Keys ~ Paris Flea Market

I have been itching to do this watercolour.

I used a reduced palette of Madder Brown, French ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Yellow Ochre and a bit of Sepia. I put granulation medium in a small spary and applied it to semi-dry areas, just to disturb the surface.

 

 

Ashdown Forest in the Snow

I have just been enjoying working on this loose watercolour of the Ashdown Forest. 

We ventured up there this weekend and when I wasn't face down in the snow, I managed a very brief sketch and a couple of camera shots. I love the heavy mauve sky that you often get with snowfall and noticed the most intense ochre grasses peeking through the drifts, which provided the perfect contrast. 

I have kept a simple palette of ultramarine violet, yellow ochre (mixed to obtain a heavy sky) and then together with these pigments, introduced some alizarin crimson, French ultramarine, sepia and some dots of light red. I have also used granulation medium here, delivered via a small pump spray... just to vaguely disturb the surface. I find these little sprays such a useful tool for watercolour. They are available at chemists and are really intended for decanting your favourite bathroom products ready for holiday, but no, for me granulation medium or just plain water is the  way to go!

I bit of controlled splattering, as ever, to evoke a blizzard, but also it carries the colour over the surface of the painting, encouraging a sense of movement and immediacy. 

Ashdown Forest in the Snow II

The Clock Tower ~ Brighton (pen and wash)

I love the lights that are suspended from Brighton's Clock Tower - they just had to be painted!

Here is a detail of the sky and the many threads of lights that festoon the tower. I used masking fluid to maintain the whiteness of the bulbs and used a deep ultramarine blue sky to through out as much contrast as possible. 

Apples - Acrylic on canvas 50cm x 50cm

Here is a canvas that I have been working on up to Christmas. It needs a little more consideration here and there, but it is nearly done.

I haven't been producing many larger scale acrylics recently, as it is absolutely freezing in my studio. Smaller works and watercolours are therefore my Winter preference!

The Picture House Uckfield ~ pen and wash

I wanted to evoke a sense of excitement and anticipation with this pen and wash. I chose therefore to depict the Picture House at night, as the entrance glows into the dark street and looks so enticing.

Prints and cards will be available soon.

Uckfield is so fortunate to have this wonderful independent cinema. See their website for more details; http://www.picturehouseuckfield.com/