WHEN THE PAINTING IS GOING WELL

all is well in the world. The problems begin to grow when I am away from painting for too long. Simple solution is to paint more often but for some reason this is a lesson that I have learnt and forgotten a thousand times. To be more positive, this painting reminds me of the late Guston work, I think its because my simplified trees look like the hooded men, and his often use of mixing large quantities of white into all his colours. Much preferring this lighter palette, this is the way forward for me.

The landscape is alive. Day 3

A LIGHTER TOUCH

I was heading into painters block territory again so I made a proper start on the painting this evening. I am aiming for a lighter touch like I have had in some earlier landscapes this year. I prefer the lighter more decorative quality of these paintings, a bit early Italian. I always like the use of their purer light blues and pinks and the clear delineation of shapes. I think this is coming through already. Good start.

The landscape is alive. Day 2

PAINTERS BLOCK

How long is it supposed to last? I think mine lasted 2 weeks, I’ll take that. I can’t afford to squander years. I know why this occurred, and it has nothing to do with the paintings themselves. Anyway, back on track. This is a photo I took a couple of years ago and really didn’t know how to make a painting from it. Now it seems obvious, this has to be progress and that’s encouraging. Good start with the drawing.

The landscape is alive. Day 1

WHERES THE PROGRESS?

Worth an extra posting just to make me feel better about my inexcusable idleness. The painting wasn’t finished, I knew it had been abandoned, and my conscience wouldn’t allow me to walk away. A final session this morning has pushed it on and I’m now satisfied with it. Need to restart the momentum with a new painting.

Hillside somewhere in Northumberland

THE NECESSARY SUFFERING

has been served and the painting has now detached itself from the original subject matter and become a thing in itself. My palette is becoming more chalky, something comparable to the slightly washed out Italian fresco painting that I have always been very attracted to. The painting is a series of accidents, failed attempts at describing forms and unintended tonal values. It somehow all hangs together and this is when a painting becomes interesting. This painting is finished.

Hillside, somewhere in Northumberland

ORANGE TREE SITTING NICELY

Its quite pleasing that I can put an orange tree in the centre of the composition without it disrupting the image in terms of its balance. I think the kaleidoscope colour choices could be boosted further and I think this is the direction the paintings will take. Anything less I would consider dull and timid and I don’t do that. Liking how it is looking now.

Hillside, somewhere in Northumberland. Day 4

BREAK ON THROUGH

to the other side, as recommended by Jim Morrison. Unfortunately he did not leave any instructions on how this is done. My solution is to paint in a manic style hoping something will appear to show me the way. A manic morning of painting has produced something so far that shows potential so there is hope. It is not the psychedelic effect I had in mind but I am pushing in that direction.

Hillside, somewhere in Northumberland. Day 3

ITS STILL GREEN

I am trying to wrestle myself away from green. This is proving more difficult than expected. I think the idea is to use colour in a more emotive way rather than using local colour. I have no problem picking out trees in this way but I want it to be used across the painting. Always complicating my life. Decent start all the same.

Hillside, somewhere in Northumberland. Day 2

NOBODY NOTICES

I think my interest lies in areas of the countryside that most people pay no attention to. I think that generally nobody pays much attention to the landscape. Yes, you look at it from a car window but this is not a fascination for the landscape. This piece of hillside has some very unusual land markings that don’t appear to be natural or from farming. They look like medieval earthworks?. I want to make something of this in the painting. I like the anonymity of this unremarkable view, hence the title.

Hillside, somewhere in Northumberland. Day 1

SCRUBBING UP NICELY

Scrubbing is the technique here, all my brushes have lost their fine point and this seems to be my preferred method of the moment. It reminds me of Roualt in that the painting surface seems to be assaulted and battered and yet somehow despite the ‘crude’ application there is a beauty in the work. This painting is finished.

Evening pond

AS A PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST ONCE SAID

It never gets any easier, the suffering is the same, but you go faster. And so I have resigned myself to the fact that it will never get any easier, I will demand as much of myself as I do now in the hope that the paintings get better. I know there is a transition of ‘pain’ from putting the initial image down, knowing that it will disappoint and then spend a period of time frantically searching through a fog for the image that is buried somewhere. This image is now appearing and there are traces of interest that suggest something better.

Evening pond. Day 3

STUNNING PROGRESS

And it needs to be after having squandered almost an entire week on enjoyable leisure activities. Now it was back to the grind this morning and I have got almost the entire picture in place. I am liking some of the colour contrasts and shapes. I have not slavishly attempted to create the obligatory mirror effect of landscape on water. I don’t have the patience or the interest to do this although I am trying to represent the tonal values of sky and dark shadow of the trees. Good progress today.

Evening pond. Day 2

EVENING POND

Could there be anything more sentimental or evocative of a summers evening than a still pond with lily pads in a fading evenings light? The photo has a beautiful serenity, the whole effect is glowing, warm and silent. That is the mood that I will try and capture. I have returned to fishing after a 30 year gap. There is a sentimental attachment to this decision but it is also my attachment to nature and the landscape that is important for me. Ponds and reservoirs will now start appearing in future paintings. These paintings will not be bland renditions of a scene but will continue the theme of how the landscape feels to me rather than an objective view of it.

Evening pond. Day 1

I HAVE TRANSITIONED

Artistically, not medically, just to be clear. More specifically my intentions to focus on shape, colour and rhythm are now being realised in my paintings and I think this has been evident to me since my paintings in Mexico in January of this year. I still think there is still plenty of scope for improvement but that is only a question of time. Could I suggest everybody buys the latest hi res laptops to view my paintings. The reds are popping too much on my iphone, a good laptop will give a much truer appreciation of my work, thanks. This painting is finished.

Valley painting

VERY INCONSISTENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Photos are all over the place in terms of an accurate rendering of the painting. The upside of this is that creates different versions of the same painting and can guide you in a direction that you weren’t considering. The current photo is pitched a bit too high key but I like it and have every intention of learning from this. I will probably have mobile phone in hand on the next painting session and push the colour a bit more, its certainly in the direction I want to take. This blue cross on the horizon, is it problematic? I don’t have any objections, I find the inclusion interesting but may not go anywhere with it. Going well.

Valley painting. Day 4

SLIGHT PAUSE

Busy week, many excuses I could put forward, none truly valid. Anyway, good progress with this today. I’ve made the transition to a more brilliant palette and it seems to be working well. I can only see the colour becoming more vibrant and there is no way back to turgid greens and browns.

Valley painting. Day 3

CHANCE AND ACCIDENT

Sometimes I see things in the process of painting which I do not follow because its not part of the initial plan. I am beginning to think I should go down these rabbit holes as there is a clear intention with my painting that I am not trying to illustrate what is in front of me. I want to be surprised by the end result and the only way to achieve this is to do things differently.

Valley painting. Day 2

EPIC SCALE

Equals epic ambition?, not in my book, but my paintings could certainly benefit from going large. I’ve decided the red, orange and purple trees are here to stay. I crossed the threshold with the previous painting and there is no going back. As I focus more on pattern and saturated colour then there is a benefit from going larger, there is the colourfield effect had from larger areas of pure colour. When I was drawing out the composition I came across a crucifix shape which is in the centre on the tree horizon line. Immediately I thought of it as a strong cerulean blue, very early Italian, and I’m going with that. It will be the marker for the rest of the painting.

Valley painting. Day 1

PERPETUAL SUMMER

I have finally surrendered to saturated colour. The photo for this painting was taken in early April but you would think it was high summer although possibly autumn under intense sunlight producing red and orange trees? Also a big blue tree, a bit of a fantasy landscape. I think I was always heading towards this but was never quite capable of pulling it off. Despite the intensely unnaturalistic palette of sherbet colours I think it is working quite well, primarily because the landscape forms are convincing and so is the space. The painting is finished.

Too many trees

A HANDSOME DEPARTURE

Once again I have failed to stick to the brief, but at least I am learning more about the kind of paintings I like to make. The foreground trees are bare and the colours range from blue/purple to silver. I was going to try, once again to stick to that range but I always find myself reaching for the pure colour. Not to worry, this version is better than the original so I have no regrets. Like the way this is looking its heading for a finish.

Too many trees. Day 3