changing weather

a bit of a lull in posts, I have been quite busy and then there was the Arvon week in Devon, which I really should write a post about, it was amazing, and somehow seems to have triggered a sea-change in my painting

a detail from a larger painting on plywood panel which I actually worked on in my pottery workshop (originally when it was corrugated iron it was my painting studio but the clay took over)

another detail – by the way the red is just my phone camera, really it’s an orangey rust – I worked on it in a much more relaxed way, over three days, partly because putting paint on with a palette knife, as some of it was, means it does take longer to dry, even in acrylic paint

and partly because there was no need to hurry, and there were a lot of other things going on at the same time.

the light is great in there, and my old studio easel has been propped up against a shelf until and used as a convenient hanger for years, so I turned it around, but kept it leaning rather than standing on its feet. painting before various things done

like adding the rooks, more sky paint and quite a bit of other more subtle stuff – the finished painting. it is 81 x 62 cm

the change was largely brought about by making charcoal drawings and NOT looking at the original photo. so yesterday, in the village hall I repeated this procedure.

early stage here

finished – only 40 x 40 cm, so when the palette knife comes into the mix and brush handle tip drawing, things can get quite quick, but very adrenalin fueled, and lots of colour mixing going on.

so then there was time to paint another ….

I have been quite fascinated by how the electricity poles that march across our fields interact with the landscape, and have taken a lot of photos of them recently

especially against evening skies

so this painting is part of a series

just 40cm wide, and 30 or so high. after this I was bushed, I have to admit. but there will be more!