News

January 2025

With the weather in the UK being pretty unfavourable to plein air painting in January I set myself a mini studio project – to create a series of small A5 studies, on paper, painted from my photographic references that included buildings/structures of some description. In total I completed 13, some of which included figures and I really enjoyed the challenge. Buildings can sometimes seem intimidating to paint – how much detail should you include, getting accurate perspective etc but I found the more I did it the easier it got (as with all things in life). Most of the studies are of buildings in my local Colchester vicinity, so you may spot a few recognisable places (or even your house?!). These studies can be viewed in more detail on their respective pages – please do take a look.

I am currently creating a full set of colour charts for my reference (as per Richard Schmid’s version) – utilising a set of 12 main colours that form the basis of my work and should be more than enough to replicate any colour I see. These colours are Cadmium Yellow pale, Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Umber, Viridan, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black and Titanium white. The idea being that the process of creating the charts is as valuable as the finished reference – understanding the qualities of each colour – it’s transparency, tinting strength etc. I will post pictures once completed!

November 2024

I am delighted to have my painting - Woodbridge Mud currently on display and available to buy framed from the Colchester Art Society Winter Exhibition 2024, at The Minories gallery in Colchester. Open until 22 December 2024.

Now the weather has turned and there is less daylight I won't have as much chance to paint outside, so I am concentrating on working on larger pieces from my photographic references. These paintings tend to be more detailed and considered, but I hope to carry the freshness of the outdoor sessions and keen sense of colour and light I gained into my studio work.

September 2024

It’s been the Summer of Plein Air for me this year, after taking the plunge and trying painting outside. I had read about the benefits of painting from life many times but wasn’t convinced it was actually worth it. Painting from photos - perfectly composed with constant light seem so much easier. How wrong I was. Apart from the joy of spending a couple of hours in nature, you get to see vibrant accurate colour - especially in the shadows and highlights. The painting is imbued with the subtleties of changing light and the atmosphere of the day. It is an immersive experience, I become completely absorbed by the challenge at hand and emerge a couple of hours later with a great sense of satisfaction and hopefully a painting that reflects the day.

July 2024

I am very happy to have my painting Wivenhoe Boat Shadows included in The Minories Summer Exhibition. It was exhibited alongside some really fantastic and varied artists, showcasing how much talent there is in and around Colchester. The painting was worked up from a study on paper, and was the springboard for creating further work featuring the interplay of light and shadow on the rivers mudflats at low tide.