Blossom tree's

Blossom tree's painted yesterday at Westcliff parade. 

Selfies

Self Portrait

Oil on board 20" x 24" 

Osbournes Old Leigh High Street

Osbornes Old Leigh

Oil on board 12" x 16"

I very nearly finished this painting yesterday afternoon except for a couple of details like a bit of lettering on the sign that need tickling into shape.   Last year I got into the habit of sketching before teaching my classes on a Wednesday morning.   This year I thought I'd try and get into some early morning painting,   It was raining to start with and the light was so flat though that I managed to carry on in the afternoon.    I've fancied painting this view for a wile now.   A couple of years ago I  painted this one from the spot about where the bin lorry is but looking the other way and on a sunny day.

A bit more of Paint Out Norwich

River Wensom 

Oil on board 10" x 12"

Here's a couple more paintings from way back in October that I painted on my second day at Paint Out Norwich.  I've got some of these up at the moment at Milly's Deli in Leigh Road.    I started my second day with a stroll down the river Wensom and the intention of not taking on too much as I'd been a bit pushed to get my painting completed in the three hours allowed on the first day.

Abbots Bridge 

12" x 16" Oil on board

After completing my river picture I wondered on a bit further and came across Abbots Bridge which I'd spotted a couple of days before and thought would make a great subject.   I loved the way the light was catching the bridge at the time and the different textures of the stonework.   The painter on the bridge was Tanya Pawsey who painted a lovely view looking down the river.

River Wensom from a Canoe

10" x 12"

On the other side of  Bishops Bridge was the Red Lion pub with pub and paddle canoes that Paint Out Norwich had organised for the event.    I wondered over for a closer look decided to give it a go! I've never painted afloat before and the rather rough looking painting above was my effort for the afternoon.   A great experience all the same but rather difficult to paint with the canoe drifting around!    Here's my set up and a local on lookers.

Sunset Norwich 

8" x 8" 

The day ended with a climb up to the castle were Jerome Hunt and I had a go at painting the sunset which we just about manged before the castle security started to lock up the gates.

Art at Milly's - Paint Out Norwich.

Elm Hill  Oil on board 16" x 12"  £225

Over the last few years I've been showing my work at Milly's Deli in Leigh Road, which has also been my venue for the Leigh Art Trail since 2009.   

I swap the work around on a fairly regular basis and this time I thought I'd show a few of my paintings from  Paint Out Norwich for the next few weeks.

Paint Out Norwich is a plein air painting competition I took part in last October.    

The rules were that we should paint for a maximum of 3 hours, work directly from the subject and not use photographs.   
Elm Hill was painted on the first day of the competition and was a real struggle to get finished in the time.   I defiantly took to much on with this one for the time I had!

Thorpe Bay Beach

Today's little painting outing took me to Thorpe Bay Beach.   I was intending to just sketch out the main shapes ready for a sunrise visit another day but I rather liked what I saw and decided to crack on with the view anyway.   It's painted in Acrylics as I wanted to get a bit of practice in ahead of a demo I've got coming up as I rarely use acrylics in my own work.   I'll take a better photo another day and I think I will work a little more on the beach but as the light was fading it was time to stop.

Yippee Snow!

Hadleigh Castle - Oil on board 10"x10"

I was so exited this morning as last night it snowed here in sunny Essex!  I think the last time I can remember us having any proper snow was in 2013.   It didn't stick around for long but thankfully co-incided with me having a painting morning.   This was the second of my sketchy paintings.  I've never seen Hadleigh Castle in the snow so I was keen to take a peak!