A month working in the studio, completing challenges set by virtual groups. These groups continue to provide inspiration, challenges, motivation and purpose in my work. I discover new places and revisit holiday locations.

With another lockdown there are no plein air paintings to show this month. I’ve returned to the VirtualRibble Facebook group, painting both UK and International pictures from Google 360 photos. This allows me to select my own composition and create my own atmosphere.

With the return of Sky Portrait Artist of the Week I have been painting every Sunday morning whilst listening to the artist and sitter talking to each other. Very enjoyable!

Also I’ve joined another virtual art group (#virtualribble) and have been painting views from Google Street View

With mixed weather during October there wasn’t so many opportunities to paint outside this month. However, I did enjoy the times I did go out with the Surrey Hills Plein Air Group

Our holiday this year was a trip to the Lake District, a visit to Hadrian’s Wall and a week in Northumberland. I managed to find time to create a Journal of the holiday

These are paintings on various subjects produced in my studio during August

Mixed weather this month from heat wave to the coldest Bank Holiday on record! I’ve been able to get out when the weather was good and here are my outdoor paintings.

I’ve been able to get out painting this month and its been great to be able to meet up with other artists and painting in interesting locations.

Being summer there is a lot of green about and the challenge has been to make these greens work, creating an interesting composition and balanced painting.

I’ve continued to produce sketches from Google Street view as they provide a huge source of images, great locations, opportunities to compose from 360 degrees photos, from viewpoints a plein air artist would never be able to reach and I can do them quickly.

Virtualsketching closed its site on the 15th July but VirtualTravelSketch has replaced it with weekly destinations. I’m still painting plein air and there will be another post to cover these paintings.