Studio Painting

Why is it so difficult?  You are warm and dry, the radio is playing your favourite music, the studio is just tidy enough to work in and every now and then someone opens the door and thrusts a cup of hot coffee in your hand.  The rain isn't pouring down your canvas and there is no wind.  Your fingers are not numb.  It should be easy but it isn't.  Somehow standing in front of the subject is so much more straightforward.

I have been ill and not doing a lot.  As Groucho Marx said 'the trouble with doing nothing is you never know when you are finished'.  I am still coughing and sneezing but that is no excuse for neglecting the blog for so long.  I had various sessions at Marlow in late September and I hope to post a separate blog on them.  More recently I met up with Haidee-Jo Summers in London prior to the RSMA PV and we painted together in Lower Regent Street. I had gone up to town early because that's the only way of parking near the coach stop, so did this little 8x6 of Trafalgar Square first:

Then it was time to meet Haidee and try the other view:

Hers had more feeling of light in it but I was just happy to be out painting again.  We had a great time at the RSMA show, meeting many old friends, admiring David Pilgrim's paintings and drinking more coffee before drifting away to our various homes.  I reckon the germ was on the coach home because I was down with the mother of all colds 3 days later - just as I was getting rid of the 'flu!.

Over the past 3 weeks I have struggled with studio paintings needed for two hand-ins in early November. I still don't know if I will make it but so far I have finished 'Surf School Sennen' (12x22ins):

and 'Dogana and Redentore', Venice (10x12ins):

I have also been experimenting with the format of a scaled up version of 'Against The Light Sennen';  the original 10x8 was painted on the spot in May, a little later in the day than 'Surf School'. It sold at the AFAS show.   I tried a squat pastel version and then an elongated pastel.  First the squat version:

I thought this elongated version might suit an oil better:

The great thing about pastels is that they take less than half the time of even the quickest oil painting and can be modified easily so are ideal for trials.  I then decided to go for a long version in oils:

Against The Light, Sennen 14x10