Latest paintings and a few camel sketches.

High time I posted something on my blog me thinks! Since June I've tried to add something to my blog each week and say a few words about any work I've been producing. Last week however I spent more time re felting the flat roof on our kitchen extension and going for a rather nice cycle ride with my friend Andy on Sunday so that put pay to the bloging. I have managed to keep chipping away at my sketching and painting though over the last couple of weeks so here's an update on what I've been doing.

 

 

 

Dog walker over Westcliff Gardens

Oil on board 8" x 12"

 

These two were both started as demonstration pieces for my art classes.  I started the Westcliff one a few weeks ago with a college class then finished it last Friday before the start of my drawing on location class.  The dog walker was a welcome addition to the scene which would have been a little dull without him. 

 

 

Old Leigh High Street

Oil on board 10" x 12"

 

I've been trying to encourage my Wednesday class members to go out a bit more and draw and paint from the fabulous location we have in Old Leigh.  This one started as a demo at the start of one of the classes from just outside the sailing club on the ramp and then I carried on over another 3 early morning sessions before class to complete it.  Old Leigh is pretty empty first thing in the mornings, mostly delivery trucks and people working in the local businesses then in the summer the crowds start to arrive by lunch time.

 

 

Osbourne's Shell fish Cafe and benches

Oil on canvas 8" x 20"

 

I liked had my eye on this view for a wile and previously made sketches of it and wondered if I could paint it so I thought I'd give it a go and see if I could get away with it.   I painted it by sitting on a bench outside the Crooked Billet pub opposite as the benches are right by the road and cars and lorries pass very closely so there wasn't room to set up an easel so as I wanted this wide view I balance a small canvas on my paint box which all worked out well.  The left hand side was painted a couple of weeks ago then I returned this afternoon when I thought the light would be the same to complete the right side with the figures buy the windows. 

A few sketches from the last few days.  Camels from the circus which is next to Southend airport in Rochford and a sketch of people in Rayleigh high street.

Rayleigh, Leigh and a figure drawing workshop

I got to run a figure drawing workshop this afternoon for Southend Art Club which was really great went really well.  We had fantastic weather which was fortunate as it would have been a bit cramped if we'd had to go inside and use our cottage.   We had well over 30 people attending and it ran the whole afternoon from 12pm till 4.30pm.  Towards the end of the afternoon they asked if I would do a longer drawing demonstration so I drew in charcoal for about 40 minutes.

Rayleigh High Street

Pastel Pencil and Charcoal   A2 size

Earlier in the week I completed this pastel pencil and charcoal drawing of Rayleigh High Street. 

I started the drawing weeks ago as a line drawing demonstration using black pastel pencil for my two classes I hold in Rayleigh on Tuesdays.   Anyway I was really enjoying the drawing and enjoying working a bit bigger than I have been of late so I decided to see if I could complete it so it's been progressing a little bit each week in 15 - 20 minute busts during my lunch breaks for the past few weeks.   After I completed the line drawing I started to wonder how it would look if I started to introduce some tones so I got out the charcoal.   Last week when I was drawing I had a woman come along asking why I keep drawing this same view saying and saying she didn't think it was a particularly interesting view.  I was a bit gobsmacked so I put my mind to completing it this week .  This week I had a chap come up to me and ask if I did commission so that felt a lot better

To the beach

Oil on board 4" x 6"

This little one which is almost complete was started as a little figure painting demo for the small class I teach from home on Wednesday afternoons.  It's of the view from the window at Leigh Sailing club where I hold my classes on Wednesday mornings.   I love looking out of the window and seeing all the folk going by on their way to and from the beach so I'm always  taking of photos of them with a view one day painting them. 

Sandra's Sunbeam

Sandra's Sunbeam

Oil on board 12" x 10"

 I've been working on this one today and I think its about there although I  may think differently when I have another look at it tomorrow.     I started work on it on location a few weeks ago on a trip with Southend Art Club to the home of our clubs patrons.     As you can see I've simplified the scene by leaving out the house and really made it more of a portrait of the car.   I just thought it was such a fantastic opportunity to have a go at painting an old car like this.   It's a 1914 Sunbeam complete with wooden spokes!

I painted it using my paint box as I only had the minimum of kit due to lack on car and needing to strap everything to my bicycle.   This is how it looked at the end of the session when I got it home after working on it for about three or four hours.

I carried on working on it today in the studio from  photos on my laptop.   My printer has gone wrong so this meant I had to rig up this drape to cut down on reflections on the laptop screen.

As you can see below I tend to work from top to bottom and left to write to save smudging the bits I've just painted.  You can just see a bit of the drawing showing through in orange which I sketched out breifly in pastel pencil to make sure everything was going to fit in.  Sometimes I do this and othertimes I just go straight in with the paint.