The Last of Summer
Although I enjoy painting Autumn and Winter I have been out making the most of the last of the summer weather. Below is photo of sunrise painting – luckily finished by 7am when the fishermen arrived.
The colours are not a garish as in the photo, and once the tree line sorted back in the studio I was pleased with the result.
A few weeks ago I needed to be in London to visit family so took time out to paint on the Thames near Kew Bridge. New experiance for me, and I struggled with the bright sunlight people taking my photo every few minutes. However after a fair bit of work later I think at least one will be worth framing. I plan to go back to the Thames later in the year when the light is more interesting, but the weather colder.
Finally last week I went down to Mersea Island for the first time. A really interesting place to paint, in fact rather overwelming so I spent more time walking around sketching rather than painting, It is great that it is still a working harbour rather than a fossilied tourist trap. Of all my recent trips this was prehaps the most rewarding as a place to return to.
On the way back from Mersea Island I stopped to paint a view I knew of Manningtree. Apart for being rather blue the result was worth framing. However it was not particularly enjoyable as this chap decided to talk to me, or at me, for the whole 40 minutes or so. I normally quite like some interaction with people walking past but this guy could just not take the hint that I was trying to concentrate.
I hope this blog gives you an idea of some of the places I visit to paint. However most of my painting are still done within half an hour of home. With the days getting shorter I have to plan carefully and paint quickly to complete a painting before of after work. The paintings that I think work best are of places I know well but with an interesting light. I sold a painting at the Cambridge Open Exhibtion this weekend of an allotment I drive past everyday, but one morning the light was just special. I also have some paintings in the East Anglian Landscape Exhibition which are similar.