Category Archives: Uncategorized

Portrait commission 1: first sketches and a Picasso-like painting.

Posted on September 23, 2019 by

Over the next week there will be a post a day about my latest work, a painting of a girl named Rose.

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Holiday Sketches Series 4: Pompeii & Hadrian’s Villa.

Posted on August 30, 2019 by

The main theatre at Pompeii. You can see how hot it was. My wife (the lady in blue) momentarily sat in front of me before retreating to the shade, so she was quickly captured on the page. The sun bleached … Continue reading →

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Holiday Sketches Series 3: Rome

Posted on August 29, 2019 by

THE PANTHEON. Has to be in Caps really. Probably my favourite building. Some details of all the people and that mesmerising hole at the top of the dome. An earlier version of THE PANTHEON. An impossible building to draw. Too … Continue reading →

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Holiday Sketches Series 2b: Tivoli landscape painting.

Posted on August 28, 2019 by

Tivoli in the morning. Made over successive days with acrylic and pencil in the fantastic sketchbook made by our great friend, Sarah A… she said I had to fill it with landscapes, something I haven’t really tried before. It’s been … Continue reading →

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Holiday Sketches Series 2a: Tivoli in pencil

Posted on August 27, 2019 by

The view from our accommodation in Tivoli was sublime. Hills, waterfalls, rocks with caves, a zig zag path into a gorge, a city on a precipice, a misty view out onto the plain and a terraced hillside full of different … Continue reading →

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Holiday Sketches Series: 1 Travel & Pisa.

Posted on August 26, 2019 by

I love drawing on planes. A captive audience.

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Charmouth sketches.

Posted on August 23, 2019 by

These are all in a beautiful and practical new landscape sketchbook, made by our good friend, Sarah A. Beside the seaside. Graphite stick and pencil.The sound of hammers on rocks as fossil hunters seek a coelacanth. The idea was to … Continue reading →

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Painting in progress.

Posted on July 19, 2019 by

Painting in progress, untitled. Oil on canvas.Using a mixture of liquin and zest. The colour choice was ochres, cobalt turquoise light, raw sienna, lamp black and windsor blue. I’ve made the model have a bow. I’m researching archery now. Below … Continue reading →

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Preparations for a painting

Posted on July 12, 2019 by

There’s a few paintings I’m working on at the moment. This is being made at the Mary Ward Centre. Pencil study of R with JT painting him. Pencil, acrylic and oil paint on paper. I decided to make a realistic … Continue reading →

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Two chairs, one empty. Now revised.

Posted on July 5, 2019 by

Two chairs, one empty. Acrylic and pencils on paper.I had some thoughts about a photograph in a magazine and in almost a fit of creativity, drew it onto of the painting. The new figure is a kind of ghost interacting … Continue reading →

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A connection is made.

Posted on June 25, 2019 by

A connection is made. Acrylic on treated plywood.Two of the top models in London, ‘A’ and Mr. Skellington. Lots of decisions made before putting paint on the brush. Colour, crop, brush sizes all were worked out beforehand. I was trying … Continue reading →

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Life Drawing. The Collector.

Posted on June 10, 2019 by

The Collector.Acrylic and a little charcoal and pencil over an old painting on paper.The model moved to a new pose every five minutes, picking up objects arranged in front of him. As you can see the choice was made to … Continue reading →

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Life Drawing. The Unknowable.

Posted on June 7, 2019 by

The Unknowable.Acrylics, pencils, chalks and oil paint on paper.The pose was so good I kept on going back to this 30 minute study, trying to get it to a state I was happy with.I’ve been letting this artwork take it’s … Continue reading →

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Life drawing: What are you thinking?

Posted on May 25, 2019 by

What are you thinking?Oil pastel, acrylics, chalk and coloured pencils on paper. I’ve been thinking about the major parts of the life drawing set up. You are drawing a person. Usually naked. In a room, surrounded by other artists staring … Continue reading →

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Life drawing. Just pencils

Posted on March 29, 2019 by

Ms Mono. Pencils on paper. One hour pose. This model always has a regal air about her.There was an idea to keep it simpler on this Friday night. Just pencils. Not to worry about skin colour, so the figure is … Continue reading →

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Life painting. One Sunday afternoon.

Posted on March 24, 2019 by

Sunday afternoon. 3 hours of oil painting on canvas. The skull wasn’t that near the model in the studio. The colours seemed to work well, though I found oil painting problematic, with it’s longer drying time and buttery texture. The … Continue reading →

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A birthday card.

Posted on March 15, 2019 by

Some details and the idea behind the choice of paper and techniques. I do love the early colour process, Autochrome. These photographs on glass have a really interesting patina.

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Life drawing: There you are.

Posted on February 24, 2019 by

There you are. Acrylic on paper. 60 minutes. Three different brushes.The different greys let the skin tones speak and give a sense of space.. There you are. Details of the head. Forsaking pencils, I let the smaller brushes take the … Continue reading →

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Life drawing: PB

Posted on February 12, 2019 by

Other 15 minute painted sketches and details.

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Velasquez sketchbook page in 3 states

Posted on February 8, 2019 by

Christ in the house of Martha & Mary. probably 1618, Diego Velázquez in the National Gallery.  After 15 minute sketch in the National Gallery, this was worked up at home without looking at the original. I really like this painting, it has a lot … Continue reading →

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