Painting the Kiwis

Whilst looking around for suitable subject matter for a quick sketch this afternoon, these kiwi fruit caught my eye. Having heard the conclusion of the World Cup semi-final this morning on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, in which New Zealand beat South Africa in a tense finish, I thought some kiwis might make tenuously appropriate…

All Teeth and No Trousers

I have recently been doing some research into the working methods of John Constable in preparation for a forthcoming painting workshop, Big Skies, paying particular attention to his oil studies on paper and board. Inspired to give working in oils on paper a go, this oil sketch, made yesterday, is the first result. The paper…

Exercising the Jaw Muscles

The steady trickle of junk mail through the letter box – under normal circumstances deposited straight into the recycling bin without much thought – has proved to be far more useful of late in its provision of alternative surfaces upon which to paint. I thought it might be mildly amusing to depict some chocolate, of…

Scruffy Man Paints Himself

This self portrait was made a couple of weeks ago, on 29th January 2015. Painted in acrylics on the back of some mount board, it (perhaps unsurprisingly) depicts myself. When wanting to make a figure study from life the self offers a certain convenience. Keen-eyed observers will note that I made little effort to ‘brush…

Thinking Outside the Recycling Box

I have recently started recycling materials – mainly cardboard packaging – as alternative surfaces to canvas or paper. This move probably has its origins in the production of Keep an Eye on the Amaryllis #5, which was painted in acrylics on cardboard, and a self portrait painted on the back of some mount board. However,…