"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)

 

Painting the Summer in Winter

Back to the seaside

The dark bleak days have arrived.
This is the time of the year that I dislike the most and struggle to keep upbeat and enthusiastic.
 This year however I have decided that my best plan of action will be to stay with the memories of the Summer , the bright colourful seaside days !
 I made sure to make as many trips to the coast that I could in preparation of the dark Winter months, I hope my plan works!
My first painting takes me back to the glorious sunshine of Worthing beach in West Sussex.
 Blue skies, fishing boats and views of the pier..

                            "Port side to Pier" Worthing, Sussex (Sold)
                                         Acrylic on canvas  

"Port side to Pier" Painting of Worthing beach, Sussex

My next seaside memory is of the people relaxing on the beach. Hot sunny days, the sound of the sea and a good bottle of wine! ;)

                                                          "Sun Soaked"
                                    

"Sun Soaked" Acrylic beach painting

Bonfires and Autumn walks. Painting the Autumn colours

Autumn walks and celebrating Newick bonfire night

Well it's been such a busy few weeks that I have only just got around to updating my blog.
Autumn's arrival meant getting out and about on the sunny days to explore and capture the wonderful colours around me.
It also brings the fun of bonfire night. It's celebrated in a big way in Sussex and our small village excels it's self with processions, fireworks and fun. It was a big part of my childhood and as much as I still love it, my days of walking miles in fancy dress with a flaming torch are now distant memories...but....I do like to celebrate by making a hat to wear, this year my theme was "Sussex by the Sea" ...of course! ;)

My "Sussex by the Sea" bonfire hat

Anyway,  between the merriment I have been busy working on three Autumn themed paintings.
 It's been a lot more colourful this year and I have enjoyed some fantastic and inspiring views on my walks around the village. .....

                                          "An Autumn morning" 

"An Autumn morning" Acrylic on canvas

                                 

                                     "Pathway to Autumn"

"Pathway to Autumn" Acrylic on canvas

                                       "A Sussex Autumn"

"A Sussex Autumn" Acrylic on canvas

Before I go.... I would just like to say a very big "THANK YOU" to those that have been kind enough so far  to take the time to vote for me  :)  Artist Of The Year 2015
 

"Pier days and Matinees" Painting Worthing seafront

Worthing pier and the Dome cinema, West Sussex

Back in the early days of  Summer our explorations took us down to the seaside town of Worthing in West Sussex. I wanted to add a new area to my "Sussex by the sea" series of paintings and I had seen a few things on the interenet that I thought would be interesting.
We were very lucky as it turned out to be the best weather of the year, just perfect for photographing the views !
I have already painted the boats and colourful houses on west beach...

"Bed, Breakfast and Boats"  Acrylic on canvas

                                                                               now  I want to cover the pier and the Dome cinema.
 Both are very dominant on the seafront and each has it's own interesting history to it . (see links below)
I had thought about painting them separately but after a lot of umming and arhhing I have decided that they would make a better composition together.
 To me they go hand in hand as they represent many many years of Worthing's seaside entertainment.
I also liked the empty deckchairs .....the best front seats  waiting for the next show....
Work in progress
                                 "Pier days and Matinees" Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"
                             

It's unfortunately not a very clear photo today, the weather's rather grim so not very good for photography. However, it does show enough to give the general idea of the composition.
It's taken about 3 days to get to this point, with so many different textures and patterns involved it will be quite slow progress. Now that I've painted in most of the first layers of paint I can start building up the depth and detail.
.......Oh the detail! I spent 6 hours painting today, mostly on the buildings in the background. Because there is so much small detail it felt like I hadn't progressed very much. I'm glad that I'm taking photos as it means I can see how much I have achieved . There's still a lot to do but the small buildings are now half way there.....

Making progress on the background detail

 After spending yesterday working on the fiddly bits I thought that today I would have a break from them and start work on the foreground . It's brought the painting together a bit more now and hopefully I will be able to finish the background tomorrow.

Making progress on painting the foreground

Oh my! Another six hours of tiny detail ! It felt a bit never ending so I decided with stubborn determination to just keep painting...finally I got there! ......
                                           

"Pier days and Matinees" (Worthing, Sussex)  Acrylic on canvas

Interesting links   :  The Dome Cinema http://www.worthingdome.com/history.html
                                Worthing pier   http://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/worthing-pier/#history

"Harvest time over Glynde" Painting the South Downs of Glynde and Beddingham

Views from Beddingham hill, East Sussex

As the Summer comes to a close the fields of the South Downs turn golden with crops  ready to harvest. My walk this time took me up Beddingham hill just south west of Lewes. The top of the hill was awash with wild flowers and grasses that seemed to dance in the breeze.
Looking north the view over the Sussex Weald  was stunning, with the village of Glynde nestled in the middle surrounded by the colourful patchwork harvest fields.
 It was just the view that I wanted to paint.....
                                     "Harvest time over Glynde"
                                  Acrylic on canvas 24"x 18"

 

Painting the view over the village of Glynde from Beddingham hill.

It reminded me of the commission work that I undertook earlier in the year for a lady in Cheshire. I don't often take on commissions but the subjects were so similar to my style that I couldn't resist....

Acrylic painting commissions "Cloud View" and "Upton Fold Farm"

"Under the Arches" Painting the cafe and Smoked Fish shop on Brighton seafront

Brighton seafront, Sussex

One of the things that I like about Brighton is the abundance of Victorian architecture . It's so flamboyant and colourful !
On a recent trip I spent some time just west of the pier, here the Fisherman's museum is situated under one of the Victorian arches of Kings Road. It's an interesting spot with  fishing boats and fresh seafood for sale as you can see in the photo above.
Next to the museum is the Smoked Fish shop and cafe where I decided to stop for lunch.
Sitting on the wall outside I was kept amused by the mischievous antics of a seagull.

He would take a few steps into the fish shop, look either way then quickly run out again. He kept this up for about ten minutes until he eventually realized that he wasn't going to be able to steal anything. The seagulls must be a real nuisance to them but it was very comical to watch.
The fish shop is adorned with a variety of signs and boards just like the cafe next to it. They're both a little quirky in appearance and blend it perfectly with their Victorian surroundings.
Originally I was going to paint them separately but because of the sloping path above them it meant that the dimensions would not work well. So I am painting them on a canvas 24"x 12" ....
There's quite a bit of detail to cover and although progress is slow it's very enjoyable to paint.
Work in progress......

                               "Under the Arches"

 Painting in the main parts of the composition

 

Today was spent making a start on the shadows and signs

Painted a little bit here, there and everywhere. It's slow work but it's now starting to come together.

....and finally after an awful lot of painting, it is all finished ....

"Under the Arches" Painting of the cafe and Smoked Fish shop on Brighton seafront

Close up view

Wall view

                                   

"Seaside Seagulls" Painting Brighton pier and seagulls

Brighton pier, Sussex

 The Summer is starting to fade away, the evenings are getting darker and the wonderful sunny days are getting less. This however does not mean I'm ready to leave it behind.... I will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the Autumn !
 I am so very reluctant to leave the Summer colours and sunshine that have inspired me over the past few months. So much so that for now I shall continue with my very own extended Summer!
My latest painting came about after watching the seagulls on Brighton beach. They get some very bad press but most of their misbehaving is brought about by people feeding them.
Their antics can be very amusing and love them or hate them Brighton just wouldn't be the same without them!
                                   "Seaside Seagulls"
                                     Acrylic on canvas 20"x 16"

"Seaside Seagulls" Acrylic painting on canvas