I've been wrestling with one or two paintings recently (a couple ended up in the bin) as I continue to try and 'liberate' my style. It's not easy I can assure you of that. Little studies like this one of a few grapes help to remind me where I want to be heading. I enjoy little studies like these as they're generally 'one hit' efforts and force me not to be laboured or contrived. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I think this one turned out OK and it measures roughly 5x7 inches.

Notice the transparancy of the darker colours (achieved by adding a little W&N painting medium) which helps to retain a richness in the colours. The grapes seemed to have reflected light all over the place so sharp observation was needed. I liked the way some of the grape colours were picked up in the cloth (and vice versa). I thought the blue line in the cloth would make an interesting compositional element and colour note. The grapes tasted good too :o)

Managed to get out into the sunshine on Saturday and painted a nearby stream which feeds into the Ouse. It was cold but so nice to be outdoors amongst the elements. A little furry creature swam across the water a couple of times but I'm not sure what it was. It didn't seem to mind me hanging around for a while anyway.

I liked the lines/shapes of the overhanging branch and reflections. The sun kept popping in and out which made it tricky but sometimes you have to rely on a bit of memory. The key is to observe with intent so that you have the information safely tucked away! This isn't something I've mastered but practicing is certainly the best way to improve. Anyway, here's the pics....







and here's the furry friend....





This was a bit later on.....check out the colours and textures....

Just remembered this little number I snowified. It's based on a spot study done last year and I wanted to see how the colours would sit with snow, based on my recent observations. I was primarily interested in the orange/blue harmonies and did it in a single session using acrylic. I find acrylics good for trees/branches because they generally have less opacity than oils, lending themselves to rapid scumbles/glazes which is good for light coming through branches. The rough gesso ground helps give life to the surface.

I'm actually quite interested in light through trees, even though it's really hard to capture (trees aren't the easiest things to paint). Photos would be useless though as the trees would come out almost black with a bright light behind. Sometimes it reminds me of stained glass windows where the branches are darkened like leading and create little shapes of light and colour. Anyway, I hope to continue with the theme at some point....

Well, I've been tackling a few of the snow studies and hope to get them wrapped up soon. I don't find the rural landscape so interesting at this time of year (lots of dreary browns) so it's nice to have all the light and colour to work with.

I've tried my best to keep things loose and fresh but I find it quite tricky. I'm determined to persevere because I don't want to be a slave to detail and have to 'render' everything. It's not that I'm lazy...it's just that I don't think it's so important anymore. Proof will be in the pudding I guess!



This was a cloudier day but I stumbled across this little scene and enjoyed the more subdued light. The sheep made a little cameo at the top of the hill for a nice ending touch! The original location study is shown below and hopefully you'll agree the studio piece (above) has ironed out a few of the compositional creases (in my defence it was so cold I didn't have much time to think about the composition on the day!)



Here's the frozen river scene reversioned (but not yet finished)



and this one is still in progress....



and finally for now, a scene with light through the trees by the river. I did another location study of these trees before the snow arrived and thought it would be interestng to contrast the two. I'm hoping to work up both pieces into more resolved pieces at some point but hopefully you can get an idea from these pieces..

A few more self portraits...practice, practice, practice....

More snow and a few chances to dart outside for one or two brief easel sessions. Plenty of good photos too, some shown below. I'll post up a couple of the paintings when they've dried/thawed!

Boy, I thought I was getting frostbite or something today. I got a bit carried away and was out for 2 hours in the bitter cold/wind. The tips of my fingers suddenly felt like they were freezing up and I swear they were changing colour (or was it just the paint!) so I made a sharp exit. My fingers have NEVER been that cold before!! I think that's enough outdoor action until it gets decidedly warmer :)

Today's little number was interesting because the sun was vieled behind some clouds but I found a nice little stream that had some cracking lines/shapes. Made for an unusual subject which I hope to work up into something bigger in the warmth of the studio!



here's what I was looking at...the colours are a little different from what was really there...



The great thing is all the scenes were just a 5 minute walk from my house which made things much easier....









...and my little house with a good covering!

Wow. The snow in the sun was amazing but the weather closed in fast. Just a small window of opportunity to get something down. Forgot to put a card in my camera so I'll have to rely on these oil sketches and memory for any new versions. Probably not a bad thing....photos have a habit of leading me astray!

This is my favourite and the least, erm, polished. Just goes to show you don't need lots of detail to achieve an end result. Less is certainly more in this case. I had about 30 minutes to get it down having just painted a panel facing the other direction (see below). I wasn't sure whether to bother but I'm glad I did. The colours were amazing and seemed to change every time I looked!



This one worked quite well (facing the other way before the sun started going down) and I enjoyed working on a linen canvas panel. The sheep made a nice point of interest and they're definitely less white than you'd think!



The composition on this one wasn't so strong but I think I can tweak the format and use the sketch to work up something more balanced (in terms of shape and colour/value distribution). It was REALLY cold when I did this one...2 pairs of gloves were needed towards the end! Thankfully I had a flask of milky coffee.



More snow....please!!