painting Archives - Salcombe Art

25 February 2019 In Art

Merlins Crossing the Bar: in the Preview Sale on 5 April

Merlins Crossing the Bar (the featured image above) is the first of several paintings due to be on show at the 2019 Summer Exhibition of the Salcombe Art Club. It is currently on display at Beacon House Gallery and priced at £750.

Preview Evening – 5 April

On 5 April, the day before handing-in day, there will be a Preview Evening at Beacon House Gallery and this painting, and the others will be on sale at a discounted price for those attending the event. More news on that on Monday 1 April. (And no, it won’t be an April Fools’ post.)

The Preview Evening will be an invitation-only event – for those who’ve attended before, have bought one of my paintings, or other more affordable art – but contact me if you don’t receive an invitation and would like to come.

Merlins Crossing the Bar

This is yet another oil inspired by the wonderful Merlin sailors who love to race in our beautiful estuary with all its challenges. The spinnakers are not just difficult to paint but, in reality, need very good sailors to fly these.

I remember that as a skill I once had in Fireballs, many many years ago. Now my sailing days are over, I’m content to capture the joy and the challenge, through my painting.

From oil painting to a fine art greetings card

Many of my originals are also available as a fine art greetings card. For this particular composition, part of the image had to be cropped to create the required square shape for the card. If you compare this image with the featured image above, you’ll notice the Merlin with the pink spinnaker didn’t make it onto the card version.

Merlins Crossing the Bar

It still works as an image though, and I’m sure it will be as popular as other cards featuring Merlins.

Merlins Crossing the Bar cropped for card

ADVANCE NEWS! Merlin Rocket Week 2-13 July

Last year, I was ‘artist in residence’ during Merlin Rocket week: 8-13 July. It was not a success in that the weather was so hot, too hot, and the paint was drying on my brush before I could get it only a canvas. So, I abandoned painting and spent the week photographing Merlins and enjoying the event.

This year, I am taking part in a Pop-up Sale on Thursday, 11 July. As well as original paintings of Merlins, I will have on sale my full range of fine art greetings cards, and the new affordable art items: wooden placemats and coasters, glass coasters and chopping boards, key rings, fridge magnets, purses, and cushions!

18 February 2019 In Art

Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

I don’t do a lot of portrait painting.

Woman | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

As a member of Salcombe Art Club, I attend watercolour and acrylic classes on a weekly basis, a term at a time. On top of that, there are often specialist workshops – life drawing and portrait painting – and I sign up for these too.

2018 Portrait class with Martin Brooks

Last year, I produced this portrait at a Martin Brooks workshop.

I know it’s not brilliant but I can honestly say I caught a likeness of the model and am pleased with my efforts.

Aware though that I had much to learn, this year, I signed up for two more workshops with Martin Brooks.

Life drawing last weekend
Portrait painting this weekend

advert | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

I attend as many Life Drawing classes as I can – they are always immensely helpful in keeping your hand and eye ‘in’.

2019 Portrait class with Martin Brooks

As for the portrait paintings I completed this weekend … well, judge for yourself. This was painted on Saturday.

Woman 2 | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

The model for Sunday gave me more problems. This is the morning study.

Man, side view | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

Martin kindly helped me with positioning of parts of the face: the ears, the eyebrows etc. Martin's sketch | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

MY sketch | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks Above, the top sketch is Martin’s; the other is mine, and I can see how my proportions went awry.

However, I think I am improving … what do you think?

Man again | Portrait painting with Martin Brooks

How can you join Salcombe Art Club?

There are three categories of membership.

Lay members may take part in workshops, courses, and social activities and generally assist in supporting the club but may not exhibit.
Associate members may take part in most club activities including exhibiting in the Little Studio section (but not the main gallery) of the Annual Summer Exhibition. Associate members also have voting rights at the annual AGM.
Full members may take part in all club activities and exhibit their works in the Annual Summer Exhibition when they are required to carry out their share of stewarding duties. Full members also have voting rights at the annual AGM.

The first step is to enroll as a lay member; it only costs £12 per annum. After that, there is an annual selection process to become an associate member or a full member. For full details, check the How to Join page on the SAC website.

3 December 2018 In Art

Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill

I attend watercolour classes with Michael Hill at Salcombe Art Club every Tuesday during term time, October through to Easter.

Michael arrives with source photos and proceeds to show how he would tackle each painting. We can choose whether to work in acrylic or watercolour and Michael demonstrates both. This is done in stages, so we watch Michael for a short while and then we work on our own paintings, watch again and paint again, and so on. All the while, Michael comes around the class giving encouragement. His strategy works …

I have three work-in-progress watercolours at present. All three are executed under time pressures.

What you’re seeing here is how far I got during a class session. It’s up me to complete them in my studio at home.

Watercolour WIP 1: Cawsands

This is the source photo. Source photo Cawsands | Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill This is my work-in-progress watercolour painting.

Cawsands | Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill

The lateral structure was enhanced – made to look more interesting – with the use of pen and ink. I don’t usually use pen and ink, so this was a departure from my normal style.

Watercolour WIP 2: Grumpy old man

This is the source photo. Grumpy photo | Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill

Not a usual subject for me. No water. No boats. No sky. Just a grumpy old man!

This is my work-in-progress watercolour painting. Grumpy painting | Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill

I’m glad I have him on paper. It’s nowhere near finished and I wouldn’t want to see him in a nightmare.

Again, this was an interesting exercise, but I don’t imagine completing this painting until after I’ve done another workshop on portraiture. I have much to learn.

Watercolour WIP 3: Snow scene

This is the source photo. Michael often provides snow scenes at this time of year. Snow is particularly difficult to capture so this adds an extra dimension to the task.

Snow scene photo | Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill

The grid lines help me to place the buildings and other features proportionately.

This is my work-in-progress watercolour.

Snow painting | Work-in-progress: Watercolour classes with Michael Hill

I still have to improve the tree line behind the cottage and behind the barn in order to give a sense of recession.

Watercolour classes in 2019

I’ve signed up to continue classes with Michael Hill in the Spring term. He is very popular so there is a waiting list.

You have to be at least a lay member of Salcombe Art Club to benefit from Michael’s classes. All the details are here.

5 November 2018 In Art

Originals: Available for sale?

I often receive phone calls and emails asking if a particular original painting is still available for sale.

It is possible to find out, by clicking on the image to bring up the image page. The Current Status entry tells you …

If a painting is unsold, the current price shows instead, plus where you can view it. Most of my stock is hanging in the Gallery of Beacon House. A few are with galleries.

WHEN CAN YOU VISIT BEACON HOUSE GALLERY?

Beacon House Gallery is open to the public for the SHAF Arts Trail fortnight each October.

At other times, you may visit, by arrangement only. Please telephone ahead to arrange a convenient date and time: 01548 844020

Originals for sale – an easier way to find out what’s for sale

To make it easier to see what’s available, I’ve added a new category of MY WORK on my website: Originals For Sale.

So, while Watercolors, Acrylics and Oils show you a gallery of all my work (including the ones which have been sold already), this new category shows you just the original paintings which are available to buy.

The images of available paintings are then listed in alphabetical order.

If you are specifically looking (say) for a watercolour, select Watercolour from the MY WORK menu and make a note of any titles which interest you. Then, go to this new category to see if the ones you like are available.

And if it is not? …

High quality giclée prints available

As well as the Limited Edition Prints, you can order a print of any image, whether the original has been sold or not.

More details about how to obtain a print of your favourite image, in my next blog post!

4 June 2018 In Art, Exhibition

SALE! Save £100

As a member of Salcombe Art Club, I exhibit for four weeks each year at the Redfern Centre – this is my eighth year!

The Friends of Redfern Centre retain a percentage of each sale for their funds.

To encourage you to purchase a painting, this year, I am also reducing the price of each painting by £100 for the duration of this exhibition.

14 November 2016 In Art

SOLD! Sunlight on Avon River

Sunlight on Avon River – one of the crop of 2012 – is sold. It’s been on display in Beacon House House Gallery for a long time – and been to various exhibitions too – and we’re sad to see this beautiful painting going to a new home.

I hope the new owners enjoy it as much as we did.

A tree-lined river bank with dappled light competing with lively reflctions is a huge challenge for the artist. The sound of constantly moving water is a delight to hear but, sadly, I cannot capture that within my watercolour painting.

A 50% deposit secures any painting

If you see a painting on my website that you like, but want to see it ‘in the flesh’ before committing yourself to buying it, that’s not a problem. A refundable 50% deposit secures a painting until you are able to visit Salcombe to see it for yourself.

November is Sale time

It’s sale time! For the month of November: £50 off any painting – that’s a third off those currently priced at £150.

WHY HAVE A SALE?

Work is due to start soon to provide wheelchair access to Beacon House, so all my artwork will be taken down and packaged for the duration of the works.

WHEN ARE WE RE-OPENING?

We hope the refurbishment will be complete in time for re-opening at Easter 2017.

Meanwhile, if you would like to buy a painting at a reduced price, contact me here.