#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. 

#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.

#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.

#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!

#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....

Plein Air Workshop May 2018

Just two places left on this workshop I will be running May 19th in Hampshire. It will be structured teaching and include a handout, short demo, lots of one to one help and plenty of painting! Contact me if you are interested. Clare

#308 'Sunset over The South Downs' 10x12"

A painting I'd started just as the snowy weather arrived. It was so bitter exposed on the top of the South Downs, but a stunning sunset. I had been painting another but stopped and started this one, which turned out better as the colours are stronger and I honed in to the bit of the hill and sky I liked previous one I tired to put too much of the view in it!

This is where I got to outside (see pic below), the sun quickly disappeared below the horizon which of course changed it so I stopped.

Completed yesterday in my studio.

#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.

#285 'Winter Sky, The Trundle' 12x16"

A fast painting with the emphasis on the sky. Really enjoyed moving the brush strokes around on this big board. Working bigger allowed freer mark making and arm movement - it was fun!

The chalk path was tonally light and almost glowing in the low light of the winter sun. It receding away in the distance which helps the composition. 
Tonally the painting is mainly mid to dark tones with a few accentuating lights which

also helps the overall effect.
The sun washed out the colour on the right side with stronger colour and tone on the left.
The greens are very muted - greyed down with the complimentary colour of red. I used Scarlet and Burnt Sienna for this.