Family Christmas Tree

Here we are! Happy Christmas everyone! Brushes and paints packed away for a couple of weeks now. I will be looking forward to getting them out again in 2013!

The Evening Star,Brighton, all finished

Now I have finished! (I think) a few small changes have been made to the people in the pub and a few extra customers have arrived since the first drawing. The landlord and landlady are checking out their impressive busker from upstairs.
Time to paint my own christmas card now...got to get it done before the last posting date!

Lewes on a cold Friday

I have been tweaking an image that I painted at the start of the year for a project and thought I would put a little detail of it on here. I always like to see the little people enlarged on the screen. Most of the faces that I draw are smaller than a pea!

Spot the difference at the pub

Almost there now. You might be able to spot some differences in the customers to the last image that I put on! Some hats and moustaches have been added and hair changed...oh, and Captain Sensible turned up with a couple of pints.

Bob Dylan busks at The Evening Star

A little extra addition...Bob Dylan turns up to do a bit of busking. Mr tambourine man....
First colours on, as usual some purples and the creamy brickwork.

And then the reds...and this is very red!! It might need knocking back a bit with some purples or blues. I will see how it looks when there are more shadows on the ground and the warm yellow in the pub.

close up detail of latest pub

Here is a closer look at the lady and her dog sitting outside the pub waiting for a beer.
I like seeing these little people so much bigger on the screen!
I have already started painting this picture now but too dark to take a decent photo. Watch this space...

The Evening Star, Brighton

Here is the Evening Star, a popular Real Ale Pub in Brighton, all drawn out and ready for paint.
Need some blue skies on there, to warm me up!!

Two new sketches for today

I love sketching in my book. True I am working from photographs with a heater beside me, so maybe it's not sketching in the true hardy outdoor sense of the word... but even so I enjoy the freedom of the lines, the wetness of the paint, splashes and cauliflowers in the way it dries on the cartridge paper.
Above is an old flint cottage. Knapped flint for this one, and the one to the left has the lovely roundy cobbles. The roof is golden with moss and lychen. Luckily there is some grass and plants growing through between the house and the pavement to add a bit of colour at the bottom. The yellow lines help me too.

The second sketch for today is a lovely bright pub near to Brighton Station. The creams and reds will really dominate in this picture, so I will need to find some greens to put in front. A green bicycle to the right will help, maybe with flowers in the basket. then some green clothes on the customers. The two blind windows have been painted with beer mat designs, so I will attempt to replicate them.

The Wheatsheaf, Fitzrovia

Finally finished this pub! Had a few interruptions whilst this one was in progress, with a couple of other paintings that needed to be done for certain times. Plus, more customers kept arriving at the pub!!

Now for a close up look at a few of them... George Orwell, Dylan Thomas with Caitlin McNamara (apparently they met there) and Quentin Crisp dropping by.
And my little ginger cat, of course!

An illustration today

Been roughing out a little illustration today for young epilepsy. This is the very first draft so it will see many changes. I want the chap at the back to look like a security officer in a shopping mall. I don't suppose people use walkie talkies anymore...might change that to a mobile. Actually it looks like a carton of juice at the moment! 

I have also been offered the opportunity of providing artwork for a Sussex Calendar for Charity. Can I come up with 12 Sussex images that suit my style, for next summer. They would also have to be suitable for me to exhibit as framed pictures afterwards. I think I will go back to painting my pub now while I give that a bit of thought. Quite an exciting challenge though, can already picture a few pics!

Bags of Books...sold

Well, it came and it went! Was a great weekend for the Chailey exhibition, thank you to all who came.
The sun shone, too, all weekend, plus we were treated to a sunset to remember!
This painting sold on the Saturday, and my florist painting went on Sunday. Will have to get another done for Chalk no, before Christmas.
I have made some cards of this, and will take them in to the gallery tomorrow. They will also have some down at the Bookshop soon!
As I will be in the gallery tomorrow, I could use the time to start another painting...got one last exhibition on Saturday and not much to show. hmm...can I cope with another challenge?

Bags of Books

Here it is...the product of my weekly challenge, and now it is hanging in Chailey Parish Hall for the exhibition!

Art Exhibition at Chailey this weekend

It is the Chailey and Newick Painting Group Art Exhibition this weekend! Myself and around 30 other local artists will be exhibiting work in all different styles, materials and sizes! there will also be our cards and cakes for sale!!
I have finished the painting I was working on - just in time! got to get it in the frame this morning.
will post the finished pic on here when the day has brightened up a bit and I can get a nice bright photo.

Painting stages on Bags of Books

Time to get painting! as usual I went straight in with the browns purples and reds for the brickwork

then the sun came out, with some blues and blacks and shadows added for contrast. the building starts to get some shape and weight

now a mass of green to suggest the hill which sits immediately behind the bookshop. Dripping blues in wet and wet helps to bring some shadow and shape in to the mass of green. I have also started on the windows. Shadows on the ground next...and maybe that post box... looking forward to popping on the red!

Bags of Books Lewes, workings

Way back...about four years ago, I painted my first Lewes picture in this style. It was of Bags of Books, but I changed the details behind, making up a few houses! Anyway, this sparked a love of painting in my current style, and I went on..and on...painting my way around Lewes, Brighton, Bath, and other pretty places.
I sold that first picture at an exhibition at the Chailey and Newick Painting Group, at Chailey Village Hall, back in 2008. Bags of Books use it currently on their website.
I have set myself the challenge this week of painting Bags of Books again, this time not making up extra houses, so that I can hopefully exhibit it at the CNPG exhibition again, which is this weekend!
I have a black frame ready and waiting.

Here are the workings...
I sketched the picture out in my sketchbook, working from photographs in a nice warm room! I knew I was aiming for a square finish to fit my frame (no chance of exhibiting this weekend if I needed to get a frame made!)
Once the sketch had dried, I gridded it up (2cm squares) ready to enlarge it to the size needed on my watercolour paper. I buy my paper in large heavy weight sheets, and then cut them to size for the painting, this saves a lot of waste.

I am excited now with fidgety fingers...the picture is drawn and ready for paint. Cant wait to start!! It's Wednesday lunch time now. Will I be done in time to hand in Friday Lunchtime??? watch this space!

Rabbit at Le Magasin

Here is another close up on Le Magasin... I knew that the rabbit would come back again!

Detail of Le Magasin, Lewes

Here is a close up on some of the people outside Le Magasin. They came out of my imagination, but they are influenced by the time of year!
Le Magasin currently has a fab window display for winter with a wonderful cake... I cant do it justice here and also didn't want to make the painting too christmassy.
Hopefully I have got a feeling for a warm buzzy place to have a coffee and a tasty bite ..and of course to buy wonderful bread.

Le Magasin all painted

Well, I did it!!

Now I need to get it to my friendly framer, to see if he can pop it in to the frame (I already have that, I wouldnt expect to get a new one made in time) and be done in time for the new exhibition at Chalk Gallery on Monday...

watching paint dry

I love playing with washes of watercolour. Dripping colours in and watching them mix! I think I might have actually got a bit carried away with this roof and put a bit too much paint on. Never mind, I had fun!!

Here is the painting at the end of the second day. Need some bright, warm colours on it now.

Wheatsheaf Windows

Alongside Le Magasin, I am also working on the London pub that I started a couple of weeks ago.
I cant decide at the moment where to have another window lit up!! decisions decisions...
Lots of shadows to be added too, which should add another dimension.

Le Magasin Lewes

One day on from starting the drawing and I am ready for paint...challenge still on!!

A fairly productive afternoon

I had a wander down Cliffe High Street this morning. The sun was shining and suddenly I felt the need to paint everything I could see. Funny because I have been a bit unproductive recently...apart from my commissions.
Anyway, I set myself a challenge. Not sure if I will achieve it, but I wonder if I could possibly get an image ready to hang by Monday...
So here is the progress so far...from photo to sketch, to paper, almost drawn. Then there was a little muffin break!! uh oh...must be something to do with drawing people having coffee and food!!

Progress on the Wheatsheaf

well here it is all drawn..a few more people to go inside the pub...and some musical instruments needed for the shop next door, but those can wait for now...time to get the paints out for the first time in a couple of weeks!

so...on go the first washes, as usual I am straight in with the bricks in the ochres and the purples and blues for the pavements...

then couldnt resist the blue skies and the black woodwork...patchwork pavement looks a bit odd at this stage, better get on and finish painting that next!!

Carol Singers on Cliffe Bridge, Lewes

Here is a detail from my picture I painted back in that week of hot sunshine (probably the only one we had) back in the summer. This has been produced as a Charity Christmas Card for SASBAH and is now being sold in several Cards for Good Causes outlets. The original is framed and ready for the next exhibition at Chalk Gallery.

the Wheatsheaf, Fitzrovia

Here is the latest pub...I am making decisions now about the passers by and the punters.
my cyclist is a bit small compared to the people on the pavement..so I need to adjust this before I go in with the pen and make them permanent!
I have been a bit slow this week, but spent a lovely day in London with one of my daughters on Thursday, eating our way round Borough Market and ending the day with the presentation of the Shine Awards by a big design and branding agency which my clever daughter won! She now has a guaranteed placement when she leaves University next year, doing what she enjoys most. so exciting!!

Eastbourne Bandstand Christmas Card - available online

http://www.eastbournebandstand.co.uk/my-account/merchandise/

The Bandstand Christmas Concert, Charity Christmas Card for SASBAH can now be bought online from the above website!

The Old Shades

The Old Shades has sold. Thats two London pubs this week. I am glad that I have a giclee print of both of these because I have enjoyed having them up at home...need to get to London and get painting pubs for me again!
Gaia that follows my blog suggested I try a windows background. So I did it today...I like it Gaia thank you!

A walk on the prom, Hove

well...all done.
I enjoyed the beach huts, think I might go back to them soon. Got a few ideas for more beach hut life!
But next to the pub...

Taking away watercolour colour...

From ultramarine to cobalt...I painted my blue beach hut, to set off my ladies orange dress and the pushchair hood. But the lively granulating ultramarine looked a bit too dark and busy for me. I dwelled on this one overnight...and decided to remove it in the morning. with a careful bit of brushwork with clean water and some kitchen towel I could remove most of the blue paint. when the damp paper had dried I went back with a cobalt blue which sat more smoothly on the paper. I feel happier about that now! Not much more to do...some background windows and walls...

Colours on the seafront

Having fun with the first washes

and the turquoisey greens bring the beach huts forward

Shadows help the beach huts to sit down firmly on the ground. 

Now for more colours to the rest of the huts. but what colour to choose?...

A new look for the blog

Last night I sold the painting of the Black Friar. I feel a bit sad as I have enjoyed having him around!!
anyway, as it has gone, I thought it was time to change the background to the blog. Bye Friar!

I think that the new background might be a bit TOO busy!! will keep experimenting....

Drawing in progress

well...I have penned in all the windows, now I am working to the front to the family - still in pencil at the moment. Struggled a bit with pushchair and legs as I was using my imagination for those. still got to get the little girls feet and shoes right.

I love the rabbit! think I want to do the rabbit as a little picture on his own...

At the moment it looks like the picture is all about the building at the back. Hopefully when I add the paint and nice bright colours for the people and the beach huts, the houses will sit back a bit...

or shall I go to the pub

Another sketch for another pub. I am looking forward to getting started on this wonderful old pub in Londons Fitzrovia. The Wheatsheaf was once the haunt of the literary types such as Dylan Thomas and George Orwell, so they may just have to be visiting!
Not sure which painting to start first now, this or the beach huts. Maybe I will just do them together.

plans for a Brighton family

Here is a very rough sketch for my next painting. I love the way that watercolour paint puddles and blends on the sketch book paper. Its not as absorbent as my watercolour paper so it wrinkles and puddles, which leads to those lovely cauliflowers!!
The clothes will change a bit, a seagull will be walking with them, and the pushchair wheels are the wrong way round, but other than that I will pretty much stick with this plan.

Church Street finished

I have finished the painting of Church Street...ready for a London pub next...

Church Street coming on...

More colours..more flowers...and the horse is in. Not much left to do, but this bit always takes the longest!