Venice The recent frosty mornings and beautiful bright sunny days we have been enjoying recently have reminded me of the times we have spent in Venice during Carnival time. I’ve often made studies around Rialto, Venezia, an area rich in subject matter. The weather in Venice has usually been even colder but characterised by crisp, […]
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Oil Painting of Norfolk
Oil Painting of Norfolk I have been asked recently to do an oil painting of Norfolk for a particular client. As I usually work in watercolour paints, I thought it would be prudent to get back into the swing of painting in oils. As it is a completely different painting technique by doing a quick […]
Sketchbook of Oman
Since my first visit to Oman in 2007 I have always taken my hand made sketchbooks to paint on location. Whenever I’ve shown these studies to various folk, they have always commented on the tactile beauty of these small watercolour paintings that are held together as a mini art collection. The plan for several years […]
Sherree Valentine-Daines
Les Secrets by Sherree Valentine-Daines Henley Royal Regatta I first came accross the outstanding figurative paintings of Sherree Valentine-Daines back in 1996. We both exhibited our paintings in the Stewards Enclosure of the Henley Royal Regatta. I always used to make a point of seeking out her paintings every time I used to go to […]
Drawing People
TIP 10 Study People In my first tip I talked about drawing from observation. Drawing people isn’t easy, particularly if they are not deliberately posing for you, but the results can be rewarding if you stick at it. A useful tip is to draw people walking about without actually looking at the paper. These can […]
Theatre Royal at Night
My first exhibition over 30 years ago when I was an art student. I have regularly painted specific scenes for my clients. The subjects have varied considerably and have ranged from landscapes to cityscapes, sailing ships to aircraft, even red blood cells to pets! There have been many occassions when my clients have asked me […]
Remember Tony Hart & Morph
TIP 9 Tony Hart was a childhood inspiration. I used to love watching Vision On and all the amazing artwork they featured. I found this plastic model of Morph whilst walking my dog. The animated Morph used to feature in Tony Hart’s television program Take Hart which was an inspiration to millions of children including […]
Watercolour Paint
TIP 8 Don’t use too many colours! There are at least 96 colours in Winsor and Newton’s Artists’ watercolour range. I use about a dozen regularly which is enough for me. Spend some time finding out which ones you really like and experiment. The arrangement of different paints you can see on my drawing board […]
Top Sketchbook Tips
Top Sketchbook TIP 7 A new sheet of clean white paper can ofter appear intimidating to a beginner, even to someone experienced. to overcome any fears of making a mistake, it can be helpful to lay a pale wash of colour (for example Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna) over the whole sheet of paper, whether […]
Top Sketchbook Tips
Sketchbook TIP 6 Receive instruction. I always take at least one Sketchbook on a painting holiday. Join a painting class or join us on one of our Painting Holidays You will be with like-minded people who will encourage you and offer constructive criticism. You will also have that regular weekly discipline that is so important to […]