The first sunny day in what seems like months and a golden opportunity to take the sketchbook out for a spin this afternoon. I haven’t done any sketches in about 6 weeks so, not for the first time, I felt a bit rusty. However, being out in the fresh air, the smell of the sea…
Author: simonbirtall
I am an artist and art tutor based in Merseyside, UK. I paint in an Impressionist-influenced technique in oils or acrylics on canvas and make drawings in pencil, pen, pastels and more.
Three Air Fresheners on a Fireplace
My poorly better half was forced to return home from work today. After tending to the patient, I made this pen drawing of three air fresheners grouped together on a fireplace, as she lay recovering on the settee, to the accompaniment of The Odd Couple on DVD. No conclusions regarding household smell should be drawn…
When Ewer a Red Grapefruit
Today’s sketch may give the impression that I didn’t really know what I was doing. This would be for the simple reason that I didn’t. The subject matter of the artwork is a still life featuring a (an?) ewer (a.k.a. Mr Water Jug), accompanied on this occasion by a red grapefruit, which I thought was…
Jeff the Rubber Duck on a Yellow Duster
Which one of us can honestly say that at some point we haven’t fancied drawing (one of) our rubber duck(s) on a duster? This is Jeff, a purple rubber duck born in South East Asia, brought up in Berlin (he’s still wearing his ‘Berlin’ jumper) and now living in the UK. I thought Jeff’s purple…
Baa Baas in the Snow
A similar post to that of two days ago (Unseasonal Snowscape #1) – a Christmas card illustration contender. Today’s painting depicts a couple of sheep in a wintry landscape. It is based upon a few photographs I took in January of this year in Irby, Wirral, following a heavy snowfall. I painted it in around…
