Radbourne Lane...Derbyshire.

Here I'm working on the pencil sketch prior to painting..it gives you some idea as to the scale of each piece and some indication as to why I'm looking forward to larger pieces.

Here's the finished drawing all ready for me to start adding the water colours...hopefully I'll have the finished painting to show you tomorrow.

Twyford Trees.

As promised, here is the finished painting.I'm fairly happy with the result...light, sunny,spring time light.

Somewhere near Twyford, Derbyshire.

It was such a beautifully sunny spring day that I just had to get out and take some more photos..I had a lovely drive down miles of windy lanes stopping whenever I saw something that took my eye. One such occasion was for the drawing shown here..It was near to a very small village called Twyford near to Willington.The view I selected shows these slender trees bordering a field of rape seed in full bloom.Actually a road runs across the picture between you and the trees...but my point of view was to crouch down thus obscuring it.

I spent a few hours drawing before starting on the painting..it's late now and I still haven't finished as I prefer to work in the day light. (I'd not make a very effective Vampire I'm afraid...in fact, I think being a Vampire sucks!) So I'll show you the finished article tomorrow.

Trees in a field.

I've been going on about my clumsy brushwork....my limitations with this media.So today I decided I'd put to use the quality that exists through my Hyperpointillist work...namely: 'Patience' and attention to detail.For today's painting I chose to depict two trees in a sparse field. using photographic reference and imagination, I produced this example.It's taken me most of the day to complete as opposed to the one and a half hours the first in this series took. I decided that even if it takes two days, I'll try to achieve something satisfying.

The result is I hope you agree, a progression over the previous pieces and indicates the level of detail and texture I'm aiming at.I draw the basic forms of the landscape and trees, then apply water colour.When dry, I pick out details with a Rotring 0.5 pencil. I'm now feeling much happier with this medium and have started looking to larger works.

More trees...more pencil!

The picture above and the one immediately below were completed today...I found that my brushwork was clumsy and unrefined, so I thought I'd rework the images by adding more detail and texture in pencil.I was happier with the result, so I went over the paining shown at the bottom of this post..if you compare it to the earlier version, you'll see the difference.

I need to complete 10 paintings for the mounts I've ordered....I will continue the theme of countryside, trees etc...for the rest of this series .In my experience they are the subjects most likely to sell at the festival this week end....I hope I'm right!

Canalside trees

I liked the pencil sketch before I added the paint, so I've included a photo here. The finished painting reminds of work i used to produce back in the late 1970's and early 80's. I like this technique and the muted colours. I think I'll continue in this vein. Incidentally, all the water colours featured here are the same size (12 x 16 cm ) order in at the framers for 10 mounts each with the same sized window. Once I've completed this series for the exhibition next week, there's no reason why I shouldn't try larger and more complex compositions.

Trees by the canal.

I've tried to be more subtle with this my third effort. I love trees and I love the way these taper off into the sky.

ST Michael's Church, Willington,Derbyshire.

Here's my second effort..I've been a little more diligent with the perspectives and proportions, but the foreground is far too heavy handed.It sounds strange bearing in mind the sort of timescales I normally deal with, I have very little patience for this sort of work. But I shall persever and see how well I can do in the next one.

Stenson Lock Keepers Cottage.

First of all, if you want to see how this sort of work should be done, you should head straight over to Paulo J Mendes at http://postalguarelas.blogspot.com/ where you'll see some fantastic little paintings. As for me, these are the first experiments really..I could go on about all the bad points and the bits I'm not happy with, but that would take all day.But the technique is something I think I could develop and refine.

For this painting, I drew the basic pencil work whilst sitting by the canal. then used a photo as reference when I got home to complete the detailing and colour work.In all it took around about one and a half hours...slightly quicker than Cello!

Cello - finished!

Cello

59 x 42cm

After what seems a very long time, it's finished.I actually only spent 176 hours and 25 minutes on it, but if you remember , I was also working on my commission picture alongside it. I'm actually relieved to have finished,I had grown tired of late by my lack of enthusiasm. but having said that, Cello makes an interesting companion to my other black and white compositions.

My aim is to eventually make my work available here to purchase as originals or prints.This I shall apply myself to doing after my next exhibition since all my stock of prints will be available there and I don't want to turn up with nothing to sell.

Out and about...

Managed to get out and about today to take a few photos.I'm exhibiting my work as part of the Willington Arts Festival which starts next week and I'm really behind in producing artwork specific to the event which I can sell. So I'm going to have yet another go at some water colours. The above pic shows a field growing Rape seed...when the sun shines, it's dazzling.

This is the old lock keepers cottage at Stenson which is now a cafe...despite the quiet view here, the canals are getting busier with holiday barges.....

This final photo is of the Parish church in Willington. I love the view across the graveyard.

Ta-da!

Well...here it is...the new template.I've opted for this rather plain looking theme. Not everything I want widget-wise is in place yet, but I'll sort that out as I go along.

Cello - 59

First of all..if you were expecting a whole new face to 'Dancing for Beginners'...there isn't one...yet!I've been searching and have had the valuable help of Preeti which will eventually result in a new template.But until then..I've tried loading one template...then tried another...then went back and lost some of my widgets...and ended up feeling very quite useless. Still, I'm sure it will be worth it when it eventually all comes together.

You'll be very glad to see that the end is in sight (no pun intended!) for 'Cello'.This is the final section of the picture to complete. This all comes at exactly the right time as I make plans for my next exhibition in two weeks time.I am going out to gather photographic resources tomorrow and I've decided that I will produce some water colour paintings to sell. Part of the reason for changing the appearance of my blog is to launch the facility to buy prints and originals direct from my blog...but more of that another time.

Cello - 58

I don't mind admitting that work has proved a bit of an effort these last few days...I never function easily with the children being off school for the holidays.so one just has to accept that 5 - 6 hours a day dotting is unrealistic to expect. I've also been on the trail of a new blog template....I have browsed lots of sites containing thousands of templates.Once you've seen a few hundred, they start to appear again with different titles....and they all tend to look similar.I've narrowed it down to three or four that I shall chose from.I have set myself a deadline of tonight to decide which one I'm going to opt for. those of you who have gone through this process will probably tell me that it's never straight forward and there's always one of the widgets or functions that fails to work. Well, I'm going headlong into uncharted territory.So by this time tomorrow I'll probably have pulled out what little hair I have left!

So...wish me well...and see on the new template!

Fashion parade....me!

Here as promised are the kurtas Preeti so kindly brought from India for me. I think they look and feel great (even if I could have run an iron over then before trying them on) Sadly the photo of me wearing the red one ,makes me look pregnant! (it's a trick of the light...we have fat light in Derby!)...I am totally responsible for the downfall of my once perfectly toned body...the doctor told me to keep an eye on my weight...so I keep it all in one place at the front where I can keep an eye on it!

The photo at the bottom right is of a suit I bought last year from a shop near to me...it's more formal and comprises of kurta pyjama, waistcoat and scarf.

I love the elegance of this style of clothing.....I next need to acquire some appropriate footwear which I believe are called Jutti's...watch this space!

So, which one do you like best?...I must admit to liking the more flattering effect of the black kurta..but the yellow one has a bright fresh summery look to it. In any case..they'll all look great once my exercise regime kicks into action!

Visiting Preeti and Satish in Norwich.

I had a lovely time meeting with my good friends Preeti and Satish in Norwich..The top picture shows me with my daughter Annie with Preeti, Satish , Atul and Purvi standing outside the gates of Norwich Castle. The second picture shows Preeti and I enjoying the fine weather at Eaton Park.

Both Preeti and Satish were the most generous of hosts treating Jan, Annie and I to some wonderful traditional Konkani food and some elegant clothing for me comprising of three long kurta's and a pair of churidar (photo's will appear soon!)...

My thanks therefore go to Preeti and Satish for the time we spent, and good wishes for the arrival and speedy sorting of the large delivery of items from their home in India which will have arrived today for unpacking.

Perhaps I should just take a moment to point out to you the button in top corner of your blog...the one that says 'next blog'...Preeti and I would never have met without her one day clicking that button.....we both agree that there was something greater at work than just chance...what a wonderful thing this interweb thingy is!

*COMING SOON*

A NEW BLOG TEMPLATE!

Time for a break!

Just a little note to say I'll be away from my computer for a couple of days holiday...we're off to meet up with my good friends Preeti and Satish who have recently moved to the UK. I'll post photos on my return..so keep your eyes peeled!. It's my first 'break' since mid 2007, and I intend to stay away from keyboards and drawing materials!

See you soon!

Cello - 57

I've now completed a basic layer of grass and dandelions in this section of the picture...it's now a matter of darkening and creating a sense of perspective.The end is in sight thankfully...once this section is finished, I'll move on to the area surrounding my signature.

May I take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very happy Easter !

Cello - 56

I'm pleased with the overall feel of thge picture at the moment....But there is always a contradiction in my work and my approach to it..I strive to introduce elements that are starkly true aspects of my mind and life...the contradiction here is that I hide myself from the viewer with my hat and comical red nose I feel ashamed but not concerned by the train load of people passing by with a direct view of me...perhaps they are irrelevant because the chances are I will never meet anyone from the train...and they'll never recognise me anyway. So there is an aspect of extrovert exhibitionism and coyness....there... another contradiction.....and a Bumble Bee.

Cello - 55

Here's the first update using my new camera.It's going to take a while before I fully understand all the functions.Something I'll enjoy! You know, I have a problem....in essence I'm an incredibly serious minded man who finds deep significance in making visual statements. ...however, i'm also a very humerous person and as I've so often noted, I use humour as a shield...I always used to at school where being the class clown helped me evade most of the bullys..(only most of them..the rest were evil incarnate as I remember!) So when I include a self portrait shown my cute little butt, the response will I imagine is more likely to be ridicule.There is a serious point to make...more of that later.

Paul Delvaux - Inspirations.

The Greeting

The Great Sirens (1947)

Here are two wonderful images by renowned Belgian painter Paul Delvaux. I've featured work by this Surrealist before mainly because a blogging friend from Belgium introduced me to his work as bearing some similarities to my own compositions and subject matter. The images here appeared on a blog which I often visit which is concerned with figure drawing: http://figure-drawings.blogspot.com/2009/04/sketch-by-paul-delvaux.html and is a great resource for anyone interested in anatomical representation.

Cello - 54

You must be so fed up with seeing this image by now!...I know I am but it's a matter of necessity,I HAVE to finish it .I've refined the clouds today....

The good news is that I've finally chosen and expecting the delivery of a new camera which should make close up viewings of my work 100% better if not more. My current camera is an Olympus working at 3.2 mega pixels...the new one is also an Olympus but works at 12.5 mega pixels.you'll see the difference I'm sure! Thank you to all who suggested cameras to consider...I would ideally chose a high end spec Cannon Ixus which would be perfect for my requirements...but hey!..I've used my old Olympus every day for over 5 years and it's never gone wrong.....

Self portrait .Photograph in black and white.

Kay's portrait commission - finished.

A Portrait of Kay Dunbar

March 2009

Commission - 14

Close up detail of the beach dancers. would't it be wonderful to dance in the arms of your lover on a warm tropical beach...sip champagne and listen to the sea?

Having finished the pictue, all that is need to do is highlight my signature.To the lower left of that I have in red added the date March 2009.

I chose a deep red mount and a golden pine frame...because the subject of the picture was fairly complex, I opted for simple surroundings so as not to detract.

Cello - 53

It looks like the train is sliding down hill....the good news is that I'm getting closer to deciding what my new camera will be....which is very different from what I'd like ideally..but hey ho..!

Today I've been continuing my sky and planet work...it's taking far longer than I'd ever estimated..and I really need to finish it.The amount of hours I'm putting in during a day has dropped on average..this is entirely due to the fact that I've been responsible for all the childcare this week as Jan is working away again. I find it exhausting...I'm at least full of total admiration for anyone who is a single parent!!

Cello - 52

I've worked on the sky today adding in Mars ,Venus and Pluto. finding the 'zone' has been difficult.My mind is on other things amongst which is the need to produce material to sell at the forthcoming Willington Arts Festival. Sadly a work such as Cello would be inappropriate for such a venue so my material will consist of mainly landscapes and portraits.