Sunset Over The Waves

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

While flipping through old family photos, I came across a fantastic one of light hitting the waves as the sun set. I've always wanted to try capturing that 'sparkle' of light on water, and this was the perfect opportunity. I upped the contrast slightly from the original photo, to create a more dramatic and atmospheric composition, and enhanced the purple, which I hoped would complement the golden sunlight.

The wave in the foreground was probably the hardest part, getting all those little strokes to pull together convincingly. But I'm really happy with the result, and I hope you enjoy it too!

Beetroot and Blood Orange

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

It's not often I get to do it, but I love using all three secondary colours in a painting! But on this occasion, I had just the subject matter; the blood orange, which I was eager to paint again, and beetroot. The leaves were an interesting challenge; I found myself treating them in an almost abstract way while blocking in the lighter and darker areas.

Red Onions Aren't Actually Red

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

I loved this week's challenge, all about using limited colours in a composition. I really wanted to do a painting based around the colour of a red onion, which is not red at all, but a dark purple-brown. I decided to introduce the little green Haworthia plant as my 'one small thing' that isn't. The colours got a little bit more varied than I intended as I worked on it, and then I added a green marble, so it got away from the theme a bit - but I'm still happy with it. Please note that at the time of posting (6th April) this painting is still wet; I would not be comfortable shipping it for a week or two, until I'm happy it's completely dry. However I'm putting it up early so I can submit it to the Weekly Challenge page.

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!

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!

Golden Sunset

6x6" acrylic on canvas board. On sale, $22! Available here

A sunset study for the weekly challenge- this is one of the trickier ones I've had to do, capturing the soft pinks and yellows proved much more complex than I expected! I usually do more dramatic, contrast-y sunsets and this was very gentle in comparison.

Autumn in High-Key

6x6" acrylic on canvas board. On sale- $22! Available here

Following on from the last painting I posted, here's the high-key study! I really struggled with the leaves while painting this, they seemed to be changing position. I realised as I was deconstructing the arrangement they'd been curling up as I painted... no wonder I was confused!

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!

Cherries in Bowl

10x12" acrylic on canvas. $95 Available here

I was in the mood to challenge myself, so I set up this deceptively simple arrangement. The metal throws up all kinds of reflections; you have to look closely and place your strokes carefully to ensure accuracy. I had a great time painting and it was very satisfying to watch it come together!

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.

The Meadow, June

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

Another view of the meadow- I really enjoy this spot! Here, some of the grasses looked almost purple against the bright yellow buttercups, and the sun brought out the intense greens of the trees. It was a really hot day, and I ended up wishing I'd chosen a shady spot to sit in, but I'm pretty happy with how the painting came out so I'm glad I stayed where I did.

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!

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.

Cherries and Scallions

21x15cm (A5) Acrylic on Canvas Board. $45. Available here

I had a lot of fun building a composition around these scallions- and adding touches of yellow and pink into the greens to keep them interesting.

Cherries and Glass Jar

12x15cm (A5) Acrylic on Watercolour Paper. $45. Available here

I finally remembered to paint the cherries that have been in the fridge for a couple of days- they're great fun to work with, so dark and glossy, with a really rich red-purple colour. I'm really enjoying trying to capture it.

The Arcade From The Wynd

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

Painting all those windows was a real challenge- trying to get the values right. But I couldn't resist this subject- the side entrance to the Arcade. I really loved the presence of the purple fence around a building site- it helps the greens and oranges pop.

Waterfall Study

7x10" acrylic on paper. $60 Available here

Experimenting with colours, using one of my favourite subjects! I enjoyed trying to find colour in the grey rocky areas.

The Wynd in April

7x5" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

Another painting for the Exaggerate challenge. The cherry trees in town are blossoming spectacularly at the moment, and I've been having a great time painting them. I had fun with the colours on the street, pushing the warm/cool contrast between the light and shadow areas.

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.

After Strong Winds

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

A small plein air painting from a few days ago- I came across a tree which had blown down and was blocking the path. The one next to it had several broken branches. I'm guessing it happened fairly recently as the only people who really walk through this little area of woodland are locals, and quite a few of them seemed surprised to see it.