TWO BOAT PAINTINGS IN KINGS LYNN

The West Norfolk Artists show hung at St Nics Chapel during the Kings Lynn Festival is over and I happily went along on the last day to meet the gentleman who purchased my two boat paintings.

Here is an image of a section of the exhibition showing my fishing nets painting top left and the Kings Lynn Fishing Boats down the aisle hung near the font.

Here are close ups of both works, which I produced in oils after originally creating them in acrylic.

Sorry, this photo was taken at the exhibition after the hanging and as it was at the top of the board, the perspective makes it look awkward, but the cabins and masts were at all angles due to the rocking of the boats tied together at the quayside - 5 boats in all!!

CELEBRATION - title for my latest piece

Although I finished this in oils, in fact you could say its mixed media as it was originally started in acrylic a couple of years back with lots of different kinds of modelling pastes and Liquitex glass beads textured gel for the vase and wine glasses.

Over the past few weeks I have worked on it in oils and it has changed radically. I think the original idea of two people preparing to celebrate came from an advertisement but I added the flowers, vase and reflections and shadows. ... and it probably has no bearing to the original image now its finished.

Developed on a 20" square box canvas using Michael Harding oils and keeping my colour palette quite restricted. There was a period when I was inspired by the idea of painting scenes by a window from a row of pansies in bloom in little terracotta pots painted first in watercolour and then an acrylic version, snowdrops in the window and a couple of works I did for my sister in law with little white flowers with window boxes. I think I'll plan some more for a Christmas show I will have to prepare for later in the year.

Oh! yes, here's the CELEBRATION PAINTING:

... and here are images of some of the earlier window series paintings:

COASTAL EROSION NORTH NORFOLK

From another acrylic painting depicting the North Norfolk Coast I was never happy with, I have now completed the OIL version on canvas 20" x 16" ... and again realise how much I prefer oil paintings for their more subtle finish.

I kept the little boat in the distance much more restrained to help with recession and showed much more light hitting the mud flats on the left. The rocks in the front are held in place with glued on pieces of netting from a lemon bag!! In real fact it was restraining metal netting but a lot had collapsed.

Here's a close up of a part of the water and posts, so you can see how I applied the paint in layers and created texture.

BLAKENEY NORTH NORFOLK COAST OIL PAINTING

Some while ago I painted an acrylic of a typical scene on the North Norfolk coast from photos I took at Blakeney, combining fishing nets, lobster/crab pots and boats. I was never really satisfied with it but I had put a lot of work into it. So over the past couple of weeks I have repainted it with oils trying to develop a more atmospheric piece. I've always loved doing interesting skies and I think this one (from imagination) works well with a feeling of movement.

Above is the final result of the 20" x 24" box canvas. I used my Michael Harding oil paints King Blue, Phthalocyanine Blue and Green, Terre Verte, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre and, of course, lots of white (Titanium).

Below is when I thought I had finished it, until I noticed the skyline on the left was rather higher and did not portray the typical Norfolk flat landscape. I think the revised horizon above gives a much more distant and atmospheric feel to the painting.

Below I've added an image of a very early stage, from which you will see I changed all the net supports (buoys or whatever they are called!) to creamy white and worked more on the net tones, before going on to develop the landscape, water, sky, boats and lobster pots . Lots of fun.

I might look at some of my other stored acrylic works I have not been satisfied with. Somehow using oil gives a completely different feel to the painting.

BLICKLING HALL WATERCOLOUR AND OIL

An earlier post told you I went to Blickling Hall with Anita for a sketching day. Since then I have created a full size (12" x 8") watercolour to add to my local collection of low priced works for the Worstead Festival later in the summer.




I decided these sketches and photos of the dark purple tulip borders with Blickling Hall and its towers and windows peeping through just asked for another interpretation, so I am doing an oil on canvas 16" x 16".

Here are some images of the work in progress. Using the watercolour as my base, I decided to home in for a more close up feel, so there is not so much architecture behind the flowers and less flowers of course.

Here's an early stage with the shapes drawn in with brown stabilo fineliner as it hit and missed on the weave of the canvas.

A later stage with colour going on from Michael Hardings Aureolin, Napthol red, Manganese and Ultra violets plus Red Umber and Prussian blue to strengthen the darks for the building and as for the greens used a mix of Bright Green Lake, Phthalocyanine Green and Sap.

The windows have soft green blinds, with varying tones depending on how the sun hit the glazed windows. Oops! in this close up cropped image I can see the angle below the tower dome has been changed when I added some darks. Probably because I stretched across to the easel while seated and didn't quite make it straight. Should get my trusty mahl stick out more often. Never mind with oils its easy to correct at a later stage.

Oh! yes, almost forgot to tell you after creating the backdrop, I added thick gesso to the tulip shapes to help them stand out before adding colour - soft King Blue, the two violets and Prussian with touches of one of the reds.

Hope to spend a good bit of tomorrow finishing off the tulip stalks and leaves in the foreground, then leave the whole painting to settle before adding highlights and any little touches of dark. Maybe go over the tulip blooms with a glaze of Ultra Violet to warm them up.

VIEW OF THE CITY OIL PAINTING

I had decided to create another 16" x 16" box canvas piece for the Kings Lynn Summer Show in oils, but it wasn't until I was on our way back from Yarmouth with Sandra that I came across the very subject. VIEW OF THE CITY OF NORWICH FROM MOUSEHOLD HEATH early evening.

View of the City complete

(actually there is a little more of the foreground pathway and sky as I cropped this image to use for postcards being printed by Vista)

It all came about because our return to the city coincided with the outpouring of the Norwich football club fans after the last match of the season which meant they had won the cup. The main road was blocked and everything came to a stand still, so we headed off across country to approach the city further round and Sandra took me on a detour past the prison to see the view that just about every artist worth his salt living or visiting Norwich has painted, from Seago to Cotman I am sure!!

Well, above is my finished version and below an early stage of blocking showing more sky and pathway foreground area.

I was trying to consider what tones I would use to create the early evening light and it was only later when I realised my other works for the show had figures that I decided to add the loving couple seated on the bench. Hurrah for google images for some references of people proportions to the size of the bench.

Early blocking in stages, not really knowing where it will eventually lead me!!

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.

SECOND RISING SUN RIVERSIDE PUB OIL

You may remember some posts ago I mentioned the plan to create a body of work for the local riverside pub THE RISING SUN. Here is the second oil painting I am glad to say I have now completed. Thought you might like to see the different stages.

stage 1 - blocking in on warm underbase

stage 2 -creating colours and reflections

stage 3 - adding Eqyptian Geese

Completed after adding tone, treeline and detail

Just as a reminder here is a photo in my artroom of the two oil paintings together. The square is 16 inches and the landscape 24 x 12 inches, both painted with Michael Harding lovely pliable oil paints on box canvases.

Had a meeting with Sally today and we have agreed to have the work hanging for Easter Weekend, so I have quite a lot to do by then. Don't expect too much blog activity please!

LOCAL RIVER SCENE

Do you remember I started an oil painting of the local riverside pub from a photo I took last May, and now with Christmas and New Year celebrations over, I have returned to it. This is the stage so far. Pleased with the finish of the trees and sky. I still have to add the little wooden bridge on the right, the garden tables and people eating and wandering around, add white for the pub window frames and improve the building on the left with the dark panelling and its reflection.

Hoped to get a few hours with it today but just returned from a visit to the opticians and I have gone very snazy ordering a pair of VOODOO glasses made from a very smooth quite thick surface with a floral motif on the sides to get away from my slim metallic ones which are beginning to make the bridge of my nose sore and feel quite sharp. Cant wait for them to be ready - or for Anita to see them on me !! mad woman that I am - what a choice at my age!!??

Im really enjoying working in oils as a change from all those recent penwork zentangles.

RIVER BURE NORFOLK BROADS

Usually during the winter I make plans and experiment for the new year to come. Whilst at the Holt show recently I spied a new DVD by a local Norfolk artist (Brian Ryder) I have admired for many years and even attended one of his abstract courses when he brought out his book BEYOND REALISM. I could not get home quickly enough to play it and Clive made me a pot of tea, I put my feet up and had a glorious 2 hours watching him work plein air in oils along the Norfolk north coast.

As I presume he is sharing his techniques with his fans, I decided to get out a panoramic style canvas and cover it in a mix of poly filler, gesso and a touch of pinkish acrylic just as he casually mentioned in the DVD. I remember asking him at the course how he felt about other artists 'stealing' his ideas, and his reply was great ....' those who are professional will not wish to and amateurs wont be able to' - Where does that leave me????? Anyway, its the only bit I propose to copy from him.

I have a need to create a number of works along the River Bure by our local riverside pub THE RISING SUN for next Easter, so thought it could be my winter project - albeit from my photos, ie today I walked around (got my feet soaked on the common) with my camera for some unusual shots without boats but inundated with birds as. joy of joys, its been a lovely sunny winters day.

Here's how the first one is going from a photo I took in the summer:

This is the very early stage of adding thinned oil white and cream shapes to the polyfilla/gesso base.

(afraid due to the angle of the photo the canvas perspective distorts the buildings and you dont get the effect of a wide format) This is to show you how I am working on these cold days - not downstairs in my stone floor fully windowed area where my studio easel resides, but upstairs in my study with my lovely warm radiator full blast. Ive covered my two tiered desk with an old orange curtain, and sit comfortably with the canvas propped up on the ledge and equipment all around me. As you can tell, I dont copy my photos slavishly.

FARMHOUSE OIL PAINTING

Next Saturday we are going with the family to a 40th celebrations party at our close family friends' Norfolk farmhouse. Planning a personal gift, I took some photos of the farm and its surrounds last time we visited and have produced an oil painting for them 24 x 12 inches on a box canvas. The first photo also shows the original watercolour study I did but the house was not wide enough and decided I wanted more interest in the landscape so changed the format size to panoramic and added the barn, more trees and detail to the right. So I started the oil with better proportions using two of the photos to guide me (photo 2). Trees could have been bluer but I have no more time to add another layer.

This is the completed oil painting hopefully drying in time to put a light temporary varnish over it before delivering. I know Lisa likes my canvas work as she 'pinched of the wall' an acrylic painting in the same format of chickens amongs daffodils with farmland behind from my daughter's hallway for her farmhouse kitchen?!!! being family we did not mind - quite a compliment really that she liked it so much!!!

WEST NORFOLK ARTISTS EXHIBITION ENTRIES

This submission for the East Norfolk Association's summer exhibition in Kings Lynn is called DANCING ON WATER. It was created with acrylic inks poured over each other with liquid diluted liquitex acrylic paint onto flat canvas sheet - a method I use when I want 'spiritually' inspired figures . Shapes appear which I then develop. It made me think of 'Walking on Water' demonstration by Jesus but more contemporary and 'dance' like - thus the title. Framed up in silver with a double white mount as if it were a watercolour painting, it measures 24 x 15 inches.

Then, of course, there is the one I have been posting as it developed - the FONT AT ST NICHOLAS. Here it is completed in its French sycamore frame.


Since my last post only been working on a commission which they do not want publicised , so thought these might be of interest. Quite pleased with the effect of the lighting in the chapel oil painting. Been preparing greetings cards from this work today for sale at the exhibition.

OIL PAINTING OF ST NICS FONT - Latest stage

Since my post on the 24th May, thought you'd like to see how I am progressing with this oil painting for the West Norfolk Artists Exhibition. My only concern is if the Michael Harding paints will be dry in time for delivery on the 7th July, so I decided to add the flower arrangement now, which is thickly applied to help the flowers stand out from the architecture - as if they dont with their colour!!

I've introduced Prussian Blue to my palette as an overlay in the shadow areas and a little Indian Yellow on the back wall but I think this may need to be warmer but I'll wait until I add the rings of circular lights which need to stand out from the background.

WEST NORFOLK ARTISTS EXHIBITION

I am a member of the West Norfolk Artists Association which has a summer show in St Nics Chapel in Kings Lynn to coincide with the town's festival. Entry forms are due soon, so I had to make some decisions as to what I was submitting. At one of my stewarding days last year I took photos of the font with a wonderful array of flowers. Here is the photo.

I initialliing created a light watercolour to help me understand it more and as you can see I made an error with the back of the last pew to the left of the font, as I was leaving out the panels used for hanging the paintings and the card stand. So it had been worthwhile.

Here are two stages of the oil to date using my lovely vibrant Michale Harding paints. I used Unbleached Titanium, raw sienna, yellow ochre, Napthol Red and King blue in the font steps and base.

Pity the rich colours of the pews and the designs at the top of each panel dont show well here. I mainly used Michael Hardings lovely Red Umber with Napthol red for this rich wood. (You might like to click on the image and get a larger more detailed version where you can also see the sketchy flowers I plan to add).

... but I've just edited this post and added a closeup of the back of the pew - please note more blending and work to be done on the reflected colour on the step.

COMPLETED OIL PAINTING OF HORSTEAD MILL

Well, at last I have finished the oil painting of the mill. I straightened up the verticals, softened the shadow sides of the building, added the windows and supports, highlighted the water flowing out, put more made up detail into the tree area on the left.....

Finally I turned to the bank and all its plant life. I removed the bull rushes I had planned in the early thin blocking in layer, as I didnt like the shapes and colour re-iterating the dark arched windows which were already repeated in the reflections. So I was left with the evening primroses that were in one of the 1906 photos I had been given. To add variety I put into the foreground my interpretation of some yarrow that grows in abundance round here on the riverbanks. A few dark sap greens, ultra and king blues, with stalks of red umber and touches of yellows and reds and I was finished. I feel the bank and the tree on the right give me what I had planned (a reverse 'L') to frame the building and give the feeling of space.

The two archways on the right look strange, but I checked out the photo reference and they are different shapes to each other.

Being close up, the bank plant life is all quite impasto, so I'll have a long wait for the painting to dry before I can take it along to the gallery to see if his client likes it.

CONTINUING THE OIL PAINTING OF THE MILL

As you can see, Ive been working on the mill oil painting. After adding my own interpretation of the foliage on the bank with bull rushes, irises, evening primroses etc and the right hand tree, I realised the reflections were too complicated especially to the left. So blended them down. I darkened the right hand corner and put another layer on the mill itself. Ive lost some of the shadow tone to the building itself, so will add a darker glaze where appropriate before putting the detail of the windows and roofs. Then I'll have another think session before deciding where to add the lines depicting the slatting on the top half of the building!!

Wish me luck - I think Im getting there. Just noticed it looks as if the mill is toppling over - hope its the poor photography for the post, but if not I'll need to look at the angles of the horizontal lines and the left hand vertical.

FIRST DAYS WORK ON MILL OIL PAINTING

I started at above 11.30 this morning by blocking in the sky with King Blue Deep, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium white from the Michael Harding scrumptious oil tubes, creating some moving
clouds. I painted in the trees and shrubs with their reflections with sap green, terre verte, bright green lake, red umber and some of the blue I had in the sky. All quite a thin wash as I dont want these elements to dominate the building.



Then after a lunch break you can see I had fun putting in the first coat of the mill together with warm shadows and reflections.




Then I felt the need to cover all the canvas, so that no white was left showing to mislead the eye with the tones I put on. I know the wall on the left is too bright to start with but theres a long time to go yet and adjustments are to be made along the journey.


This is when I decided I had painted enough for one day and the light was going anyway - and Clive called me for dinner at 6.30. All perfect timing. Wont get back to it again until possibly Friday afternoon for a short time and then I am away over the weekend. I think I am growing to like this one and hope I'll have some time early next week to really get cracking on the texture, detail of the building, the reflections and waterside plants and grasses I will be making up in the foreground.

BUSY BUSY - MILL PREPARATION

Cant believe its Wednesday already and I have not added a post since Saturday's workshop. Been busy busy arranging /collecting prints, greetings cards, framing for various galleries and events coming up.

Although I have managed to do the drawing of a large oil of an 'extinct' mill near by (have been given three early 19 hundred's photos to create it from - 2 above) I have as yet not been able to settle down to do the underpainting. Looking at the drawing above I think I might add another tree on the right but its difficult deciding on an interesting composition from two different angled references but I definitely wanted to add the bank and trees on the right. Maybe today's the day as I am home all day apart from walk to the village centre for bits and pieces.

EASTER WEEKEND AND COMPLETED FONT

Had a very busy week followed by the family staying over the Easter Weekend. Woke up on Sunday to the garden covered by 4 inches and the corner by the pond looking so pretty I photoed it as above. My youngest grand daughter so excited when she woke, she ran out into the snow in her pyjamas and bare feet!!!.

Somehow I finally managed to finish the Grimston Church font in oil as above. Little problem with the colour of the font cover red wood against the red plush curtains behind but have to be realistic because it will be hanging in this scene !!! Thats a challenge for criticism if ever I gave myself one. Now await it drying before getting all three paintings framed in time for the show at Grimston church.

Now have a large mill painting to do in oils for the local gallery. So I am as busy as ever when I get back from few days with lovely Anita (link on right).