View of St Peter's Church in Limpsfield

I have recently completed this painting of St Peter's Church in Limpsfield. It was commissioned by a friend of mine to be given as a wedding present to the bride and groom. I am not mentioning names at the moment as the wedding is yet to take place. They are getting married there. A wonderful idea and a sentimental gift for sure.

Oil Painting in Progress - Underpainting and Colour Study

I have got the order slightly back to front here. Still getting used to the blog layouts. The painting at the top is the little colour study which is quite important to do before the painting as it establishes the basic colour combinations and tonal values. One can still make changes to the final painting. I enjoy this process as it is quite relaxed and more sketchy and unfinished in nature. One literally tapes some primed canvas to a drawing board and goes for it.

The second image is the underpainting for the final piece of artwork. Raw Umber has been used as it is a fast-drying pigment and can produce a good range of tonal values without adding any other primaries. I use low odour solvent to thin it down to create the lighter tints. It certainly gives one a good idea as to how the finished painting is going to look re proportions. I am now in the process of applying colour to the onions. It is a little lighter now, so I best get back into the studio.

Still Life in Oils - Progress on my Studio Project

I have decided to take a break as the lighting has got so bad that I can not see a thing. The UK weather leaves much to be desired I must say. Anyway, one must make the best of things. Maybe some day, I will be able to paint in a North facing well-lit studio. Even though one always has disruptions at home, I am thoroughly enjoying my painting. I know this will be challenging, but bring it on!

The line drawing is the final drawing that was transferred onto my canvas. I had to obviously use two new onions as the first lot went well passed their sell-by date. I have started painting them first.

Westerham Church Interior

While I am focusing on interiors, I have decided to put this illustration into my blog. It is called a 'wipe-out'. Wonderful to execute, as you smear charcoal all over the page and then proceed to wipe away the highlighted shapes with erasers and blu tack. The image starts to take shape when one applies the key shadows. I did this as part of Westerham 'Art in the Aisles' in March.

St Peter's Church in Limpsfield

For Sale - Please ask for Details

One of my workshops took place at the St Peters Church in Limpsfield Village. It was a super day and the weather was glorious. The group dynamic was very successful and I had artists painting inside and outside the church. The watercolour painting above is a demonstration I did for my students and it involved large, loose brushstrokes and big washes. By focusing on tonal shapes and edges I tried to capture the atmosphere of this wonderful, historic building without getting too 'bogged down'. I really enjoy painting this way. I use the same approach when I paint in markets and other busy scenes.

Hurst Green Primary School - 50th Anniversary

I have justed handed in the watercolour painting of Hurst Green Primary School for their 50th Anniversary. It was a challenging subject and it took a number of studies to get the best view of the school. I really enjoyed working with the staff and the vibe was colourful and energetic. I also took part in the school's art appreciation day on Monday and had to stand in front of the 6-7 year olds and give them a painting lesson. (Certainly more nerve wracking than teaching my classes). It has obviously been a while since I was that age and I had visions of confusing these dear children with loads of drivel. But fun was had by all and I ended up painting a shark and seahorse on my canvas. The children then helped me 'finish' the painting by selecting their favourite colours from my palette and decorating the canvas with fish, starfish, bubbles and seaweed.