SPIRITUAL PIECES FOR GRIMSTON CHURCH

Every year The Rev. William Howard organises a CELEBRATION OF ART at his church in Grimston near Kings Lynn in West Norfolk. Many times in the earlier days I used to prepare what I call 'spiritual' works and have often been asked when I am going to do some again. This year I planned to find time to do just that. Here are the results of two pieces created with acrylic inks 12" x 12" on Lana Vanguard.

Number one is called THE BORN LEADER. Trust you prefer the changes to the figure on the right hand side. I do!!





... as an earlier stage I decided the figure on the right handside was too big and I did not need the complexity of two heads together.



This is number two THE TAX COLLECTOR. Inspired by the eagle lectern at Oxborough - one of the many pre-reformation lecterns created with slits to take household taxes for Rome.


This is an early stage of planning.




... and after many adjustments and colour changes following yet another visit to the Oxborough church, came to this final piece.



Hope they will be well received at the exhibition starting 24th May through to the end of the month.

ST NICHOLAS CHAPEL WORKSHOP OIL PAINTING

At long last I have found time to get on with my oil painting of the West Norfolk Artists Workshop at St Nicholas Chapel in Kings Lynn to make a pair with the Rehearsal I painted earlier. I have used the same colours as before but created the piece much lighter.

Blocking in stage:

This next image is where I got to yesterday and, as you can see, I still have the painting on the right hand panel to create and straighten up the nude painting. It turned out to be one of my dear friend Sandra's acrylic paintings of Becketts Chapel in Wymondham. Amusingly, she has offered to come over and paint it again into my painting for me!!

(Sandra's website address: http://www.sandrarowney.com/)

nearly finished: Thought you'd like to see the pair together I photo'd a few days ago, as they were propped up side by side in my little studio room. As you can see, very different lighting. I am really enjoying adding figures to my work after many years.

Rehearsel and Workshop side by side:

Don't forget to enlarge images for detail.

ST NICHOLAS CHAPEL WORKSHOP OIL PAINTING

I have at last finished my other project and and sent it away to be printed. More another time.

... so today I had the joy of getting out my Michael Harding oil paints and starting the second in the pair of paintings for the summer West Norfolk Artist show. Fortunately I had already worked on the composition so I could get the paints onto the palette, get out my brushes and wonderful Liquin orginal which improves flow and transparency.

Above is the first stage and as you can see (or remember) I am starting with much softer colours and application than the Rehearsal piece of work I posted some weeks back. I have used Kings Blue Deep, Brilliant Pink, Raw Umber and lots and lots of Titanium white, all blended with a wonderful soft mop brush to create a mix of tones. All these colours were in the other painting when I allowed the blue in the mix to be more dominant on the walls and screens.

For a first painting session, I am really delighted. I'm really looking forward to applying my shiny floor technique and hope I manage the figures well. . To vary the heights of the people, I added a young girl, which I might paint in red as a focal point - Sandra's idea when she saw the original sketch. Don't think this second piece will be as busy.

By the way, that painting hung on the right screen is Sandra's of Beckett's chapel in Wymondham. Maybe you'd like to pop over to her blog to see her stunning Norwich architectural pieces. http://sandrarowney.blogspot.com/

REHEARSAL AT ST NICS DURING ART SHOW

As I am going away to Anitas for a few days in the morning, I had to take a photo under electric light tonight to post so that the finished work has come up rather more golden than it really is. I did not put every figure in, which left me with the problem of deciding how to fill in the gaps between players and instruments, but I soldiered on. Needless to say, I had to add one of the wonderful church flower displays around the chapel and think it adds to the depth of the piece (it also covered a lot of area I did not know what to do with!!!! ) All in all, my first return to oil painting for months proves to me how much I love this soft, blendable medium.

Over many weeks now I have been returning to this oil painting on a 16" x 16" box canvas using my yummy Michael Harding paints and at long last have finished all the detail, which has taken ages. It is a scene I have wanted to paint for over 2 years now, ever since I photographed the players rehearsing in St Nicholas Chapel during the Kings Lynn Festival. The West Norfolk Art Association I belong to were having their annual show there and concerts were being performed during lunch times. I was invigilating when the musicians came in early to rehearse and I strolled down the aisle to capture them with my camera. I do so wish I had taken more, as I feel this could do with a pair for the 2010 Festival event.

Here are some of the stages

1 Just beginning to see how it would pan out using 4 different photos to combine a single composition

2 Blocking in the floor and the base of the organ

3 Blocking in the organ pipes and archways

I am really looking forward to a few days with Anita at her home in Cambridgeshire, especially using the new Atelier Interactive acrylic paints she bought me for my birthday. They do not form a top skin when dry and can be softened with water mist spray to blend in another layer and to also keep the paints malleable on the palette. Wonder how like oils they will be.

INK AND WATERCOLOUR WORKS

Surprised to find its over a week since I added a post to my blog. I know I have been busy with all manner of art matters, but I can now show you some of the actual artwork I have been working on over the past week. These are for a local village who are running a weekend Sculpture Trail and Arts and crafts exhibition in aid of their church roof fund (14th - 16th August).

I am producing four pieces in 12" x 12" natural frames with ivory double mounts, using ink and watercolour. Black and sepia penwork and black, sepia, blue and purple ink for the dark areas.

as usual need to click to enlarge for detail

Number one is of the church (St Botolph's Trunch) from a photo I took back in the winter as I wanted to use the birch trees without their foliage so you can see more of the church building. I fell in love with the soft winter light and long tree shadows.


Number two is of the interior as I felt the notice propped on one of three plastic stacker chairs advising you not to enter due to 'unstable roof' would make a perfect subject for the reason for the event. Here the use of inks for the screen and darker panels makes a great contrast with the soft watercolour washes.


I will create another post when I have completed the other two works which are based on a visit to the village Open Gardens and Scarecrow event last week - and hope you find them amusing!!!

BWTAS EXHIBITION OF TOWERS IN FELIXSTOWE

marsh drainage skeleton mill at How Hill - acrylic on box canvas 12" x 24"

Bet no one can decide what these initials stand for. We (Sandra and I) had a suprise on finding an entry on the internet about an exhibition of TOWERS IN EAST ANGLIA . The answer is THE BRITISH WATER TOWER APPRECIATION SOCIETY!! It was only then that I began to find them all over the county (Norfolk) mostly white concrete standing up proud in the flat countryside, so decided to submit ideas for taking part in this show at the Landguard Fort.

My three choices of towers in Norfolk are a church tower ruin, a drainage mill on the broads and (when I get round to it) a pair of water towers on the outskirts of North Walsham, a town some 7 miles from my home.

Here are some the stages of the finished marsh drainage skeleton mill at How Hill.

Part of the excellent literature about the show states ...'celebrates and explores the majesty of towers .... and the impact they have on the surrounding space.' As you all know by now, I came up via natural history so all three paintings have foliage, plants etc within the landscape the individual towers 'tower' above.

NORWICH CATHEDRAL ACRYLIC PAINTING No: 2

Am I glad May is nearly over and we go away to Italy at the weekend for a well earned rest - it has been an incredibly busy month. Finally, I had a week to create this acrylic painting of THE CLOISTERS AT NORWICH CATHEDRAL and completed it last night around 11 pm when I continued shapes around the sides of the box canvas. Today Clive put on the D rings and cord and I varnished and labelled it ready to deliver with the other 3 paintings to my pal Sandra who will take it to the selection committee for me.

Here are a couple of photos of the process throughout the week.

When I visited the Cathedral I simply loved the way the bright light was flooding through into the cloisters and hoped I could achieve this feeling. To do so I added some yellow to the white light to help the contrast with the blue tones in the stone floor. I decided to extend the large shapes of the archways on the foreground floor area to give more impact and did a final white glaze all over the floor area both light and shadow. You will see the difference when you look at the top photo of the final painting.

Hopefully in June I will be able to visit my blog and yours more often.

NORWICH CATHEDRAL

click to enlarge
Sorry, I have not posted anything lately but been very very busy. Firstly preparing the West Door of Norwich Cathedral above in acrylic for submission at the end of May (one week!) to be selected for exhibition at the Cathedral later in the summer.

Thought you might like to see its stages, but as I have put the finished work up already, here's a middle stage followed by some of the early wash shapes on sketch created with graphatint grey pencil. Make a change to go backwards through the process!!

I used photos I took last summer on a visit (only 10 miles from home) and painted on 16 x 16 inch square box canvas using a real mix of acrylic paints from Liquitex, W&N Finity and some Spanish tubes I bought years ago and for the final coat on the wooden door, I popped down to my local Swallowtail gallery and purchased - heaven forbid - a cheap Paynes Grey. Everyone know's I don't use Paynes Grey but felt a glaze would knock the tone back but allow the rich warm reds and blues to show through. I used such a mix of manufacturers paints as I saw so many colours in the stone and wood from greens, reds, yellows, browns and blues and I just rummaged in my box until I found the colours I wanted from unusual ones like Mars Orange, Light Green Oxide etc.

I have one week to sketch (from my photo s) a view of the cloisters (with some people on the green outside in the background). Hope it goes as well.

Happy painting folks.

GARDEN SKETCHBOOK - FEBRUARY ENTRY & TRUNCH CHURCH ROOF APPEAL

two separate images so should be able to enlarge them

Now we are in the middle of March, I realise I never posted my February entry in my garden sketchbook. On the left is a photo of some of the little irises I planted last year that came out at the same time as the daffodils. On the right I did a larger close up watercolour with a minimum amount of penwork afterwards of a single bloom to make a double spread in my book.

Today is bright and sunny and I have been up to a little village called Trunch, where they organise many musical and arty events to raise money for their St Botolph's church roof. Later in the year they are having an art exhibition together with a sculpture trail, so I drove up there this morning to sketch and take photos in the rectory garden and inside the church. I will probably prepare some pen and wash from these. .. but I have plenty of time thank goodness to think about that at a later date, seeing how my Spring art events are piling up. Will try to find time later in the week (??) to post part of the font I sketched and sections of the pulpit.

WALSINGHAM PILGRIMAGES

I have been away from home for four days and one of them was spent visiting the Norfolk village of Little Walsingham, where there are ruins of an Augustian Priory dating from the 1150's, which thousands of pilgrims visit from all over the world every year. !! Above is the enormous East Window, with the 1930's Church and tower of the Anglican Shrine to our Lady of Walsingham in the background (red roof/tower)... and an image of another aspect of the ruined priory on the left. It must have been a collosal building.

The village is full of historic buildings including timber framed and lots of delightful coffee shops. We found this one, where we sat by the fire in large cushioned leather chairs and ate fruit cake with filtered coffees before our explorations.

Then we had the glorious walks through the woodlands, by tranquil rivers and over bridges among the snowdrop thronged natural woods and parkland - all on a wonderful sunny day. Looks like snow but I can assure you it was stunningly carpeted with snowdrops.

We then visited the Anglican Shrine , stopped for tea and then walked down hill through the village to the wonderful Saint Mary and All Saints church with a 14th century tower and lead covered spire. The third snowdrop image above is of the East Window of the Priory from the church graveyard wall. The great interest here is the east window designed by John Hayward in the 1960, when the church was renovated after a great fire. The window has over 15 sections, all depicting the area's history and celebrating a number of saints. Rather a lot of lead so that the whole window from a distance appears quite dark. ... but what interested me most were the STATIONS OF THE CROSS created in carved different coloured woods, but on speaking to a member of the church they had no history of them. Here's one (isn't it marvelous and all the otheres are as creative)

A wonderful day in company of my friend Anne from Cromer. We went to church in the evening and then sat up chatting till late. We took her dogs for long walks Sunday morning before I left for home.

A NORFOLK VILLAGE WALK ON PRESIDENT'S INAUGURATION DAY

Firstly, may I wish all American blog visitors a very happy day for your new President's inauguration ceremony and wish your nation peace and harmony under his direction.

As the morning dawned with a bright winter's day with blue sky, I decided to take up an offer I had from one of my workshop members to visit her in the next village to see her Chinese paintings today.
This is the name of the next village, but when you arrive in Norfolk you have to learn a new English language as I found out this was known locally as HOBIS!!

Walking on I came to the little church of Trinity, with a chimney sticking out the back. Can only assume they had a kitchen added at some time with fireplace.

Then I came across two interesting aspects of England I had to photo:

as I passed the centre for Girl Guides holidays and activities and then spied this very unusual timber used for a telegraph pole - I do like seeing such patterns created by nature.

Then before I got into the middle of the village there was a road warning sign before we turned the bend and came across the village ponds

Finally here are images of Audrey's lovely Chinese work hanging in her converted barn. She had studied with Diana Kan whilst living in New York.

During the coming year we shall be working together on floral watercolours but with this ability as her starting point she will easily master the techniques very quickly I am sure.

DOORWAYS OF THE PAST

I have been very involved with family matters for over a week now and have not sketched or prepared any new work to post. The idea for this post came about by me going through a 12 x 16 ins sketchbook whilst I was packing what I needed for my trip to Anita when we shall be painting in Ely in connection with a Sue Ryder project. .. and I came across this last sketch of Wisbech parish church doorway. Knowing I have painted many a doorway, I checked out some images on my iomega stand alone hard drive backup system.
1 St Nicholas Chapel
This is an acrylic painting of the west gate at St Nicholas Chapel Kings Lynn. It was exhibited and sold at the very chapel during one of Kings Lynn's Summer Arts Festivals. It measured 40 x 30 ins.


2 Cypriot doorway 3 Chickens through the old doorway Tochni village
These two were exhibited at different Kings Lynn Festivals and sold at the Doric Gallery. The first is inspired by a painting holiday in Cyprus when I sketched this old doorway and at home decided I wanted to add the spiritual aspect of the island by adding the Cypriot priest coming through the door and wall from the past. Again it was created in acrylic with fabric stiffened by the paint and curled at the edges to create a textured door.

The second Cypriot doorway was amazing at the top of a winding hill in the mountain village where we stayed. It was held together by just about everything, from concrete slabs upright at the sides, panels of hardwood and plywood, chicken wire and string. It was so inspiring I could not resist it - but had to paint it at home in acrylic from photos I took.

3 Wisbech Cambridgeshire Parish church
These torquoise painted wrought iron gates lead into the west doorway of Wisbech Parish Church. This is the one I found in the sketchbook, from which I sold a number of prints during my Cambridge Open Studios weekends. It was sketched during one of the town's summer Rose Fairs.
Do remember to enlarge the images, especially so you can see all the texture on the three acrylic works.

A DAY VISITING NORWICH CATHEDRAL AND NOVA EXHIBITION

DONT FORGET TO CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GET A LARGER VERSION WHICH SHOWS THE DETAIL OF THIS STUNNING ARCHITECTURE.

A view across the lawn showing that repair work is in progress on this building that has been a centre of Christian worship for over 900 years.
The west door by which I entered to see the marvelous nave stretching out before me as below. You can see the organ at the end, under which you walk to the choir and then onto the High Altar. The choral tradition dates back to the Benedictine monks. I photo'ed a number of the ends of the misericords (seats) with their range of images.
.

A shot of the cloisters on my way to the refrectory for a well needed pot of tea and fruit cake!
View of the spire through the cloisters across the green where there is a stone labrynth to walk round on a spiritual journey.

I could not believe I had a whole day to myself so got out quickly this morning and drove 8 miles to the Park and Ride service that takes you on a 15 minute journey into the city centre.

I had two points of call lined up and the first was to the NOVA (Norfolk Organisation for Visual Arts) art exhibition at St Margarets church in Benedict Street. I met up with a couple of the members and had an enjoyable hour or so chatting about art and looking at their sculptures from driftwood and stainglass works of panels and lighting. Some of the artwork was by artists I had visited during the Norfolk Open Studios.

Then I walked through the old cobbled streets with rickety tudor beamed buildings to the Cathedral. I've posted architectural photos, but took so many inside of marble figures, the lectern in the shape of a brass pelican. ... just been called to dinner so will complete this post later......

Now I'm back just to say I hope those of you visiting this blog from overseas will enjoy the beauty of our English heritage. We are fortunate to have many cathedrals dotted around the country... and believe it or not they are free to enter and enjoy and prayer in although I willingly paid a fee to use my camera . Whilst I was there the minister on duty invited us to join him in the Lords Prayer - it was a delightful touch to my day.