Saturday 24 October 2009

The Orangery - West Kensington


For Sale - 23 in X 33 in - Mixed Media on Board

It has been a very long time since my last blog entry. I am posting one of my latest pieces which I do love. It is an interior view of The Orangery at West Kensington Palace. Now, if you have not been, I suggest you get your skates on and treat yourself to a scone cream tea in these beautiful surroundings.

I was allowed to photograph the interior on a perfect summers day and was rewarded with a dramatically lit, exciting, atmospheric reference. I decided to step up my adrenalin levels and use it for a demonstration for the West Wickham Art Society. It worked extremely well.

It is a combination of pastel pencils, mid-tone watercolour washes and gouache on mountboard. This combination will satisfy the illustrator in you. It also takes the pressure off each layer as all contribute to the whole.

This is a particularly loose rendition of the subject, but I do enjoy the power of suggestion.

I would like to thank Michael Hopkins for photographing this piece.