Symposium, drawn and ready for colour

I have drawn most of the picture...ready to start adding some paint. I think I have been influenced by many hours recently spent poring over family history and looking up Victorian London ancestors!
Bliss, a victorian photographer, used to live next door to the left, so I have imagined him off to photograph something... and the Fishmonger returns...70 years on! 

Symposium, Lewes

Finished my latest commission so time to start something new for the gallery. I love the windows in Symposium on Lansdown Place, Lewes. In its past it has been an Indian restaurant, a Fish and Chip shop, a Fish monger, and even The Norfolk Temperance Hotel. Interestingly, the man who lived and ran the temperance hotel had ten years previously been listed as the Lansdowne pub, two doors up. So something made him change his mind from selling beer! Interesting what stories you can imagine, from little snippets of information. His wife had come from Norfolk, which might explain the name of the hotel.
Next door was the victorian photographer Bliss. I fancy having him in the picture, and a reverence to the fishy history!

My g.g.g.g.grandad in National Gallery

I havent put anything on here recently because I have been working on a surprise commission. will post soon...after the birthday!
so...just wanted to share this interesting link to my g.g.g.g.grandad Robert Clamp...who has work in the National Gallery archive. Maybe one day I could join him there!!

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp11961/r-clamp?search=sas&sText=clamp

A summer barbecue sketch

Here is the rough working sketch for my latest commission. Lots of people to draw, and they will probably move around a bit...but I am ready to start drawing.

My painting of Casa don Carlos on the telly!

Before the Brighton Hull match yesterday (which Brighton won, 1 - 0) Sky Sports were chatting to the Spanish players at our favourite place to eat, Casa don Carlos.
Spot my painting on the wall *points to it* !!
mm hungry now for a bit of Tapas...must go there again soon!

A sunny Jersey beach

I finished the painting of the beach. I really enjoyed painting this, a change from buildings...and also made me think of sunshine and sandy beaches on some very rainy painting days!
The blue mask helped to make the sea sparkle. The sandy foreground was quite flat until I added a hint of sand dunes at either corner. I think this helps to contain the scene...and stop your eyes floating off the page. I really enjoyed painting the chap in the deckchair, it was fun to put a bit more detail in my people.

A summer time commission

Ah, time to dream of sunshine and beaches... just done the washes for the sky and the sea. I used a bit of blue mask to white out some surf, and splashed a bit on the sea to add some sparkle. Hopefully, next image will show the result when I take it off. Must wait for the washes to completely dry though...thats why I am on here!!
Next wash...creamy yellow sand...

Flint house finished

I finished off this little painting today. It all looks very peaceful at the Flint cottage, after the busy Flea Market! Took this photo before realising one little circular window on the right not painted. I did it!!

I have received a few commissions in the last week. So will aim to get a couple of those done next before I move on to my next Lewes painting. I know what I want to paint too in Lewes and I am keen to get on with them all! Trouble is ... I have run out of paper!!

sketching and planning for the time being then!

Lewes Flea Market, finished

Lewes Flea Market

I have finished my second painting for the Chalk Gallery exhibition, which starts next Monday.
Whizzed this off to the framers this afternoon so it could be ready in time. It was another fun one to paint, the people and the bric a brac bring colour in to what would otherwise be a very red painting.

I will put a close up on, see if you can spot the masterpiece this time...

and Barney just got in there too...see what he has spotted?

Lewes Fleamarket, sunshine on a rainy day!

 Here are the next few steps on the Fleamarket! Finally all drawn out, penned in a few ideas of antiques and bric-a-brac, to make for an interesting rummage. Then the first washes get laid on. I paint with my paper on a board and angle it to let the bigger washes dry in the right direction...

All drawn out and ready for paint!

first the reds

and then the blues

blue skies and sunshine on a rainy day!

so when I finally paint in the lovely blue sky, I work with the picture upside down so the paint pigment particles slowly float downwards, and the darkest area of blue is at the top of the painting. If I have too much water, and it looks like it might burst over the edge, I very carefully lift it with a damp brush, little by little.
Now to get back to it and fill in some windows...