Under the Sky

"Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things" Edgar Degas.

Phew....that's reassuring.  This is oil on canvas 16 x 20.  Trying out an experiment in mark making with some small flat brushes. 

The Old Print Works Gallery

This is how my paintings look at the gallery.  They look much better from down below looking up.  The exhibition has a wide variety of paintings and work from artists in my Suffolk coastal area.  We are showing for three weeks.  It's really nice to be involved in something like this and feel part of the show.  Hope we get lots of interest and visitors. 

Evolution

Another abstract 20 x 16" in oils.This painting has grown and  has changed over time.  It started life as a seascape which I myself found rather boring. Some parts are kept from the first painting and others are lost under layers of knife work.   The sea is now red instead of blue and somehow  reflects from the sky.  As this painting has developed  from a progression of an idea, I think I shall title it "Evolution".

New Abstract Orange

This abstract I began today.  I usually work in block of colours and deciding what my main colour will be.  As you can see a warm orange.  I then start to see which colours look best together tonally taking note of the vibrancy each one gives the other.  I apply the paint quite thickly using large brushes and palette knife.
I'm fairly happy with it as it stands right now so it will dry in my studio after which time I may start to layer it once more or I may decide to call it finished.  Right now I have several abstracts on the go, so plenty to keep me busy. Now to decide 'which way up' and a title.  Perhaps I will have a moment when I just know what it will be called and how it will be hung. Until then I think I will call it 'work in progress'.

I hate to publish yet another change to my Blythburgh Church painting.  Somehow I just was not satisfied with the last one.  Too green and bright and the church too big.  I wanted to knock the church into the distance and the tower looks much better.  I have been working on some abstracts and thinking a lot while I have been ill.  For almost one month I haven't felt much like doing anything creative.  Yesterday I spent a couple of hours painting only to scrape the whole lot off afterwards.  Today I went for a swim, had lunch out and walked along the coast taking photographs.  The weather was typically April showers and very grey but I am pleased with the outcome and have yet more ideas for paintings.  Watch this space!

Nature's Spring Garden

16 x 20 oil on canvas.
Another of my paintings found propped up against the wall in the studio.  I must have at last 20 of these. .  I decided to use what was already there as a layer for a new design.  It's always worth keeping a painting you are not happy with and picking it up some time later and finding new things to do with it. 

Two versions of Blythburgh Church

I painted two views of this church which is local to me.  The red roofs of the houses stand out against the greenery behind and the church tower against the sky.  Both are in oils on canvas. 14" x 18"  Both have different skies. The latest top version I prefer as I used high key colours and raised the horizon line.  I also felt I had made the church tower two wide.  I also like the many varied greens I used. I can now see that I need to tidy up the church (it looks a bit wonky) and I will go back and do that now.  Apart from this quite pleased with it. On to the next one tomorrow.