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.

Back On The River.

With all this beautiful weather, I couldn't resist a jaunt on the river with Archie.

We dropped in at Newton-by-Beningborough, and paddlied up to Linton Lock where we beached and spent a little time on a rope swing into the river (Archie).

...fishing on the way back. Archie releases the only thing we caught; a small pike.

Good times.

Just finished invigilating the GCSE exams, and in between fetching paint, ink, acetate, pencils..... I managed to finish off a painting that I started at home about a week before. This is another rainy York scene. this time Monk Bar.
Here it is in stages...

Early stages, blocking in, and a bit more drawing than usual.

Establishing the tones..

..starting to build up details..

..a few more details.

It needs to dry off for a while now.

In school, cleaned up the window and the bar.

Done.

New Shirt

I did my second painting of the holiday today, and the second one of 2012. It feels good to be painting again. Who knows, maybe I'll start running again soon?
It's called The New Shirt, and is a painting of Coney Street, looking towards Micklegate.

It's not finished; I need to tidy up the shop structure, but it needs to dry off before I can do that.

Final bit of detail.