Diamond

Diamond
Graphite And Watercolour On Paper
15.3 x 18.7"

     Another experimental mixed media piece. I wanted to try and add some colour washes over graphite and gesso to see what would happen. The watercolour stay on the graphite but not on the gesso which makes for some interesting abstraction. Definitely something to explore further.

Robins

Robin I
Acrylic On Canvas Board
14 x 10"

Robin II
Acrylic On Canvas Board
14 x 10"

      I want to do a painting of some great tit's and blue tit's but they are proving difficult to capture on camera.

King

King
Acrylic On Canvas Board
20 x 16"

     Most people view pigeons as vermin and a nuisance but I have always found them to be quite proud and regal birds. They can have beautiful colours and well defined feathers as with this one. I think they are a joy to paint.

Canadian Goose

Canadian Goose
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

     Monotypes can be a bit hit and miss. Part of the 'fun' is not knowing how it will turn out after it's been run through the press. Unlike other printing methods you only get one go at it as well which adds to the risk. So this one turned out fine and what a fun subject as well. It was difficult to create the feathers but well worth it. I might also do a painting of these guys later on.

Thinking Cap

Thinking Cap
Watercolour On Watercolour Paper
14.8 x 10.6"

      It's been a long time since I have touched watercolour but I wanted to learn to use it. So I thought a self portrait would be a good idea as a test. It's still a slow process and I find it a weak medium but I'm sure my skills will improve over time.

Alfie

Alfie
Acrylic On Canvas
23.6 x 23.6"

     Commissioned portrait of a Labrador. I keep wondering if I should try and become a pet portrait artist. I would love to make art and earn a living from it as I'm sure all people who do art and craft would. I wish I had more connections with the art world or at least some business sense to make this  a reality.
     This painting also highlights the difficulties of photographing and colour correcting artwork for online viewing. For the life of me I couldn't get rid of the redness on the left hand side and my work never looks as good on screen as it does in real life. This too I'm sure is a common problem.

Taking It Easy

Taking It Easy
Pastel On Watercolour Paper
14 x 17.5"

     I haven't used pastel in a long time. Mostly because I started using watersoluble wax and I find this more versatile as a bridge between drawing and painting. But I did decide to revisit this medium and make this black and white painting. I forgot how messy pastel can be.

Motion

Motion
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 6.5"

     Sometimes I think my paintings and drawings aren't free and loose enough so this is a good way to counter that.

Wanderer

Wanderer
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     I have the intention of drawing and painting more horses and maybe attending a race to get some good reference material one day. For now though I am committed to human portraits and will be so probably to the end of the year. So this will have to do for now but I think he has a lot of character compared to those race horses.