MILTON AVERY

would have loved this scene. The landscape is divided up into distinctive bands of forest and rolling Northumberland landscape. The foreground forest for some reason is quite different to the rest. It has many trees that are not confers. They contrast quite boldly with the dark green conifers. There are yellows, orangy browns and mauves. This foreground has the aspect of a Moroccan mosaic. This photo was taken 3 years ago and I didn’t see much in it, but it has everything and I like the single house in the centre mid ground.

A forest, Northumberland. Day 1

THICK CLINGY PAINT

I don’t often turn my paintings into a colourful slurry, its not quite Kossoff like but has the appearance of being worked, which is no bad thing. I am glad I went against sticking to the photo re the sky, it just goes to show, nature can be improved upon!, that’s always the aim with painting but its never easy. It seems to me I like the expansive landscape. I think because it gives me the most freedom to explore space and how the light falls across the land. These elevated views also help with that, the painting is finished.

Late Spring, Northumberland

RESCUED

In the past I have been in a frustrating position where 90% of the painting was working well but I could never find a solution for that annoying 10% and the picture would be given its last rites and pronounced a failure. In the case of this picture it was the sky, despite yesterdays rendition being fairly true to the photograph it just didn’t work for me. Today it got a good thrashing and now it is in a much better state. I think the picture is almost finished.

Late Spring, Northumberland. Day 5

A FEW MORE TWEAKS

Wasn’t sure the sky was going to work, it was quite dramatic and unusual, its almost there and it has that light flooding through effect that I found so impressive. The painting has a bit more warmth so there is a suggestion of spring now.

Late Spring, Northumberland. Day 4

A PRODUCTIVE DAY

I am not sure if I have caught anyone’s idea of a spring day, it looks a bit bleak and not a cherry blossom in sight. There is still time to save it although its not a concern. I like the parade of odd shaped bushes in the foreground. I do have a fascination for this and its not really shared by many landscape artists. I can only think of 2 and they are not know primarily as landscape painters, Stanley Spencer and Edward Burra. The prevalent style I see is the gestural semi abstract approach, its ok, but me being deeply unfashionable, at least I stand out.

Late Spring, Northumberland. Day 3

THE TRANSFORMING EFFECT OF LIGHT

Has changed a familiar view, that I hadn’t painted before, into something much more compelling. There is enough subject matter on my doorstep and what makes it is the light. This painting has a cinematic level of drama in the sky but curiously enough the landscape below is not flooded by it. In the photo it is quite subdued, its not the effect I am after so I will have to tune it up. Painting is going well, as a start.

Late Spring, Northumberland. Day 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE

This should be a title I apply to every painting I do, certainly that is where the bar should be. This landscape is only a 5 minute walk from home. My intention was to do several paintings in this area but on this occasion there was an extraordinary bank of cloud passing as if on parade. Of course I didn’t have my camera with me so I rushed home, returned and luckily not much has changed. The sky really does transform this scene.

Late spring, Northumberland. Day 1

PAINT EVERY TREE

That seems to be the direction at the moment. I did literally that this morning to finish this painting. In my view it gives it an observed intensity, which I like, at the same time I don’t regard this as illustration as there is a simplification process happening. Anyway the word ‘illustration’ does not terrify me as it used to, simply because a lot of contemporary figurative artists I like take a similar approach and that youthful ignorance I had has vanished. This painting is finished.

Lemington Bank, Northumberland

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