#474 View From Tilford Bridge

I painted this subject this time last year. I like going back to a place and painting it again as the knowledge and experience from the first time is there and helps inform the next go. (in theory!)
I liked the willow trees and their reflections in the water, the cows for life, and the water reeds to foreground interest. 

Now that the paint is nearly dried I cant decide whether to add a thicker layer to make the colour richer and the tones a little stronger... 

Oil on board 12x16"

#413 'Sheep on the South Downs' 30x40cm

Looking out for subjects driving is always a little hazardous!
Saw these sheep and a bonus place to pull in and park near by. They were sleepy and laying down until at least an hour into painting them. I worked quietly trying not to scare them. In the end they were very close and I could hear them pulling at the grass! Such a soothing place to paint. 

I thought the road was a bonus as it sweeps through to add an extra element of composition. I used a medium grain linen canvas which definitely has a different look I think I like it!
I painted the sheep as they were grazing and took some out when I got home to make a better composition.

By the end the sheep had all moved down hill

#410 'Rain Cloud, The South Downs' 9x12"

This is about a 25 minute drive form me and during the whole car journey is rained hard! I thought I'll have to sit int he car when I get there and wait.

But upon arrival this is what I saw! A huge beautiful cloud covering a lot of the view I wanted to paint. The cloud shape was quite stable and it didn't move off for at least 30 minutes so was able to study and paint it plus the rain falling in the distance.

The light on the water on the horizon line I emphasised with thicker paint and strong marks. I made sure the tonal values got stronger coming into the foreground.

#403 'St James's Park' 9x12"

Painted yesterday on a very sunny October day at St James Park with 80 or so other plein air painters! It was fun being part of this gathering and enjoyed chatting with lots of artists, it was hard to focus on the painting! 

This was not any easy subject with so many greens - bit of a shock after Venice colours, I felt rusty with mixing them and 'seeing' them. But I'm pleased with the outcome, the fountain was especially fun to paint. 

#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:

#348 'Evening Light, The South Downs' 11x14"

Late summer evenings are wonderful to paint, I tent not to make them very often because I'm too keen to paint first thing and I'm usually tired by the evening, but I geared myself up for this one and went for it! 
I loved the shadows on the white chalk path. they are similar to shadows on snow, really tricky to get the tonal value and the colour right, scraped off several times but happy now. 
Being a late evening I mixed the colours on the warm side. 
Here are the early stages of blocking in and getting the path shadows right before the sun moved down.

#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.

#335 'The South Downs' 30x50cm

I went back to the same area as last weeks painting. I wanted to do it again and really study the tonal values and colours. I am pleased with how it turned out.

I will be using this painting for an article I am writing to go into The Artist Magazine. The title of the piece is 'Colour & Aerial Perspective', it will be in the January 2019 edition. I have subscribed to the Artist Magazine on and off since way back in the 80's & 90's so I I am very pleased to fulfil a wish of writing and being in the Magazine :-) 

Back to the subject:
I really like this area to paint, The Trundle, South Downs and have done quite a few now so I want to push myself and try a bigger painting. I brought a 120cmx50cm canvas, it arrived and its huge!! I was tempted to go outside and try it, but I am not set up for such a big support on my easel. So I will prepare as much as I can with drawings and plein air studies and have ago in the studio and let you know how it works out!

I was standing right next to a bush covered in white flowers, there were bugs galore - spot the bee flying past in the photo!

#333 'Morning Meadow' 8x10"

We looked out the window and saw gorgeous morning light so dashed down to the end of the garden. My husband hopped over into the field and being a photographer lapped it up. But the camera wasn't enough for me so I grabbed my plein air gear out of the studio and started painting in my pink wellies and PJ's! Yes, a sight but I didn't want to waste any time getting changed.

I tried the option of not pre-staining the board with my usual Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine warm grey colour but using a Burnt Sienna underpainting instead as my base. It's surprising how different it feels and lot lighter in tone, so I will try more of these.

I also was focusing on limited brush strokes. What you put down counts. So its a quick and immediate response to light.

Burnt Sienna Underpainting

Our garden backing onto the field

#332 'Trundle Path' 8x10"

Second painting of the day on the 1:1 plein air day last week. As you can see it was overcast but still pleasing to paint - the greens, shapes and path... It was a quick study getting the essence fo the place.
I'm using more earth colours - Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre as my underpainting base which especially works with the complimentary greens over the top.

Our pochades & paintings

It's quite sketchy my painting so I may tart it a little, I will see if I can live with it first!

#331 'Early Summer, The South Downs' 9x19"

I held a 1:1 plein air painting day with an artist called Rosie Copeland. Typical it was a windy grey day but actually was easier as it was stable light, so we weren't chasing shadows or squinting into the sun.

We covered a lot of ground from boards, gesso, equipment, my painting colours, colour mixing...viewfinder. Rosie really liked my viewfinder as I'd made a small hole so you can isolate colours and compare them to others in your scene. 

We painted next to each other and she did a cracker painting, mine not so good! - See below:

I got the painting home and wiped it back (below pic) straight away so it didn't dry. The colour was left but no form, I repainted it the next day while it was fresh in my mind, helped I'd already done the same scene last August.

There is too much foreground so I shifted it all down and increased the scale up a bit and reinstated the shapes over the top....

#326 'Footbridge to Eel Pie Island' 9x12"

An early start up to Twickenham on Friday morning. I wanting to make the most of this glorious weather, although standing in full sun was quite hard work! 

I painted at Twickenham last July with the Wapping Group it was my first time with them as I was nervous I chose a simple subject:

In comparison this painting is quite complex! You can spot the foot bridge in both. 

I have been painting for 2 years en plein air now and I do feel more confident and so able to choose 'harder' more complex subjects. Also being able to complete it on site in a time that works for the changing light. This one took 2 hours. 

I was on a busy through fare with so many distractions its hard to keep focused for example there were very noisy geese fighting over bread tit bits & delivery drivers reversing inches away from me - I must have been painting on the spot! 
Also when you are out there you are game for the publics point of view. Usually people are so kind, friendly and considerate but occasionally you get a plonker who thinks they know better and has to give their opinion, I had one that day and it did rattle me a little. 

The light had moved around, so the bridge wasn't lit by the end of the painting.

I loved the light on the water, the sweepy blue bridge and boats in the shadows. A restful scene that I will revisit.

#287 'The Trundle, South Downs' 8x14"

I painted this scene previously at the beginning of the week. I wanted to go back and try it again, this time smaller and with more care. (The first was a quick sky painting.)
I also wanted to use thicker paint. I had this intention before I started plus using confident strong strokes, even though I may not have felt it!

This pic shows the beginnings. I put swatches as I mix with my palette knife to check colour and tones to start with, adjusting as I go on.

I felt like a mosaic of shapes to fit together. I didn't want to blag any area but really look and record.
The sun was just out the picture to the left and the horizon was yellow near the sun and cooler away from it. 

I've completed 5 paintings this week with so many places and subjects...London, West Wittering and snow at the Punch Bowl... I love my job!!  
Also a note: I keep my palette going and wipe off the thin mixes after each day but the piles of mixed paint I keep for the next day and may use them which saves precious time.

#269 'On the River Dart, Devon' 8x10"

We have just spent a long weekend down in Devon visiting with a friend I did a couple of paintings but it was more of a social visit. 
Hated the first painting I did! Fussy, overworked, not confident, it was an off painting day and not easy as I was on display in a busy harbour!

This one was second,  easier in some ways although when I arrived it was beautiful light with the river snaking down to the Dartmouth estuary. But the light went quickly to grey and the river disappeared on the low tide!  Still a nice area to paint, reminded me of the Lake District. 
I painted it with the tide half in otherwise the whole scene is mud! 
I take my photos with my iphone which works well but it does pump up the colour and tone contrast so the yellow is popping out more than it should.

Here is a picture of my palette before I started painting, with the main colours mixed I can then mix colours together as I'm painting for subtle nuances and a harmonious palette.

#231 'Somerset Levels' 9x12"

Somerset levels are quite flat and low level so the skies are amazing, dramatic and endless. Could paint them all day! 
A group of us liked this subject because when we arrived the light was behind the trees - contra jour and the cattle were standing with a halo of light on their backs. It looked so English.
Here we are lined up!

From the left: Maria Rose, Tom Stevenson, Julia Hawkins, Me, Ian Cryer-ROI president.

Within minutes of starting, the weather changed and a bank of clouds came over and obstructed the light, so frustrating! I painted the bits that I could while waiting fo rth esun to come back. It did but not for long, so it's a manily overcast paitning, but still with an English feel!

The cows were not easy because the were so small scale in my painting, paint a blob of dark and if you try and put too much detail it looks contrived but too little and a black blob!

#212 'The Trundle, West Sussex 15x40cm

Beautiful morning today, with a warm light and fluffy clouds.  I planned what I wanted to paint before I got there, as this is the third painting of this view recently. I felt I hadn't really got to grips with this swoop of this hill but I'm pleased with this one. 

Using a panoramic board I could really accentuate the space and distance. I mixed a variety of greens before I started. A new colour I'm using is Naples yellow, it isn't very strong but great for nudging a colour to warm and lightening the tonal value as well. 
The grass area at the top was quite light in tone and I like the lines going around the hilside they help guide the into the painting.       I enojyed painting this!

#207 'Strood Farm' 18x24cm

Driving to my potter friend she lives in the South Downs and on the way there I always think I want to paint this view! So this time I did. (It's nr Petworth on the A272)

Quite hard to find a view whilst driving. I spotted this scene through a 6 bar gate a quick glimps of the farm house and then it was gone. So I turned around and parked. The field was on a slope so the bottom half of the view was cut off and the line was too harsh. I decided to risk it and climbed over the gate to get closer to it. Luckily no farm animals and the crop and had been harvested. 
But the farmer on his tractor spotted me and made a beeline.  Thankfully he was really friendly and happy for me to stand in the middle of his field and paint his farm. It was a stunning spot and I really enjoyed painting it. 

The painting stages:

Greens varying them from warm to cool, and quite translucent - not much white.
The sun came out whilst I was putting in the house the tones changed so much it looked better so I adjusted the 3 sides of the house to work. 
I'm trying to think tonally again as it really makes a difference to a painting. I ask myself questions:  'This part of the roof how does it compare with the trees next to it and then how does the trees compare to the sky......?
Everything should relate to each other.

My potter friends husband is emailing this painting to the farmer, lets hope he likes it :-)

#180 'Spring, Bramshott Common' 18x24cm

I started this one outside 30 mins in I looked behind me and saw and big bank of dark cloud coming. It didn't take long before the light I was painting was obscured! So I painted what I could remember and then finished in my studio. 

To show you how different it was without the strong sunlight, see pic below. The scene looks so ordinary without the light!

It is a medley of greens! Light to dark in tone and yellow green to blue green fun to paint and a good exercise in learning to paint light.

#129 'The Bridge, Waggoners Wells' 9.5x12"

A beautiful sunny day and great to be out painting again for the 3rd day in a row! I previously painted this bridge and trees from the other side on the 18th September no.124. The leaves are just turning and the ones one the ground are orange, which I made full use of :-)
I put the struts of the bridge in before painting the water, plus the dark tones of the tree trunks - see pic.

I painted the background trees and their reflection at the same time, lightening a little for the water. Putting in all the dark areas under the bridge, which then showed up the light in tone of the little waterfall. Fun to paint moving water! Quite a big painting for me and plein but satisfying to do. Will go back to Waggoners when the leaves colour up.