Kiama sunrise

Here is my latest painting from a photo I took in Kiama.

Snowy River & Wolumla Church

Here are my latest 2 paintings that I did after getting some guidance from an excellent book I picked up in the art shop in Wangaratta (can't resist an art book!). Before the painting in colour you do a study in black and white to get the value relationships correct. It's been a bit of a breakthrough for me and I'm looking forward to doing more...

Snowy River - Orbost

Church in Wolumla

Irises

I'm not sure if the plural of iris is irises but anyway, there's more than one iris here in my latest painting. These were at the Bright caravan park and inspired me to have a go (from a photo once again).

Bright

Here is my latest effort in oils... our neighbour (Brian) in the caravan park in Bright reading his paper by the river. I just met him and he loved the painting. Actually, since landscape painting is so hard because of the constantly changing light (ETC), I decided to do this from a photograph (see below) while still having the subject (for a while at least) in front of me for reference. This proved to be a good idea since eventually the light was completely different, Brian packed up and left, and another caravan arrived next to us that blocked my view of him completely. I think I may work this way from now on... I was much more relaxed because there wasn't as much urgency.

En Plein Air on the road

Vicki and I are on the road and I'm embarking on an 'en plein air' painting journey. After getting into a bit of a swing with oils in the studio, I'm feeling rather out of my depth. If only the clouds would hold still and the sun stop moving. Everything changes from minute to minute. Now it's sunny and warm, now it's cloudy, windy/raining and too cold to be outside. Much frustration and scraping off of paint!!! Watercolours have been great for a bit of indoor painting (since the weather has been so wet) from my photos displayed on the computer. I'll put up some of what I've done and hopefully over the next few months there'll be some development and progress. Thanks for looking!


Watercolour, Huskisson (from a photo)

Watercolour, Eden Caravan Park

Watercolour, Eden Lorikeet (from a photo) 

Oil, Warri

Oil, Mallacoota

Oil, Mallacoota

Strawberry

Here is my first attempt at a strawberry. The whole background took about half an hour and the strawberry took me about 2 hours! I'm more pleased with the painterly background than the strawberry... I found it hard to capture the texture and detail that makes a strawberry a strawberry. But it's ok for a first go... Now I get to eat it!

Quick paintings

My dad came up last weekend and we played handymen (or handypersons for the politcally correct). Technically speaking I was the handyman's assistant... eg, dad: 'spanner', me: 'spanner' etc... As well as other very clever things, he sawed some MDF board into 6x6" pieces for me so I could start doing quick small paintings. Here are my first attempts, in order of execution...












I love the 6x6" format and size which is what many of the 'daily painters' use. (see dailypainters.com). I can finish one in a couple of hours which is great for keeping up the interest level as I get a bit bored when I do a painting that takes more than a few days. I'm really trying to keep my brush strokes loose. Need lots more practice!