Peaceful.

Transient   Oils on gessoed 140 lb paper  8 x 12 inches   

Quietly contemplating the scene.  Ebb tide on the East Coast.

Studio Musings...

I really don't know what happened on my calendar...I totally forgot about 31st!

This post is a hurried one to keep up with my daily blog.

Hurry only in the act of online work though as I study this peaceful scene.

It is a painting I completed last week when I returned to using gessoed paper.

Transient...brief, short-lived, momentary.

Each ebb tide brings a brief glimpse of a shore before turning.

Each glimpse is different as the tide moves sand and makes different pools.

Each glimpse is different according to the weather...sunny, cloudy, winter, summer.

On a roll.

Up on the Wolds 2   Oils on gessoed 140 lb paper   

2.5 x 3.5 inches   £ 18   $ 24

A tapestry of colour and form.  Fields in summer.

Studio Musings...

A second ACEO in the series.

I am getting used to the idea now.

At first these little playing card sized works were collected and swapped.

Now they can be offered for sale like any other works of art.

They may be grouped together to form a type of collage.

Rolling.

Up on the Wolds 1   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper 

 2.5 x 3.5 inches   £ 18   $ 24

Tiny study of the Lincolnshire Wolds near Horncastle.

Studio Musings...

The first of a series of ACEOs. 

( ACEO...Art Card Editions and Originals )

These little works are all 2.5 x 3.5 inches which is the standard size.

I find it amazing that a landscape can be created in a small way and actually look like one.

This is the first time I have painted so small and will be quite an adventure.

Brief encounter.

Sandbank   Oils on board   16 x 12 inches   

Creamy sand in the sun.  Sparkles on the pools at ebb tide.

Studio Musings...

A second 'work in progress' which has been a delight to paint.

The first part rested in the studio for a few months as I thought about where I would take it. 

Most of the first image was destroyed as I created this finished work.

No regrets...a new life is born.

The first image...

A dramatic performance.

Shimmer   Oils on board   14 x 10 inches   

Memories of East Coast walking.  Centre stage for the light effects.

Studio Musings...

This painting has been a 'work in progress' as I built layers, changed parts, and finally today I brought the scene to a climax using a flat brush and a few touches with a knife.

Now it can rest.  All is done.

Multicoloured.

Dawn Breaking   Oils on canvas board   8 x 10 inches   

(Available on Artfinder.com/anne-wood)

4am in June.  A walk down the lane near my home.

Studio Musings...

It was a memorable morning last year when I woke early to see the sunrise.

 I enjoyed a return on canvas to this colourful scene re-living those special moments. 

Cool down.

Slow Thaw   Oils on canvas board   8 x 10 inches   

Snow in July...a memory of the slow thaw on the sand dunes.

Studio Musings...

My job as a painter means I can choose whatever I like to create.

If I want to cool down in this hot weather I can turn the day into a snowscape.

Time for a stroll.

Sun Day   Oils on canvas board   8 x 12 inches   

The water sparkles in the Sunday sun.  Just right for a gentle stroll.

Studio Musings...

A change from my paper paintings, I returned to some canvas boards.

I use the same 'process' for any of my pieces.  Fast, expressive brush strokes to give an abstracted image.  No exact detail, my aim is a sense of place.

These recent paintings are all based on my recollections of the East Coast of England.

Easterly.

Fleeting   Oils on 140 lb paper   12 x 16 inches  

A glimpse of sunlight on the marsh sandbanks.

Studio Musings...

This painting has had three work-overs.  

Now, I am satisfied with the work.

Here are the previous images...

First

Second

After each painting I left the work to rest before I decided to change it.

Looking at them now...I could have retained these.

I do have the digital images so I can easily make some cards.

Vista.

Thoughtful   Oils on gessoed 140lb watercolour paper  

Mood and Mist...looking across the coastline.

Studio Musings...

The second study on a 12 x 16 inch paper.

I have used a very limited palette for these studies.  Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna,

Prussian Blue, and Permanent Rose with Titanium White.

I am fighting the temptation to be too muted.  Adding white cools colour and the work may become 'chalky'.  Washes of Burnt Sienna add a little warmth and a mix of Rose with Prussian and Burnt Sienna create some shadow and depth.  

It is all very experimental. 

 I work by adding, subtracting and generally pushing the oils around 

until I feel I have reached my goal.  It can take hours, days or minutes.

If the work is taking too long I know I am losing the battle.

The top view.

Searching   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   12 x 16 inches   

Mountain and Moor...an energetic study.

Studio Musings...

Continuing my series of oils on gessoed 140lb watercolour paper,

I have shifted up a size from 5 x 7 inches to 12 x 16 inches.

Often when working on a small study the change to a larger format can be either liberating or frustrating.  Small studies are intimate and will draw the viewer in to explore the subject.

A larger one is no hiding place...if I am to present the scene I need to be bold and upscale.

Larger brushes, daring sweeps and a big imagination have now entered the stage.

Going west.

Looking West   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   8 x 11 inches   

Landscape abstracted.  A study in layered spaces.

Studio Musings...

Using an existing landscape as a base I overpainted the scene to create a new piece.

I left parts of the previous work showing to add interest and a little mystery.

An imaginary scene... each layer can be isolated and viewed independently or as a whole.

Stopping to think.

Contemplate   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   8 x 11 inches   

Abstraction at the coast.  A medley of coloured marks.

Studio Musings...

Mark making.  I think that is all.  

Catching light.

Lighten the Day   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   8 x 11 inches   

Ebb tide and the light sparkles on standing water.

Studio Musings...

Gessoed paper is quite tough and withstands a lot of scraping back to reveal an underpainting.  Pulling the paint down with a brush and knife I wanted to create a watery effect across the foreground.   The dimpled paper is perfect for interesting marks.

Making sense.

Abounding Space   Oils on board   8 x 11 inches   SOLD

Looking across the landscape there is a sense of space.

Studio Musings...

I once heard this:  ' the eye not told what to see...sees more'.

                                                                Brian Rutenberg, Artist USA

My favourite times when painting are when I leave all reality behind.

I explore instead the possibilities of creating a sense...of place and space.

The softness of grey

A Brush with Grey   Oils on canvas board  8 x 8 inches  

Subtle and soft...a relaxing view of the coast.

Studio Musings...

I adore grey and also gray.  Any kind of grey, cool or warm.

  Grey settles well next to any other colour.

Getting edgy

On the Edge   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   3 x 5 inches   £ 35   $ 50

A hilltop view.  Muted colours and an artist's view.

Studio Musings...

Study number two in this moorland mini series.

Although imaginary, I took my reference from memories of visited places.

Atmospheric.

Seeing the Place   Oils on gessoed 140 lb paper  3 x 5 inches  £ 35   $ 50

Atmospheric landscape...an uphill perspective.

Studio Musings...

Lovely muted colours for this textural landscape study.

Loose and abstracted I wanted to give an impression of my vision.

Still wild.

Wilder Places   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   3 x 5 inches   £ 35   $ 50

Study of heather and scrub, moorland and mists.

Studio Musings...

Creating studies on paper in a small way.

Quick and expressive, to give the viewer a sense of place.

Going wild.

Wild Place   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   3 x 5 inches £ 35   $ 50

Moorland and sky...texture and terain.

Studio Musings...

Continuing my experiments with small studies on paper.

Rough moorland is depicted by scraping back and adding sky colours to the land.

Hazy days.

Summer Border   Oils on canvas board   8 x 8 inches   £ 70    $ 100

An atmospheric study of wild flowers in summer.

Studio Musings...

This painting has had two workings...the first image was lacking strength.

When the board had dried I added more colour and values.

I am happy with this now.  I wanted a softer effect and the new one is less spiky.

Here is the first image...

Wetness.

Afternoon at the Shore   Oils on mountcard   8 x 8 inches  £ 70  $ 100

Ebb tide and standing water.

Studio Musings...

My aim was to create a study of reflections, transparency and light.

This painting was overpainted, scraped back and textured to achieve the effects.

Take Five.

White Night 5   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper   3 x 5 inches   £ 35   $ 50

A last look at the beach before the tide turns.  Light on sandbanks and pools.

Studio Musings...

This series of five tiny studies has inspired me to continue with oils on paper.

The texture is ideal for creating the effect of rough sand and shingle.

Gesso makes the paper strong enough to withstand scrubbing and scraping.

I shall continue making these little studies.  Easy to store and easy to ship.

Four please.

White Night 4   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper  3 x 5 inches   £ 35   $ 50

Light on the pools left at low tide.

Studio Musings...

Nearly there...number four of my tiny 'coastscapes'.

Making the pools look realistic is helped with pulling the paint down with the brush.

A small piece of white tinged with yellow is on the horizon to give sparkle.

Threesome.

White Night 3   Oils on gessoed 140lb paper  3 x 5 inches  £ 35   $ 50

The marsh can be a bleak place but I love the remoteness.

Studio Musings...

My experiment with a prepared paper is very interesting.

I like the texture of the surface which leaves marks and

 little gaps when the paint is scraped back.