Bluebells

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

This was painted from photos of a trip to Hitch Wood last year. In spring, the woods all around us brighten with a carpet of bluebells. The resulting views are stunning, and I wanted to create a little tribute to the atmosphere you get when walking through them - almost mystical!

Lemon and Cherries

5x7" oil on canvas board. $40, Available here

I was in the mood to do something kind of traditional to get myself back into using oils - I'd been having a bit of a block. I decided to try doing a simple still life against a dark background, and found that I loved how luminous it made the lemon look! I had fun trying to suggest the texture of the lemon's skin with careful brushmarks.

The Killary 2

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

The second of my little Irish scenes. I really love playing with all of the different shades of green, blue and brown found in these landscapes- and trying to capture the texture of the grass and trees, and the light reflecting in the water!

Hornsey Road, North London

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

Another London scene- I'm really enjoying painting the city at the moment! This one's of Hornsey Road in North London, just around the corner from the Emirates Stadium. I really enjoyed this colourful little scene- those shutters took ages to get right, but they were worth the struggle!

Three Cranes

5x7" oil on canvas board. $40. Available here

I love these old-fashioned cranes! Complex to paint, but the shapes are so powerful and distinctive. As we were leaving the Docklands, the sun was just beginning to sink, and when I glanced back and saw it behind the cranes, throwing them into strong contrast, I knew I'd be painting the scene. I'm really pleased with how the water came out in this image!

Commuters at King's Cross

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

A little scene of commuters in King's Cross station in London, checking timetables and phone messages while they wait for the train to arrive. In the background, you can see the crowd gathered outside Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4.

I like this part of the station- there are always people to watch, but it's quiet and open enough that no one bumps into you as they pass. I spent a long time tweaking this painting- crowd scenes are tough! I learned a lot, though.... so I may have to do some more station scenes at some point in the future.

November Sunset

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

We've been getting some great sunsets recently! This one was so dramatic and vibrant that I had to paint it. I've found that keeping the brushstrokes very loose is the best way to convey the movement of the clouds, and sometimes I struggle with that because I want to add minute detail to everything. But I think that in this painting, I stopped at just the right point!

Gourd Gang

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale, $22! Available here

I'm having a much better time painting gourds than I did last year! The variety of colours, shapes and textures had me quite overwhelmed last time, but this year I'm feeling more confident. Here's a painting of a few of my favourites, posing nicely.

October Orange

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale- $22! Available here

If there's one colour I associate with autumn, it's that rich orange of pumpkins and leaves... I'm having great fun painting with it! Here's a little arrangement I put together as an exercise in low-key painting; I love the way the dark background really accentuates the vibrant colours.

Froggy Friend

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale; $22! Available here

This was one of those occasions where I saw something and just couldn't resist painting it, even though it's not my usual fare and I have no idea what other people will think of it! This little toy frog seems so cute to me; I was drawn in by the interesting curved shape and the bright, bright green colour- I do love a vibrant green.

The biggest challenge here was trying to capture how the shadow is tinted green by the bouncing light; it was difficult not to totally lose the bottom edge of the frog while remaining true to that effect.

Munchkin Pumpkin

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale; $22! Available here

Autumn is really here, and it's pumpkin season! Here's a mini one, which the supermarket labelled a "munchkin pumpkin." I kept the background fairly simple- I'm still experimenting with back-lighting in my still lives, and I feel it really worked here.

Cambridge Architecture II

5x7" oil on canvas board. On sale, $22! Available here

Another study of architectural detail from my trip to Cambridge! While walking along a street I looked up to see this stone carving underneath a window; I thought it was worth a painting all on its own. I believe it's part of Trinity College. Incredible to think how much time, effort and craftsmanship went into these great buildings... One of the best bits of being an artist is that you're naturally tuned in to your surroundings, looking for subjects, and you spot all these little details!

Wonky Marrow III

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale, $22! Available here

And here's the wonky marrow under blue-filtered light! I tried to keep the composition very similar to the first painting so you can see the difference between them. I really like the almost underwater-like feeling in this painting. I particularly liked capturing how the light shines under the marrow in places.

Wonky Marrow II

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale, $22! Available here

Wonky marrow study for the Different Light challenge. I did Daylight, then moved to a different part of the house to play with stronger lighting.

I had to improvise a bit here, as I only have one light and it's very specific about the bulbs it'll take. I stuck two rulers to the side of my desk, suspended a sheet of orange coloured paper between them, and shone my spotlight through it so that the paper acted as a filter. It was like working in a darkroom under red light as I was painting, which I found strangely calming, I quite enjoyed it. I'm happy with the result too! I've added a comparison to III so you can see the different lights in action.

Wonky Marrow I

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. On sale- $22! Available here

The other day while walking the dog, we came across a box of marrows outside a neigbour's house, under a sign saying "help yourself" so... why turn down a free painting subject! It's the wonkiest marrow I've ever seen and that just makes me all the more fond of it. I decided to do a little series of paintings of it under different lights for the DPW challenge... here it is under afternoon light from a window.

Feeling Crabby?

5x7" acrylic on canvas. On Sale, $22! Available here

Here's a fun little painting! We bought this whole Cromer crab for dinner one night, and I snapped a bunch of photos before we ate it. The shapes and colours are fascinating- in fact, I kept the shell to sketch from. I wanted to try and give this guy a little personality and I hope I've succeeded!

The Bonfire

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. SOLD

A study of a bonfire at a family get-together from early September. Night scenes are so much fun to paint! And I'm slowly growing more confident with adding figures in to my works as well.

Get Ready for the October Sale!

As October's my favourite month of the year, I'll be holding a big sale at Daily Paintworks from the 1st to the 31st, with original art on offer at fantastic prices!

Here's a preview, and a link to my gallery, so that you can get a better idea of what will be on offer...

Cambridge Architecture I

5x7" oil on canvas board. $40. Available here

First in a series of little oils I'm doing based on the architecture of Cambridge. There is so much intricate detail and I wanted to focus in on some favourite elements. This is from one of the many old churches- I loved the windows and had great fun trying to capture them.

Watching Over The Garden

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here 

 My uncle's garden is pretty amazing- full of statues and carvings he's created over the years, watching you from unexpected places. I couldn't resist taking some photos of a few spots and painting them. I really love the way the pale shells in the flowerbed are catching the light here!