Fruit & Veg Stall, Whitechapel Market

6x8" acrylic on canvas, $45. Available here

Another I forgot to upload; this is painted from a photo I took at Whitechapel Market on an unusually hot April day. The market was bustling, full of colourful stalls; most seemed to be selling fruit and veg, or scarves. I've said before I love painting markets, and this was no exception. I was happy to catch this pair mid-transaction, a bit of human interaction makes for an interesting challenge. Though I must have re-painted that white shirt a dozen times!

It was a very challenging scene to paint generally, because of the sheer amount of stuff that's everywhere; stacks of boxes, the striped canopy folding and catching the light, the hanging blue bags... And the fact you can see through the back of the stall to the other side of the street! I hope I managed to create a cohesive painting out of it all.
 

Gospel Oak

6x6" oil on canvas board. $40. Available here

I'm finally starting to feel up to painting city scenes again! I went through a bit of a block for a while, and they just weren't working out - but I'm hoping that's clearing up now. The other night I was feeling brave and decided to do a painting from a photo taken in London last summer. The composition made me a little nervous - the railings, the placement of bridges - I was worried they'd confuse the focus. But I stuck with my instincts and painted the scene anyway, and I'm actually really pleased with how it came out!

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!

The o2 From The Air

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

This is a view of the o2 at Greenwich Peninsula, London... as seen from the Emirates Air Line, a cable-car route which travels over the docks. It gives a fantastic view out over the city. The day we took it was almost blindingly bright sun, and the buildings cast long shadows over the water. I was entranced by the colours!

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.

The Phone Box

6x8" acrylic on canvas board. On sale, $25! Available here

A little study of Highgate, based on a photo I took there recently. I really liked the lighting! And I quite enjoy painting phone boxes; it must be the bright colour and the interesting patterns of light and dark seen through the windows. The parked cars were the biggest challenge here; figuring out how to simplify the reflections of trees in their windscreens took me ages.

St Pancras Hospital Water Tower

6x8" acrylic on canvas paper. $45 Available here

I was struck by this view of the water tower from outside Camley Street Co-op, on the other side of the canal, and had to paint it. I really enjoy the browns and greys of the buildings set against the green foliage and blue sky! This was a real challenge to paint and I almost gave up on it at one point, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

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!

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...

Lunch Break

21x15cm (A5) Acrylic on Watercolour Paper. $45. Available here

For the Weekly Challenge- "People Eating" and wow, was this a challenge! I'm still getting the hang of painting figures. I used a photo I took in London back in March- funny enough the hardest part of this was figuring out what to do with the background, which was a mess of intricate architectural detail and overlapping signs.

Trafalgar Crowds

8x10" acrylic on canvas board. $65. Available here

A view of Trafalgar Square from among the crowds- it's fun to paint such a famous place from a slightly different angle. I was trying to capture the light here, I loved the dramatic contrast of the light sky and shadowy statues, and the silhouettes of the tourists.

Sunlit Alley

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

I've been doing a few little architectural paintings lately! I was considering painting a building, but then spotted this little alley next to it, and liked the way the sunlight was hitting it, so I focused on that instead.

Balancing Act

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

I've been working on larger paintings a fair bit recently, hence my lack of posting, but I'm trying to get some more small works completed. Here's a little study of a pile of boxes just about balancing on a palette outside a Chinese restaraunt in London. I couldn't resist the way they looked, as though they're about to collapse in several directions at once!

Hampstead Rain

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

I took this photo back in summer, during a visit to the Hampstead Affordable Art Fair. I have been wanting to paint it for a while, but intimidated by the reflected light on the paving- I don't think I did badly here, though! This is a view I remember pretty well from my childhood, complete with people sheltering from the drizzle under trees...