Acrylic on paper18 x 13 cm
Sold - Private Collection
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
In the Gardens, Port Eliot
Acrylic on board40 x 50 cm
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Port Eliot is the seat of the Earl of St Germans, currently Peregrine Eliot, whose family have occupied the house since the 1540s. The house occupies a beautiful setting on the banks of the Lynher estuary, near Plymouth. The walled gardens are a favourite part of the estate and the Orangery offers intriguing views through these romantic spaces. I visited the estate on the most perfect summer's day and it has provided inspiration for many paintings, some inside and some outside the Orangery.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Sunday, 21 December 2008
St Martin-in-the-fields from the National Gallery
18 x 13 cmAcrylic on paper
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This is looking at one of my favourite buildings in London from another favourite. I like standing on the steps of the National Gallery, either looking out over Trafalgar Square and down to the Houses of Parliament or across at St Martin's. On this day the church was brilliantly white against the blue of the sky and the shadows across the columns were constantly changing with the light.
South Bank evening
18cm x 13cmAcrylic on paper
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As I walked along the South Bank the daylight faded and the lights of the city came on, sparkling in the distance. Lots of others were strolling along, admiring the view and a beautiful evening. London, to me, looks at its best in this dusky pink twilight.
St Paul's Church, Covent Garden
18 x 13 cmAcrylic on paper
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This is also known as the Actor's Church because of its many associations with the theatrical community. The lights and energy of the London theatres are all around but this is an oasis of peace. I particularly like the monumentality of this facade which looks on to the Piazza. This isn't the front, that is round the back!
Covent Garden, evening in the Piazza
18 x 13 cmAcrylic on paper
(unframed)
sold - Private collection
I love cities at night. This was inspired by a trip to London in September and evenings spent wandering around Covent Garden. The weather was balmy and crowds of people were enjoying their drinks and dinner outside.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Exhibition at Morvah Schoolhouse Gallery, near Penzance 13 - 25 July
Image is:Cellist in St Catherine's Chapel
36 x 30 cm
Acrylic on board
sold - Private collection
All Souls Church, Regent Street, rainy evening
70 x 60 cmAcrylic on canvas
sold - Private collection
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Statue in Hinton Ampner Gardens I
7 x 5 ins/17 x 13 cmsmixed media on paper
Hinton Ampner is an 18th century house and garden in the depths of the Hampshire countryside. The garden was completely redesigned in the 1930s, but in the 18 C tradition, and is thus still a developing project. It is an intriguing mixture of formal parterres, long walks that end in vistas over the open fields and woodland, and wilderness areas as contrast to the more organised planting. I love any kind of structure against this kind of backdrop, be it a building or ruin or statue, so these two stone figures were irresistible subjects.
Statue in Hinton Ampner Gardens II
7 x 5 ins/17 x 13 cmsmixed media on paper
sold - Private collection
This statue of Diana, the huntress, is at the end of a grassy walk, hedged with yew trees. There is apparently a little classical temple along the walk, which I missed on this occasion but would also be a very tempting subject. In contrast to the statue above, this one is much more formally attired and posed which made her very challenging to paint. In the end I was happier with the background than the figure, which is not unusual.
Prelude, December
7 x 5 inches/ 17 x 13 cmsmixed media on paper
Sold - Private Collection
In this painting the cellist has moved indoors, and I loved the way she was silhouetted against the brightness of the window. It was the second painting of this subject in which I have kept to a monochrome palette, which proved a very effective technique to accentuate the effects of light and shadow. Although it's not an obviously festive subject, I chose it as this year's Christmas card...
Sarabande at Ferriola
7 x 5 inches/17 x 13 cmsmixed media on paper
Sold - Private Collection
This is another view of the cellist playing on her balcony at Ferriola. It is now evening and she is illuminated by lamplight, the square beneath her house is in darkness, and the music is wafting across it in the night air. The Sarabande forms one of the six movements that comprise each of Bach's six Cello Suites. A Sarabande is literally a slow dance, originally from Spain, which makes it an entirely appropriate accompaniment to this painting.
Violinist at Pampaneira
7 x 5 inches17 x 13 cms
mixed media on paper
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Pampaneira is a whitewashed village high in the Alpujarras. Life centres on the square, full of cafes, and a few stalls selling local crafts - particularly hand woven rugs in fantastically vivid colours. I was sitting sketching there when this young chap appeared, almost out of nowhere, and started playing. He was silhouetted against the large church which dominates the square. Violinists move pretty quickly so I had to rely on photos as well as a speedy sketch. The village is a popular place with tourists, especially the Spanish, so I expect his summer earnings are fairly respectable.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Bach, Allemande
17.5 x 13.5 cmsMixed media on paper
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This is the latest in the 'Cellist' series. I'm experimenting with technique and medium to find different ways of expressing the subject. It is also part of a collection of Cabinet Paintings that I am preparing to submit to an exhibition. Cabinet paintings originated in the 17th century, as a more portable alternative to full size works. They are not mini versions but works in their own right. I like the restrictions of working on such a small scale and find it liberating, which seems illogical.
Evening in the Gardens
16 x 20 cmsAcrylic on board
Sold - Private collection
This revisits the gardens by the sea at nightfall, a time of day that I find incredibly appealing. My imagination is at work here; it was too dark to sketch or take a good photograph. I was aware of a slightly unearthly feeling as I painted, as though there were secrets in the shadows...
Summer Daydream I
29.5 x 20.5 cmsmixed media on paper
£225 sold
£225 sold
This is the smaller version of the Daydream below. I don't often work in watercolour but this was done as an experiment for a competition. The medium proved to be a challenge and it didn't win but the experience was invaluable. The idea of being in a room and looking outward intrigues me; as does the reverse, which is what I'm seeing as I sit here now, a winter's dusk with golden lit windows glowing against the darkness.
Sunday, 16 September 2007
The Gardens by the Sea
20 x 16 inches/50 x 40 cmsAcrylic on block canvas
£375 Sold
This is one of the first subjects I painted in Cornwall and I have revisited it often. Beautiful sub-tropical gardens surround an Edwardian bandstand and a path leads down to a darker, mysterious, sunken area with shell grottoes, a lovely camellia tree, masses of ferns and a tunnel. This used to lead to the seafront but nowadays one walks overground, coming out near a tiny chapel that overlooks the wide expanse of Gyllyngvase beach and a spectacular ocean view.
Sunday, 12 August 2007
The Folly at Wilton
12 x 14 inches/36 x 30 cmAcrylic on board
£250
Wilton House is an impressive stately pile. My visit was on a perfect summer's day and the grounds were much more enticing than the house itself which felt too stuffy and elaborate. This folly was visible on the wilder part of the garden, across the river. I longed to walk over the Palladian bridge and climb up to it, but it was forbidden to mere visitors that day. My sketchbook and camera had to cope long distance, but in the end I liked the view of it partially hidden amongst the greenery.
Monday, 6 August 2007
The Evening Kick-off, Chelsea
20 x 28 inches/50 x 70 cmsAcrylic on canvas
Sold Private Collection
This painting came about at the suggestion of a Chelsea fan who gave me some images of the ground as it was in the 1970s. It was a fascinating project, involving a lot of research into the original stadium buildings and even what the fans would be wearing. I also wanted to create the more dramatic atmosphere of an evening match, and that sense of anticipation in the crowd.
Friday, 3 August 2007
Summer Daydream II
12 x 16 inches/40 x 30 cmsAcrylic on board
Sold - Private Collection
I have been painting this during our lack-lustre summer - hence the title. It is loosely based on a beautiful walled garden in Salisbury that has a charming cafe at one end. I often start from a sketch or photograph but, as the work develops, imagination takes over and the end result may be quite different. There are two other smaller versions of this, one a preparatory painting (which I got so involved in it nearly became a finished one!) and one in watercolour, which is has been entered for a national competition. Fingers crossed...
The Cellist, Andalucia
12 x 16 inches/40 x 30 cmsMixed media
Sold Private Collection
Sold Private Collection
This painting was inspired by a recent visit to the Alpujarras in Spain. One evening our group of painters were invited to sketch a cellist as she rehearsed for a concert. We sat in the small village square, looked up and she appeared on the balcony of her whitewashed house. The strains of a Bach cello suite drifted over us as we endeavoured to capture her in our sketchbooks. The painting is something of a departure for me as I have not included a figure in any of my previous work. I've been really excited by this and am now working on a series based on this intriguing musician.
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