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!

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!

The Killary 1

6x6" watercolour on paper. $40. Available here

I've been having trouble with oils and acrylics lately so I've started painting watercolours again- it's been a long while since I've used them. I'm having a lot of fun, remembering all of the techniques and tricks I like using! Here's the first of two little Irish landscapes I painted a few days ago.

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!

Sitting by the Fountains

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

I've done a few plein air paintings in the town centre lately. It can be intimidating to work with people passing by all the time, and there are a lot more distractions. But it offers a whole new array of subjects to explore, and that's been a lot of fun. This was a real challenge to paint; I wasn't entirely happy with what I produced on location, so I touched it up a bit when I got home. I'm satisfied now!

A fun fact; the people sitting on the bench were one of the first elements I painted- a good thing I did, because they left about five minutes later!

Hidden Pond

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

Here's a plein air which I forgot to post a couple months back- a little overgrown pond, tucked away on our local nature reserve up a tiny side-path. It's a very quiet spot, mostly filled with the buzzing of insects and the rustle of wind in the trees- a pleasant place to sit and paint.

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.

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!

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.

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. 

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.

The River, March

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

Here's another plein air from earlier this week- the first sunny day we've had in ages! It was so lovely to feel the warmth on my shoulders as I sat painting. I had been heading to a spot further along the path, but when I crossed the bridge and glanced over at the river I knew I'd found my subject! I loved how the light was hitting the water, and bringing out the uneven shapes of the riverbanks. This is almost entirely done on location- I've included a pic of it in my pochade box on Daily Paintworks- just a few stray brushstrokes touched up when I got home.

Longmead From The Woods

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

Here's a recent plein air painting- I was testing out my new, larger pochade box! I love it, it's still light to carry and easy to use. I've painted in this location before, last summer, with all the trees full and green. It looks very different in late winter- you can see through them to the meadow and the houses on the other side of it. I'm really looking forward to recording the way it changes through the seasons this year!

A Grey Day, Scotland

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

Peaceful Pines

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

I love trying to give a sense of scale and depth in landscapes. I feel like I achieved that in this piece, the atmospheric perspective has worked pretty well. And I really enjoy the pine trees! I have been practicing them a lot lately. Tricky to get right, but they make wonderful compositional elements.

The Fountains At Night

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

There are several little fountains in the town centre- a group of little jets of water, springing up from the pavement. At night they're lit by coloured spotlights, giving them a beautiful glow, and they reflect wonderfully on the wet ground. This was a real challenge to paint and I'd like to return to the subject at some point, maybe on a larger scale so I can show them in more detail!