The Courtyard

The Courtyard
Acrylic On Canvas
18 x 24"

An interesting set of buildings in Doncaster. I was interested in the reflected light on the yellow building on the right.

River Rocks

River Rocks
Acrylic On Canvas Paper
20 x 12"

     Nice little river scene and good green practice. Shame about the photograph but it’s the best I could do

Gnarled Tree

Gnarled Tree
Drypoint
11.7 x 8.3"

     I love trees. So much character. I might make a painting of this one later. Instead of ink I used watersoluble wax for this one. I rubbed it into the burr to create the colours. I might try and develop this technique further.

Tulips

Tulips
Acrylic On Canvas Board
20 x 16"

     I try to avoid flowers as they are too delicate for me to get right. However we must push ourselves as its the only way to improve.

Rolling Storm

Rolling Storm
Acrylic On Canvas Paper
13.9 x 20.1"

     The alternative title is "British Summer Weather"

Assessing The Problem

Assessing The Problem
Acrylic On Canvas Board
16 x 20"

     This is the first of another series I am working on about restoring a car. Here is my brother sat on the bonnet of my car after struggling to get his to start up. He’s restoring a ford Capri but its not going as smoothly as he’d hoped. I like the irony of it all because he thinks my cars a piece of junk but at least it works.
     I really struggled to photograph this one for some reason and the colours are still off so I might upload a better version later. Well that’s just another difficulty we traditional artists face.

The Roman Monument

The Roman Monument
Acrylic On Canvas
20 x 16"

     A painting of the seven bridges valley walk at Studley Royal Garden. The building at the top of the hill is the Roman monument. I want to paint more landscapes but I struggle with green and creating variety in scenes where its dominant. This is a common problem it seems and I want to be able to overcome it and create some really interesting landscapes. So this was more of a personal challenge than anything else. 

Mandrake

Mandrake
Acrylic On Canvas Board
16 x 16"

     A cool looking sail boat I spotted in Goole. The boat was called something else but I changed it's name. mandrake is one of my favourite gothic metal bands and they write a lot of songs about the ocean so I thought it was a fitting tribute. Not so happy about the background but I'm still trying to get the hang of landscapes and greens always a challenge.

Abandoned Police Station

Abandoned Police Station
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     A drawing of Conisbrough's old Police station. A relic from a time long past. Such a shame as it's a really solid building and quite unique looking. It's been a while since I have done any good drawings like this but I think I should try to do some more regularly. My heart is in painting but the fundamentals always need work. So I guess drawings are like vegetables :)

Pyramids

Pyramids
Acrylic On Canvas Board
16 x 20"

     I found this painting in a folder from a few years ago. This was when I was experimenting with abstraction around 2012. I still like it so thought I would share it with you. Painting on a white Gesso background with thin layers of paint I was able to make it glow and keep some of the white space. I think it helps create a hazy desert feel.

Grazing Sheep

Grazing Sheep
Monotype On Paper
8.3 x 11.7"

     Another fun little monotype (little is now A4 to me and A3 just doesn't seem that big either). Sheep are great fun to work from and the black and white makes them interesting subjects from a graphic point of view. Sometimes its ok to just make art that looks nice and doesn't have a message.

Shelter From the Sun

Shelter From the Sun
Acrylic On Canvas
22 x 16"

     On a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park I came across two trees with big shadows underneath them and thought it would make a good composition. Later I had the idea of adding more interest to the painting by putting in some sheep taking shelter in the shadow.
     I have to say that painting the sheep proved quite difficult but then again it was my first time doing them. I found it hard to make them actually look like sheep and not blobs of white on the ground like lost clouds. So I'm branching out on the subjects I paint and finding new challenges to occupy me. Look out for more sheep themed work soon.

Abandoned Boat

Abandoned Boat
Acrylic On Canvas
18 x 24"

    
     I have wanted to make some paintings with horses in for a while now and got my chance recently on a trip to Goole. There was only one horse in the field with a few ponies, so for this I just used the same horse again from a different angle and changed the pattern on his body.
     This is the first time I have tried to paint a horse and I was quite pleased with the result. What was even harder was the fact that black and white are especially difficult colours to add light and shadow to. I have always struggled particularly with black in this regard but feel I must tackle it as much as I can in order to improve.

By The River

By The River
Acrylic On Canvas
18 x 15.4"

     A picture of my father by a river. I rarely paint people and if I do its just for practice and to make sure I still can. I thought I might try to paint more people and perhaps put them into my scenes if it feels appropriate. One reason I don't paint more people is I don't have access to any models right now and buildings don't charge to pose for you.
     So consider this a rarity for now. Hopefully though it helps to show you I'm a versatile artist that if given the opportunity can turn my technique to any subject.

Derwent Dam

Derwent Dam
Acrylic On Canvas
20 x 30"

     A nice bit of neo gothic architecture. It's quite an impressive structure up close and is something I have wanted to paint for the last few years. Now I finally felt confident enough to tackle it and I'm pleased with the result. It was quite difficult to separate the fore and backgrounds with the dominance of green which In itself is always a difficult colour to work with. I think the lighter areas of the sky and the front of the dam help to separate the elements.

The Electric Church

The Electric Church
Wax On Watercolour Paper
14.6 x 17.8"

     It's funny how things transform at night, or in this case early morning. What is an unremarkable little church in the day transforms into quite a spectacle when it's dark as the red cross illuminates the early morning gloom.

Hydra

Hydra
Wax On Watercolour Paper
18.9 x 13.8"

 

     I painted this tree using some water-soluble wax bars on watercolour paper. Just like the water-soluble graphite it's a great way to practice both disciplines of drawing and painting. This tree is so full of character I just knew it would make a great painting.

Castle In The Distance

Castle In The Distance
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     I’m not doing much drawing at the moment as all my focus is on painting, especially with the Ferens open art exhibition coming up so this may be the last one for a while or until another idea comes up.

Rain Over The Peak District Series

Rain Over The Peak District I
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"
 

Rain Over The Peak District II
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

Rain Over The Peak District III
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     Another series of landscapes base on the Peak District. A lovely part of the country that I may try to paint one day.

Some experimental work.

Winter
Ink On Paper

Union Jack
Acrylic On Paper
111.75 x 16.5"

Communication
Acrylic On Canvas Board
7.9 x 11.8"

     Some fun little experiments. I think its important to try new things and throw paint around. Often new techniques can be discovered by just playing around and this makes experimentation very important.