Worked on the foreground of this oil of Stepper Point in north Cornwall this evening.
Off out into the Snow
I have drawn out the composition for this oil painting in charcoal. I have used a light blue layer of acrylic paint to give me a colour to work against when applying the next layer - I plan to use egg tempera for this painting (24 x18 inches).
Used egg tempera today to lay in the elements of the painting.
Across to Crouzoul
Some minor changes to this little oil.
Towards Stepper Point
The tide is coming in as I write this and I’m about to beat a retreat onto the beach. I’ve just had a wonderful hour painting a watercolour looking across to one of my favourites spots, Stepper Point, in North Cornwall.
Across to Crouzoul
Some more work this morning on this little oil looking across the valley to the hamlet of Crouzoul nestled on the southern edge of the Cévennes mountains.
Le Mont Ventoux
I painted this small watercolour of Le Mont Ventoux in Provence a couple of days ago from the terrace at my brother-in-law’s house near Avignon. The view is made more interesting by the unusual weather and shapes. As a cycling fan, this mountain is forever associated for me with some great professional races such as the Dauphine Libère and the Tour de France and in particular the British cyclist, Tom Simpson, who died on the mountain in tragic circumstances in 1967.
End of the Day on Le Grand Travers
I have begun a second oil of Le Grand Travers. This time, it is the end of the day and the sky has some pink in it as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. A family is packing up and when this oil is finished I will have added other details that you find on beaches all along the Med in the evening. It’s always an anxious moment when a painting gets underway and it’s only when you gradually move forward that you see where it will take you.
Watching from a Chair on Le Grand Travers
The first oil that I have been working on since spending a few days in La Grande Motte is this one of a woman watching her family swim from the comfort of a chair with her feet in the water. Such has been the heat this summer in the south of France. I have included the painting at four different stages. It is now finished and is for sale in the ‘Oils’ section of my website.
Watercolours on Le Grand Travers
Watercolour is the perfect medium for using on the spot when painting by the sea. Here are a few from this summer and one from 2022. They are small pieces of art in their own right and also wonderful source material for larger oil paintings.
Pines and House at Belambra, La Grande Motte
A small watercolour that I painted on the spot on this small island in one of the etangs (salt lakes) on the edge of La Grande Motte.
Siena at the Tate Modern
We visited the Tate together. St Paul’s through the high windows.
By the Edge of the Pool
Painted this afternoon at the home of my brother-in-law in Le Gard, a few miles from Avignon.
Le Grand Travers
Two watercolours painted on Le Grand Travers yesterday: one in the morning and one in the evening.
