working towards an exhibition

Looking towards Bere Regis

Work on the view above Bincombe & Suttom Pontyz is progressing (pictures below) although the style and colour palette is changing. I am allowing the shift to evolve that way trying to keep my work fresh and capture the energy of the first brush strokes. It can be a little frightening when there is a shift as it's all new territory and the next move lack's familiarity. No point holding back though I just have to go with the flow trust the process and hold my nerve.

The painting below showing the darker tomes and structure, I like to build my paintings up, almost like a sculpture or a skeleton. I then add the "flesh to the bones" hiding most of the original marks but allowing the initial energy to show through on the final piece.

I am working on a second painting at the same time using the same colour palette but looking from another view nearer to Dorset golf course. This canvas is approx 162 cm by 121 cm which is a size I am more familiar with. The tryptic's measure approx 270 cm by 100 cm these force me to simplify the detail and concentrate the forms and composition.Over the years I have found that my work happens in mini series capturing a view, place, colour palette and size of canvas. Each series moves my work on and allows me to keep inspired and motivated. At the moment it's large open landscapes but i am already becoming dawn to woodland scenes and more intermit views

Keep on keeping on

So it's been a strange few weeks as the weather has broken and it's hard to find a chance to paint in the high sun. Painting outside in full summer sun allows me to improve the observations of tones, shadows and nuisances . This one below is about done I added the gate and broke the line of the hedgerow just to help with the composition.As before I will hide it away to stop me fiddling and wait awhile to revisit and see if I need to go back in and tighten up the image.

This is the start of my next work looking towards Bere Regis from the ridge above Briantspuddle village. I look at this view everyday when walking my dog and often pondered painting it but wanted to try a little bit of a different angle to capture the form of the opposite ridge. I am carrying on using the red ground colour and building the depth on top and sticking to flat colours.

I have also started a new tryptic from the top of the ridge above Bincombe & Sutton Pontyz looking across to Portland and Weymouth bay. I revisit this spot regularly and cycle up to it from Weymouth sea front so get a look at all the forms and contours of the Bincombe bumps. I have done many paintings of Portland, theres just something about that view the bay and the island. Below is a previous painting a little further up the ridge from where I am working at the moment just off Chalky Lane

New work continues

Tryptic above Ansty -Bulbarrow

So first tryptic finished I think? I wanted to capture the first flush of spring as the hedgerow starts to sheds its winter coat for a new year. The fields are bursting with every shade & hue of green and the trees transforming . What a season spring is, not the easiest to capture but definitely the best of challenges.

No time to reflect when I am creating it's best to just move on and not focus recent work as it tends to hold you back. I will look at it again in a month of so and see if I should carry on of leave it there. I am experimenting with different ground colours to show thorough the final painting. The ground colour really does change the hues and temperature of the finished works.

This is the beginning of a Tryptic capturing the road and surrounding countryside of my village. I try tried several different spots but I can't help but be drawn to the lanes and hedgerow it's just what I like to paint. There is always a pressure I feel as an artist not to stick to the same theme in your work but after years of moving away into abstract, still life and life drawings I have come to peace with my subject & style. This doesn't mean I am not pushing my self as i am always striving to move my work on

An other view further above the lane. Its not easy finding a vantage point where you not tresspasing or in a random field or on a road edge.