Simple Greys

NFS

This is a simple study using greys - greys can be many different coloured greys :-) This little painting is 7"x 4". Blogs will return to normal after so long away from my painting - life has been more than just a little busy for me this year. x

'Early Morning Dubai Greens'

NFS

I just love the tree forms on the Emirates Hills golf course. This is just a quick study in 'Greens' with the tower blocks towering behind :-) xx

'Iridescent Beads'

NFS

Capturing iridescence in oil paints is difficult................... lots of layering up of different hues of different values. The term 'iris' means rainbow so it is important with iridescence to capture the wavelengths of white light, so back to ROYGBIV of my former years as a scientist  :-) xx

'Golden Piglet'

NFS

This study focuses on getting lustre into a painting - hence the little piglet money box. I have also linked it to some colour studies ................ little piglet does look as though he wants to take flight ;-) xx

'Enjoying the Sunshine'

NFS

A quick block study in water soluble oils............... and enjoying the sunshine of sandy city :-)

'the Elk tree'

NFS

This is a large painting, inspired by a Richard Robinson class online. It is still very much a 'work in progress' and already has a wall in our house to be! ;-)

'Coast Care'

NFS

A quick study........... attempt 2 of a seagull :-) The weather is terrible for getting a true colour shot. The original is sharp, bright and full of light. Again I am working on values and hues, as I venture towards the end of my third year with VAA. I think this shows that I have returned to 'my style' ..... with greater knowledge of the 'hows and whys'.

'Dubai Course Trees'

NFS

Time for reflection on values, form and notan.............. now it's a case of matching my hues to value, whilst not losing the notan ;-)

This was a study in acrylics in the warm sunshine......... paints quickly became plastic, but actually this proved no problem - and no wet painting to carry home.

'Land of Fire and Ice'

 NFS

This painting is on a larger canvas than I normally use for my studies, a 10" x 12" canvas board. My New Year's resolution is to plan more and sketch out ideas with value patterns before I start to paint. To bring this sense of discipline ''is needed if I want to make progress and develop paintings that 'work' to the human eye.

I used my December calendar page as the inspiration and developed a zig-zag composition designed to take the eye from the ice keyhole at the bottom - across the yellow water - to the mauves - over the volcanic coast where the sunlight hits - up the edge of the cloudline - and across to the mountain. I am happier with this one :-) a good start to 2013.

'Reflected Light study'

NFS

A quick light study after many weeks away from painting............ feeling that the 'eye' is there for colour and I must find time to do some finer brushwork and include people in my compositions :-)

'Shoreline Prussian Blue'

NFS

Another shoreline study. This palette did not have Mars black, so I opted for Prussian blue instead to create my darks. I haven't used this hue before in this way....... but I am quite pleased with the result. Weeks of studying the light and dark patterns in clouds has begun to pay off too. Maybe the background is a little too stylistic? ....... but study completed :-)

'Autumnal Shore'

NFS

This is a quick study using a spectrum palette 'set' my my VAA tutor. Having spent a while studying clouds and skies recently I tried to make use of this with the lights and the darks of Form too. 

'Misty Morning'

NFS

This quick study is one of my 'Colour' assignments. I am learning how colour saturation and value turn Form together, rather than just using values alone. This was a quick study of a ewe sheltering away from the mizzle, gazing at her yearling lamb intent on eating rather than shelter. The pale green of the meadow has photographed too yellow in hue.....

'Shadowed Skink'

NFS

Lots of studies for shadows, values, and hues......... inspired me to paint this little skink. It is an interpretation of a photograph taken in Zambia this year.

'Nocturne'

NFS

I have been busy studying light, clouds and skies this week...... brushing off my physics knowledge and applying those principles to a new brush and oils ;-)

'Bella of South Kensington'

NFS

This is a line study, and the last of this series on composition. Walking from the tube to the Royal Marsden I pass this lovely statue to Bella Bartok. So the composition of lines just had to include him. It is also an analogous split complimentary palette of colours I would not normally choose, but the poster on the side of the telephone booth was bright yellow and it was this which had drawn my eye.

'Dart Lines'

NFS

A painting showing an interrelationship of line between the soft lines of the landscape curving down to the water, against the hard lines of the man made steps + rail + tables + lamp. I was using up paints left on my palette and actually enjoyed painting with the browns and the greens :-)

'Cool Blue Dart'

NFS

Lunch on the Dart about twelve days ago, and a quick photo lead to this study. The 'Narnians' of Totnes would say that it was dull and grey that day :-) and it was, so I took the liberty of raising the key of the painting. This is a quick study for 'graceful line' and my VAA studies.

'Newport Creek'

NFS

This is a large brush study against the clock. It was a 30 minute study, and instead of 'fiddling with form' I focused more on large masses, light, and atmospheric perspective, using a limited palette - and it worked for me ;-)

'Catamaran Park'

NFS

This is a quick brushwork assignment to evoke perspective. I emphasis the 'quick' ;-) element. I used a very old photograph of just the boat masts since they made an interesting pattern just like tree trunks. It was also fun to have thick creamy paint to move around the canvas.