We decided to have a few days away in Buxton, as described in an earlier blog.The weather was good even if all the galleries were closed. It did give me a chance to do some studies and collect reference material. After having breakfast in a local pub, we went for a walk and this scene stood out! The sun was just coming through an early morning mist and the colours in the foreground were highlighted.

A slightly different way of working this time as the scene had more man made elements including straight lines.

I normally work on all the canvas at once but in this instance worked mainly in one area at a time.

The top section was still misty and the colours were subdued. This contrasted with the sun hitting the grass, which was a lot brighter as was the water. 

The sun must have been near the vanishing point as the shadows reflected this.

Although building up one area at a time I was careful to use the same palette of colours so as to unify the picture. Finally adding railings at the side of the path and odd details as required.

A slightly different way of working and I will wait and see what I think of the contrasts in textured and flat areas of colour, coming back to the painting with a fresh look in a few weeks.

 I had seen the advert for this event but was not sure what it involved.
" Come ready to enjoy silly games, hear great music, win wicked prizes and most of all have a laugh, at this life drawing session with a difference!"

I decided to take the plunge and with trepidation turned up at Salford Art Gallery. Several art club members were also there as well as other artists from around the area.

The first session was an ice breaker with us all sketching with any part of our anatomy apart from our hands. Fortunately, most people chose their mouths to hold the drawing implement. This was a fun way to start.

Next the first performer stepped onto the small wooden stage and used a suspended hoop, to perform a balancing act. Then we had two short poses of about  5-10 minutes. For the second one I was fortunate enough to win a prize; a colour yourself teddy bear. One of my young relatives will be very happy!

After a short break the next performer, a colourful character, appeared and proceeded to lie on a bed of nails in several poses and then eat pieces of a broken light bulb. Again after the act she did a couple of short poses for us to draw. We were then asked to give her a name. At this point my mind froze, as did may others, and a suitable name evaded me. However undeterred I continued to enjoy the rest of the show!

The last act was a magician. He was supposed to be in costume but had split his trousers earlier; this was not part of the act. After a short introduction he did a couple of card tricks, then made ice appear from a flame before asking a member of the audience to join him. He then proceeded to guess her lock code from her phone. A useful trick if he couldn't make it as a magician! 

We then did another couple of 5-10 minute poses before having to do a quick sketch without taking our pencil etc of the paper. 

The evening drew to a close with tumultuous applause. A thoroughly enjoyable night that I'm glad to have attended and if you see this event in your area, it's a worthwhile experience to take part in and like me you could come away with a teddy or even a rubber frog!

Had an interesting time recently sorting out my storeroom and moving some of my older paintings to another room.

It seems strange that there are so many painters nowadays doing cityscapes. In the late 70's and early 80's this wasn't a popular topic. I spent many an hour capturing these scenes and was even threatened with arrest, by a security guard in Bolton, who must have thought I was planning industrial espionage. It shows how tastes change over the years and different themes become popular.  

The paintings are of the Manchester Arndale centre before a complete face-lift changed it into it's present layout. Many of the shops have been replaced by other outlets. The large seating area in the square has gone as well as the escalators. 

I suppose that these scenes would now be considered as part of Manchester's history.

On an interesting note; some of the studies that I did for these paintings are on show at the Cornerstone, Langworthy Road Salford until the end of April.  If you are in the area , why not check them out!  

Recently it was suggested I look at the work of Pierre Valon an artist I must admit I had never heard of. I found his work fascinating as he used pastel but often with a palette knife. 

Another artist people mentioned recently is Camille Pissarro. 

Finally the most famous of them all Van Gogh.

I'm not vain enough to compare myself with these greats but it's nice that people see something in my work that reflects their philosophy. 

​I have studied a lot of these artists and viewed their work in several galleries and it amazes me the effects they have achieved. They have influenced my work considerably but in all of this I hope I have found my own style. 

I believe that learning from the masters is a great foundation for a artist and should be encouraged.

I would have loved nothing more than to have sat and painted with some of them.

There is a great tradition of landscape painting in this country and although it may be slightly out of favour at this time, I believe that it should be encouraged so as to capture the countryside as it changes. 
​
Hopefully, it some small way, my paintings continue this tradition.
​

Managed to get round to a day of painting after a busy week. 
I put some of my old paintings of Manchester up at the Cornerstone, Langworthy Road, Salford, as part of The Art Of Salford Exhibition.
Wednesday was life drawing and finally today a chance to do an oil painting.
It's funny how some areas appeal more than others for ideas for paintings. Having just completed some paintings of Heaton park I now returned to Worsley again for inspiration.
I seem to have been painting pictures there for about thirty years ever since I ran the Lantern gallery in the white building at the back of the picture on the left. I amalgamated with four other artists, and  we offered a variety of crafts such as wood sculpture, pyrography and textiles, as well as my art work. 
Today's painting features a narrow stream found just as you enter the woods near the Dam. 
The woods are always a nice place for a walk at any time of year and the landscape is always changing depending on the season and lighting.
​I'm sure I will be doing several more on this theme in the future.

Really pleased that one of my paintings has been included in a display at Salford Art Gallery.
These have been printed for a corridor downstairs depicting images of Salford through the ages.
My work, from the private collection of the gallery, shows a street party celebrating the Royal wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981.
It's nice to be shown with so many well known artists from the gallery's collection and have my work recognized as being a relevant documentation of the history of the town.