THE OLD PALACE WATERCOLOUR

If you go back to beginning of the month you will see I posted my acrylic painting of The Old Palace Ely. I had plans to do a further version for the November exhibition and sketched the building and some of the area to the right but this time as if it was viewed through the leaves of the 17th Century Plane tree in the garden. In fact that is how I sat all day in the cool shade while painting the acrylic work.
Pen sketch of building
At home I created the sketch in pen and only recently put colour to the page. Heres the pen sketch of the building section slightly different view than the acrylic - most of the right with the leaves, wall and quiet tones for the cathedral building behind were hardly sketched out but created with the brush and colour initially so nothing really to show you at this stage.
The finished piece.
I used the Daniel Smith paints Anita kindly gave me squeezed into a plastic lidded palette painted on new watercolour paper called Clairefontaine, which you can paint on either side with different texture. I bought it from SAA (Society of All Artists in Nottingham). The painting measures 16 x 12 inches and is in a double 4 inch mount with plain wood frame.
Not sure the large tree on the right works well behind the hanging leaves - but its the best I can remember and find out from a photo taken.

My third piece for the exhibition will be of three pots I fell in love with on the stairwell going up to the Long Gallery where the exhibition will hang. Not sure what medium yet - but will be working from photos Im afraid.

COMPLETED ACRYLIC PLUM DECORATIVE PIECES

Thought you might like to see the final result of the acrylic pair I was working on for the barn conversion project . Both much darker to go with the strong plum almost black cushions in the suite - hope my memory is accurate with this.
Click on images to enlarge
I added to the right hand painting the feeling of light through the lampshade touching edges of the flower motif, lamp base and cushion edges with the aid of a lemon glaze. I darkened the area of the glimpse of windowpanes in the top left to make it look like night, so there was a reason for the lamp being lit. I feel it makes the whole piece of work more narrative.

As regards the one on the left, I darkened some of the background to allow the flower motifs to stand out more and adjusted shape sizes to create more cushions and a feeling of curtains and small windowpanes to help with the theme for the pair as they will be hanging side by side behind the twin beds .

At last I am satisfied with them both, particularly the light I have been able to incorporate in this last layer of paint ..... and feel they work well together.

ACRYLIC ARTWORK FOR BARN CONVERSION

A lovely country pub recently converted barns alongside their premises for accommodation and I have been asked to provide artwork for the 5 suites. They were able to choose work I already have to fit in with the various decor colour schemes for the majority of the suites but I needed to

create new work for the fifth as the decor was in the colour of plums and purples. When I visited I decided to quickly sketch out designs within the suite from the patterns on the cushions and the shape of the lampshade and base and the back of the twin beds. I thought a pair of canvas acrylics sized 14 x 36 inches to hang behind the two headboards would be interesting. I created them both with Finity acrylics in lots of layers and texture, cutting back to lower layers for some of the patterns and added a pearl finish in areas and some shiny silk paints for the motifs .

The first images show the complete design and a close up of the silver in the bedhead, the squiggly patterns and McIntosh floral motif in the cushions .

The second piece depicts the shape of the lampshade and base as well as the patterns in the cushions.

I still have to do some tweeking, paint the sides of the canvases to match and varnish them both.

Hope she likes my ideas and colours when I deliver them all next week.

BARNSDALE GARDENS RUTLAND

On the Saturday whilst at Anitas we decided to drive to Rutland about an hour away to visit the Barnsdale Gardens, home of Gardeners World BBC2 tv programmes. It comprises 37 small gardens over 8 acres and it took us another hour strolling round trying to decide where to paint and sketch for the day. After a well deserved early lunch break in the tea rooms gardens in lovely sunshine, we went our separate ways.

My first effort was a quick sketch in watercolour paper of the ladies enjoying an outdoor lunch in the sunshine planning yet another trip somewhere together once they got their diaries sorted out!! When I got home I put in the colour from memory and then stuck the small watercolour into my moleskin sketchbook.

My main day's watercolour painting was very comfortable on a bench with wide arms that acted as a table for my watercolours, pot and pens. It faced a beautiful collection of pastel coloured flowering shrubs and trees spreading round a lovely curve of lawn. I had a lot of visitors and kindly comments, although most of the time it looked like a dabble of abstract colour, as I decided to simply place the colour shapes in and finish with some penwork.

After another break for cold drink as it was very warm and sunny most of the day, we settled nearer to each other , either side of a greenhouse. I bravely sketched it from start in pen - and as you can see have yet to add colour. Afraid the deckchair is a bit wonky - very difficult!!!

Thats the end of my sketches during my 5 days with Anita and I think I must get on with some acrylic decorative canvas work I have to deliver on 25th Sept. . .so bye for now.

VISIT TO ANITA

First let me tell you how busy I have been this morning editing my blog by going through the posts and consolidating labels and then - clever me - I added the list of label links to my 'home page'. Ive been a blogger since January this year and learning all the time what you can do with it.
Corner of Anita's studio with our acrylic efforts en plain aire at the Old Palace Ely, both of which need a little more work - oh! yes and my lovely little automatic Astra I go everywhere in parked up outside.

Anyway this post is about my lovely visit to Anita's last week, as well as three consecutive days out painting(already posted the Ely and Peter Scott Lighthouse trips - yet to scan what I did at the wonderful Barnstable Gardens in Rutland) we were mad enough to sketch late into the night at Anita's lovely Fenland home. So here are a couple of my efforts from my moleskin sketchbook!!!!


1 2

1 Another corner in the studio
2 The charming fireplace with figures and ornate mirror in the lounge

PETER SCOTT WILD LIFE TRUST VISIT

The following day after our visit to Ely we went to Peter Scott's Lighthouse, where as a suprise we found there was a small exhibition of some of his wild life paintings and drawings. After a tour of the downstairs of the lighthouse with the lovely owner lady who had lived there for 25 years, I went outside down by the pond and took some photos.

Then we went down across the encircling pathway to sketch the lighthouse high above the pond. When I got home I sketched the line of birds from one of the photos, as we did not have time whilst there as Anita had to get back to St Matthews in Sutton Bridge to collect some work she had exhibited there.

Its well worth enlarging the image as both pieces seem very light in the above despite changing not only resolution but saturation and contrast before scanning and posting.... but this could be because both were sketched in my moleskin book which doesnt seem to take watercolours well despite using Anita's Daniel Smith watercolours - she kindly presented me with a palette of squeezed colours to try. Thanks pal loved them .

THE OLD PALACE ELY

Anita was invited by the Sue Ryder Organisation to take part in a special painting day at THE OLD PALACE ELY and arranged for me to go with her. If you want to know more take a look at Anita's blog via the link on the right.
This was my choice on such a beautiful day to work in the garden keeping cool under the 17th century London plane tree. As you can see from the contrasts in the photo, there was a problem looking out onto the brightly lit building and towering cathedral backdrop.
This was the first layer of planning the composition and dealing with the dreaded perspective!! I worked on canvas in acrylics. Afraid my photography is a bit lopsided.... too big to scan.
Apart from occasional tea breaks supplied by the lovely Hayley of the Sue Ryder Organisation and a tour of the Palace plus numerous chats with Anita working just a few yards from me - it took most of the day to get to the next stage before packing up and heading off to a well deserved lovely meal at the local Italian restaurant. Took hundreds of photos both in and outside. This final image is the completed painting which I worked on at home this afternoon for an hour or so finishing off the detail and tidying up some of the perspective of the windows and roof.