I remember (part 1)

April 22, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Continuing my exploration into natural pigments and the theme of liminality – in my case I am exploring the threshold between raw earth pigments and commercially produced art materials. For this piece, I used:
Earth pigments: Trevellas Green, Peppercombe Red
Natural pigment pastels by Florence Paintmakers
Sennelier Soft Pastels
Montana Gold Professional spray paint – Bronze
W&N acrylic paint and inks
Resin pigment inks
Charcoal
Fabriano Unica 50% cotton 250gsm white paper (torn to size)

Mixed media on canvas

November 11, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

This is a piece I did recently on a recycled canvas, which had been previously treated to considerable abuse (i.e. covered in concrete and God knows what else). I used soft pastels, inks, pens and then decided to use black acrylic enamel for two of the tree trunks, as I wanted a really black, black for the trunks. I was told that this appears to be a bit on the sinister side, that wasn’t my intention when I did it but I can see that now. Anyway, it’s larger than most of the stuff I’ve done lately.

Dark and light in the forest – mixed media on stretched canvas

I’m also using this post to test out whether it connects and posts to my FB/ Instagram feed. Who knows hey?!

Goofy flowers in a vase

February 20, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Been trying lots of loosey goosey techniques this week. Quite like the goofy charm of this one..

Goofy flowers in a vase
A4 water-soluble oil pastels on paper

Insomnia

February 2, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Insomnia collage, oil and gouache monoprinting on acrylics. A3 mixed media paper 2020

Monochrome Monoprinting – oil

February 2, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Oil on Canson Oil paper 290gm (paper size is A3, actual monoprint is 29cm x 18cm)

New series – flower studies.

March 20, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

These are the first in a series of flower studies.

All on A3 double gesso-ed acrylic paper.

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‘Cosmos – mixed’

Oils blended with glazing medium on acrylic inks background.

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‘Daisies in sunlight’

Acrylics on acrylic ink background.

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Oil pastels and paints – blended with glazing medium on acrylic ink background.

‘Cosmos -2’

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‘Pastel poppies’

Oil pastels blended with glazing medium

New painting – with back story.

February 8, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

I’ve titled this one, ‘On her way’ – it is inspired by the devastating mental health struggles my youngest daughter is currently experiencing after the birth of her baby almost three months ago. These last few months have been extremely traumatic for all of us but last night, when I went to visit her with her older sister, it was like she was back to her old self again. There is still a lot more work needs to be done but it was the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel I saw last night, as she walked away from us down the corridor to her room. She seemed to be surrounded by a golden glow and that’s what I wanted to get across in this painting.

“On her way”

Acrylics, inks, soft pastels on Daler Rowney system 3 acid free acrylic paper.

16 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ (not for sale)

Oil Bars

November 28, 2017.Reading time 1 minute.

Apologies for such a long time in posting any arty updates – been lots of family things to sort out lately, I’m quite exhausted by all of that, so let’s get on with it hey?

I discovered Winsor & Newton Oil Bars quite by accident and only have a small selection at this stage. But boy am I enjoying this new found freedom. I am still doing fiddly small things while I get used to manipulating the oil bars on different surfaces. These are some of the more recent things I did over the weekend.

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‘Patchwork landscape with blue’

14.5″ x 10″ or 37cm x 25cm – actual painting size.

Acrylic inks, oil bars and oil paints on acrylic art pad.

Surface worked with sgraffito technique

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‘Poppy field’

9.5″ x 6.5″ or 24.5cm x 16 cm

Acrylic inks, Oil bars and oil paints on Daler Rowney acrylic paper

Surface worked with sgraffito technique

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‘Poppy field with buildings’

7″ x 5″ or 18cm x 12cm

Acrylic inks, oil bars and oil paint on mixed media paper.

Surface worked with sgraffito technique

I am also working on a largre canvas piece, as well as a larger landscape piece but these aren’t ready to put up here yet.

Hope you enjoy!

Yee-ha

July 29, 2017.Reading time 1 minute.

Yesht, so I have managed to eventually get myself sorted out with a bit of space to paint in. I tried it out today because the rest of the family have gone away for the weekend, so I could make as much mess as I liked and actually get to concentrate on something for a whole day. Wonderful. I made a little video of the process I use to make paintings on stretched canvas (that are considered abstract) … I don’t work like this all the time.

Anyway, hope you enjoy and I’d appreciate comments on my video if you have the time (or inclination) … be brutal, I can take it. [Yeah, right] This is the finished product:

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‘Sea and Sand’

21 ½” x 18″ x ½” [55cm x 46cm x 1.5cm]

Acrylics and inks on stretched canvas.

New mixed media abstract work

January 14, 2017.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Reef”

14″ x 10″ (A3) unframed 297mm x 420mm

Liquid acrylics (inks), Rembrandt soft pastels, Pebeo gold effect foil on 140lb acrylic paper (Daler Rowney system 3)

Ink landscapes

December 2, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Yes, I’ve been absent from WordPress for quite a while … the whole of November has been a bit of a bugger up on my side – mainly because I’ve been in and out of hospital. I’m on the mend now and getting stronger all the time but it’s been a very long, stressful and frustrating process, don’t recommend it.

I was doodling about with inks recently, just to see if I could still do something artistic while I was feeling so down. So here are the results … one (the daisies) was a request from a friend of my daughters, I hope she likes it.

“Daisies” 10″x 8″x ½” Inks on Streched Canvas

“Inky summer sky and field” 14″ x 10″ Inks on A3 mixed media paper 250gsm

Art exhibition!

October 7, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I’m very pleased to write here that I’m going to be exhibiting five works in a local show, which is to be held towards the end of October. I understand up to a hundred artists take part in this exhibition, so this is a brilliant chance for me to meet and mingle with fellow painterly types and make some connections (I hope). I’ve had very positive comment from the curator of the show on my work. I’m going to be showing the following pieces:

One large work:

And four smaller paintings:

And flip …

August 18, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I was moving things around over the weekend and ‘accidentally’ stacked my latest large painting the wrong way up. When I stood back and looked at it, I realised that it is far more dynamic this way up and has more sense of presence. There is something almost cathedral in the illusion of space. To me it feels like I am standing on a snow covered street looking up the road – either side at very tall buildings. What do others think?

New painting

August 13, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Blue shift”

50cm x 40cm x 1.5cm

Acrylics, inks, pens on stretched canvas.

Below to show room view (for scale)

Untitled – August 2016

August 13, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I am going to stop now … quite happy with it on the wall.

120cm x 100cm x 4cm

Acrylic, inks, pastes and gels (for texture) on stretched canvas.

Below to show room view …

Collage on panel

May 16, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Big sky and windmill”

10″ x 8″

Acrylics, Inks, found collage materials (for the foreground) on acrylic canvas board.

Close up:

This is very much a bit of whimsy. I will not be posting on here for a few weeks, as I’m going to be in South Africa soon for a short holiday, visiting friends and family.

Collage on paper

May 12, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Field study”

15 ½” 10 ½”

Acrylics, inks, found objects (threads), aluminium foil and gels on acrylic paper.

Close ups of texture:

The rape seed fields are now turning a glorious golden / electric yellow – I took this picture whilst out on my own last week, when I went to go and find some bluebells in our local woods.

Bluebells at Tyrrel’s Wood

Collage on panel

May 10, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Hot – study”

“10” x 8″

Inks, glitter, found items for texture, pebeo fantasy prisme paints (for the round ‘stones’ in the foreground) on acrylic canvas board.

Photos to show texture:

Abstract on paper – small

May 2, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Spring fields”

11 ¾” x 7 ¾ “

Acrylic paints, Daler Rowney inks, Pebeo Fantasy Prisme paint (still settling and drying, so there will be changes in the final effects once it’s dried and cured overnight).

Texture detail:

Driving home the other evening, I took a quick photo out of the side of the car of the rape seed fields … I love this time of year. I was inspired by this scene but didn’t want to create just another yellow, blue and green picture … so got fiddling about with the Pebeo paint, which takes an absolute age to dry completely but the results are always interesting. I will also press this when completely dry so that it lies nice and flat.

Abstract on canvas – large

April 27, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

“Sea”

47″ x 39″ x 1 ½”

Acrylics, metallic paints and inks, on stretched deep wrap canvas.

Ground has been highly textured over a period of months, resulting in a very robust, cured surface that is quite hard. I used caulk, modelling paste and other gels to get the texture. It’s currently hanging in my bedroom (swamping my room as well because it’s quite a large painting), ‘cos I don’t have anywhere else to put it!

Close ups of texture detail