Bravery above and beyond

Herself, the love of my life and Muse, displays her valour.
Photographed during a warm up break in the freezing studio, with only a cuppa and her new coat to ward off hypothermia !

More scenery

A commission that has just left me for it's new home.

Not naked ladies, but I'm still rather fond of it.

birthday girl

My daughter is fourteen today.

I remember when I could lay the entire length of her body along my forearm and stare into eyes the colour of a morning sky.

I looked into her eyes a few minutes ago over breakfast and got that strange sensation you get just before you fall asleep, when the bed tips and you get that vertigo feeling.
The same eyes, in the face of a beautiful young woman.

Happy Birthday Jennifer Eleanor.

For whom the Bell tolls

The Wiveton Bell that is.

The new owners Sandy and Bernie are trying a new venture, art will be the focus of the completely renovated and redecorated interior, most of which will be for sale.

Having spent the last six weeks working themselves into a frenzy, they are nearing completion.

I dropped off a couple of pieces of work yesterday, and it looks fantastic.

(Sorry if you live too far away to drop in for a G&T and be inspired/spend all your hard earned gold. Come for a holiday, maybe move here, 'cmon you know you want to)

Getting a reality check

I painted this portrait a few weeks ago. The subject is a good friend of mine, Paul Robinson.

Like me Paul is, in no particular order, a painter, father, and husband. Son, brother, self-employed person etc.

I was in town today and dropped in to have a chat with him. As usual we blathered on about art, holidays, (lack of), our families, painting, gallery space, acrylics -v-oils, feeling winter worn and jaded. Also covered were new technology, broadband, house prices, this blog, and no-doubt several other topics which have since slipped my mind...........and that's my point.

We covered all that stuff in an hour or more's chat and banter. I left him, as usual, not caring that we had failed to reach any real conclusions or solutions, but strangely happy that we could just pick up where we left off the next time I drop in.

Thanks Paul.

From Start to Finish

I thought you dear readers might like to see how a piece develops stage by stage, so ;





Basic scruffy blocking out of the canvas.




Defining the composition more accurately.




Adding some detail and background tone to establish the lights and darks.



Starting to come together now, mostly a question of getting the tones right.



A bit of tidying up (the hair at the back of the head and the shoe) and it's a done deal.

Spring has not sprung

The wildest day I can remember for a very long time. Winds gusting up to 80 knots apparently.