The Balloon Man

Here's the latest small pochade painting, taken from a photo but painted as quickly as I could. The balloon seller was sitting in deep shadow and looked really bored and he contrasted so well with his coloured balloons he just made a great subject.

I had an 'Aha!' moment whilst doing this painting and I want to explore a new painting strategy which if it works out well, I'll incorporate into a new course on oil and colour.

I've now decided to sell some of my smaller paintings over the net, so if you're interested just look at my website at www.learntodo.co.uk.

New pochade paintings

Here are a few of may latest small pochade paintings in water-soluble oils for you to see. They are all just 6" x 8" and painted on board. I've used an underpainting in each case - just a mid-toned colour, which gives continuity to the painting in the places where it shows through. Hope you like them.

Superb Sorolla

I've just spent a few days in Madrid, visiting the Prado (all the great paintings from Velazquez, Goya, Bosch, and so many more), the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia (modern art), and on a trip to Toledo an exhibition of paintings by El Greco. But to me the best artist I came across was Joaquin Sorolla. Visiting his house I was confronted with some of the most exciting oil paintings I've ever seen. We just missed the Sorolla exhibition at the Prado which starts next week, but I splashed out and bought the catalogue of the show. Such amazing paintings. I include two here to wet your appetite.

Just out of interest - whose your favourite painter?

Forum beginning to buzz!

The online Forum is beginning to really buzz now with 90 members at the last count and almost 400 posts. There's a new monthly painting competition (with prizes!) which has attracted a good deal of entries, and the Forum as a whole is a good place to meet friends and get your painting questions answered.

So if you've not joined up yet, why not do so now. Just click on the Forum webpage from the site at www.learntodo.co.uk

Watercolour Fast and Loose

My next course - Watercolour Fast and Loose - is about to be published. I'm most of the way through writing it now and have enjoyed every minute of it! It's amazing just how much you can learn from other artists and so in this course I have chosen seven of my personal favourite watercolour masters and have drawn out lessons from their paintings that will help all of us to paint better. They are all experts in the loose and impressionistic style of watercolour painting.

So if you want to loosen up, then I think you'll find this course really helpful. I know it's helped me! Look out for it at www.learntodo.co.uk before the end of April '09.

Fighting the Elements

I took my long-suffering wife, Donna, with me on an afternoon painting trip last week. She had on her smart high heels as she thought we were heading for a town where I would paint from an outdoor cafe, but on the way I saw this bodega which I thought made a great subject. So we stopped the car and scrambled over some wasteland and up a small hill to get the best vantage point. Donna found a rock to sit on (she had on a posh frock as well), and I set up to do a watercolour.

Up went the easel, and at the same time up came the wind. It started as a gentle breeze, then within minutes had turned into a not so gentle breeze. The easel blew over, the fixing broke so the backing board wobbled loosely, and as the wind grew ever stronger I found myself painting with one hand on the easel to steady it and the other on a brush. The easel wouldn't stand at its full height so I had to lower it, which meant bending over to paint at a back stretching angle. And added to that, it was a warm day and the paint was drying very quickly on the paper and in the palette. Still, I was determined to make something of the scene, so while Donna clung to the rocks I carried on to the bitter - and gale force - end.

Sometimes it's not easy. But it's still great fun! And we did end up at a nice outdoor cafe as a reward!

oils en plein air

I spent a very happy two hours painting a small scene with my pochade box and water soluble oil paints yesterday in a small town in Spain. The sun was shining on the church tower and I just couldn't resist the composition of the old street leading up to the tower. I have to say it's quite a challenge painting here and gathering local spaniards around who want to talk. My limited spanish only just copes with the basics! Anyway, thought you might like to see the little scene. It's only 15cm x 20cm.
I've also completed a small oil painting from a photo I took a few years ago of some children sitting on a step by a canal in France. Hope you like it.