Teashop ladies

I started a new series of paintings on Tuesday - Window Shopping.  I have only finished two so far, and they are both rough drafts for possible future paintings.  I like the whimsical feel to them, you often see two friends staring into shop windows, so you only see the back view.

I think they would work well in collage and acrylic, and have already started thinking about an approach to take.  I don't have much time at the moment so it will have to wait until later in the summer.  I have only just realised that my first exhibition this year is only just over four weeks away, so I need to get moving and sort out work for framing over the coming weekend.

Teashop ladies, acrylic, 10 x 12 inch

Here is another of the paintings from my past, another using the ruler I suspect.

Yorkshire Dales, acrylic, 20 x 16 inch

These two paintings are so far apart it's difficult to realise that I used to paint in such a tight style.  Also the palette was very restricted, no bright colours.

Yet another seascape

I feel as if I have been doing seascapes for weeks, but it's only a few days.  I am going to start working on Still Life again tomorrow.

seascape, acrylic, 10 x 12 inch

This is another Saturday effort, that I reworked today.   I will probably work on this one again as it's still not quite right.

Re-worked seascape, acrylic, 10 x 12 inch

Still Life, rework of first painting

I have taken a photograph of the first still life in the series, altered it in Photoshop Elements, printed it out onto watercolour paper, and then re-worked it.  The photograph has come out a little bright.

I find this is a quick way to experiment with a painting, and if I find I really like the result, I will then go on and actually paint it on board.

Still Life No.1 reworked, acrylic, 10 x 12

 I have also taken another photograph of yesterday's painting.  The colours are more accurate now but it is a little brighter than the photograph shows, but if I alter the brightness, the colours are not true.  I think it maybe because there is a lot of scumbling one colour over another.

Still Life, version 3

I am enjoying this series, or sequence of paintings, and will be doing more in March.

Playing catch up

Today I am playing catch up as I was away most of yesterday, so only a quick composition sketch in black and white acrylic.

Mono painting, cruciform composition 10 x 12 inch

Extreme Composition class, lesson 4

Here is another sample from the Extreme Composition class with Jane Davies.

Extreme composition, lesson 4

Scottish abstract again

Another loose painting, based on a previous painting of Scottish cottages.  Worked on a collage base as yesterday's.

Scottish village, 10 x 12, acrylic

Scottish abstract

Based loosely on previous paintings of Scottish crofts.  Acrylic over collage base, plenty of acrylics inks allowed to drip and dribble to give some excitement.

The Manse, acrylic, 10 x 12

Pot plant

Well, here it is, the 31st painting of the year - January is now complete.

Pot plant, acrylic, 10 x 12

There were times this month when I didn't think I would keep up, but as the month has gone along, it has become easier.  I now have a daily habit of going into the studio every morning and most afternoons, for a two hour stint each time.

Obviously there are days when I am out, so I try to paint a few in hand so that I don't miss uploading on this blog.  I don't class it as cheating, as I am still painting everyday except if it's impossible to do so.

Hopefully February will be just as good

Extreme Composition, lesson 3 again

Another composition from the Jane Davies online workshop

colour field painting 12 x 10

Extreme Composition, lesson one

I felt I should add a piece of work from lesson one, which was about line, and this is it.  I feel some tension in these lines.

Line, 10 x 12

Only a few more days to go to the end of the first month, it seems to have gone remarkably quickly.  I have managed, excepting for a few days last week, to keep to a studio routine of two hours morning and two hours in the afternoon, most days. , I haven't managed to work out where the textile work fits into this regime yet.

I work upstairs in a bedroom, when stitching or working on the embellisher.  Perhaps because the studio is 'in my eye' every time I go from the living room to the kitchen, and also the desktop computer is in the studio, so I go in frequently to use it and see work laying about.

Extreme composition, two

Another painting from the Extreme Composition workshop with Jane Davies.  This came in Lesson two, of six lessons as did the first piece.

Stack one, 10 x 12

Stacks are something I have played about with in the past.  I love to see actual pebbles stacked up, and a painting of them gives the same slightly insecure or apprehensive feeling.  This is good, it makes you look again.

Extreme composition

I have been taking part in an online workshop by Jane Davies, on Extreme Composition.  It's a very good workshop, and is making me work hard both mentally and physically.

I thought I would post an occasional painting from that workshop here as it does come under the heading of experimentation and development.

Extreme one 10 x 12

This painting came under the heading of 'two shapes and a line'.  Line is something I find difficult to add to a painting, merely because it is something I haven't really done before.  I think it does add to the painting, and needs to be experimented with more.

Staithes again

I love painting views of Staithes.  I have dozens of photographs and sketches of this village in North Yorkshire.  This painting was worked on a board which I primed with dark blue acrylic.

Staithes, evening. Oil on board. 10 x 12

I think the houses work well, but I need to fade out the house on the far right a little more, so that the two central houses stay as the focus.

Having a loose day

Worked over a collage base using my non-dominant right-hand.

Cornish village, acrylic, 10 x 12 inch

Daily, or mostly daily painting

Recording my experiments with painting, hopefully on most days.  By painting every day, I hope to improve both the design and technique in my artwork.

A quick sketch of Bridlington Harbour. Acrylic, 10 x 12 inch.