Princes Bridge & St Mary Radcliffe spire, Bristol Dock

 The paintnigs below were made specifically and entered for the Bristol Art Prize 2013
The light was often so interesting, but changeable I therefore decided to do two frame together and show them as a Diptych. 

      

  I quickly blocked in the basics sitting at the harbour  ......
.... and nearly got blown into the water, and all the equipment too  during the second sitting the following day,

These received a "Highly Commended" tag, but sadly that doesn't come with a useful ££Prize.
However congratulations to the winners, there were some worthy paintings.

Bristol Dock,

Bristol Dock, with Princes Bridge in the distance, my designated place in the Bristol Art Prize 2013 competition. This is quite large for a plein air painting - 34" x 18" (86cmx46cm). I spent three good sessions there
There a re still bits to improve though it has just been uploaded, submitted to the competition . Competitions are a weird process. Still, worth a try....

Cloud Study from Redhorn Hill

A STORM CLOUD OVER WILTSHIRE

This  180deg scenic view is comprised of five photographs stitched together - taken from the escarpment of Salisbury plain, from Redhorn Hill above Urchfont. It was  a slow moving scene,  so I tried to paint it but at the same timeI realized my puny 14" x 10" painting  board would not capture the grandure. I'd only just managed to get a little of the scene downbefore being  driven to shelter by  a stormy downpour. .
The result is I've bought more 3mm ply and have cut much longer format boards for future works i.e 30" x 10", Hoping I can capture something worthwhile on them   .......

Visit the larger version here on Flickr

Straw bales over Little Cheverall

Catching the late summer sun ....

 an evening or two later.

Clouds above Everleigh military base

Returning from Hungerford last Monday bank holiday, there were great cumulus clouds slowly billowing above. Recognizing a place where I'd painted before at Everleigh, I stopped and did these two.

Probably too much grass and not enough cloud

Plein Air Painting days at Great Chalfield

I am planning a series of plein air paintng days with and aim to help people  who would like to try painting directly in the landscape.
It is a very challenging way of working, out in the elements,  but the results can be so rewarding bringing fresh surprises and paintings with a sense of fresh vigour, studies of landscape which one could hardly dream up in the studio. The resulting work also is great material for developing larger paintings in the studio.
At the moment the plan is to organize the days to record the changing seasons in the outlying farm estate surrounding the National trust property at Great Chalfield. 

Wheat Stacks (Stooks)

 Quick study of sheaves, stacked in groups of eight.

10" x 12" (oil on Panel)

 

 

More Evening skies at Cheverell

As with last post, both of these were painted very speedily on the same evening.

(Oil on gesso ply  6" x 8" approx)

Evening Sky over Great Cheverell and Littleton panell

Both of these were painted very speedily on the same evening.

After the first drama I turned 90deg to my right to do the second as light faded

(Oil on gesso ply  6" x 8" approx)