The S.A.A. has done a really fantastic job on my behalf. They has printed an article introducing me and three of my more recent paintings to all the S.A.A. members. This latest issue of their Paint magazine carries that introduction.

If you paint then might I suggest whatever skill level you consider yourself  to at, this Society has something to offer all. Great Insurance, members benefits are amazing and it is full of many thousands of like minded people, from those who have just begun to paint right up to Professional Associates like myself. AS P.A.s we help others who aspire with art to go on to paint better images and enjoy their art more fully    

Check out the new S.A.A. Facebook page  or go to the website at      http://www.saa.co.uk/                        http://www.facebook.com/SocietyForAllArtists

Best wishes  

Paul

Paul's Facebook page

Under Leaden Skies

          This 12" x 16" canvas is my very latest painting titled 'Under Leaden Skies'  So many pictures of the fantastic Woodcock depict it very small in the canvas or so surrounded by wood and vegetation that it often appears lost. Indeed it should to a degree as it is a very shy and secretive woodland bird. Showing it in context is the right way to present the bird, though it does fly up high and fast to escape danger. I wanted to isolate this magnificent visitor to our shores, and illustrate its plumage and beauty against a complementary sky.

So there you are, Under Leaden Skies. I hope you like the painting.

Unless sold previously it will be on display at the CLA game fair in July.( There has already been buying interest in this work). If you are interested please call me without delay, as I suspect it will be gone soon.

Best wishes 

Paul

Heading Home

This painting was completed recently for the C.L.A. Game fair in July.  It depicts one of the shoots senior  hands having picked up birds and heading back to the guns with his two trusted black labradors. A 12" x 16" oil on panel.

I have just finished a woodcock study which will be a the CLA. Interest is being shown in the painting, so it may be sold before then. Who knows fingers crossed..

Best wishes 

Paul

New images destined for Marwell Show

This is my latest African wildlife painting called ' Zambian Twins' and depicts two baby Zambian Zebra foals. It is an oil on canvas measuring 12" x 16". This painting was inspired from a field trip to the Luangwa Valley in Zambia that Catherine and I enjoyed a couple of years ago. It was a stunning trip which yielded so many painting opportunities and ideas, so many that despite painting a handful from the reference, I have not even started to scratch the surface when it comes to material on film and the images I have in my head.

I shall be submitting 4 images for the new Marwell art show in August. Three images are ready, so it remains for me to crack on and complete the final image.

In the meantime I do hope that you like Zambian Twins

Best wishes 

Paul

New Paintings on show at the Francis Iles Gallery, Rochester

A total of 14 new paintings of mine will go on show at the Francis Iles Gallery in Rochester, Kent. They will bejoining other works of art in their 'Summer Show' 

The show runs from June 19th to August 6th 2010. So if you find yourself in Kent and in particular Rochester the go check out this gallery.

Camber Sands Sunset over Winchelsea

This is a two and half hour painting demo for students on Monday morning.  It is a 12" x 16" oil on panel and was great fun to do.

Camber is a beautiful stretch of Kent coastline with world famous sand dunes as far as the eye can see. It is always a pleasure to go there and paint. This one though was from previous reference and an Alla prima study in the studio. I do just love painting striking cloud forms of all types, but great lighting effect I seek out and paint whenever I can.

I hope that you enjoy this new painting.

Latest sporting image 'Woodcock Morning'

Well, it had issues at first, but it was worth the journey I took to complete this new canvas called 'Woodcock Morning' an 18" x 24" oil on canvas. It depicts a woodcock ever alert putting up, having been disturbed, banking immediately to avoid capture with a full spread of its wings. The woods create an avenue of snow laden carpet ahead, leading us further into this chilly, yet warming winter scene. The morning rays just breaking through the treeline create this juxtaposition of colour.

Well I hope that you enjoy this image as much as I enjoyed creating it. The Woodcock is such a stunning woodland visitor to our shores, no other inhabitant of the forest save the Jay is as spectacular, and it has no rival in flight. In this regard it is a league on its its own.

Day two at the Steam show.

Well the morning started with rain so I had an extra cup of coffee in the studio looking at the results of day one. I was debating if I should go or not. I was looking for areas that I should change with my approach if I ventured out again.

After a while the rain eased and I thought why not, I had really enjoyed the first days painting and provided the weather held day two would be as much fun.I arrived around 10.45 and the events were in full swing, the sky was grey and showed little resolve to improve. I started to work on a small 6" x 8" panel on the larger engine that I attempted the day before.  Once again I checked with the driver that he would not be moving the engine for a while.

This was the result after a couple of hours painting, and once more finding myself surrounded by many visitors, including a photographers form the local newspaper.

Well lunch was upon me and my subject had to finally move as did all the large engines. They were due to perform and display all their grand and very unique importance in our past history to all who had come to see them. After they had been returned and parked up I decided to paint my last image of the weekend. It was of a Foden Steam Wagon, I suppose the next generation of vehicle after the Steam engine and attached wagon, this was the natural progression. It was done on a 10" x 12" panel in oil completed over 2 1/2 hours. Even then I ran out of time as the vehicle was being moved, though I had got everything down that I needed, it was the hardest of all the images that I undertook this weekend. My concentration was pushed to the limit with this one I can say for sure.

Anyway I hope that you enjoy these new images from the weekend, if you do enjoy my work then you might like to become a follower of my blog so that posts will be notified to you as the happen.

Best wishes Paul

En plein air at the weekend

 Last weekend saw me at a local steam rally in Sellindge, a nearby village. I fancied painting something just a little different than usual. I ventured to capture some of the majesty that these grand old machines still exuded as they trundled around the show ground. It was the 41st such rally and a while since I had visited it back in 2004.

These vehicles weigh many tons and were not the easiest subjects to render in a painting, especially as I was surrounded by many would be onlookers each eager to see what I was up to, and how each image was shaping up. I have to confess that I was quite a novelty as most fans of these engines record their images via a camera. Here was I slapping oil paint onto a board attached to my Half French Easel. The top image was my first ever attempt at a steam engine, I had chosen to do two, nothing like double jeopardy I suppose. Anyway it was an 8" x 12" panel and it took just a little under two hours, then my subjects were on the move which forced me to finish, like it or not.

                           

The second painting again two hours in duration was some what smaller on a 6" x 8" panel at the close of the day. I made sure though that this time it was not going to suddenly move away. The owner assured me it was not and seemed delighted that I was painting his engine. In fact he made several visits to me during the painting session. He did look pleased with my efforts.

The angles were tricky I will admit, and I ended up a little too close to the left hand edge for my liking, but it is only a study for a studio image later on. It did mean that I could concentrate upon the colour and also with the drawing..

This was day one of two, as I elected to go back in the morning for a second go and paint again. I learned some valuable things from this exercise and details that will come in very handy when I get to painting the larger canvasses back in the studio.

As always I welcome your comments and please fell free to add them on this and any other posts that I leave on my blog.