Outside the Church, Kimpton

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

I thought I'd uploaded this already but apparently not, so here it is! For the past two years, I've exhibited work at the Kimpton Art Show. Kimpton itself is a very nice town, with lots of lovely architecture and greenery, and little back lanes which twist and turn behind the houses. This is the lane which leads up to the church - the bunting seen here is the typical store-bought stuff, but further up there is hand-knitted bunting, which I've not seen before! I thought it was quite a nice touch. I wish I'd taken more photos of the town; maybe next year!

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!

In Bloom

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

In response to this week's Daily Paintworks challenge, I took a look around my garden and found this little flower- some type of rose? At the time it was the only one that was open. I didn't want to pick it, so I just took some photos (it was too hot to be sitting outside, by my standards at least!) I checked again today and there are a whole bunch more in bloom now. It feels like it's been a while since I did a floral painting, and this was a really nice change of pace from some other projects I've been working on!

Rain In The Distance

Whoops I forgot to post this one yesterday!

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

On The Way Home

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

When I saw the weekly challenge theme on Daily Paintworks was "Clouds" I couldn't wait to get painting! Anyone who's followed my work for a while knows I adore painting skies. Unfortunately it's a flat white today, so I broke out some ref photos- this one was taken on the way home from an exhibition.

Bluebells and Branches

21x15cm, oil on paper. $40. Available here

It's bluebell season! I spotted this cluster beneath a tree and had to do a little painting. Trying out oils on paper, which is something I don't often do. I'll probably try a few types of paper and see what I like best- it's always fun to experiment with new surfaces and techniques!

Spring Sun Study

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

A study of the tree in our back garden on a particularly sunny day- the tree looked almost black against the bright light, and the colours were all so vibrant. I wasn't happy with this when I first completed it, so it's had a few touch-ups since, and I think it's finally pulled together.

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.

Comfrey and Forget-Me-Nots

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

A plein air piece from earlier today. I spent a little longer than I usually would for this size- I was really enjoying trying to capture the plants in a little more detail. I had a little Burnt Sienna on my palette, unusual for me as I usually stick to the primaries and white. But I might keep it around for a while.

A lot of the people who walk past me when I'm out painting totally ignore me... and then lean in to their friend once they think they're out of earshot and say "That painting was really good." It always makes me laugh. I wonder if it happens everywhere, or if it's just a by-product of Britain's social awkwardness...

Fences

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

A little study for the Brushstrokes challenge. I'm really enjoying watching the Spring colours emerge whenever I go out- bursts of pink and yellow appearing against the green.

Cherry Trees, The Wynd

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

 Another painting of the cherry trees in The Wynd, looking the opposite way from yesterday's work. I'm really grateful to the person who left their bicycle in this spot! It helps capture something of the relaxed atmosphere of this street, I think- away from the traffic and bustle of the centre of town. A nice place to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather!

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.

The River Lea, Hertford Castle Grounds

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

We had to make a trip to Hertford a couple of days ago, and while there we decided to walk through the Castle grounds. What a good decision! The whole area is full of fantastic painting spots, sadly I wasn't able to bring my painting gear that day, but at least I snapped lots of photos. Here's a study of a bridge over the river Lea, lined by willow trees and daffodils. It seems no matter where I am, I'm drawn to the water!

Sunlight on Water

10x12" oil on canvas board. $75 Available here
(There's an extra picture of the painting on location at the link!)

Another recent plein air! This was painted in a slightly new spot for me, looking at the river from a new angle. I really enjoyed it, very peaceful- though as I worked, the sun started to move right into my eyeline which was a bit inconvenient- so I'll have to pick a different time of day in future! The strong light really made the river shine, though, and I had great fun trying to capture the reflections.

Ducks on the River

10x12" oil on canvas board. $75. Available here
(There's an extra image at that link too, of the painting on location!)

We've been having some lovely sunny weather recently and I've been rushing out to paint a lot. As I was sitting down to capture this view of the river, a couple of ducks swam into sight. They kept disappearing from view, and then returning just when I thought they'd moved on for good- but in the end I managed to work them into the painting. An experience that makes me feel spring has finally arrived!

Submitted to the Daily Paintworks "Spring" challenge.

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.

Fading

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

Daffodils are just as interesting and beautiful to me when they start to dry and crinkle up as when they're fresh. They form such interesting shapes! And I particularly liked the shadows they cast on the wall behind them here.

Narrow Stream

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

This is a plein air painting done on a warm, bright morning on our local nature reserve. I sat on a little wooden bridge looking down over this tiny stream and tried to capture the dappled light and the various shades of brown and green.

Path With Forget-Me-Nots

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

Here's a plein air painting from a month or so back- a path on our local nature reserve, bordered by bright blue forget-me-nots. I sat on a log to paint this, and lots of people stopped by to chat to me. It was a great morning, warm, peaceful and very productive.

A Bend in the River

4x5" oil on canvas board. $30. Available here

Here's a little study of our local nature reserve. I really enjoy doing little landscape studies, having to simplify everything into patches of light and dark. I learn a lot about composition from them. It's helping plan the larger works a lot.