Category Archives: Art for Sale

Alcohol Ink Updates and More Shows

It’s been a busy summer with lots of shows. It’s been exciting showing all the new paintings I’ve been working on, and it’s been really great getting feedback.

I’ll be at the Wallop Parish Hall on October 8-9th with the Wallop Artists. Not long now, pop it in your diary!

When I get a chance over the next few days, I’ll be adding some pieces to the shop that didn’t go during the recent exhibitions. You can still see the pieces that sold in the gallery, so do have a look there too if you’re just browsing! 🙂

Aurora Borealis
Aurora Borealis – 2022 – Alcohol Inks – SOLD

Blue Waxbill

I’ve enjoyed painting these little birds the past couple of weeks. Here’s another little bird, called a Blue Waxbill, from Southern Africa. The bright, bright blue contrasted against the copper breast is just stunning, it’s such a naturally gorgeous bird. I added a bit of gold mica leaf to the breast, just to really make it pretty and shimmery. I love this little bird so much that I decided to put it on a greetings card. So, you can pick up a little original painting on a card, to send to a friend or family member. 🙂 The Blue Waxbill painting has been added to the new greeting card shop online, so go and have a look now.
I was inspired by a photographer I saw on Instagram – and I believe it may have been in the Nat Geo account! – @nickybluephoto

A rainy day in Chichester high street

Chichester in the Rain: the final painting
The first draft

Last year I went to a workshop with the artist Lindsey Cole, and I had such a great time learning new methods of painting. Some of the techniques were familiar but I hadn’t put it all together into one workflow before. It was such a great exercise to take a painting right from the start, creating a tonal drawing, then a mock painting, testing colours, and finally, a completed artwork.

The sketch and final piece

The whole process was enjoyable. I remember quite a lot of Patti’s advice, which means it’s finally sinking in! I cannot believe it has been two years since I did Patti Mollica’s online course.

It was interesting seeing everyone else’s artwork, too. Sometimes, we preferred the “mock-ups” where we worked more quickly. They were more spontaneous and had more random, imperfect brush strokes. The earlier piece has vibrancy and energy, definitely, but I think overall my final piece was better than the earlier version. The composition, proportions and colours are more balanced. The brushstrokes are more considered. There are still bits I would change if I could go back, but I don’t want to overwork the paintings. I shall just try again with new reference material!

Over a year ago, I took the original reference photo on a rainy walk through the Chichester town centre near the cathedral. I really liked the silhouettes of the people walking in the rain, with the puddles reflecting underneath the storefronts. The geometric shapes created by the perspective was part of the appeal. Lastly, the glow was an important feature, so I chose to complement the yellow tones with shades of lilac. (Going for a complementary colour scheme, thank you Patti!)

The original mock-up and the final piece are now available to buy. Contact me on the Contact page if you would like to arrange purchase.