TIME TO PONDER

Its always a little unsettling when at the end of a painting session you think the painting is finished much sooner than planned. I had to take a few days out to think about it. It may seem premature? but I consider myself to have gone beyond ‘picture making’ and by that I mean I feel I am on the right track now and I need to be squeezing out every ounce of goodness from each painting. Expecting more, I think is the right way of putting it. The decision to keep going with this painting has been the right one and there is still a little bit more to do.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 6

I WASN'T EXPECTING

to be finishing this painting today, and I am not sure if it is finished. I am liking how it looks although the foreground hasn’t turned out exactly as planned, there are shapes of the bushes that no longer look like bushes but hint at something else? Its an accident of impatiently trying to fill in all the white underpainting. I shall review it tomorrow.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 5

LITTLE AND OFTEN

This slow plodding pace gets things done and keeps the enthusiasm just simmering above room temperature. Even though I have scaled down the paintings the imagery is not suffering and I feel the paintings are moving forward in terms of quality at a faster rate. I don’t mind an extended period around Lemington Bank, you could spend a lifetime in this area and it may turn out to be my Mont St Victoire.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 4

A PASTEL PASTORAL

A bucolic scene with nothing to trouble the idealised rolling Northumberland countryside. In many ways this is a reality for anyone lucky enough to live in the countryside, but to some this is an empty place with nothing to do. Anyway, it is the perfect setting for me and my landscape painting. I am liking these elevated scenes, it reduces the countryside to a series of patterns stretching to the horizon. This painting is progressing well and it is quite an interesting process of simplifying what is in front of you.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 3

A NEW LANDSCAPE STYLE

Is emerging, a direct result of painting almost everyday for 10 weeks in Mexico, I am glad a change of continent back to the UK didn’t mean a return to old ways. The start of this painting is going well, it has a harder edged emphasis, which I like. I am also trying to think about shape and design much more than following the contours too closely of the real landscape. I like this more bold graphic style although I think I will soften down some areas to follow the forms of the rolling landscape.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 2

A CONCERTED EFFORT

As concerted as I will ever get, but these views from Lemington Bank have captured my imagination for the moment. Curious that I have had these photos for two years and have not had much interest in them. That’s one of the elements of art that has always intrigued me, the journey without a destination, you cannot say what you will be painting a year from now. Although I have a low boredom threshold I think I will give this area a longer run this year.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 1

A UNIQUE VISION

I may be overstating things a little but my ‘vision’ of how I see the landscape has been properly realized in this painting. The previous painting was a slightly weaker version in terms of success but it wasn’t far off. I feel there is a good momentum now to take me into 2025 and it helps that I know what I am looking for now. Maybe a few more field trips to Lemington Bank to get some good photos, this painting is finished.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland

IMPERCEPTABLE DIFFERENCES

Painting small pictures will not save you any mental effort, its just as energy sapping as painting big. I find myself almost questioning every dab of paint I put on, I can only admire the mental strength of someone like Seurat. Often the changes I make to the picture are the smallest of tonal changes or the slightest of changes to the shape of a tree or field, and yet it does make a difference. I think it is squeezing out that tiniest amount of progress from painting to painting I am looking for. Its a snails pace of improvement, but that’s just how things work. Not sure the land area is all finished but the sky will be no less challenging.

Leminton Bank, Northumberland. Day 4

NO DRAB LANDSCAPES HERE

My concern about returning to the UK to a palette of greys and greens has proven to be unfounded, mostly because its not the direction I want to go in. At the same time I don’t want to go all Fauvist with pure blue trees and purple hills, it appears all to artificial to me and can not convey a particular atmosphere. In short, there is not enough subtlety. Pleased with the way this painting is going.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 3

A GRABBED HOUR

It was looking like my ‘Consistency is everything’ headline from yesterday was going to get cancelled today with a no show. A disrupted day that could have got away from me was rescued by a quick hour of painting. Thankfully it was progress and tomorrow will be a more painting concentrated day. This painting is looking a little like a Burra watercolour but without the brilliance. I think I am going to leave the sky till last, for me it will be the crowning triumph (I hope).

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 3

CONSISTENCY IS EVERYTHING

Hardly a revelation, but since mid January I have painted most days. A few things I have noticed, the colour has been ramped up, a desire to get away from green and brown landscapes. Also a lot of detail has been simplified and there is more focus on the design and patterns in a painting rather than following what is actually in the landscape. Back to this painting, the foreground oranges are actually pretty close to the reality, its heather in autumn, mixed with patches of strong green vegetation.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 2

HIGH ALTITUDE

Lemington Bank again but this whole area contains some of the best views in Northumberland. You are looking north towards the Scottish border, if I was a real nerd I would know which hills are in England and which in Scotland, but I don’t. I like this perspective of looking down as you can appreciate the patterns in the landscape. Busy composition, again, it has a distinct oval which I like and the sky is packed with clouds which I want to make a feature of.

Lemington Bank. Day 1

A SERENE AFTERNOON

Its afternoons like this when painting becomes a serene contemplative experience that I can’t think of many substitutes, maybe an afternoon walking around the Uffizi when nearly all the crowds have gone. It just goes to show that the solutions to an unfinished painting can’t be arrived at by thinking about it, you need to paint through it until everything seems to fit. This painting has advanced and may be finished, I will review it tomorrow.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 6

A BIT MORE WORK

Can be better, not entirely sure how at the moment but tomorrow should be the last painting session.

MY TRUE CALLING

I have a potential portrait commission from one of the plumbers who is currently installing a new bathroom. Thankfully its of his dog, and not of his wife, I think expectations are not as high?. I was wondering to include it on this website, initially I thought this isn’t a ‘serious’ subject, but then , Goya, Titian and Velazquez painted dogs but I would not describe Las Meninas as a pet portrait. An interesting diversion and one that requires some consideration and application. This could be the beginning of the end in terms of my aspirations, at least I will have an income.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 3

TRYING TO FIND MORE COLOUR

The above is an ongoing process that most painters follow as it is an expressive force all by itself. In the photo, the large cloud dominating this sky is grey to black but there is a good tonal range within it. I have boosted the warmth as I don’t want it looking like a Lowry. I am liking how this painting is developing, the idea is to keep the emphasis on the strange mid ground hills, which are highlighted in the sunset so this shouldn’t be too difficult.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 2

DOUBLE BUBBLE

As Boris Johnson, or any public clown would say. My intention since retiring and moving out to the countryside was to paint everyday. However, I had wildly underestimated how much this ‘new’ 250 year old cottage would need. Well that’s pretty much behind me now thanks to working almost everyday for the last 2 years. Now the way ahead is clear, a very dull social life is now a positive giving me plenty of time to paint. Never a workaholic though, just constant plodding, this prevents burn out.

Lemington Bank. Day 1

A STRANGE LANDSCAPE

I don’t know what has happened to create these odd shaped triangular hills on the left mid ground of the picture. They almost look man made but are far too big for that? There is also this large dark circular cloud hovering, its a sunset so the light is low, catching the tops of these odd shaped hills.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland. Day 1

A SUNDAY ROAST EARNED

A mornings cycling sacrificed on a sunny dry Spring day deserves a final entry for this painting although it was a morning spent fiddling and deleting. Mostly in the foreground, subtle differences, but its always interesting when you think your source material is totally suitable but it doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the painting. This painting is now finished. No more thinking how this fits in with the Mexico legacy, just paint.

Cartington, Northumberland.

ALMOST FINISHED

A few areas I think need a bit more but it will be hardly noticeable. Will probably finish off tomorrow and just update the photo. I don’t think I need to worry about the landscapes in the UK being a bit too familiar (English), there is nothing I can do about that, there are no native cacti or palm trees around here. By just continuing to paint these landscapes the power of the imagery will come through in the painting process.

Cartington, Northumberland. Day 5