Regent's Canal, London

7x10" acrylic on paper. $50. Available here

On our most recent trip to London we walked along Regent's Canal- it was a gorgeous sunny day and the light was fantastic! I really loved this particular view, with the curving tree trunks along the wall, and the light hitting the boat in just the right spots. This painting gave me the opportunity to paint a few things I've wanted to work on- dappled light, and a brick wall. I'm quite pleased with how it came out!

Summer Colours Still Life

Forgot to post this one!

7x10" acrylic on paper, $50. Available here

Summer is well and truly here and I'm enjoying all the bright colours- so here's a vibrant still life! I had a lot of fun with this one, painting in each element and watching it all come together.

Cantaloupe

5x7" acrylic on watercolour paper. $40. Available here

I love the warm orange colour of the cantaloupe, contrasting with the cool but bright backdrop. I had a lot of fun playing with the colours here!

Summer Path Study

6x8" oil on canvas board. $45. Available here

Another plein air- this one of a path I've painted many times. At the moment, it's lined by the soft purples and blues of the comfrey, which I'm falling in love with painting! Still trying to learn how to paint dappled light- but there's no better teacher than nature, so I'll continue getting out there as much as possible!

Dappled Light, The Fallen Tree

10x12" oil on canvas board. $75 Available here 
(plus there's a pic of it on location at the link above!)

This tree blew down quite a few years ago now. It lies across a small stream, the trunk forming a little bridge (most often used by dogs) and the branches hanging low over the path. I've wanted to paint it for a long time, but couldn't find a composition I liked- but on this particular day, with the strong light creating a beautiful pattern on the ground, it was easy! I loved painting this and I hope it's as enjoyable to look at as it was to create. This might be one of my favourite plein airs to date!

The Red Shed, June

 6x8" oil on canvas board. $45. Available here

I painted this view in August last year, and loved it, so of course I had to go back and do another plein air painting of it at some point! It's fun to return to the same location and see the way it changes through the seasons. At the moment this spot is full of colour- purple (comfrey) yellow (buttercups) and white (chervil) as well as the vibrant green grass.

A Row Of Shadows

6x8" Oil on Canvas Board. $45 Available here

The weather's been so pleasant this last week or so I've been out a lot, painting en plein air. This one was done on the main path through our local nature reserve- an open, grassy area bordered by woodland. I really enjoyed how the late afternoon sun was creating long shadows across the grass. As I was painting, I spotted several rabbits and a muntjac deer- sadly the deer moved on before I could add it in. Ah well- maybe another time!

Dog Walking In The Meadow

10x12" oil on canvas board. $75. Available here

Finally posting this plein air from a week or two ago- I walked to the meadow down the road and found a mass of buttercups growing there. Plenty of people were out enjoying the good weather and walking their dogs as I painted, so I decided to add one in. It was really enjoyable watching the pups bouncing through the flowers. Dog-watching is always a highlight of working in this spot!

Hi Viz- Street Corner Gathering

15x21cm (A5) Acrylic on Watercolour Paper. $45. Available here

Following on from my previous painting, I gave green hi-viz a shot. I had a bit of a struggle with the background, but found working on the figures very satisfying- they more or less painted themselves.

Hi-Viz: A Quick Break

15x21cm (A5) Acrylic on Watercolour Paper. $45. Available here

Each time we go to London, I find my attention drawn to all the workers in Hi-Viz. The fluorescent oranges and greens are so striking. I've been putting off painting them because I kept thinking "will everyone else just think I'm crazy?" And then I realised I should be painting what I want, and not worrying so much about what others think. Sometimes it's hard, when a painting gets next to no views, or people ask you what the point of it is. After all, you find your own artistic voice by experimenting and following your own intuition, not by chasing the expectations of others.

That said, I do hope you don't think I'm crazy... I just like mixing bright colours haha

The Lunch Date

15x21cm (A5) Acrylic on watercolour paper. $45. Available here

Another for the "People Eating" challenge- my trips to London provide plenty of reference! Here's a couple sitting outside of a cafe, enjoying lunch in the sun. I fought with this piece a lot- it felt like there were a lot of elements to pull together, and I was quite surprised to finish it, let alone be satisfied with it. I'm really enjoying this foray into figurative work, a largely unexplored genre for me- I feel quite excited to get stuck into it and see where it leads me...