Recent Excursions

Rather than bore everyone with endless descriptions of the tomb project I thought I would put up some of the plein air sketches that I have done recently - in reverse order.

Yesterday was my birthday and as I has spent the day before, which is Maddy's birthday and our wedding anniversary, treating her to a special lunch followed by a visit to West Wickham House, I was let off to paint for the whole day.  Knowing that David Pilgrim had had a good day there on Sunday I thought I would try Marlow.

I found the river bank below Marlow Lock and after brief introductions I was kindly invited on board Jonathan Kipps' canal boat - a beautifully fitted out craft with 11 foot beam - while it waited to go through the lock.  I met those of his family and friends on board and off we went.  This was obviously going to be my birthday treat!  We negotiated the lock, went on past the town a little way and they dropped me on the North bank at a great spot for painting the bridge.  How kind some people are.  They reminded me of the time when we lived in Nepal and everybody helped everybody else.  Anyway here is the sketch:

I then moved down river, looking for a shady spot as I had fried in the first one.  No luck, so I pitched up at the lock and painted looking back from there.  This one is a bit bigger than I can normally manage - and you might say it shows! - but it is a lovely subject.  It has quite a few dark passages and I think if I tried it again it would be early on a sunny morning, working with the light rather than contre jour.

On 20th July I drove over to Waterperry and spent half a day at Art In Action.  I saw Tony Merrick, who was one of the demonstrating artists, but could not get near Paul Antonio.  I had not realised what a prolific and accomplished pastellist Tony is.  Anyway, towards the end of the afternoon I started an 8x10 of people going home:

On 14th July David Pilgrim drove us down to Bath where we met up with Valerie Pirlot and had a lovely wet day, first painting in the square across Pulteney Bridge and then at the Circus:

Rain!  Bath

Gay Street from the Circus, Bath

I am still knocking out the odd 'postcard' when I have no time for anything else.  Really they are just studies of the big shapes and tones in a scene but at least they keep me looking.

Belted Galloways below Beckley 4x6 inches

Having finally finished the 'tomb' I now have much more time to get out painting so I hope to be posting some more sketches soon.