Spring to life.

                   Spring Fields    Oils on watercolour paper   5 x 7 inches   SOLD


I love the pale velvety greens of spring wheat in our arable fields.  In autumn it is nice to look back and remember the optimism of the fresh growing crops.  

Recently I painted this scene on board.  The paint moves in a different way as board is sometimes slippery whereas the textured watercolour paper holds the paint well.  The fun is when I pick up a knife and scrape parts back to expose the surface of the paper. Too much scraping looks odd but just a little adds a few highlights..

Little gem.

                      Sundown    Oils on watercolour paper   5 x 7 inches   


I think it is quite possible to portray a large scene on a small support.  Size in this case doesn't reduce the impact of this colourful sunset.  I like the texture of the paper which is visible in the brush stroke across the water picking up the light in the sky.

Country style

             Way Through     Oils on watercolour paper   5 x 7 inches  


Another look at the back way to the farm near the river.  I really like the rutted grass track with little puddles and the shaft of sunlight across the grass as the track bends to the right.

Watercolour paper is a lovely surface on which to work with oils.  When gessoed it is strong enough to withstand a good deal of pushing and scraping with brush and knife.

Getting ready.

          Dressed to Impress   oils on watercolour paper  8 x 11.5 inches   



   Nature has a way with colours and she certainly impressed me when I saw this scene.  

After a day of 'easel disasters' I was determined to end on a brighter note and this study has done the trick.   It was painted quickly and loosely to give an impression.  

       

                                                                    Being neighbourly.

                       Next Field   Oils on watercolour paper   7 x 11 inches   



Mid-October and the morning sun over the field next to my house.  The trees are turning colour now and make a change from the multi greens of summer.  The hedge runs north next to the road and its top is catching the sunlight.  

The trees on the right are on the little site of a hut, long gone now but it was once a community place for Whist Drives and other functions. 

I tried to keep the painting loose and just give a sense of place.   

               

                                                                   Getting edgy.

               Field's Edge    Oils on watercolour paper   7.5 x 11 inches   SOLD


Ivy clad trees line the edge of this field.  Ruts and furrows on the ground lead the eye into the distance.  Autumn, and fields are ready for tilling with crops to be sown.  

An English country scene which is a familiar sight in our arable county.  I like to use a soft warm palette with muted colours for my autumn landscapes.  Brighter, clear hues are more suited to a summer scene.  

Several hues can be created simply by mixing two or three colours and experimenting by blending and scraping on the paper.  Gesso as an preparatory underpainting stiffens the paper and allows me to be less than gentle.

Jumbled.

                 Autumn's Muddle    Oil sketch on board   6 x 6 inches   SOLD


The fresh green grass and wild flowers along the river banks are replaced with a jumble of dried grasses and seed heads, berries and rosehips.  The colours glow in the sunlight and there is a relaxed feeling all around.  The lone fence post stands proudly like a sentry to mark the overgrown track.

Loosely painted, this sketch is an impression of the place without too much fine detail.  I wanted to create a sense of disarray as nature settles down at the end of summer.

The palette is soft and muted.  No longer the bright summer hues.  A gentle day.

Make haste...

          Broxholme Fields   Oils on watercolour paper   7.5 x 11 inches   ON HOLD


Taking an opportunity before the chance has gone.  The ploughed field would soon be levelled and sown with a new crop, losing the lovely textures and colours in the sun.

I walked with Whippet through the trees to the bottom of our garden and this scene 'confronted' me.  It was 10.30 on an October morning with a clear blue sky looking west across these arable fields.  The hedgerow on the left finished before the end of the field letting the sun stream across the remaining stubble.

Watercolour paper is a joy to work on.  The gessoed surface stiffens the support and allows me to scrub and scrape creating interesting textures without piling on too much thick paint. 

A simple scene, with plenty of perspective and light.  I enjoyed taking this opportunity. 

Forbidden fruits.

                         Looking Around    oils on board  6 x 6 inches   SOLD


           Sometimes I throw caution to the wind...well...very often in the name of art. 

Looking around...a path leading me into trouble?  Maybe if I was caught in the act but I could not resist getting a reference photo of the back way into this farm garden as Whippet and I passed by. 

There were so many aspects of this scene which attracted me to creating a study.  The curving rough track, ruts and puddles, a broken down fence and gate posts, the triangle view of distant fields framed by the trees, sunlight on the path and above all...the mystery and element of risk.

Taking chances and exposing myself to risk is a daily part of my painting life.  Everything is risky.  Taking chances is what makes a painting work or even beginning the piece.  Looking for interesting subjects and the chance of seeing fleeting sunlight is dependent on being there at the right time. 

Back in my sudio choosing the right support and format, composition and colours all depend on making decisions which will lead to success or failure.  Choice is risky, mistakes and failure are my constant companion but better than the thought of not trying at all.  

Lucky find.

                    Heather and Heath   Oils on board  4 x 6 inches   


This little study is lucky to be here.  It began life badly and soon headed for disaster.  I was ready to give it up as a 'wiper' when inspiration clicked in and I went into 'Anne Wood Land' mode.  The landscape format with a shelter belt was retained but I changed the foreground adding some violet which was also echoed in the sky.  Then I placed a path leading the eye towards the distant field. 

            A hint of mystery with gentle colours.  An imaginary heathland place and I love it.

Landscape.

                       Wheat and Wheelings   Oils on board  4 x 6 inches  


An English landscape.  I live in a farming county and this scene is a common sight.   I was interested in the tractor wheelings like rail tracks running to the horizon and the roadside trees with a diagonal line.  The composition is nearly geometric with triangles and a rectangle in the sky.

Heat.

                             Harvest Sun   Oils on board   4 x 6 inches     


Loosely painted, this is a study of harvest time.  A setting sun ends a hot day over the ripe cornfield.  Although the painting is quite abstract there remains a hint of tradition in this tiny landscape.

As far as...

                          Rolling Wolds   Oils on board  4.5 x 7.5 inches  


A landscape without a sky in this image of the Lincolnshire Wolds.  Rolling hills with large arable fields of wheat and barley.  There is a shelter belt of trees and a strip of field which is pale in comparison.  I like the way it stands out from the crowd.

Legacy.

                        Stubble and Sun   Oils on board  4 x 6 inches   


Autumn and colour.  The two go together like peaches and cream.  The farmland in our Lincolnshire county is a tapestry of shapes and colour and more so in autumn as the leaves turn and garnered fields are ploughed.

The hedgerow and edge of this stubble field could be anywhere.  It doesn't matter. What is important is the possibility of creating a piece of art which might re-kindle a thought or feeling of delight in the viewer.

Creating art is my passion.  I am happiest when I have a blank canvas (board, paper etc) and my palette loaded with luscious oils to begin another journey into 'Anne Wood Land'.

I think my inspiration to paint the landscape 18 years ago may be credited to the late Edward Seago, a Norfolk landscape painter.  He captured light and atmosphere in all his work and when I saw his paintings I was hooked.  I wanted to discover these same 'abstract qualities' in the world around me and attempt to create something from what I saw and felt.  In my own way.

Over time I have discovered my own painterly 'handwriting' which has changed and evolved into what you see today.  It has taken hours of painting, scraping off, rejecting, learning, experimenting and working day after day.  These hours are valuable and well spent.

                                    Thank you Edward Seago for your priceless legacy.

Outlook.

                              Storm Nearby   Oils on board  4 x 6 inches  


There is magic in the stormy sky and when accompanied by sun streaks the combination is breathtaking for me as I search for possible ideas to paint.  

There is an element of luck here as this place could look entirely different when the clouds move.  Right place, right time I think together with an imaginative mind.

Imagination is pictured in all my paintings.  I try to capture the abstract qualities of the day...a light effect, wind in the crops, the sound of the sea and colours to please my soul.

                                       It might sound a little crazy...maybe I am.   

Life is wild.

                         Kirkby Reserve   Oils on board  4 x 6 inches 


I love a chance to display a little wild in my nature.  My studio is named Wild at Heart and this is where I paint these studies.  I used a reference photo of the lakes in another part of our county where dis-used gravel workings have become a nature reserve and home for wildlife.

             Plenty of licence applied here as I portrayed the evening in my own way.

Lighting up time.

                                 Low Tide   Oils on board  4 x 6 inches  


The light before dusk often glows violet blue so I painted this little study to this effect.  Low tide and pools of water in the little creeks pick up the relections and give me a great opportunity to push and pull the oils.  A tiny board but no reason not to show off a large vista.

Two's company.

               Heacham Beach   Oils on watercolour paper   6 x 9 inches   ON HOLD



A partner for 'End of Day', this painting has the same colour palette.  A gentle, relaxing feel to this scene.   No intrusion...just you and the sunset.

On the rocks.

                    End of Day    Oils on watercolour paper   6 x 9 inches   



Flat topped rocks glisten with light from the sky.  It was fun painting these and scraping back the oils to reveal texture and shapes.   

Testing, testing.

      Of the Moment   Oils on watercolour paper  7 x 11 inches  ON HOLD

Test piece  

 This study was a trial to see how far I could go with oils and abuse of the paper surface.   It seems I could really take liberties and here is a very textured study of storm clouds over the harvested fields.   I threw lots of paint at this painting and scraped back several times.

On completion I was ready to discard the piece but in the interests of research and development it was not a failure so I decided to post it for all to see!

When I joined Daily Paintworks I made a commitment to paint daily and post my art online.  I realised my resolution to post everyday depended on completed work and after proclaiming to the world I would blog daily there was no turning back.  

Persistance has been the key.  I feel happy about (most of) my work and I credit this to making the effort to stay with it through good and bad.  If a piece is destroyed..(and there are some)... I paint another.  And another.   

All is calm.

                  Estuary Sunset   Oils on watercolour paper  7 x 1 inches  



This little study is about peace and quiet...calm sea and soft, gentle sky.  The winding creek adds a little interest to the simple composition.   I liked the peach reflections in the standing water. 

A complete change from my usual gestural work as I wanted to keep this sense of calm. 

Golden opportunity.

          Croxby Wheat Fields   Oils on watercolour paper  7 x 11 inches   



Another study in my series 'Paperworks'.   The lovely texture of watercolour paper strengthened with gesso is giving me a lot of pleasure.  The luscious oils move beautifully on the surface and when scraped back for 'drawing back into' there are some interesting marks.

I recently painted a vertical format of this scene on canvas board.  This landscape format is just another way of composition.  There are endless ways of working in art and every day brings me another exciting challenge.  I remind myself not to become 'too precious' about my materials.  Fear of ruining or spoiling would become a reason to not paint boldly and I would lose the spontaneity of my gestural expression. 

It is only paper and paint!    

Go west.

              On the Edge of West   Oils on board   8 x 8 inches   SOLD

A textural oil sketch of violets, greys and orange yellow.  I liked painting the patchwork quilt of colours on the fields and sky.

The painting had 'morphed' into an evening snowscape from a disastrous earlier model of rocks!

         Just an example of making something from a failure.  All good practice.

Last call.

              Reflected Glory   Oils on watercolour paper   7 x 11 inches   


As I continue in my 'Paperwork' journey, this sunset took my eye and it was too hard to resist.  I am loving the experience of painting on textured paper although it took me a while to try it out.  Fear of change?  Possibly...but I am pleased I waded in and now I have another choice of support for my oils.

Now I am hooked and have bought several new sheets of paper today.  Tomorrow I shall get to work on some larger pieces and also some postcard size. I shall not give up my work on board and canvas as some paintings lend themselves to these supports.

Sun and shadow.

            Stallingborough Fields   oils on canvas board   5 x 7 inches   


Rain clouds on the horizon and sunlight on corn.  I like the shadows in the field from tractor wheelings.  I pushed the oils around to create the abstract shapes.

Place of work.

My blog usually shows a finished painting and some chat about what and where it is. Today I am posting some photographs of my workplace which is only a few steps away from my house.  I am very fortunate to have a dedicated space in which to create my pictures.   I can leave everything out ready for my next session without having to clear it all away.

My side table with some brushes and tubes of oils...Blue Ridge and Winsor & Newton.

This is my favourite painting position...I have everything near me and usually stand at my easel so I can 'back up' and look at my progress from a distance.  

Here are some little 'Daily Paintings' on shelves and a few new pieces for my exhibitions propped about or flat on the floor so I can see how I am progressing in my project...40 new pieces for March 2016.   

Another view of my studio.  Some pieces are part finished. 

 Others placed in a frame to see if I like them. 

Other small daily paintings on shelves and a few larger abstract pieces on stretched canvas.

Having my work around me helps to create fresh ideas for other pieces.  It might be that I decide to paint a series or use one of these as a reference to paint a large canvas.

I can also see how I am growing as a painter; how my work is evolving and where I might go next.    At present I am experimenting with oils on gessoed watercolour paper.  I like the texture and feel of the paper and the gesso protects the paper from my often brisk brushwork.   I now have to decide whether to frame with a mount and glass or try a stiff support behind the paper and use an open frame.  

I hope you enjoyed your little visit...now you can see what I do every day.

Valley view

     Sunset, Bain Valley   Oils on watercolour paper, unframed   7 x 11 inches  


Wide skies and wide landscape in the Lincolnshire Wolds.  Lush fields and ripening corn.  Loosely painted with a brush and a few strokes of a knife to add some texture.

Sing a song...

                    Norfolk Evensong   Oils on board   6 x 6 inches   ON HOLD


Mixing and placing oil paint to create a painting is pure bliss.  I am never bored or short of ideas as the finished work on the shelves in my studio can help me to start the next piece.

Sometimes I return to a former painting and change the format from rectangle to square. Other times I crop parts of the painting ( from my archive photo) or change the colours to make a completely different picture.  

I also have a file of photos to give me ideas.  Most of them are landscapes, seascapes, dawn or sunsets.  When asked what I paint I used to say I paint landscapes.  However, my paintings are really about atmosphere.  I like to capture the abstract if I can...sunlight and shadows, a 'sense of place' rather than 'just a view'.   

I look at the sky and see colours and shapes.  Across a field I see sun streaked across the corn, and zig zags of shadows.  This gives me a feeling of delight.  Back in the studio I like pushing the colours to make an impact and sculpting shapes on the board with my brush.  Broad strokes, wispy strokes, thick bits pulled down to give the impression of reflections.  No real detail, no people, just marks.  

That's it.   

No place like home...

    Homeward Bound    Oils on watercolour paper, unframed   7 x 11 inches   


       At the end of a day out in winter there is nothing more welcoming than returning to a            warm home but take a moment to savour the delights at sunset served up by nature.   


Another oil study on watercolour paper of the snowbound fields in Lincolnshire.  Our wide open skies are perfect for a panoramic view of the setting sun and evening clouds.  Painted mostly with a brush with a knife at the end to blend and push the oils.  

Bound up.

         Snowbound    Oils on watercolour paper, unframed   7 x 11 inches   ON HOLD

Winter may be the next season but the colours at sunset

across a snowbound hillside are a sight to be seen. 

 I painted this study on gessoed watercolour paper as a change from canvas.  The surface was lovely to work on and the weight of the paper stood up to my vigorous brushwork.    

                                                       There will be more!

Room for a view.

                   Croxby Fields    Oils on canvas board   7 x 5 inches   


A green lane points the way to the view over Croxby farmland in Lincolnshire.  A bright sun is on the horizon and the wheatfields look soft and golden waiting to be harvested.

King pin.

                     Lone Tree    Oils on canvas board   5 x 7 inches   


          This lone tree stands proudly in the harvested field under a threatening sky.

                                            Sunlight streaks across the stubble.