Amber and Ebony

Every now and again I paint one of the family pets, or should I say my wife Patricia's pets she has a deep love for animals and when they are no longer with us Pat quickly gets a replacement.

Amber and Ebony was with us for a very long and I walked the every day early in the morning I hate to have to admit it but I became quite fond of them.

The Watercolour I painted at the time is one of my favourites and has remained so

  

 

 

 

 



PEN and WASH

I have now decided to use this blog site to post my completed art along with

commentary on why I chose it and how I went about painting it.

 

 

Children on Church gate

 

This was a demonstration pen and wash chosen for it's simplicity  to make the point that pen and wash used when painting outside is basically an information gathering for a painting done later in the studio, coupled with a photograph it will supply you with enough information to know just how you are going to  complete the work.

 

I first draw all the major shapes lightly with a pencil with no detail.

 

A fine liner describes the textures and lines  to the shapes within and on the outer edges.

 

I use the watercolour to indicate colour notes to indicate  mood.

 

 

ARTWORK ON PAPER

FLOWERS FROM OUR GARDEN

 

I have decided to change the content of this blog to include all media that can be accomplished on paper or board.
Each picture will  have a brief description of the media used and my method of application.
This first picture is a watercolour painted on Arches cold press 300gsm
The flowers are from the garden first draw lightly with a 2b pencils then masked with masking fluid,
The back ground was painted wet on wet.
When dry and the masking removed I applied shadows to the blooms which bought od the shapes of the petals.

Artistic Statement

I have decided to change the content of this blog to include all media that can be accomplished on paper or board.
Each picture will  have a brief description of the media used and my method of application.
This first picture is a watercolour painted on Arches cold press 300gsm
The flowers are from the garden first draw lightly with a 2b pencils then masked with masking fluid,
The back ground was painted wet on wet.
When dry and the masking removed I applied shadows to the blooms which bought od the shapes of the petals. 






















 Artistic statement

Self Portrait

Art for me as been a lifelong preoccupation, I can’t remember a time when I have not been an artist.

I have had many jobs in my life, some loosely related to art such as doing an apprenticeship for interior decoration and working as an interior decorator for a company that had very wealthy clients mainly from the film industry.

After a variety jobs I ended up self employed as a pictorial sign writer till I retired.

During all that time I continued with my art, working in all the mediums in their turn,

From Pencil, pen and ink through to oil and acrylic I have never painted for what might sell and have always painted for what I am interested at the time.

For the last18 years my  choice of medium is watercolour I have had moderate success, won a few prizes along the way have been published a couple times and taught art for the last eight years.

Now I don’t enter art shows except a annual show for a society of which I am a member.

For me it has been and still is a journey into the world of watercolour exploring new avenues of expression with the use of old and new techniques.

If you are a watercolour purist this is not the place you would want to be.

I take my guidance from the past where watercolour masters such as Turner or Hunt. And right up to the likes of Andrew Wyeth or Hopper.

These artist did not constrain themselves in a straight jacket of purist dogma. But did what was necessary to accomplish their vision

I study the work of present day masters there are too many to mention, always looking for tips or different ways of working.

I also seek and experiment to find new ways to accomplish an outcome.

This blog displays the images and methods used in the process 

The Picture and Method

Weary Tramp

 I used transparent watercolour for the background on the right to create space behind the tramp and to the left semi opaques, notice how it brings that part of the background forward this acts to balance the tramp.

The tramp received a purple under wash  to establish the values that define the form.

Then finished with Transparent glazes.