I’ve managed to make every Friday paint out this month. The weather has always threatened rain but has held off on all occasions. Which has been lucky.

I’ve taken Molly a few times which restricts the composition but on the other times I’ve been able to meet up with the other artists in the pub.

Shere was the first location of the year. I painted from the Church porch due to the rain but it brightened up and the sun came out. Nice pub in the village

We held our annual lunch at Chiddingfold. Very cold and I had trouble with values and textures. So I added pastels to the church and right hand cottage. Fish and Chips.

Guildford was in a small town square and churchyard.

A very misty paint out on the Devils Punch Bowl.

My fourth graveyard on the month at Betchworth. Used different paper here for a change.

Not so much work created this month due to the exhibition and Christmas. Plus the weather has been so wet…

Above are my paintings for the 4 Surrey Artists exhibition at Bourne Hall. The show went well and I sold a couple of paintings to some lovely people. It was interesting to see all the paintings up in one place and this has given me ideas for the future.

I managed to get out a couple of times, once to the Wey… and the other to Steers Field on Ranmore Common

I’ve also been able to try some ideas out in the studio by developing other scenes from my plein air locations

 

 

 

I’ve been working in my sketchbook but from my studio recently. This approach allows me more time to think but not over think or over work the studies. They have all been of the River Wey and the Navigation Canal. This is a favorite place of mine, where I can relax, not have cars around me and concentrate on relatively simpler subjects.

 

 

Its been so wet and cold that its been really hard to get out painting. But here are some of my November results.

I’ve been try out new watercolour techniques and these are the results using Venice as a backdrop.

 

Due to our holiday to New Zealand I’ve delayed posting my plein air for a couple of months. Here some paintings from my trips out with Molly.

I managed to sketch as we traveled around New Zealand this year but everything was a little rushed.

I used three sketchbooks depending on how much time I had.

Large Sketchbook

Medium-Sized Sketchbook

Small Sketchbook

I’ve been painting on watercolour paper (W&N) on my plein air travels but I have recently returned to using my sketchbook. I bought a small square sketchbook for black & white studies, exactly like the one I used in London five years ago and have drawn a couple of sketches in between paint outs.

Also I have returned to a larger format sketchbook which has been unused for a couple of years and like the informality it offers.

Another busy month painting. I’ve returned to some of my favourite places and found some new ones with the two art groups I’m supporting.

Early August weather was wet and at times cold but the second half has been glorious.

 

Following our trip to Dorest in the Spring I’ve finally begun to get round to painting some of the places we visited. I’m using my own photos and trying some new watercolour/ink techniques.

We stayed in a village called Muckleford, which is situated by the river Frome. Every time went out we crossed the river over an old double bridge. This painting is from a photo I took on a walk to the local one evening.

Over the last couple of months I’ve been trying out layering techniques with watercolours and ink. This is an extract of a photo I took at Lulworth Cove, where I’ve taken the darks to their maximum, layered the greens and added the boat for interest.

Man O’War beach, looking over the cliff to the cove below. On the other side of the cliff is Durdle Door