible. 
So I set off early to paint in Emsworth harbour. With a very low tide I was able to stand out on the mud flats and use a little boat as my table :-) see below

I liked the bright green with the blue boat combo. The green was being lit by the sun and it was difficult to mix. Because if you just mix pure say Lemon Yellow and Cerulean Blue it's an intense colour but too dark in tone, add white and it lighter but the colour is then chalky and not so intense! I think you get a feel in my painting with what was there?
I have attached the beginnings below as I thought you may want to see the different way I started this one in practising what I learnt with Richard. Not drawing first and blocking in colours & tones and covering the board quickly....

The man walked across once I tried to paint him while he was walking. Mixing a colour then looking up and he's gone! So difficult but it has the essence of him! And I think helps the composition.

#120 'Tide Receding' 8x10"

I wanted to get back into painting after our trip as soon as I could, as it would be easy to not get back into the swing of it. 

I was wondering along looking for subject matter and this boat was next to Slipper Mill Pond in Emsworth. I like the shape of the boat and the reflection and being next to a wall made the white hull leap out.
I started painting and the owner kindly removed a ladder which was propped up against it. He ended up cycling around to see the painting (there was water between us) and I learnt a bit about the boat too. She is called 'Ngauruhoe' a New Zealand name from an active Volcano. The boat was built in the UK in the 60's and going strong!
I could see the water rushing out for low tide but hadn't judged how quickly it would leave the area mud dry! I did start to get the water in but had to finish at home from a photo. The reflection I did with thicker paint and a short flat brush.
I enjoyed painting the boat, although quite a complicated subject and hard to simplify. I kept in mind what was important and not put too much detail in the top half just suggested walls and plants. Also not used to the heat! Which is so contrasted to Iceland where I was waring 6 layers to paint, for this I had to ware suncream, hat ....
I'm pleased with the outcome :-)

#103 'Morning Light, Emsworth Harbour' 8x8"

The sun was sparkling on the water, directly behind this red boat. I quickly set up and by the time I sketched it out with my brush the sun had moved and it was no longer behind the boat! I carried on anyway and got the main shapes in especially the water. Not easy looking into the sun and dazzling sparkles! I had my cap and sunglasses on, does anyone reading this ware sunglasses to paint? Sometimes I have to as my eyes are sensitive and water to much.

After one hour a dog walker had returned and couldn’t believe how much I'd got in already. But the scene had changed so much I couldn’t continue. 

Back in my studio I didn’t like the painting it was rough looking (see below)

So I decided to start again on another board, which I’ve not done after a plein air paint before. I wished I'd had a rougher surface board to work on originally as it helps to show the sparkle as the paint catches in the dimples. In fact this board I used was super smooth.

I spend a session painting the picture, and by the time I finished it I realised the one I did outside was better!

So I went back to it today and worked on it again, remembering the light was what drew me to it so emphasised that with thick light paint. 

I’m happy with the final outcome :-)