progress of a painting - The Black Lion

first sketches

add a watercolour wash in my sketchbook

draw it out bigger on watercolour paper

clean up and remove all the pencil lines

where to start...that sun reflecting off the opposite wall!

using the purple and blue palette to start off, then adding the brighter colours

yellows and the sky brings it to life

pops of colour with the clothes, and I think it is finished

A sunny afternoon at The Depot, Lewes

working out what can be fitted into the sketch

finished watercolour, includes a couple of characters to spot

the finished watercolour currently hangs on the wall in the Depot cafe/bar area

I have enjoyed painting cinemas recently, including the Duke of Yorks in Brighton, The Dome in Worthing and the Orion in Burgess Hill. Lewes has an absolutely fabulous new cinema in the Depot. Housed in the old Harveys brewery depot beside the railway station, it has been designed to nestle in the topography and be an absolute gem for Lewes.

It was however a bit of a challenge to paint, to fit in all the elements that I wanted, so as usual a little bit of artist's licence was needed!

I fancy painting a night time view, too. watch this space for that.

A painting of The Anchor, Bankside

On a sunny October afternoon I sketched the pub

I took my sketch and extended it, needed to get Tower Bridge in!

finished painting worked up from my sketches

On a sunny October afternoon I sat on the wall with my back to the Thames and sketched the Anchor pub. A wonderful place to sit out on sunny bankside and watch the world go by. Samuel Pepys sat there and watched the devastation of the fire of London 350 years ago. there certainly are some good views. I wanted to paint this view, but needed to extend it to fit in the Thames and Tower Bridge!
The final painting and I imagined a few extra people, including Pepys, an artist, and a sausage dog.

painting a picture of a pretty cake shop in Pimlico, Peggy Porschen

initial sketch

all drawn out and ready to colour

the finished painting

I stumbled across Peggy Porschen cake shop on Instagram, so had to go and have a look myself. It is so pretty! I brought the sun a bit more overhead for the finished painting because I wanted my people on the right to also be in the sunny seats, and I wanted that free table to look inviting. But somehow it looks less sunny than the first sketch where the sun is lower and the shadows deeper. something to remember!

Maison Bertaux

I sketched this pub in Feb 2017, but something wasn't working with it

I drew it out again, but with a little bit less of the pub 

first the blues and then the yellows, but that sunset sky is just too strong

the finished painting, brought alive by the colours on the people

The Maison Bertaux patisserie is in Greek Street, Soho. It is one of those places that cried out to me to be painted. I sketched it out a year ago, but did not feel right about the layout. On researching the patisserie (the oldest in London) and the pub next door, I began to find out more and more stories about the pub. The Coach and Horses Greek Street, I think I will revisit that one rather than try to put them in this painting, which is all about the pastries!

Upstairs above the patisserie is a gallery, there are many arty connections. Noel Fielding showed paintings here just before christmas. ; )

In the end I knocked the sky back. I wanted a glowing sky rather than blue, but found that my first attempt was far too gold and overpowered the building. I hope the pink and purple additions have made it a bit more subtle!
Maison Bertaux "People watching, patisserie and a pub (with a past) "

Jazzy jamming at The Paris House

plans in the sketch book

all drawn out and ready for colour

I fancied a really strong colour scheme this time 

Have a closer look at the jam session, in watercolour



This pub on the border of Brighton and Hove was crying out for me to paint it. I have always loved a tall thin building and this one, along with its French styling was summing up images of Vincent Van Gough and Toulouse Lautrec.
So all this was in mind when I drew it out.
The chequerboard floor inside the pub was too good to leave out, so it spills out onto the pavement outside with the light and music

An advent card for Taylors Port

initial rough sketch to work out layout 

the sketch looked a lot better with colour

and now drawn out on a much larger scale

the first colours go on

a few extra details are added as I go

have a closer look at the treading

and here it is at Judge Sampson in production

I had the exciting challenge this autumn, to paint the  beautiful Vargellas Vineyard in Portugal for Taylors Port, and to include in the painting people working on the harvest, and also treading the grapes in the tanks in the winery. This involves much jollity with music and dancing too!

It took a while to figure out the layout, and did need a couple of minor changes. Adding watercolour to the sketch helped the client to see the final effect.

This was a lovely picture to paint, full of sunshine and celebration. It was then printed as an advent card and has now been sent out to Taylors' friends for christmas time.

Lewes war memorial Charity Card - Merriment and memories

A rough sketch 

ready to paint

Here is the first plan, drawing and finished painting ready for this year's SASBAH Christmas card for Lewes, to be sold at Cards for Good Cause. The Town Cryer was a perfect finish to the drawing which had that open space at the right hand side. He can also hail the selling of the card OYEZ!

A Christmas Card for Chichester

I planned the layout and the colours in my Seawhite sketch book

all drawn out and ready to colour

The finished painting



This year I planned a painting of Chichester for a fund raising Christmas Card for SASBAH.  Back in the spring I met a friend and we went for lunch there, and I had a good look around all in the name of research! I knew the layout I wanted to paint when I came away. It was several months later, and high summer by the time I got to draw it out in my sketch book though! I have added a few famous faces that live around the Chichester area, or have connections there...can you spot anyone? The original painting will be shown at Chalk Gallery next month, and the christmas cards are now on sale at Cards for Good causes shops in Sussex

you can buy the fundraising card also online, here ;
https://www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/?s=sasbah&post_type=product

An Advent Card for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Initial sketch,trying a layout

All drawn out and the first paint goes on

Lots of people to draw

finished painting, includes Nelson and a ship's figure head

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard commissioned me this year to produce a painting for an Advent card to be sold at the Royal Navy Museum there. Here is the link to the finished card  https://shop.nmrn.org.uk/products/advent-card

Stoners the Jewellers, Burgess Hill

loosely sketched in my Seawhites sketch book

scaled up and drawn out on a larger piece of Bockingford watercolour

All done

I grew up in Burgess Hill, in the seventies most Saturdays were spent by having a walk up to the town with my pocket money. The town was fairly small, but had recently been enlarged with a new modern shopping centre with what were at the time exciting new shops. A big Smiths, a giant boots, a new toyshop, sweet shops and some clothes shops, there was also a big showroom to exchange your green shield stamps. That area of the town is now all about to be torn down again. that makes me feel old!

However, there are a few strong survivors, and here is one. This jewellers shop is in its third generation. Survived the first phase of demolition in the town and all those new shops, and now stands firmly resisting all the changes that are threatening again. There are not many shops that have survived for longer than I can remember so these really need to be celebrated!

Once upon a time I would be left outside these shops in my pram, and would talk to people as they passed by or stopped to say hello. I am trying to get a feel for those times within this picture. I also remember well the lady traffic warden that used to pound the streets of the town. She was a bit scary to me!!

progress of a painting for Leeds castle Christmas card

plans in my sketch book

pencil drawing following my rough sketch

nice and tidy with pen

the snow comes alive with blue shadows

all done!

and dusted! (with glitter)

Last year I painted a greetings card for Leeds Castle, featuring the queens and King Henry VIII among others, and following that a Christmas card was needed.
I took the same view, altering the angle slightly so that the fairground and Christmas market could be seen across the moat. some of the same characters are in the winter scene, but with additions of course.
Both cards are now for sale in the Leeds Castle shop, and the Christmas card is all glittery : )