WOODLAND AT DUSK

 

I was walking through the wood one evening when I saw this scene before me. The sky had taken on an amazing clarity (as is often the case in winter) and the lower sky merging into the horizon as the light diminished. The woodland floor quickly faded into dark but water from recent heavy rains reflected both the trees and the sky. I painted it almost exactly as I saw it - perhaps deleting some of the branches to allow more of the sky effect to come through but keeping much of the mystery that I saw and felt. This watercolor was painted on Arches paper, size 11 x 7.5 inches (28 x 19 cm).

EVENING CLOUDS

 

Standing on the edge of the marsh, I watched with avid anticipation as the sun slowly set over the water. Somehow I knew it would be a magical evening and as I stood and watched, I managed a few smaller studies until there was no light left to see. Some of the remnants of light were cast on the rippled water and was the inspiration for this painting. I did a larger version back in my studio after going through my studies and if I remember correctly, this one was 12 x 16 oil (30 x 40 cm). Setting out to capture something of what I saw and felt that evening, I adapted the tonal range to a mostly dark foreground with only lighter patches in the sky and water. This one was a favorite of mine and I hope to be able to do more like it.

As I sit here on this cold new years' day, I look out my studio window to see light snow drifting down. It has started to coat the ground now. As heavier snow rolls in, I can't see the river any more. Earlier I had got up very early when it was still dark hoping to see the sun rise but it has been cloudy all morning. There are the occasional break in the sky so I'm hoping for perhaps some sun and a warmer day than yesterday when it didn't rise above freezing! Here is hoping that it is warmer in your part of the world and it remains for me to say thank you for visiting my blog over the years. Wishing you a Happy New Year! Hoping that 2026 brings you everything you desire including health, wealth and happiness!

OLD WINDOW

 

Most of the time when I was travelling around Europe, I gravitated towards the older parts of the city. I always found much more of interest there and also lots of painting subjects! I saw this old window in a small town in Portugal and immediately started a painting of it. The glass was all gone along with one of the horizontal frames too. Most of the paint was heavily distressed and starting to peel creating smaller textures within the whole. Along with the mid-day sunlight and the resulting shadows made it for me an irresistible subject. The heavily textured wall was also an attraction although I left out some of the heavy cables than ran nearby. This watercolor is 11 x 7.5 inches (28 x 19 cm).

EARLY AUTUMN SUNRISE

 

Walking down to nearby fields in the dawn , I set up my easel to paint the sunrise. I had to work very quickly and chose to capture the time before the sun appeared over the horizon. There were only a few clouds in the sky so after laying in the background, these went in quickly. The foreground consisted of mid to dark level tones and were painted in using mostly raw umber with some yellow ochre for the lighter grasses. For me, paintings like this are an important reminder to spend more time outside capturing the surrounding landscape along with the many variations of the sky - some of which still astound me even after all these years. I did this oil painting on a board primed with gesso, size was 8 x 10 inches (20 x 25 cm).

SUNDOWN - LAKE ANNA

 

This lake was situated only a few minutes from where we lived so when I saw interesting clouds forming in the evening, I would quickly walk down to do some sketching. Usually a small color study would follow trying to capture something of what I saw. Often this work wouldn't lead to any new paintings but sometimes I would have enough to complete a smaller study like the one shown here. This was an oil on canvas, size 8 x 10 in ( 20 x 26 cm).

EARLY EVENING SKY

 

In this painting, I almost completely focused on the sky which was full of vivid color as the sun lowered towards the horizon. Sometimes the color seems too intense and I have to decide carefully what it is that I want to capture. Although some of my studies are true to life, they sometimes end up looking a little unreal especially when I use the strong reds and pinks that are so often seen at dawn and dusk. In this smaller work, reflected light from the sky illuminates the field which as been tilled - those lines running to a distant treeline which helps give the painting some depth. If I remember correctly, this one was a 9 x 12 in (23 x 30 cm), oil on canvas.

LATE EVENING - BLACKWATER

 

This study was part of a large series of works done in and around Blackwater near Cambridge on the Eastern Shore. I remember the long drive from home to get there but it was always worth the trip. In this painting, I was exploring the relationship between the land and the sky which is a feature in a lot of my work. Here the sun had already set but lingering color within the clouds kept me closely observing the gathering dusk. I never know what to expect, at times it seem as if the light show is over but then something else amazing happens and I wish I could capture that too! Unfortunately I can only paint one painting at a time but perhaps should learn how to jump between a few different ones at the same time. I think this was a 9 x 12 in, (23 x 30 cm), oil on canvas.