Apart from dodging the rain bursts I’ve been using the warmer weather to get out and about with Molly. Sometimes I’m out with Surrey Hills, others its with Leatherhead Art Club or its just Molly and me.

My focus is watercolours, using the panoramic format, which I think works well.

St Johns Road, painted while at my Open Studio

Newark Abbey, near Woking, with Molly at my side

Dorking Mill, also just Molly and me

Polesden Lacey

Reigate Priory Junior School, with Surrey Hills group

St Nicholas Ch, Leatherhead with LAC

Wey Navigation at Send with Surrey Hills group

On 22 June I made my way with Denise to Chelsea Town Hall for my fifth Pintar Rapido.  Pintar Rapido is a painting competition, where artists have to paint and frame a painting in a day and then its displayed and hopefully sold in the Town Hall on Sunday.

I took two watercolour sheets and two frames with the idea to try to paint two watercolours over the day. Two years ago I attempted an oil painting, which I didn’t finish and failed to sell. So this was a tall order. I’d planned to paint the ‘Boy & Dolphin’ statue near Albert Bridge plus the building behind it. The statue is well known and represents the area. I set up in direct sunlight, which was hot and noisy at the busy junction to the bridge. After sketching the statue and building in the sun I moved back in to shade to apply the paint. I was pleased to finish a larger format painting by lunchtime and achieve a decent representation of the view.

I met up with Denise in Battersea Park and we had a quick sandwich and drink to refresh our artistic ‘elbow’. I then took off again to find a spot to paint my second picture.

I settled at a spot just round the corner from the Town Hall and opposite the Sydney Arms. The pub was spilling out on to the pavement and they appeared to be watching the horse racing. I knew I only had enough energy to draw a part of the street and paint the the pub. I managed to make the final washes after about 90 minutes but I don’t really remember looking at the painting much afterwards. I framed and priced the two paintings back at the Town Hall and made my weary way back home.

I was with Molly when Denise contacted my to say that not only had I sold the Sydney Arms painting but that it had also won the Hampstead School of Art prize!! To sell was great but to win a prize in such a big competition (over 200 artists) was amazing and totally unexpected. To win it with the sketch/study was really unbelievable.

Use this link to see my painting and the other winners

https://www.pintarrapido.com/london/prize.html

My first Open Studio was a great success for me. Lots of lovely people came to see my work and many bought paintings, sketches and cards.

Many thanks to everyone who came to see me and Molly, it was really great to hear your words regarding my work and especially my sketchbooks. I was able to look at my work over the last three years in one place and review where I am and where I could go next.

Special thanks to Clare Conner for supporting me through facebook postings, Jade for also posting on Leatherhead Living, Annie for helping out on all three Saturday afternoons, plus friends from Leatherhead Art Club, Tango Dancers and Malden Bowmen. Cathy Brett made sure I was included on the Leatherhead trail and pushed many people on from her and Tania’s studio. Plus Jill, Linda and Brett for their OS support.

A few figures of interest from the 8 days of Open Studios

170 visitors

30 cards & 19 paintings sold

of which 3/4 were watercolours

People liked Polesden Lacey, local scenes and Venice.

So lots of things to mull over, for the future but I’m pretty sure I’ll be painting watercolour sketches in the near future.

Its been a busy month for me with my paintings being shown in many places….

Denbies Vinyard, Gallery for one week

Woodlands Park Hotel, Grounds for a day

Guildford House Gallery, Guildford – Surrey Wildlife Trust Art Competition

Surrey Open Studios, Leatherhead

I’ve been painting out where I can recently, adapting my work to a more sketchbook style, using line & wash.

I’ve really enjoyed these sessions and feel confident in creating finished but sketch based results. I’ve shown my old sketchbooks to quite a few people and they all love them, so I’m moving into producing more work like this, but not in a sketchbook. The paintings can then be framed and shown as individual pieces.

Polesden Lacey, Surrey

Gomshall Mill, Surrey

Athelhampton, Dorset

I found a photo of Laura riding her horse during a cross country competition.

I liked the simple (but complex) background, with a glimpse of the distant hills. I also liked her posture even though its not traditional ‘form’ but it is action packed, along with Candis profile.

My painting ‘Autumn Light over Headley Heath’ has been shortlisted for the Wild Surrey Wildlife art and photography competition.

My painting will appear in Guildford House Gallery from 25 May 2019 for three weeks.

Autumn Light over Headley Heath

I’ve just returned from a lovely holiday to Dorset.

I managed to find time to sketch some of the places we visited

Athelhampton Manor

Corfe Castle

Weymouth Harbour

I also found time to paint an oil at Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis

On a lovely spring morning I walked Molly down a towpath of the Wey Navigation. The River Way joins the Thames at Weybridge with a complicated network of streams, rivers, canals, locks and islands. The National Trust conserves the stretch at Weybridge with its quiet lock and keepers cottage. On the other banks are large gardens and expensive houses with their own moorings.

This area is well used by the local sporting enthusiasts especially rowers, canoeists, runners and tennis players. Of course the Dog Walkers are out in force and enjoying the unexpected warm Spring sunshine.

I took some photos on the walk and I’ve produced a couple of paintings from them.

Weybridge Ladies preparing for the morning row on the Thames

Thames Lock at Weybridge

I visited the 180th Chertsey Ploughing Match on the 24th March and took my plein air oils. I set up under a huge electricity pylon on a wonderful clear sunny morning. The old tractors, horses and mechanical ploughs were all setting up on a large open, flat field close to the river Wey.

A line of tents held refreshments, boy scouts and judges, ready for the exciting day of competitive ploughing. Over the course of the morning I received interest on how I was getting on from the visitors and organisers.

This is the picture I painted on the day, with a little finishing at home.

On the day painting

I’d taken some photos of the the event on the day and used some of them for more finished works in the studio.

Below is an oil painting of the horses Sid & Sam with their owners and dogs.

The painting below is of Sid & Sam again but painted in watercolours