#482 Worcestershire Hills

We were recently staying with friends in the countryside near Kidderminster. I've not been before and I loved the patchwork of hills and sheep grazing in the foreground. 

I drew the scene and took photos so I was able to produce this painting in the studio. I choose the point of the sun being below the horizon but just glowing some last colour. 

I didn't copy the sketch completely but moved the trees and enlarged the strip of distant hills at that was important to me.

I used a Loxely canvas clear gesso primed - its linen colour, useful as a mid-tone for a sunset which is generally a bit darker tone than a daytime painting. Nice to let some of the linen colour show through in the painting.

#481 'Trundle'

There are many factors that make plein air painting a challenge. This time it was the wind! Being very exposed on top of the Downs the wind was whisking up the hill into my face. It buffets my arm when I place the paint on the board, and I have to hold onto the easel for dear life as even with it weighted by my bag it would still go over.  I find it exhausting battling that and trying to paint. So I'm pleased with the outcome of this one.

I have painted this area many times, what draws me back? I like to feel the space and distance - and little glimmer of sea in the distance. Plus the familiar shape of the Isle of Wight. To capture of the undulating shapes of the hills is not easy. I used brush strokes to describe the planes. 

#479 'Bosham Creek' & Artist Life en plein air...

The trial and tribulations of plein air...I stopped 5 times to find a suitable place and subject to paint! I but came home with no painting!
(I actually went back the next day and did the above painting.)

To give you an idea of what sometimes happens when I am searching for a subject....

Wednesday
First stop off the A3 going south near Clanford, I'd seen the area before and wanted to look with sunlight. But not inspiring enough to paint. so I continued to the coast, I usually start looking from the closest place to begin with which is Langstone Harbour, looking for the right combination of tide, light and boats. This time the tide was too high so there wasn't enough compositional elements. 
I moved onto Emsworth Harbour, the best bit there was on the mud contra jour but it wasn't what I fancied so moved on again, to Bosham Creek. This was just right, the tide level, the gorgeous sky. But I didn't have the board that would suit the subject - it needed to be a long panoramic shape, I tried to make do with a traditional landscape shape board but it didn't work. 
So moved on again to Bosham Harbour. The tide was just right as I arrived which didn't leave me time to set up and paint it. I tried but the wind was very gusty and knocked my easel over while I had my back turned all my paint from my palette garage fell onto the road, I tried to scrap it up and re use it but there was too many bits in it!

By then the water was at my feet and the the composition had disappeared. I remembered it enough to draw so it would remind me to return and try a paint again...
Driving home I didn't feel too dejected with no painting to show for my efforts as there were two subjects found and I would return the next day to try again!

Thursday 
I arrived earlier at the Bosham Creek and there was no water as the tide was so far out, the water looked miles away. But I decided to set up all my equipment, it was a bit of a mission as I had two pochards with me - I was going big!!
80x40cm en plein air is not to be sniffed for me, one of my biggest to date I think. My usual pochade was way too small to hold it. So I used a half french pochade and my open box m as the palette - see pic.

I spent time on the composition, being a big painting I wanted it to be dynamic and strong. I liked the S shape of the water and emphasised it. It was changing incredibly quickly within 15 mins it was starting to flood the area and you couldn't see the S shape anymore! I didn't even pause to mix paint before I started and put the water and land in so I had a starting point. 
Near the end of the painting I saw some little sail boats came out and they worked perfectly against the dark of the boat house in the distance.

The sky wasn't as good as the day before so I changed it back in the studio to the big clouds and lovely light. 

#476 'The North Downs'

Mainly cloudy 1:1 plein air teaching day. This was the view near his house. We enhanced what was there - I liked the wheat field so made it the feature. Also when the sun came out to put the foreground shadow in. I walked a little left to see the hills int he background so I could paint them in even though they weren't in my eye-line - adds compositional interest!

#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.

#462 'Early Summer The River Wey' 35x45cm

Clambering over dewy wet grass some of it as tall as me in search of an inspiring composition and scene....Morning light with the greens so bright plus the gate and reflections, worth a paint!

A canvas bigger than usual 35x45cm as I want to challenge myself which I do with so many greens to mix and get right, focus on cool and warm, light and darks. Considering there isn't much to the composition I'm pleased with the outcome.

This is the start with my mixing palette as well.

#447 'Golden Hour, Albert Bridge' 30x40cm

No wind, beautiful light and cloudless sky. Such a great combo, with the silhouetted shape of the old Victorian Bridge (built in 1873.)

I maped out all the dark structural areas first, not much detail just main shapes and then the lighter sky. Tricky when it changed so quickly but finished in the studio. I wanted it to feel like that strong light shinning just before it goes down and mellows.

In mid painting flow when a photographer quite far away with a zoom lens was aiming at me. I called after him once he'd taken it but it was way too loud with the traffic on the Chelsea Embankment next me, he disappeared but kindly looked me up - from my website on my Open Box M pochade. 

Thank you Wojciech Jarowslaw Pawlowski for the lovely sunlit photo.

#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

#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:

#349 'Peonies in a Ceramic Jug' 12x12"

Peonies by Mary Oliver 

“This morning the green fists of the peonies
are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old,
buttery fingers

and they open -
pools of lace,
white and pink - 
and all day the black ants climb over them......”

Painted outside in the garden with strong light and shade, an enjoyable paint!

#347 'Box Hill Surrey' 12x16"

I was feeling confident from my previous large scale peonies painting so decided to go large on this one as well. I wouldn't usually on a new subject but was egged on by Sarah Manolescue who also went big.
We struggled a little with noise pollution - young people with there beat box & kids doing rolly pollies down the hillside and passers by wanting to know if we were at college!! 

Once I'd got into the painting it was ok, and quite enjoyed the scale. 
Not an easy view as there isn't much structure and its a big space, although I made the most of what was there, the sweeping down hill and the buildings. I put the horizon on the Golden Mean - or 1/3rd way down the board. Which is generally known as a pleasing point in composition. I also broke that line up with a big tree.

#345 'Chicken House' 10x10" & NEAC

Back in our friends garden, I didn't plan to paint this but thought is had a charm. I made a quick 'Notan' sketch before - which is a Japanese name for light and dark design:

This allowed me to see that most of the painting was mid and dark tones with a few pops of lights - the chickens. I used Tombow pens they do many greys, I used 3, a light mid & dark.

This pic is trying to capture the chickens while they were moving and having a bite to eat from their red bowl.

I used fresh marks and not too worked especially around the chickens. Their house was tricky as it was in a lot of shade, but still enough to show the light and dark sides. Simplified the background as it wasn't important.

Last week was the Private View of the New English Art Club exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. So proud to have one in this show, really tough competition to get into as the standard is very high. 

The NEAC call themselves the Contemporary Impressionists, which really fits my work. My painting is hung in the main room of the gallery on the small painting wall - at the top 'Silver Birch in Snow' The show finishes on the 23rd June it's worth a look if you can get there.

#344 'Daisies & Sweet Williams' 12x12" & Open Studio!

I am enjoying these still life paintings as you can experiment so much with colour & harmonies, composition, subject...
I tried with no hard line background this time, bigger in size and reflected vase on the table.

I can't write so much today as just preparing for opening the last weekend of our Open Studios, do come if your free, I'm just making homemade scones and I have plenty of paintings still to look at.
Clare

Here is the Invite just in case :-)

#343 'The River Wey, Tilford' 24x30cm

It was a toss up between Waggoners Wells and Tilford Green. I was painting with Sarah Manolescue when we got to Tilford there was bridge works happening and it wasn't obvious what to paint. We walked around thinking we should maybe try Waggoners, but often the grass is greener, so we looked from the bridge and this is the view. Quite lovely! The sun came out and the cows even wondered into our scene.
Not easy standing on the super old bridge (built 1128) as it has one narrow lane and we were so close to the traffic, so much so they even stopped to have a nose at our paintings!
Here we are:

Enjoyed painting this, a challenge with all those greens, but it helps to mix pools of tonal colour before painting and I applied a burnt sienna underpainting....

#341 'Afternoon Light, Albert Bridge' 6x12"

The sun was from behind and directly lighting the bridge, not easy to paint as it's more about colour less tonal than I have been working, but a good challenge! This was the final painting of the day with my 1:1 student Christopher Mike. 

I wanted the bridge to stand out, so I made the sky a strong rich colour and the same for water with less white in the mix.
The boats I only suggested a series of marks, not much 'detail'  as they weren't the focus.
There was a refection in the water of the pink bridge, I put in a swath of pink below but then painted the deeper blue over the top just leaving a few areas of pink showing through to give an impression of reflection and rippling water.
The white struts on the bridge implied but not all drawn in. Its surprising how little the eye needs to know what is there.
Pleased with this little painting will do more sunny colourful pictures!

A happy student at the end of a good painting day!

#340 'Boats by Albert Bridge' 10x12"

A one to one plein air teaching day with Christopher Michael, choose Albert Bridge area and we were lucky with lots of sunshine!

I helped Christopher with the practicalities of working outside, equipment, layout of paint and using a viewfinder and then tonal values and not including everything you see in your painting! Less is more.

For myself I am always looking to improve my work and move forward so this day I worked on richer colours, strong and painterly brush strokes. I assessed the painting back in the studio and decided not to work on it any more, leave it as an impression rather than an anatomical painting of boats and the bridge.
I'm pleased with the outcome!

Our Open Studios continue today, Saturday and Sunday, if your free come see my previous post for invite come by and say hello :-)

#339 'White Peonies' 11x14"

I saw these lovely white peonies in the supermarket, a sweet scent and blousie look. 
I managed to paint them while our Open Studio was on last weekend. Quite a challenge to get the tones and colours right. The tonal scale in the flower is so small e.g. Light to very light! They are good practise to really observe. Also the jug is tonal shapes put together! 

There are lots of lovely daisies growing wild near us, I hope to be able to paint them before they disappear... 

#338 'Peonies' 12x12" & Open Studio Video

Painted with haste and gusto! The background a blue black to set of the light pink flowers peonies which are so fun to paint, quite addictive! (There will be more :-) I think they are a good subject because of the globe shape so you get great light and dark on them. I made use of the thick and thin qualities of oil paint, especially in the green foliage and the table.

Yesterday was our first day of The Surrey Open Studio always with trepidation I open the doors to the public not knowing who will come and what they will think, say or even buy.
But it went well we had some nice people visit, chatted, offered my homemade shortbread and sold 4 originals and some cards so a good start!

Here are a couple of pics and a short video as a taster of what's here.

#337 'Dune' 12x16" & Surrey Open Studios!

My first attempt at a portrait!! I haven't even tried to paint one in my studio, just felt quite scary and uncertain, so went on a ROI painting day at The Mall Galleries to make me do it! 

I decided to act as if.... pretend I felt confident even though I didn't and put the paint down in strong marks and leave them.
I had dipped into an excellent little book before I went called 'Starting to Paint Portraits' by Barnard Dunstan. Its really useful and written in a friendly old fashioned manor.

I premixed my colours before I started like I'd do a plein air landscape. Having a bigger board means the head isn't too small or fiddly, a large area to cover though!

I started with her hair the darkest area, Ultramarine & Burnt Sienna, warmer and cooler patches through it. Then the most intense area - her cheek. I worked outwards from there comparing areas to the intensity and tone of her cheek. 
I put the background next to her skin as soon as I could as its a large area and didn't want to leave it till the last!

I am happy with the result and its encouraged me to try more :-)


You are invited to our Open Studios based in Haslemere Surrey UK. 
If you follow me on here you will know I have a lot of new paintings! Over a 100 to show, so if you are local and have the time it would be great to see you!