Saturday 27 July 2013

More Painting Ideas

Below are two ideas that I will be working up into paintings next month.

'Messing About'
'Quick Getaway'

Monday 15 July 2013

Lovely Day For It

Just in case you ever wanted to know what a group of snails having a picnic in the rain looks like. I learnt a heck of a lot doing this one such as I've got to be really careful with the paper when wet. Suddenly out of nowhere marks started to appear as I painted which means I must have scratched it when I was stretching it or maybe let the paper get too wet and therefore vulnerable to the slightest indentation.

Lovely Day For It
Water Colour / Gouache
24 x 31cm

Number two of three for a private commission. The first was King Louie, the brief being the painting had to show lions and puffins. 'Lovely Day For It' was a barn owl and snails and the last painting will be depicting a basset hound and mice (see below).

 

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Masterchef

I have just put the finishing touches to 'Masterchef' this morning. You can see the odd highlight on whiskers and fur with gouache but the vast majority of the painting is water colour.

Masterchef
Water Colour / Gouache 
 31 x 24cm

Hopefully the narrative in the painting is very clear. I wanted to bring across a nice homely feel to this image which be in a contrast to some of the other ideas I have down the line for this series of work.

Thursday 4 July 2013

More new paintings...

Below you can see two paintings I am working on right now, even as I type this my other hand is holding a paintbrush, one eye is on the screen and the other eye is overseeing my brushwork. I'm also playing 'The Entertainer' on an old upright piano I have in the corner of my studio, I really hope the wind doesn't change or I'm stuck like this forever.

In order of appearance, sepia underpainting and corresponding initial sketch below.


Monday 1 July 2013

Frederic Lord Leighton Capri Paintings

I was in the Ashmolean in Oxford yesterday and I stumbled upon these absolute gems!



These are associated but not confirmed as a series of first oil sketches painted by Frederic Lord Leighton during an early summer 5 week stay on the Island of Capri in 1859. He was influenced by his friend Giovanni Costa.

The above painting and detail is my favourite, it stopped me dead in my tracks as I was trying to find a route back to the Egyptian and Nubian department. Going by size and style I'd like to think these are plein air paintings, according to the museum they were studies not intended to be seen by the public.

I hope to find out more on Leighton's Capri sketches.