Postcard Tombola for St Peter & St James Hospice

On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th November I will be taking part in the Chailey and Newick Painting Group art exhibition at Chailey Parish Hall. As usual there will be framed and unframed original paintings, artists greetings cards and lots of cake!
these postcards have been painted for the Postcard Tombola, to raise money for St Peter and St James Hospice.

Ice Skating at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton

from pencil to pen

the first colours go on, setting the scene

lots of colour and lots of skaters...spot the extra cat!

It's Christmas Card time again! ...well actually I am running a bit late and many artists completed their cards months ago!
I visited the Royal Pavilion in January this year and was inspired to recreate the scene for this year's SASBAH card. I tried to put in some recognisable Brighton faces from past and present, do you recognise anyone?

SGFA Draw 16 at the Menier Gallery

A lovestruck Romeo

the old tobacco shop, Haymarket

On 4th October Draw 16 opens at the Menier Gallery in Southwark, London, and I am excited that these two paintings have been accepted for the exhibtion.

A painting trip to Venice

early morning I sat near st marks square and painted san giorgio

another day's early morning view from a different viewpoint

sometimes the view gets spoiled when this happens!

St marks, Bridge of Sighs and Doge's Palace from San Giorgio, afternoon

hot late afternoon sun from behind the Salute and the entrance to Grande Canale

I recently had the luxury of a four day painting trip to Venice.
somewhere that I have always wanted to go! Here are four paintings completed en plein air, early morning and late afternoon. I had a little three legged camping stool which was essential in Venice as there are just no seats if you dont have your own!
I also took around 500 photos for reference, for future work. the colours of the brickwork, the washing, faded doors and rusty gates...green waters and blue skies. just beautiful! 

A lovestruck Romeo, in Sorrento

At the end of April I was lucky enough to have a weekend in Sorrento, Italy, with my sisters.
The weather was a bit iffy so I did not go sketching but I took some photos.
We spent a wonderful day exploring Pompeii, and in the evening back in Sorrento I spotted this Tavern Allegra, down a quiet alley that looked straight out of Pompeii.

I took a photo and worked from it when I got back. Imagining my Romeo by his Vespa and my Juliet on the balcony, about to put her washing out, and remembering all the wonderful colours on the walls at Pompeii.

The Hearth, (the Bus Station) Lewes

rough sketch of a plan for the painting

drawn out on heavy weight watercolour paper and the first colours washed on

close up on the detail

finished! Blue Skies, Buses and The Bakery

all framed and cards made

 The old bus station in Lewes is a fantastic building with an american feel. There was once a cafe up top and newsagent and sweet shop downstairs, which went the way of many old shop and closed up. But the bus station building has been brought back to life with a lovely bakery and a Pizza restaurant upstairs with Sour Dough pizzas that are getting rave reviews!
To give a nostalgic feel I brought back an old green and cream Southdown Bus!

The Old Tobacco Shop - Fribourg and Treyer, Haymarket, London

first all drawn out in pencil

then on goes the pen

the first colours are the easy ones...

Here is the finished painting

 I have had my eye on this beautiful and historic old shop front in London's Haymarket. The large bow windows were once a regular sight on London's streets but the law was changed and shops were no longer allowed such large bays. This may be the oldest shopfront in London, still in use as a shop, and it sits on a very busy Haymarket with tourists and workers rushing past on their way to Leicester square and around the west end, rushing past. I wonder how many have stopped to look at the building!
Once tobacconists to royalty, Fribourg and Treyer had traded here for centuries, only closing around 30 years ago. it is well worth a visit inside the shop which is now a Souvenir shop, to see all the original shelves, doors and fittings, even a glass dividing screen. Imagine what this shop has seen over the years!

Dockerills in Burgess Hill

sketching in my book

all painted up bigger on watercolour paper

About 7 years ago Dockerills hardware shop in Burgess Hill closed. A rare old shop, amongst the buildings in the oldest shopping area in the town, the loss has been mourned.

Luckily the building is still there in all its beauty and has recently been brought back to life with a new business. But here I am remembering it as it was.

three little watercolours of Sussex views

The catch by The Castle, Lewes

The very old school room, Plumpton

I'm in the mood for love, Brighton

For the first hang of the year in Chalk gallery I decided that I would work on three little watercolours of places local to me.
There have been some wonderful winter sunrises and sunsets lately and I think these might be influencing me!

Here is another painted for a friend's birthday card - a friend that loves to paint trees!

the birthday treet!

A painting of Borough Market, Southwark

In the autumn last year I spent a lovely day sketching around Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market with the Society of Graphic Fine Art
My first painting of 2016 was to work up these sketches and produce a painting to exhibit at Southwark Cathedral.

Here it is..and it is now up in the Cathedral refectory

SASBAH christmas card fantastic sales

I have just heard that the overall sales for SASBAH christmas cards with my paintings this Christmas totalled over 1800 packs. These were mostly sold from Eastbourne and Lewes cards for good causes shops, but also Uckfield, Hastings, Brighton, and smaller outlets.

Thank you so much to everyone who bought some, they have raised over £4000 for the charity.

My painting of the Christmas Swim is now available as a limited edition giclee print from my website.