'Boats and Reflections'

I was in Essex last week, to do a demonstration for Galleywood Art Club. They wanted me to paint 'Boats and Reflections' so I did this painting of a scene at Charlestown, in Cornwall. (painted on 22x15in Bockingford NOT, stretched on a board)

'Take Three Washes'

Part two of my article on using my three-wash technique, for watercolour, is in the latest issue of Leisure Painter. Last months article was concerned with working in monotone but in the latest edition we add colour too.
'Take three washes' is in the September issue. Available now, as they say.

On our final day at Port Talbot, we visited the Maritime Quarter at Royal Victoria Dock, Swansea. A good place to visit on a showery day. My demo painting, shown here, is unfinished as we had to grab paints/easels/chairs and find cover when the rain moved in.
However, we took cover underneath some plane trees and continued. We were spotted by Gigi Gao, proprietor of the Shang Restaurant and Club who was kind enough to make us some tea (she even got her staff to bring us tables and chairs!). It was a lovely thought and a good end to our painting trip (photos: Sue Collingridge and Stephen Stocks).

Also from my Port Talbot course, a sunnier day at the Mumbles.

From my recent trip to Margam FSC, Port Talbot. I set up my easel and painted this demonstration of the ruins. I had to shield the painting a couple of times, to save it from the odd shower (photo by Eva Rybicki).

Patchings Festival 2017

Above: Winter Sun, Berry Head

Just got back from an overnight stay in Nottingham, from a visit to the 2017 Patchings Festival. I had a painting accepted for 'The Artist' category of the art competition.
Our first visit to Patchings. It was good to go around the stands as a tourist, 'off duty'. Still, I did get to finally meet Ingrid Lyon, the editor of Leisure Painter. I've been writing articles for LP since 2002, so it was good to say hello.
I also got to meet David Curtis, an artist whose work I've admired for many years (also bought a signed copy of his latest book).

Limited Palette Demonstration

I was at Derriford Art Club, Plymouth, yesterday for a demo/workshop. Here's my demonstration painting of the ruins at Margam Abbey, Port Talbot. Painted on a half imperial sheet of 200lb Saunders Waterford (NOT surface), which was stretched on a board.
My aim was to show what a range of mixes you can get using a limited palette. I used 5 for this one: Cobalt blue, Alizarin crimson, Raw sienna, Burnt sienna & Aureolin.