Mary Beard and Prof. Green for Sky Portrait of the week challenge
Local views of summer days
A study of a tree in Norbury Park
Bartons Bookshop, Leatherhead
Norbury Park Farm
I took part in the Sky Portrait of the Week challenge. This was set up on Facebook every Sunday . I really enjoyed the weekly paint and gave me the opportunity to try painting portraits in watercolour whilst listening to an interesting conversation between artist and celebrity sitter.
Other work in May
I participated in a global sketch in May and June 2020 as a way of travelling the world from my studio. These are sketches produced over three weeks of Lockdown.
Bruges, Belgium
Kuching City, Sarawat
Petra, Jordan
Sao Luis, Brazil
Lille, France
Toronto, Canada
Riga, Latvia
Stonington, USA
Reykjavik, Iceland
Mexico City, Mexico
Newcastle, UK
Malaga, Spain
Bourtange, Netherlands
La Rochelle, France
Trafalgar Sq, London, UK
Haarlem, Netherlands
Bali, Indonesia
Dartmouth, UK
I’ve been using my sketchbook to continue with my free’er watercolour style. I’ve also entered a challenge with the Mall Galleries to paint from a live camera stream of Newlyn Harbour.
Newlyn Harbour
Mole Valley at Leatherhead
Mole Valley, Norbury
More detailed work from photos I’ve taken on walks with Molly and from the Mall Galleries feed.
Newlyn Harbour
River Mole
St Marys Church, Leatherhead
Bocketts Farm
Thorncroft Manor
With the lockdown in full force all my plein air work has been concentrated around the house and garden. I’ve been using a watercolour block with smooth paper and this has helped with more detailed work.
Molly and the shed
Quick sketch of car
The Old Apple Tree
The house opposite
Lilac Blossom
I’ve been able to spend quite a bit of time on my art this month. The work has been split into groups. Sketchbook work, Mornings in the Mole Valley and Spring sunshine.
Sketchbook
Mornings in the Mole Valley
Spring Sunshine
With the close down of everything this month the opportunities to paint plein air have been limited.
Winkworth Arboretum. a beautiful day and lovely location
Leatherhead . It was so nice to be able to just walk from home, paint , have a pint and walk back.
With the weather being so wet I’ve been working at home on commissions, local scenes, catching up and trying out new techniques.
I was very chuffed to be selected by a group of friends to paint their mate’s boat. It was a challenging commission but I felt I achieved the brief, keeping the boat accurate but enhancing the backdrop.
Hunter 350 off Dorset
Walking Molly everyday about Leatherhead I’ve forced myself to really look at scenes that represent the town/area. I’ve painted three local scenes.
Leatherhead from Norbury
Leatherhead Bridge
Leatherhead Waterworks
Molly was sunning herself on my bed and I was interested in getting this image in the style of Carl Larsson but only adding colour to the core subject.
Molly sunning herself on the bed
The art group hosted a talk on ancient Roman art and we all had a go at reproducing our own portrait. The main criteria for Roman art seems to be enlarged eyes, mascara, jewellery, simple hair technique and grey background
February has been very wet and I was amazed to have painted outdoors three times in the month.
Quite a mixed bag of subjects
Walsham Gates, Ripley
Haslemere
Bentley, Brooklands Museum
Still Life