Painting from the heart.

Langdales 

Painted in Oils on Canvas.

 While cycling along the shores of Ullswater, I realised, I've stopped trying to paint exactly what I see. I want to delve deeper, I want to paint the joy that I  feel, the sheer  drama that the Lake District portrays. 

It came like a bolt out of the Blue, what have I been doing all these years.

Learning... maybe I'm a slow learner, I do become a little obsessed with figuring things out.

Not going to art college, but just painting each day.

This is my latest painting of the Langdales, the Oils are back in favour, it's not often I say this but I do like this painting. If like me, you are never quite pleased with the outcome of some paintings, it is a lovely feeling when you keep going and having a quick glance in the art room to see the painting  happily smiling back.

I think what I'm trying to say is sometimes we need to let go and paint from the heart, not what is expected. 

Happy painting today, maybe let go a little and see what the outcome is.

www.watercolourcourse.co.uk

Sunshine oil

Stage One
I had prepared some Arches Oil paper with an underbase of Pink and Orange. I decided on a high horizon line, quickly blocked in the background, I wanted to keep this loose. The Lake was then painted in with a few different shades of Blue getting darker into the foreground. I applied the paint negatively around by bathing beauty. Styled her hair and popped in some dark shadows in her legs and arm. She was then left overnight to relax.

Bella Donna

Stage Two
The lake was painted in blocking in the jetty at the same time. Skin tones were applied and her lovely floating white top. The Sunglasses caused a bit of a problem, but the basket was great fun. The hands and feet certainly kept me quiet and were chopped off a few times and started again.
I'm leaving her again to dry out for a few days, her yellow towel is wet through

www.watercolourcourse.co.uk

Pocade Box goes fishing

The first outing of the Pochade box took place this morning. A trip down to the bottom of the Lake, well not exactly, maybe the southern end. This is where Nigel thought the pike would be lurking!! So he was armed with spinning rod, while I felt like Turner with my new equipment.After sorting out a tangled line, not a good start we soon relaxed I into painting and the fisherman into catching! I've not painted in Oils for about two years so it was quite a learning curve getting back into 'Fat over lean'. Missed not having any Winsor blue, but my new 'parchment white' did get some use. So what do I think to the the new box, well it performed very well, and is comfortable to carry.It really is amazing painting 'en plein' I saw a grebe, lots of ducks and nobody came over to offer advise on painting!
Oh you might wonder if we ate fish for tea tonight? Yes but Marks Spencer caught it, the top fisherman!