Peacocks Tea Room

7"x9" Pen and watercolour washes

The second of my sketch compilations to be framed and exhibited at Haddenham galleries this Summer.
This compilation was created on location, I took an Arches block along to the tea room and sketched my way through a delicious cream tea (with coffee, not tea...of course!)
I then grabbed my chair from the car boot and sat myself opposite the entrance to create the monochrome on the right and froze my ass off!!!

Roll on Summer!

Holy Trinity Church

Ink & watercolour washes in sketchbook

The Holy Trinity Church in Long Melford, Sussex,

I visited this wonderful church with Joannie back in 2007, see my post here, and sketched this from a photograph in preparation for a sketch compilation for my upcoming exhibit at Haddenham galleries.

3 Minute Mill

I recently visited Denver Mill and, after indulging in a slice of their delicious madeira cake and making a quick sketch in the cafe garden, I pulled onto the side of the road to make this...an experiment...Copic markers and acrylic ink on canvas board.

I was wondering if it would be possible to sketch on canvas and ....it is...However, when I applied a coat of acrylic varnish, the markers livened up and smudged all over the place.

Oh well, worth a shot!

Luckily I spent only 3 minutes on this sketch and managed to photograph it before I applied the varnish, so all is not lost!

Facing Facts On Noodlers

The top sketch was created using a Lamy Safari fountain pen filled with Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin ink...BEWARE...this ink IS waterproof but a grey debris clouds the paper when water is applied to it...not great for watercolour washes. I have ordered the Bullet Proof Black to see if that is any better.
The bottom sketch was created using a pigment liner.

Chilling In The Lounge

A couple of sketchbook spreads of my lounge


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Sketchbook Figure Studies

A few quick recent studies from my sketchbook

Forgotten Fast Floral

This was one of the paintings I did at Joans earlier in the year when I visited her to jumpstart my creativity again. Using one of her gorgeous floral arrangements, I worked quickly in pen to create an outline before adding juicy acrylic inks to colour.

A Trip Into Ely

I recently had such a productive day in Ely, full of sketching and a trip to my favourite tea rooms. Besides finding time to add a quick sketch to my journal I also took my watercolour blocks along and did a couple of compilations for framing...I'll post them as soon as I remember to photograph them.
The sketch above was created standing, after I put my chair back in the car, just outside the tea room. The sketch below, of tiny red roses purchased in Ely market, was created later back at home.

Sketchbook Studies

A cuppa in Skylark Cafe and a bit of prep for a visit to Wisbech the following day.

Love

'Love' - Coloured Pencil & Ink, Derwent Floral Sketchbook

Framing My Sketchbooks

7" x 9" Pen and wash

I've been working on the sketch compilations to exhibit at the gallery, thinking of subject matter and trying to get my head around keeping loose and free while knowing the result will be framed. I had hoped to create all of the work on location but looking through my old sketchbooks I realised that there are so many beautiful places I have already visited it would take time and money to re-visit them all just to be able to state that I sketched them on location.
So, I figured if I could work from some sketches I already have, all the while treating them the same way I do my sketchbooks; no pencil and no prep, I may be able to compile some works from them and still keep that character so apparent in my journals.

So here we have the first piece 'Peckover House' situated in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, showing tiles and cornices from throughout the house and a taste of the gardens.
Apologies for the poor upload, I'm still without a scanner.

The work will be mounted in 1.5" ivory board and framed in half inch matt beech....I wanted something plain and simple so as not to take away from the delicacy of the small works.
I've still to sign and working on a catchy way of doing so that will unify my works.

I found keeping loose and working 'off the cuff' easier than I thought and just got lost it the pleasure of sketching, so I'm quite happy to utilise my old sketchbooks this way. I adore making spreads like this, they are such fun, the design element really appeals to me.

The piece is certainly different, at least I haven't seen such works around these 'ere parts, so I guess it's a nice new niche for me in the market. I can see commission potentials and postacards/cards etc ...lots of angles to explore!

What about appeal though? Everyone rummages through my sketchbooks muttering off compliments but is the appeal still going to be there when they are viewing just one sheet of paper as opposed to a book?....Does this appeal to you?...Is a compilation like this something you would consider purchasing?
Interested in your feedback my friends.

Sunset

Three very quick sketches of the sun setting, created plein air over an hour.
It was fascinating to gradually see detail fade and suprising to me that, with the darkness, everything felt so much closer...like walls closing in, as if to turn two dimensional.

Magazine Inspired Sketching

Ink and watercolour in daily sketchbook

Sketched from magazine references.

I try to get at least one sketch in before going to bed at night, usually while laying on the sofa chilling. I sketch directly in ink and have for some time, allowing mistakes to shine through so I can work on them.

Sketching On Canvas

My Parents House - Acrylic ink on canvas - Plein Air

...With a dip pen and acrylic inks, I then used a brush to add tonal washes.
The ink is black and white so I have no idea why the hedge is showing as blue?

Plein Air Painting

This morning I got together an acrylic plein air kit in a small bag, grabbed a primed canvas and a travel easel and packed my car to go painting. Being my first plein air trip out this year and about my 4th plein air trip with acrylics ever...I decided I shouldn't go far in case I had forgotten something, so I drove to Benwick and set up in the old graveyard there by the river.
I took a limited palette and just one square brush.
I left the house at 11.30 am and was back in it with numb hands and a full bladder by 1.30pm!

This is the result of my wonderful 90 minutes, under a tree, painting the world away.
Lots I'd change about both my kit and how I approach the painting next time, lots to learn, but I finally got out with my easel, it's a start!

Benwick Bridge

The old bridge at Benwick has recently had a make-over with fresh white paint and looks wonderful!

Impressionistic Stills

I watched 'The Impressionists' on DVD again the other day and paused it a couple of times to grab a quick sketch from the still.

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A Trip To Haddenham Galleries

Above is the view from my studio window, painted in acrylic after loading my car with works to present at Haddenham Gallery.



I arrived early and indulged in a coffee on the decking outside the gallery overlooking the sculpture garden entrance, which is marked by this lovely old tree.



After my meeting, I parked up in the village and sketched the scene above of Haddenham Baptist church.

My meeting went very well. I have been asked to contribute in a mixed exhibition in April and was offered two panels around June time.
Melinda was very interested in my sketchbooks, they seem to steal the show where ever I go, she thinks that my sketch pages would appeal and asked if I had thought of framing some for sale. Obviously they appeal to me, I love creating them.
So, I am in the process of taking my small watercolour block around with me, aswell as my sketchbook. I could just re-produce works up at home but I believe I would try to perfect them too much and I think the essence of these designs lies within 'the moment'.
At this point, I am thinking I will fill one panel with framed sketches and the other with small plein air acrylics on canvas, giving the whole exhibit an 'on location' theme.

I have not framed a sketch compilation before and I have painted just 3 plein air acrylics and 'this' is my idea for my very first gallery show!!! ALL of the work needs to be produced before the show, approx 12 canvasses and 12 sketches, ALL plein air works and I live in England known for it's reliable weather!
How exciting!

More Sketchbook Studies

People sketched from imagination and birds sketched from both life and photo references. The ink landscape in the background (below) is a beautiful spot in Haddenham that I sketched on the way home from the galleries. I had but a couple of minutes but would love to return with my acrylics and easel when the weather warms up.

Beginning Of The Month

TOP LEFT: SKETCH FROM TOP OF THE DROVE WAITING FOR HARRY'S SCHOOL BUS
BOTTOM LEFT: VIEW FROM PARKSIDE IN WIMBLINGTON
TOP RIGHT: VIEW FROM SKYLARK CAFE WINDOW

The first day of March saw me visiting Skylark garden centre, in Wimblington, for a cuppa and a sketch in the cafe.

I have just one page left in this little Canson sketchbook that I started to fill with people sketches last year.

Sketchbook Studies

...from back in February...Just some general composition studies.

More Pages from the Derwent Floral

Cat Amongst The Pigeons Exhibition

'Beaters' - Acrylic on canvas 6"x16" each

This is the pair I whipped up for the exhibition at Haddenham gallery, based on beaters at a pheasant shoot. The exhibition will include works with either cats or birds as a subject from various artists and I felt that depicting them in a sporting scene would bring something different to the mix.

Cat Amongst The Pigeons Exhibition

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This was the first coloured pencil piece I ever created, I've blogged it before, I haven't created many coloured pencil pieces. Since finishing it, I have had it sat in my browser in a mount...today I collected a frame for it as I have finally decided to exhibit it.
'Bill' has been accepted into the 'Cat Amongst The Pigeons' exhibition at Haddenham Galleries, which runs from 3 April - 2 May, along with two other pieces I painted especially for the show.
I will downsize the photos and upload them in my next post.

Another Montmartre Sketch

A quickie from a photograph I took back in 2003.

Imagine a crowd

All sketched from imagination over a period of three evenings on the sofa infront of the TV.

Not the easiest of exercises but a great progress check on memory skills.

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More Derwent Sketchbook Pages

Just like the Moleskine sketchbook, the Derwent floral resists the water media, in fact, I think it's worse ... seeing as I'm using this as an occasional sketchbook, I'm ok with that.

Norfolk Lavender

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Here is 'Norfolk Lavender', in full and finished.

This turned into quite a personal piece for me; Norfolk lavender was a huge part of my Mums final year, she used it daily to soothe her aching body and smelled just wonderful. All of the aspects of the painting are at the location, I just composed them differently and changed the colours. You cannot see Heacham beach from the location but it is nearby and the last place I took a holiday with my Mum, infact the beach was the very last place we visited together while at Heacham, so I just had to pop it into the background. The palette choice was easy and mostly spoke for itself but blue was also my Mums favourite colour, the addition of red helped to reflect the warmth and love she generated. The fence seemed like the perfect way to express the divide, keeping the lavender just out of reach but still firmly in sight, allowing the viewer to admire it's beauty - unable to hold it, echoing my own feelings and frustrations during this difficult time.
My Mum always complimented my work, a big fan, and I always answered the same way 'I wish my work showed more expression though, said something about me, a story, an atmosphere...' I am pleased to say that I feel this piece does exactly that.

There was no planning involved here, I simply painted!
It now hangs on my bathroom wall.

Art has a magical way of wrenching out of us that which we need to release, oblivious, we watch it unfold and stare back...a mirror of our very soul.

Norfolk Lavender - Snippet

This is just a small section of my latest acrylic painting entitled 'Norfolk Lavender'.
In real life this beautiful building is actually red brick but I have been rather creative in this piece, using a harmonious palette of just blue and red and moving land, buildings and water into a composition all of my own.
It was created using this sketch I made on a trip to Heacham with my good friend Joannie back in October last year.
I'll post the finished piece just as soon as I upload the photo.