Journal

"Cullercoats Bay, Heatwave". oil on board, 45cm x 45cm framed size.

This is one of four en plein air paintings, or paintings from life (it sounds so much better in French), that I did last summer at Cullercoats Bay. It was a rare day were the north east coast resembled the cote d'azur, for two whole days. It reminds me of how satisfying it can be to complete a small painting in one sitting of about three hours, especially having recently worked on a number of large paintings over a long period of time. The plein air paintings often have an integrity that is hard to sustain over the longer period that large paintings demand. The paintings can be viewed together now at Tallentyres Gallery in Morpeth.

Out of the blue a few days ago I was contacted by Graeme Armitage, a fellow student fourty years ago at Lincoln College of Art in the late 1970's, about an illumini group recently set up. It couldn't resist putting up this photo of vintage 1976 styling. I am in the middle with the obligatory Harvard University sweat shirt. Meanwhile the Sex Pistols were playing in pubs in London and about to change the whole culture. Two years later safty-pin piercings and one side of your head shaved would have been the norm at art college. Good days!

These are two of the paintings I currently have on view at the Russell Gallery in Putney, London, until late August 2017. They were both painted mainly from life, which is my prefered option, and then finished in the studio.

"Alnmouth, Midsummer's Afternoon" on the Northumberland coast.

"Birch on the Heathery Track" in Allendale near my studio. 

This series of photographs record stages in the painting process. It was painted over three afternoons in early March on location. In the first session I was concerned with the drawing and composition.

 In the second session I got most of the painting blocked in.

If I were an abstract painter I would find it hard to improve on the pallet with paint left on after the second session.

The final stage of the painting capturing a passing snow cloud. 

My company for the sessions were the odd grazing deer, a pair of nesting barn owls that came out from about 3pm and my dog Taz. It was a really enjoyable experience painting a dramatic and powerful subject. The painting will be part of an exhibition at Lawrence Stevens Antiques in Corbridge from 4th May.