The Three Graces (or quinces in a huddle)
I have a soft spot for quince. As well as liking the fruit, I like the word itself. Until quite recently we had a couple of Quince trees in the garden, but sadly they became diseased, and after consulting two…
Ladurée Macaroons
A relatively quick sketch of my favourite macaroons from Ladurée. The flavours that hadn’t been eaten at the time of painting were pistachio, Columbian chocolate, salted caramel and coffee. It’s not a particularly well structured painting in terms of composition,…
It’s Hard Work
Here’s an Alla Prima sketch that I am in two minds about whether to keep or not. It’s kind of fun, and I like the general composition and concept (for a change), but it isn’t executed very well, and the…
A Study in Reflection
Here’s a rather strained little painting that I undertook in order to study the shape and surface of a funny little coffee pot that was unearthed in a family clear out. I call it strained because I tried to paint…
Something Missing
Here’s a very quick oil sketch of a lemon on a plate. It took about half an hour and I like the immediacy of it.
Delft and Tomatoes Under Strip Light
Here’s a little alla prima painting to get the week going. (I know it’s Wednesday, but I painted this on Monday and have been a posting slacker.) I’m thinking a lot about atmosphere at the moment, and what I am…
The Wilting Peonies
Here’s a slightly larger painting than the ones I have been working on recently. I also took more time over this one, and built up the layers over 3 sessions. The first layer was fairly thin, and very broad –…
Daisies’ Last Gasp
This is a quick sketch of the daisies I painted earlier in the week (whose longevity I am amazed by). The length of time I spent on it aside, some days I really feel that I have lost any painting…
Old Bottles
It was getting dark by the time I was ready to photograph this sketch of old bottles. The fading light has resulted in a less than sharp image to post. When painting this, I was mindful of suggesting the subject…
A State of Undress
Today’s painting was again quickly completed. It has lead to me considering more about the mark making of brushes and paint, and I really enjoyed more than a little experimentation. Paint handling is like handwriting, and I believe it evolves…
