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.

The Deep

The Deep
Acrylic On Canvas
20 x 30"

     An interesting piece of architecture and very relevant to what is found inside. The Deep in Hull is a submarium and I visited it for the first time this year after picking up my rejected work from the Ferens galley. I thought it would make an interesting painting, especially with the falloff of light on its angular surfaces.
      I struggled with the proportions on this one though and it took me a lot longer to complete than anything else I have done but I wanted it to be right. I try and be as accurate with my depictions of famous buildings as possible but I am not a master and there will always be inconsistencies that I will have to live with. I try not to dwell on mistakes though and so its onwards with the next painting because that's the only way I will improve.

Knight

Knight
Wax On Watercolour Paper
18.1 x 11.3"

     Another horse painting. I thought with just painting the head it looked like the chess piece, hence the title. Again its another black and white one because I have to keep trying to tackle those highlights that give me such a problem. It might not be the most accurate horse painting in the world but I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm no expert on the animals anyway but it makes a refreshing change from my usual work on buildings.

Monotype Prints

Eating Carrots
Monotype On Paper
11 x 8"

Apples
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

Eating Seed
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

     A little while ago I bought a small etching press with the intention of creating some intaglio prints. Before that though I wanted to get used to using the equipment and I had read about monotypes as an easy way of producing one off prints. So here are my efforts at producing some nice little pieces of art.
     I enjoyed the ease at which monotypes can be created so much that I will be making some more in the near future. I will be experimenting with the technique too and seeing what interesting pictures I can create.
     Making prints is a really rewarding experience and the anticipation you feel as you turn the handle of the press and then peel back the paper to see the results is quite exciting. I hope when I have become confident with monotypes I can move on to intaglio prints and see where that takes me.

Market cafe

Market Cafe
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     This is my final entry to the Derwent Art Prize this year. Now I have six entries which is three more then last year and I hope to have the same success. My drawings have become more figurative over the course of the year and much more like my paintings which is what I always wanted.
     Hopefully at least one of my entries will be accepted because after being rejected from the Ferens exhibition and the Ruskin Art Prize I could do with the morale boost.    

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.

Capricorn

Capricorn
Acrylic On Canvas Paper
13.6 x 19.5"

     I often struggle to get the photo's I take of my artwork to match the quality of the piece itself. Since I have found this an impossible task I have to always make the best choices I can when editing the colours in photoshop. Sometimes I get lucky and its an easy fix but as with this one it was a struggle to make the painting look presentable on screen. Its just one of the many annoyances of the traditional process.
     Anyway as for the painting itself. On a trip to Goole to see a fellow New Fringe members work I came across this abandoned restaurant and the central Capricorn figure mounted on the wall proved too irresistible to paint. I often look for what I like to call a 'hook' when searching for things to paint. Something that makes the thing stand out and here is a perfect example of that.