SIX OUT OF SIX

Six good paintings from six attempts, that’s not a bad strike rate. Its funny but you only need to get so far into a painting before you know if its going to work or not. I thought the edge of the hill and the sky was going to be the hardest to get right. Often its that hard edge between horizon and sky that can look awkward. Six paintings this year against thirteen last year, however I think half of last years were not successful so as always quality not quantity is the thing that matters.

Hillside, Mexico. Day 2

LAST ONE

I took some photos last year in Mexico of some hills that I thought I could make some paintings of. I had a hunch it would work but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. Twelve months later its a little bit clearer so with nothing to lose its time to roll the dice. Chose this composition because I thought if I can’t get the impact with body of the painting I could get a cheat impact with a strong diagonal.

Hillside, Mexico. Day 1

A BOLD PREDICTION

I made a bold prediction at the start of this painting saying it would be better than last years version. I was confident it would be, but this has turned out much better than I dared hope. It does make you wonder about the power of self belief and consistency even when I know my output has never been stellar (understatement of 2026 so far). Now the pressure is on to get a final painting done before I leave the Pacific coast. This painting is finished,

The blue house, Mexico

TWO MORE MONTHS PLEASE

This houses on a hill series has just got started and I am really liking it. Its a shame that we now have less than two weeks left before we head back to Mexico City for a week. There are many more options in our local town for more paintings. I suppose the upside is I will return next January with a clear idea of what I would like to paint. This painting is going well and realistically there will be one more after this and as always with the last painting it will be left in Mexico as it will be too wet to travel.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 4

A COLOURFUL KALEIDOSCOPE

I can’t pretend I knew how to spell kaleidoscope but I know what it means. That’s my approach to colour. You don’t have to know the name of every colour but you do need to know how to mix the colour you want and how colours operate together. I wasn’t sure how obvious I wanted the blue house to be in terms of it being the strongest colour in the painting. This seems a bit one dimensional and limits the decorative appeal of a painting in terms of saturated colour. The blue house is still easily identifiable and I feel it was the right decision not to mute everything else. Painting going well.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 3

AS IF BY MAGIC

the blue house has appeared. I like the way it is the subject of the title but it is not in the centre of the picture. In fact, not even the whole house is within the picture plane. I had this idea that it was going to be very simplified, a sense of a modelled form but windowless. I still like that idea. The sky is a bit Raoul Dufy blue, and I have included some of the blue house colour in the sky, although this needs to be more obvious. I may take a look at Raoul again, something that would have filled me with horror as an art student. Like the way this painting has started.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 2

AS PROMISED

Houses on a hill, followed by another houses on a hill painting but this time with a different title to relieve the boredom ( still far better than a serial ‘untitled’). Another photo from last year of my favourite blue house and suitably titled ‘Blue house, Mexico’. The colour of this house is so intense that it dominates the hillside, not an easy thing to do in Mexico. Have a feeling this will already be better than last years painting, that’s progress. Just looking at the drawing, it has the aspect of a jigsaw puzzle, I like that.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 1

THIS HAS TURNED OUT

rather well. Some earlier photos had given it a rather turgid overall light, more night club neon than the warm overall glow that the painting has. What I wanted from this painting is a sense of space receding back even though this space was shallow, being a steep hill. I think that has come through. I also wanted a decorative, slightly artificial quality to the painting, a bit early Italian. I think that is successful as well. Tempted to do some more of these, the town near us has many examples of this type of building. The painting is finished.

Houses of a hill, Mexico

THE RIGHT BALANCE

The houses in the photo are more hidden than I wanted in the painting. I think I am getting the right balance so that they can be identified but not all having the strong white contrast of two of them. I wanted saturated colour in this painting but not so much that it appeared like an artificial freeze. I wanted the tonal modelling to be more important and I think I have got that working.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 5

LIKING IT NOW

This is progressing as I hoped it would and forms of the trees are coming through with more subtlety. I think I will create more contrast between houses and buildings that actually exist in reality. The white house is standing out as I want it, the others are not.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 4

GREENS ARE WORKING

The other colours seem a bit too separate from each other and not sharing a realistic lighting. Its pretty close though and the overall painting is heading in the direction I want it to go. Like the saturated colour and some of the forms.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 3

THE VISION IS CLEAR

A grand and pompous title, that’s why I like it. I can already see how this painting is going to look finished. Some painters may not like that but it gives me the reassurance that this painting is already worthwhile. I like the way the houses appear amongst the trees and that the objects are stacked on top of each other. Also the space is fairly flat, its like a sculptural relief.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 2

SAME PHOTO DIFFERENT APPROACH

Always interesting to use the same starting point you had a year ago to see if the outcome is any different. Thats what I am doing with this painting, the photo was taken last year and although the appraoch is similar I know I am turning further towards simplifying shape and looking more closely at pattern and colour.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 1

A MARSHMALLOW LANDSCAPE

I am liking my simplified approach to the landscape, especially the simplification of the trees, and in fact the buildings. The trees almost have the aspect of multi coloured finger prints. It looks like a simple solution to landscape painting but its not simple in practice. This painting looks like an autumnal scene which I don’t object to. I like the warmed up pastel effect. The painting is finished.

Clouds and mountains, Mexico.

MAKING MORE SENSE

Space is making more sense and the painting is better for it. Probably lacking a little punch in terms of contrast but that can be fixed. Sky needs more work but I like that rhythm between sky and tops of the mountains, may emphasize that a little more.

Clouds and mountains, Mexico. Day 3

SO MUCH BETTER

Despite my embarrassingly short working ‘days’ the fact that I work consistently means I can say that with each passing year my painting is progressing. I say that because I am comparing my first three paintings of this year with my paintings of Mexico 2025. I have a lot more focus and a more consistent approach. Liking the way this painting is progressing. A proper painting day rather than a couple of hours before lunch.

Clouds and mountains, Mexico. Day 2

ROLLING

Maybe the enthusiasm has finally arrived?. I think it could have been a transitional blip transferring from the UK to Mexico and then finding a theme here. It seems to me that what I am painting in Mexico is just a pumped up version of Northumberland. Mountains, panoramas and the effects of light over the landscape. I like that, why must it be any different? I chose this photo because I like the shadows of the clouds falling on the mountains, a bit Patrick Heron with his big abstract landscape forms. I am also enjoying the dumb picture titles, although Ive enjoyed that for some time now.

Clouds and mountains, Mexico. Day 1

ALLS WELL

That ends well, and for me it did end well, why the struggle?, mostly mental rather than technical, when will I ever learn, never, it seems. Anyway, this has turned out well, as I knew it would the lack of enthusiasm was a real mystery. I’m not giving up on these mountains, next one a daytime view, not sure exactly as to what. I think I am on a roll in terms of technical approach and if I move on from these mountains it will be onto the local hills with their self build houses.

Moon rising over mountains, Mexico.

FINALLY, SOME ENTHUSIASM

It took quite some time before any level of enthusiasm appeared. The sky was good then it all went flat after that. Now I have introduced some colour and contrast into the foreground the painting has finally come to life. Might do a little bit more with the top of the sky but it will be subtle, adding a bit more space. Now have enough of the foreground in to know how to finish this painting, it is going to turn out well but this was a bit of a grind.

Moon rising over mountains, Mexico. Day 5

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

Output low and creeping towards quality. Its going well and I’d rather have 5 good paintings out of this trip than 10 indifferent ones. Pleased with the way this is going. Contrast and colour will ramp up in the foreground as will the visual interest once the houses are painted in. Hopeful of a good outcome.

Moon rising over mountains, Mexico. Day 4