Updates

Well, summer seems to have finally moved on and today we have gale force winds and impending rain from Hurricane Jaoquin. I've been trying to tie up some loose ends such as FINALLY finishing a commission that I'm embarrassed to say has taken me a very very long time. Anyway, it's done now and I'm happy to say I'm pleased with it. Below are the two paintings that will be making their way to London on Saturday night and eventually to their new home in Myanmar! 

"Corbiere from St Ouen's" acrylic on linen, 20x20"

"La Rocco" acrylic on linen, 20x20"

And here is also the finished sketch that I last posted. It needed a little more work to tighten it up:

"In Coming Tide at Corbiere" acrylic on board, 12x12"

Moody Sea

Another acrylic on linen. I am working on building up a small body of work for a show in July - more details to follow soon I promise! I finished this painting today and am pleased with my departure from so much blue into more moody purples. 

Untitled, acrylic on linen, 20x30"

Love Linen

I am really enjoying working on a couple of paintings on stretched linen instead of my usual canvas. I can certainly see why its more expensive, its just such a smooth surface and really nice for working into. I love way you can blend the paint more subtly than on a rougher canvas but it's not as absorbent as the gesso board which seems to soak up the moisture.

untitled, acrylic on linen 20x30"

Today I have been struggling on with this painting I started last week and I am still not happy with it. I was inspired by a photo that I saw in the paper last weekend of the island of Vaila, one of the Shetland Islands. The colours really inspired me and I thought it would make a nice change to paint a mixed land and seascape but my style keeps getting tighter and tighter and I wanted it to be very loose. I like aspects of it such as the stone wall in the foreground and some of the sea and sky but generally I seem to be going around in circles so I am going to leave it for a while and hopefully come back to it with fresh eyes.