Off Into The Waves

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

So, this unquestionably turned out a bit cheesy, which isn't really my thing. I prefer landscapes that you can project your own mood onto. But I guess flipping through all those old photos made me a little nostalgic! I questioned myself the whole way through about whether to paint out or leave the figure. I left it, deciding I was happy with how it was painted. Even without it, the painting has a similar mood - that 'memory of a happy summer holiday'  feeling. I think the colour palette is what does it! I might try another version sometime that's a bit more toned-down.

I'm happy with this painting - but I definitely surprised myself with how it turned out, because as I say, it's not the kind of image I'd usually seek to create. Still, I hope it strikes a chord with people!

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!

St Michael's Mount From Long Rock

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

As the weather gets warmer, I always feel more like painting seascapes. However, living in a landlocked county, there's no conveniently-close beach for plein air work. So I dig in my archive of photos for ones I haven't used yet...

This was painted from a photo I took quite a few years ago during a family holiday to Cornwall. I really like how the seaweed on the beach came out!

Summer, The Solent

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

A view from the Round Tower in Portsmouth, looking out over the Solent. I really enjoyed capturing the subtle shifts of blue and green in the water, and trying to depict the way the light dances across the waves.

Crashing Wave

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

I got the urge to paint a seascape recently! I dug out a reference photo from my last trip to the Isle of Wight. It's really fun painting greenish-grey water, the colour shifts are very subtle and a great challenge. I also had fun trying to capture the beach, which was strewn with pebbles and seaweed. 

Sea Sparkle, Molunat

5x4" acrylic on canvas, $30. Available here

Trying to capture that light-on-water effect! Yet another Montenegro painting inspired by Virtual Paintout. I think I'll paint a few more and then decide which ones to submit to the VP blog.

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Little Boat in Kotor, Montenegro

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

Another "Virtual Paintout" in Montenegro- I really enjoyed painting these little boats, there are so many of them scattered along the waterfront and they're all calling to me, so I may do more little studies of them in future. I'm particularly proud of the composition on this one, though. And it doubles as an entry for the Mountains challenge on DPW!

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HMS Warrior, Portsmouth

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

This is painted from a photo I took in Portsmouth while visiting the Historic Dockyard. It was a real challenge to capture all of the masts and rigging on such a small scale.

Cornish Cliffs

8x10" oil on canvas. $80. Available here

I'm really quite proud of this painting! It reminds me of a family holiday to St Ives, back when I was thirteen or thereabouts. I started with a reference photo which I quickly abandoned, and I ended up painting the view I remember from that trip- the grassy green ground, rocky cliffs and the deep blue sea, far below. I hope that it gives everyone else the same positive feeling that I got from painting it!

End of the Pier

6x8" watercolour on paper. $45. Available here!

I've done quite a lot of bright, colourful paintings recently so for a change, here's something calmer and more subtle- a view of the end of Ryde Pier. I loved how the structure was reflecting in the water.

A Path By The Sea

6x8” watercolour on paper. $45. Available here

I've been in a watecolour mood lately! Here's one painted from a photo I took out of a bus window on my trip. I liked this little curving path running alongside the sea, just past Yarmouth. I've not done much watercolour since last summer. It was fun to work wet-in-wet again and let the colours run and blend.

I find watercolour a great medium to use when working from photos, as you can't really be too fussy over minor details; you have to see where it takes you, use your creative instincts and relax. And the results often wind up much more vibrant and atmospheric than the photo anyway, as is the case with this painting. Or so I feel... I hope you all enjoy the finished work as much as I enjoyed painting it!

Appley Tower From The Beach

 6x8" oil on canvas board. $25. Available here!

Another painting of the Isle of Wight. ​One morning I walked down the beach at low tide, and came across a Victorian folly, Appley Tower. I really liked how it stood out, pale stone against dark trees. The tide goes out a long way, but pools of water remain here and there, reflecting trees and sky. The sand has many different textures and colours. It was fun trying to capture them without distracting from the main focus of the painting.

The Needles

 6x6" oil on canvas board. $20. Available here!

I recently spent a week on the Isle of Wight visiting family and now that I'm home I am busy painting from all of my sketches, plein air studies and reference photos. This is the view of the Needles from the cliffs over Alum Bay. Here's what Wiki has to say about the Needles:
"The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, UK, close to Alum Bay. The Needles Lighthouse stands at the outer, western end of the formation... The formation takes its name from a fourth needle-shaped pillar called 'Lot's Wife' that collapsed in a storm in 1764. The remaining rocks are not at all needle-like, but the name has stuck."

Green Sea

6x6 inches, oil on canvas board. $40

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I had waves on the brain- here’s a seascape!

Smeaton's Pier, St Ives

6x6 inches, oil on canvas board - $40

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Here's my entry for the DPW’s Escape the Snow challenge, a view of St Ives in Cornwall. We went there for a week when I was younger and I absolutely loved it. It's famous for its incredibly clear light, and has become a haven for artists- there's a gallery on almost every street.

Waves, Cornwall

6x6 inches, oil on canvas board.
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It feels strange uploading such a summery painting in January! But I've been wanting to paint some waves for ages. This is from a photo I took during a holiday in Cornwall. I love the soft green tones in the waves, where the sunlight shines through the water.