Paintings of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

The weather's been so wonderful that I ventured out to make the most of the glorious sunshine !
This time my quest was to explore the nature reserve at Rye harbour.
A long concrete track led me down past the old red and black hut that stands alone at the mouth of Rye harbour .

The tide was out and I was greeted by a vast expanse of sand, shingle and sea . Old weathered groynes stood like sculptures along the shore and birds scoured the shallow lagoons for a tasty morsel or two.

Low tide at Rye Harbour nature reserve

My intention was to walk out to the sea but it was so very far away that I thought it would take me forever!
Instead I sat and admired the view. It was a very hot day and the sunshine made the wet beach glisten and shine as if it was adorned with jewels ....fabulous!
 The next day I was eager to get painting !
                                         "Forever to the sea"
                              Acrylic on canvas 24"x 12"

"Forever to the sea" Painting the beach at Rye Harbour

                                                  "Old Harbour Hut"
                                    Acrylic on canvas 12" x 10"

"Old Harbour Hut" Acrylic painting

 

"Tea and a Nobbly Bobbly" Painting The Old Bathing Station kiosk at Bexhill, Sussex

Bexhill-on-sea

I've been weather watching . This time of year is so unpredictable that it's hard to plan days out.
 For good reference photos I need sunshine and good visibility. Last Saturday however looked promising so we headed off to Bexhill-on-sea.
I can't remember going there before, it has a reputation as a retirement resort so I expected it to be small and not very interesting.
I was wrong!
The De La Warr Pavilion is a creative arts center and well worth a visit if you're in the area
http://www.discoverbexhill.com/attractions/delawarrpavilion.php

The beach is much bigger than I expected with rows of beach huts and ornate shelters. It's all very clean and very white!


Now, I have nothing against white and it all looks lovely, but as an artist that paints bright colourful paintings I wasn't feeling very optimistic about finding a scene that I would like to use in a composition. But, the weather was wonderful so we took a stroll along the seafront and enjoyed the views over the sea.
We hadn't walked far when to my delight I found just what I wanted...The Old Bathing Station .
A lovely little kiosk selling food, drinks and ice creams.
I people watched for a while.
 It made me think that no matter what age you are there is something rather special about sitting by the sea with a hot cup of tea or coffee and treating yourself to your favourite ice cream :)
This I decided would be the theme for my painting.....
                                    "Tea and a Nobbly Bobbly"
                                 ( Acrylic on canvas 24"x18")
Work in progress....It's taken quite a while to sketch out the composition as some parts were a bit complicated to focus on , but as the under painting progresses then it becomes a lot easier and clearer.

Sketching in and starting to add the first layers of paint 

Next I had to add a large amount of the shadows to enable me to start work on the foreground. Whilst areas dry I  worked on the smaller details elsewhere.
 

Starting to add the shadows and finer details to The Old Bathing Station (Bexhill beach)

 Today I had a good long painting session. The kiosk is now completed and I've made a bit more progress on the other areas. Next I shall be using some really tiny brushes and start bringing the picture to life .

Completing the detail on the kiosk.

 Finally it's finished :) ....

                                  "Tea and a Nobbly Bobbly" (Bexhill)  

"Tea and a Nobbly Bobbly" Painting The Old Bathing Station on Bexhill seafront

 

"Large Cod and Chips" Painting Brighton pier and the launch of Cass Art

Cass Art store and Brighton paintings

 Not only has Spring finally arrived but my trips to Brighton have just got so much better!
Last weekend saw the launch of the new Cass Art store in the Lanes of Brighton so we popped down to have a look.
The store looks great. It's bright , spacious and easy to navigate. The products are easy to find and are at exceptionally good prices. Up until now there's been very few places to buy art supplies, just odd bits and pieces in various shops and all rather expensive . I have been ordering online but it isn't the same as actually seeing and feeling the colours and textures.

Cass Art,  Market Street,  Brighton

I had an interesting chat with the manager Stuart

a very nice man that kindly took the time to explain the vision of the future which will include coffee mornings to enable artists to meet up and share their news and ventures. I was also delighted with a gift of a goody bag to take home with me containing a selection of sample products ...

Then I found the ACRYLICS!   :)

Cass Art acrylic range

Oooooooh! The full selection and £2 a tube (150ml) cheaper than I can buy locally ! Check out their full range
https://www.cassart.co.uk/
 Oh how much brighter my trips to Brighton will be!
Now onto the painting...
 There is of course nothing quite like a Springtime trip to the seaside for blowing away the Winter cobwebs.
Wrapping up snug and warm in the chilly sea breezes whilst being mesmerized by the turbulent waves crashing down on the pebbled beach,
then warming up with a portion of steaming hot traditional British fish and chips.....perfect!

I loved the challenge of this painting. A mixture of detail and different angles. The colour combinations work really well and has a real feel of Brighton beach .
                                              "Large Cod and Chips"
                                                        Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

"Large Cod and Chips" Painting of Brighton pier and beach



I'm looking forward to the return of the Spring sunshine and continuing to add to my Brighton series of paintings (all of which are already sold.) and of course popping in to Cass Art as I pass .

Acrylic paintings of Brighton by me.... Paula Oakley

So far It's been an amazing year...
Not only have I sold 11 paintings in 10 weeks but last week .......
                                                              I got married :) <3 nbsp="" p="">                                                         

 

"Flying Time" Painting of Worthing pier

Worthing pier, Sussex

Well, the last 10 days have passed in a haze of sleepless nights and constant coughing ! I can cope with the cough but not getting much sleep just brings everything to a halt .
The most frustrating thing is that we've had some wonderful sunny weather and I've not been well enough to venture out.
I am feeling  better today and have decided to head back to last Summer when we visited Worthing .
I keep finding myself drawn to different and interesting types of architecture. Brighton pier is dominated by the Victorian curls and twirls . In contrast Worthing pier is full of curves and Art Deco influences.
 The Southern Pavilion at the end of the pier has recently been refurbished and looks rather splendid!

The Southern Pavilion on Worthing Pier

In the middle of the pier is the amusement arcade where a large Art Deco clock dominates the front of the building. I love the striking combination of the sharp lines against the curves of the structure, all topped of by the bright red sign on the top.

The Art Deco clock on Worthing Pier

This is the part of the pier that will be the main subject of my painting.
 It's here in the sunshine where you can sit and watch the seagulls swoop and fly by as they eagerly watch and wait for the fishermen to bring in their catch.

Work in progress              "Flying Time"  Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 

 I've been busy sketching out the composition . It's all very rough at the moment but at this stage all I need to do is mark in where everything will go and get the sky painted...

Sketching in the composition

  I sold a painting today so that was good news. Luckily I live just a short distance away from the post office so I didn't have to be out for long as I'm itching to get on with some more painting.
Alas not much progress today though. I have put in the first layer of the sea and started a few bits here and there....

Waiting for the sea to dry!

Lots of progress  building up the layers of paint and making a start on other areas of the composition. I've even added some of the finer detail...

Starting to build up the composition

It's now 3 days later and painting is going well!
 I had a break from it over the weekend to catch up with the boring things like housework. I can't paint if there are things to be done so a good blitz around the house leaves the coming week clear to crack on.
The composition will gradually start to come to life from now on as the finer detail is added .

Adding more depth to the colours and starting to define the smaller parts

The left hand side of the background is now complete , although using such small brushes means it is rather slow....but it's also addictive! Another 2-3 days should see it completed.
In the mean time I have sold another painting. The man in the Post Office is now greeting me with
"You again?" :)  Life is good.

Completing the left hand side of the background

So finally it's taken another 2 days of working on the detail and finishing off the remaining areas . It feels like it's been a long journey but I have thoroughly enjoyed spending my days thinking of nothing but the sunshine and seaside of Worthing beach :) ...
                                            "Flying Time" (Sold)
                            Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 

"Flying Time" Painting of Worthing pier, Sussex

"Love on a sea breeze!" Eastbourne, Sussex

Eastbourne beach and pier

February has arrived, the month of romance.
The days are getting longer and  flowers are starting to come into bloom...a sign that Spring is on the horizon.
It is a month of unpredictable weather when we wrap up warm and embrace the days of sunshine.
These are the moments that make memories.
 Moments together.
Moments that need no words......
                                        "Love on a sea breeze"
                                                Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 

"Love on a sea breeze" Painting a little romance on Eastbourne beach, Sussex

 

Sunset at Newhaven, Sussex

I don't often paint sunsets, it's a subject that's a bit overdone and not really my thing.
 However, after working on all the tiny detail of Brighton Pavilion ....

"Pavilion Pink and Ice Rink"

I wanted to paint something a bit simpler.
I was also looking for something that would not only be connected with Winter but also to fit in with my seaside collection of paintings.
There is something about the sea in Winter, it has a menacing air about it. The cold dark waters are are almost hypnotic .
Our trip took us to Newhaven, as it's a port it's not the prettiest of locations but it's easy for us to get to and ideal for taking sunset and sea photos for reference .
You can never tell how a sunset will develop but luckily for us it was just glorious!

" Then,
           for a brief moment,
                                       the skies turned to fire as the sun sank into the cold Winter sea" 

                                                            "Seaside Sunset" 
                                                             Acrylic on canvas 20"x 16"

"Seaside Sunset" Acrylic painting of the sunset at Newhaven, Sussex

 

Painting Brighton Pavilion . "Pavilion Pink and Ice Rink"

The ice rink at Brighton Pavilion

Happy New year !
I thought I would start the New Year with something colourful and challenging.
Just before Christmas we went down to Brighton to see the lights . I had not been out much as I had badly sprained my ankle so it was lovely to have a break and get out of the house.
We took a walk to the Pavilion to watch the skaters on the ice rink for a while.
 As dusk fell the buildings were lit with blue and pink spotlights. Everything looked very magical, just like something from a fairy tale!

I've painted the Pavilion before and remember how awkward it was. There's a lot of detail and unusual angles to tackle,  this time  it will be different .
I've never painted a scene that is lit by coloured lights before, it causes an array of different tones and shades that seem quite unreal. But......I do like a challenge !
Three days into the composition and I have managed to make a good start .....

Starting to paint the Pavilion

I'm working on a grid to make sure I get the angles right and prevent it all from getting too confusing! Once I have painted in the main areas I can start to build up the colours and add some detail.

Starting to build up the colours

Although progress is slow I'm happy with how it's going so far. I have also put in some simple washes of colour on the ice rink to help give me some markers for when I get around to painting it.

Making a start on the marquee

I thought today that I would have a change from the architecture of the pavilion and made a start on the marquee. It still has to have fairy lights added and a few people waiting to skate. I have also been adding more shading onto the right hand side plus the first spotlight.

Adding a bit more to the background

 Busy now making progress on the right hand side , also the other spotlight and some finer detail that doesn't really show on a photograph. I'm probably about half way through now.

Working on painting the Brighton ice rink

 It's now 10 hours further on into the painting. The buildings on the right hand side are now finished and I have started to paint in the reflections on the ice . All still going well and should be finished in a couple of days :)
Well, it's not a couple of days, it has become so addictive that  I decided to knuckle down and get it finished.  So here is the final result ....
                        "Pavilion Pink and Ice Rink" 

"Pavilion Pink and Ice Rink" Acrylic painting of Brighton Pavilion

                          Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"x 0.5"

Wall view

 Cards, prints, cushions, bags available http://www.redbubble.com/people/poak/works/20320237-pavilion-pink-and-ice-rink
Whilst painting I have also contributed to an article for Voluntary Arts about getting inspired for the New Year  which you can see here ... http://www.voluntaryarts.org/2016/01/11/new-years- resolutions-painting/

"Naps, Tatts and Doughnuts" Painting a very British day on Brighton Pier

Brighton Pier

This Christmas I have decided not to paint anything festive, instead I am going back to the wonderful hot sunshine days of Summer !
Several of my trips this year took me down to Brighton, it's only 18 miles away from my home and as I don't drive it's not only easy to get to but also one of the most colourful resorts.
I love wandering along the Pier, it captures such a typical atmosphere of a traditional British seaside.
Ice cream, sticks of rock, candy floss, fun fair, deck chairs and much much more!
As a bit of fun I thought I would create a composition that would capture a little of the seaside spirit.
It's going to be slow progress and probably won't be finished until the New Year but it will definitely be fun to paint!
Work in progress ......   "Naps, Tatts and Doughnuts" 
Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18" 

Starting to paint a lighthearted scene of Brighton Pier

  It's taken quite a while to sort out the composition and each part will take several layers of paint to achieve the depth that I want. There's a lot of fine detail to work on and add as I progress.

Gradually bringing the painting to life

 Little by little the painting comes to life. I'm about two thirds of the way through it now. The shadows and highlights start to bring the painting "alive" and the title makes more sense !

Christmas day has now passed and I've been busy painting between cooking  lots of festive goodies .
It's taken longer than any other painting I have worked on but I have enjoyed every brush stroke. 
So now finally I have finished my last painting of 2015 :) 

                                 "Naps, Tatts and Doughnuts" 

"Naps, Tatts and Doughnuts" Painting a lighthearted scene of Brighton Pier, Sussex

 

"Lunch in the Lanes" Painting The Lanes, Brighton

The Lanes, Brighton

I have decided to give myself a challenge and paint a Summer time scene from one of my visits to The Lanes in Brighton.
The Lanes  were once part of a small fishing village. Then the Victorians sought the therapeutic benefits of sea-water and the popularity of Brighton expanded into the town we know today .

There is an intricate maze of twisting alleyways, with a wonderful mix of history, shops,pubs and cafes. The atmosphere in the Summer sunshine is positively bubbling .
I have chosen a scene that contains many different elements , architecture, shops, cafe, trees and flowers...

Work in progress...
                                              "Lunch in the Lanes"
                                                    Acrylic on canvas 18"x 24"

Day 2 of painting The Lanes in Brighton

So far I have spent 13 hours on the composition. There are some awkward angles to get right and plenty of detail ahead. For now though I need to build up the base colours, it's time consuming but worth the effort !

Day 3 of painting The Lanes

 I am pleased to sat that I made good progress today. I've been flitting about painting a bit here and there and have made a good start on the foliage and flowers as well .

Day 4 and 5, starting to add the detail

 The weekend's progress has been much slower. I'm now working with very small brushes and gradually adding some of the detail. All going well so far and I'm enjoying painting process. It has a lot of different things in it which keeps me enthusiastic to add something new each day .

Well, with progress on the slow side I decided not to post  any more works in progress. It would be very boring to see so little change! It has taken a lot of work to complete but it has been fun !

                                            "Lunch in the Lanes"

"Lunch in the Lanes" Acrylic on canvas  (Brighton)