In 2017 I received a commission to do a very large oil painting of the Angel of the North which you can read about in an earlier blog post. The Angel’s wings were coated with 22 carat gold leaf. My client loves his painting of the Gateshead Angel. Once I’d hung it for him we discussed […]
Several months ago I received an enquiry about taking on a commission to do a watercolour painting of Bill Quay. The painting was to be a “thank you” present from a lady to give to her parents as she was getting married in the summer. River Tyne Bill Quay on the River Tyne holds special […]
For most of my career as an artist I’ve had quite small cramped studios to paint in. In 2006 we decided to look into the possibility of building a Studio in the loft space of our home in Ponteland. The plans were passed in 2007 and building commenced later that year. In July 2008 […]
In one of my recent blog posts I talked about a commission I received when I first went full time as an artist. This was back in 1984 at the age of 22. It was to do two watercolours of the River Tyne near North Shields for a leading North East businessman. He wanted me […]
Paint a Portrait in Oils Working in oil paint however is completely different, particularly when painting a portrait. When the sitter isn’t there in front of me, I can usually see various elements which need to be changed during the next sitting and oil paints allow you the freedom to do so. One of the […]
The current painting project I am working on is a commission of The Bailey in Durham. It’s an historic area in the centre of Durham. I’ve painted this part of Durham before, including this view of Saddler Street above. I took advantage of the glorious weather last week to do a couple of sketchbook watercolours. […]
Umbria In the autumn of 2006 my wife and I travelled to Italy for me to do a special commission of a clients property in Umbria. After doing the preparation sketches, we then went on to Tuscany to a little town called San Quirico d’Orcia. It’s close to the towns of Pienza and Siena. As […]
Ingram Valley You may recall a post earlier this month about a commission I am working on to paint a scene in the Ingram Valley. On Saturday evening I decided to take advantage of the clear blue skies and return to capture the lower evening sunlight. The drive along the A697 was beautiful and once […]
Breamish Valley I have recently received a commission to do a watercolour painting depicting the Breamish Valley near Ingram. On Sunday I decided to do an initial research trip after church to remind myself of the location and general geography. I had driven through it a couple of years ago when I climbed Hedgehope, the […]
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 […]