Last Few Days.

Well, we go back to school in a few days, and I haven't painted anything like as much as I should have. Nor have I been out on the river (too much rain), or gone running (too little motivation). That said, I did paint a small canvas today. Scratching around for something to paint (house-bound whilst Sara has the car), I decided to paint a photo that I took of the river last year, from the kayak. The photo is buried somewhere on my blog.

The River Ure. 

oil on canvas.

Holiday Bugs.

One of the things that me and the boys like best about holidays in hot climates, are the bugs. Here's a couple from France this year, including scorpions that we found in't hills.

York Ghosts.

I found the last two paintings a  bit of a struggle because I haven't painted enough, so I decided to set myself a bit of a challenge. This painting  is 100 x 100cm, and is on a canvas that has been staring at me in my studio for a few weeks.
I decided on a view of the minster, something that I have avoided painting. I didn't want to paint it straight on; I wanted to show reflections of it, and include the minster as just something in the background. That seems to be pretty much what the minster appears to be to those who live in York; something in the background.
I like the buildings in York, and the streets. It is a great place for the light to bounce around. What I am really interested in though, are the reflections - those things that we can see, but we can't touch...that don't stand still and don't really exist. The real ghosts in York..

Day 1. Initial sketch, with the figure that will (probably) be going in the middle ground.

Reference photos, some of which are joiners.

 Blocking in the main shapes.

 Starting to establish a few of the structures.

Day 2.  Mapping out the reflections.

 Establishing the main colours.

 Day 3. Added a few details. I decided to paint it building by building; not my usual approach.

 .. ...working into the minster - the most difficult bit and adding some reflections.  

 ...worked into the shop n the left a little..

 A longer shot showing the reference photos. 

Day 4.  It's starting to come together a bit.

 Day 5. Today I added the objects in the jeweller's shops. the panelling and the street furniture. I need to let it dry off a bit again now so that I can work into the reflections in window, and start to add the figures.

Day 6. I've added he figures and some detail into the floor, and whilst this ought to be finished, they both need attention.

Back from France.

After we got back from France I went out to do a painting in the field across the road. It looked okay for a while, but ended up being a bit of a disaster.

 The view.

 Blocking in the main shapes.

 Adding the main colours.

 Almost there.

I wasn't happy with the sky so I changed it....and spoilt it.

Holiday

Straight off to France after we broke up.
I haven't painted anything like as much as I would like to have, or should have done, for months now so I'm a bit rusty. There are various reasons for this, but the best thing to do is get right back onto the horse.
I took the paints with us to France and did one painting, at Bormes-les-Mimosas; a beautiful hillside village just outside Le Lavandou. It was late afternoon and very hot, which presented a few problems; the paint dried very quickly on the board.
Anyway, here it is in stages, with a few photos of the village..

 Bormes-les-Mimosas

..ditto

 Setting up.

 The view.

...starting to build up the buildings. This is a difficult view, with lots of different angles.  

Trying to get the contrasts of light and dark, and to capture the light. Not easy given that the light was changing rapidly.

 ....... 

Getting there.

It was at about this point when I get talking to an old Frenchman. He didn't speak English, and I don't speak French, but he managed to explain that the chapel on the hill is a shrine to British (& other) soldiers. They were bombarded from that point by the Germans in WW2, as they landed on the beach. I assume they were coming over from Africa.

Finished.

Meeting Somewhere In The Middle.

After starting with a lot more drawing in my last painting, with mixed results, I decided to meet somewhere in the middle; more drawing than usual, and less initial blocking in. The problem that I'm having with simply blocking in is down to subject matter; I need stronger references for the perspective. Blocking in allows me to feel my way into a painting by layering colours and tones, and enables me to keep it loose It doesn't always allow me to get the suggestion of perspective right. it's a bit like proportions - when they are wrong, they are glaringly wrong. I'm not sure that I have got the balance right yet - I need to paint (& draw) a lot more to really find the best approach for me.
It's all fun.
This painting is of the late afternoon light bouncing around and picking out certain features and surfaces in Coppergate, York.
approximately 60x60 oil on  box canvas.

Coppergate

Struggles

Struggling to get painting, struggling with the rubbish primer (the paint soaks straight in), and struggling with the subject matter. Anyway, I did manage to paint one painting this week; a 30x30cm view of shoppers in York. This is taken from a photograph that I took recently. I like the way everyone is wrapped up in their own thoughts; The mum is weighed down by life, the boy is looking back (for his friends?), the old man is deep in the thought, and the young girl is interested in something,everything just outside the picture.
I approached this picture in a different way to my usual way of blocking in shapes- I drew it all out. I don't do enough drawing, but don't actually like this approach because I find it too restrictive.
I think I need to compromise and meet in the middle, with more drawing than usual, but less than this.

The drawing on primed card.

I decided to start with the figures, again not my usual approach.

Shopping With Mum.