Re-unions and other studio musings...

Hello and welcome to my Monday blog.

For the last few days I have been preparing four paintings

for a group show in Sam Scorer Gallery, Drury Lane, Lincoln.

It is the called the 'Re-union Show' and is for 18 past exhibitors

 celebrating the Gallery...opening on 12th December for two weeks.

Choosing work for this show I decided to submit two landscapes

 and two seascapes of similar sizes and framing.

Here they are...available for a new home.

Sandmarsh  Oils on gessoed watercolour paper

Hedgerow  Oils on gessoed watercolour paper

Shore   Oils on board

Winter Fields  Oils on board

Keeping warm...

The weather is turning cooler in my studio so I light the woodburner

stove most days.  It makes a big difference and gives a cheery light.

I have a new toy...it arrived this week.

A Kindling Cracker designed by a young girl in New Zealand.

Here she is on the box...Ayla Hutchinson

   A cast iron chopper for firewood using a lump hammer

to knock the log down onto the 'blade'.

      

Safer than using an axe, this will be a great tool for a woodburning painter.

Now I have plenty of firewood for lighting the stove on cold mornings.

Meeting new friends...

I like to use the Internet to meet other painters and see their work.

Over the past few years I have made several painting friends 

around the world and I enjoy this way of being in an art community.

I have previously mentioned I enjoy watching Brian Rutenberg's YouTube videos.

If you are interested to see what he does with oil paint visit

www.brianrutenbergart.com

Another favourite is Mitchell Albala.  

I like his subtle atmospheric oil paintings.

His blog is informative and full of useful painting tips.

https://blog.mitchalbala.com

Something I am currently studying is the technique of using

cold wax medium.  I have bought a small jar to experiment.

Mixing it with oils it looks quite exciting so this week I shall give it a try.

Here is a link to a site I found whilst exploring the web.

coldwaxpainting.com

Before I go...

I would like to share a link to Kim VanDerHoek's blog.

She writes interesting notes about painting and the use of colour.

vanderhoekart.blogspot.co.uk

That's about it for this week...

I shall read some of these blogs now.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting

  

Staying loose and other studio musings...

Hello and welcome to my Monday blog.

I have been continuing my series of small canvases.

They are just right for a short painting session.

Sketch painting on a small canvas 8 x 8 inches is like playing scales on a piano.

It loosens up the 'painting muscle' in my head.

No fussing or fiddling is the best way and I often find the 

most acceptable pieces happen in the first 15 to 30 minutes.

  After this I am tempted to tighten up which usually means trouble

 leading to destruction.  Destruction sounds severe but by scraping off the

oils and rubbing down the canvas I can begin again.

Here is a little one drying... 'Still'  8 x 8 inches

I think I might have been thinking of wild ponds.

Close-up of 'Still'. 

 This highlights the marks, scratchings and luscious oils.

There are not many sketch books or preparatory drawings in my studio.

It isn't my style.  I rarely plan anything in a formal way preferring a 

spontaneous application.  This way I can let my imagination free.

However, I do look around my studio paintings for ideas.

Parts of a painting might stand out and give me an idea.

Some examples are here...

This is a section of 'Icy Wild'

I can see this enlarged as an abstracted landscape.

The whole painting of 'Icy Wild'

Another detail of a textured piece...

It would be fun trying this as a larger painting but I think

it could be difficult to repeat.  I sense it going its own way.

This one might be useful as an abstracted seascape.

It has a few energetic marks and plenty of calm places for the eye to rest.

This detail is about marks and colour.

It is actually in the same painting as the one above.

Here is the painting they both come from...

'Golden Coast'  40 x 30 inches  Oils on canvas.

Now available for a new home.

Finally...

My new addition to the studio is a woodburner stove.

Previously I have had to bring all my art into the house each winter.

Lighting the stove each day helps the timber building to stay dry, warm and aired. 

Back to work now...until next Monday

Thank you for visiting.

Taking the long view and other studio musings...

Hello and welcome to my Monday blog

I shall begin with an overview of recent pieces of work.

These are hanging on the wall in my bedroom.

Displaying them here gives me an ideal viewing area

 to decide if they are finished or in need of more work.

Storm Clearing  Oils on gessoed watercolour paper

Low storm clouds are clearing and light breaks through.

This one is top right in the above photo.

It is in an ash frame with a cream mount.

Ebb Shore   Oils on gessoed watercolour paper

About the colours and textures on the shore in a warm light.

This work is also in an ash frame with a cream mount.

These paintings have a coat of re-touching varnish

for protection and can be framed without glass if preferred.

Framed by Graham Perkins at Forge Arts

These frames are a change from my usual choice.

I like the mount which draws the viewer in to the picture.

Visit www.forgearts.co.uk/framing.htm for Graham's website.

New Work today...

Abstracted and in progress...Oils on canvas board  16 x 20 inches

My thoughts were about my wild garden in summer.

I began with a warm underpainting and blocked in colour and shapes.

Using a brush and palette knife I sculpted and scraped, rubbed off and

created an abstract view of the borders in my garden.

This was purely imaginary and open to change along the way.

I shall leave it to dry before teasing out a composition and overpainting.

It may have several changes before I am happy with the result.

Next week there will be photos of the progress.

My wild garden in November..

Late afternoon on Sunday12th November.

The photo was taken by my daughter as we walked in the paddock.

The autumn colours are still around and the light on fluffy

Rosebay Willowherb seed heads is inspiring.

There may be another abstracted painting this week.

On a final note...

Brodie, my studio assistant may look innocent enough but

this sweet Whippet stole a whole 6 inch freshly baked egg custard tart 

from the kitchen table a few minutes after his photo shoot!

Until next Monday...

Thank you for your visit.

Transitions and other studio musings...

Good morning and welcome to my Monday blog.

I have had a busy week preparing 6 paintings for a forthcoming show.

My selection of 3 pairs of work highlights the transition from reality to beyond.

Each pair has one work which is abstracted but still has some reality.

The other piece is more abstract featuring shapes and colours of the place.

These will be part of the Lincolnshire Artists' Society

Winter Exhibition in Sam Scorer Gallery, Drury Lane, Lincoln.

The show called 'Transitions' begins on Tuesday 7 November until Sunday 19 November

Open from 10 am until 4 pm.

The small series...

       I am continuing my experiments

                                                   with the 8 x 8 inch canvases.

     

 Three more seascapes featuring the shore at low tide.

This seascape has been added to my Artfinder.com/anne-wood gallery.

The Lincolnshire coastline is a favourite place for me to paint.

This piece was inspired by a walk near Humberston.

Light on sandbanks and the winding creek are visible at low tide.

They will soon be covered when the tide turns.

Oils on board 16 x 12 inches

in a hand-painted wood frame.

I have had this painting in my studio but it is 

time to let it become available for a new home.

A new piece this week...

I like to vary my work and this piece is an imaginative landscape.

It has a sense of mystery and wilderness.

Oils on canvas board 10 x 12 inches

in a hand-finished gold coloured frame.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.