painting wales diary

Gold

2011-11-11T03:31:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 8x12"

Gold

in Builth Wells

Autumn is even better than normal

here in Wales

so mild and so colorfull

...lucky painters!

Autumn in Wales

2011-11-04T03:03:00.000-07:00

acrylic on panel 6x10"

Autumn in Wales is amazing

here is a wonderful critique by Tony Moffitt

of my work at Artist.Blog.Critique.

thanks Tony!!

caution the road is wet

2011-10-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

acrylic on panel 8x10"

caution the road is wet

driving in Wales in Autumn

herfst boom in amsterdam

2011-10-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 8x12"

herfst boom in amsterdam

Dinefwr castle

2011-09-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

this is Dinefwr castle near Llandeilo

Barcelona,Montjuic

2011-09-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

acrylic on panel 9x12"

Barcelona seen from the Montjuic park

we biked all the way up there,down hill

all the way back to the beach...dash and splash!!

Barcelona

2011-08-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

two little studies done on my pochade box,during our wonderful time in Barcelona

the top is the unmistakable Gaudi Cathedral Sacrada Familia....looking very organic and full of tourists

and below as a contrast one of the many lovely squares....full of local life...

both oil on panel 5x8"

Tour de france 2011

2011-07-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 8x12"

yes it is that time of the year again

one track mind focused on le tour

painting like mad,just the way i like it!!

paintingletour

Summer in Wales

2011-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x11"

see trhat tiny bit of blue in the sky?

that's our summer....

the way

2011-06-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x12"

this my favourite road in Wales

not only is it stunning...

it's the way to my sweetheart...

Emma's place

2011-06-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x12"

this is lovely Emma's house in Blackwood Wales...

sheltered in a valley surrounded by green and plenty of flowers

you can hear the river and the blackbirds love it too...

and i'm so excited about my painting class/holiday in bella Italia
come and join me,painting the magic light of Tuscany........
let me show you how I do it,there is a simple and easy way....
and then there is gorgeous food, wine, and fun company.
breathe in the culture of one of the most beautiful parts of the world
its light, its history its scenery!!!!!!! and take back your warm memories
in paint...please visit Tuscana Americana for more info
http://www.toscanaamericana.com/robijbemapleinair.html

Rhododendrons

2011-06-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 9x12"

cemetery's are beautiful and peaceful places to paint

a wonderful occasion to concentrate and be....

Blackwood bridge

2011-05-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

Blackwood bridge

a bit of a challange this one

with the wind and all those lines
with the knives and the woods...

Cardiff bay-Panarth

2011-05-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

lovely sunny day at Cardiff bay

good company and plenty of refreshments

cheers!

Bluebell heaven

2011-05-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

it wasn't hard to paint back in Wales,

i mean look at it,
bluebell heaven,

there were even unicorns!

last tullips

2011-05-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

good morning..more tullips!?

oil on panel 7x10"

hard to believe all these tullips are gone

only these paintings are lasting....

oil on panel 8x10"

last light...

more tullips and things

2011-05-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

in the morning
a break from the tullips
like being in mini wales
daffs and bluebells

oil on panel 8x10"

back to what we came for,

trying to capture those bloody red tullips....

oil on panel 8x10"

these tullips need a constant supply of water,
tractors pump the water from little"slootjes" canals
and pull sprinkelers across the fields....

i didn't even try to make the colors look like receding
they didn't seem to in reality...

oil on panel 8x10"

at the end of the day we both painted this little dike house house,
rene painted it from the other side...
i don't know why,cos the light from the front was so nice....

Noord Holland

2011-04-26T04:39:00.000-07:00

yellow morning...

oil on panel 8x10"

just got back from a mad week in holland

first we painted the tullip fields in the north of holland

with Rene plein air and Alberto Valentini....

red hot

oil on panel 8x10"

we raced our bikes from field to field,the weather was hot and the colors and smells so intense

we ended several days with headaches...things were so hectic,at one point i wasn't sure wether

i was setting up my easel or breaking it down...

oil on panel 8x10"

one of the hardest things was composition...holland is so flat and the bulb fields so straight

really could see how Mondreaan and Rietveld started to paint/design abstract...

Evening

oil on panel 8x10"

the evenings were the best,things cooled down and colors warmed up in the evening sun

after a little siesta it was fine painting...

more paintings and pics will follow

went to amsterdam as well...

school run blossom

2011-04-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 7x10"

every spring these blossoms are calling me...

they are on the school run and this year i stopped

Happy Willow

2011-03-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

happy willow

more spring anyone?

Dollynwydd

2011-03-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 10x7"

Spring in Dollynwydd

i'm so lucky!

we're so lucky!

Yellow

2011-03-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

everything is yellow here in Wales

the glory of spring,

fresh new beginnings

and lots of painting!

diggers for daffodils

2011-03-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 7x10"

Hooray! it's Spring!

it's Sunday and it's sunny

and even the Newbridge roadworks look happy

diggers for daffodils

little stream

2011-03-01T07:11:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 8x10"

our painting class was blessed

with some welcome sunshine

so we spend the morning

by the calming sounds

of the stream and the birds

you can see the progress of the classes here

painting wales

thanks rosie!

nearly spring

2011-02-21T05:53:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 8x10"

hang in there folks

Spring is just round the corner...

this was a little demo

for the painting class

we are runing at the

Ashfield community Howey

sun and geese

2011-02-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 7x9"

the sun was out and i treated myself to a nice bike ride

feel a bit under the weather with this flu bug going round...

still...managed to put some colors down...
but couldn't be bothered to finish it.

Trembyd

2011-01-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 8x10"

this is the drive up to Dave's place

some sundays we go up there to meditate

drink tea and meet friends

today i went early to paint

such a lovely day...

frozen colors,river Wye

2011-01-23T03:03:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 8x10"

frozen colors,

river Wye

snow covered bikes

2011-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 8x10"

snow covered bikes in Amsterdam

Skating Vondelpark

2011-01-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 8x10"

skating in the Vondelpark,Amsterdam

Amsterdam St Nicolaaskerk

2011-01-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 8x10"

I'm still there...

Amsterdam

2011-01-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 8x10"

just back from a week Amsterdam

it was a miracle we made it

this winter weather is crazy...

we had a fantastic time

most of it, biking and skating

electric Santa

2010-12-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 6x10"

happy everything everybody!

more white stuff

2010-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

acrylic on panel 8x10"

don't think anybody is going anywhere today

these must be the easiest cars i have painted

Brecon road

2010-12-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

acrylic on canvas board 8x10"

Brecon road

painted from the comfort of our home

snow can take on some strange colors

this painting was featured over at
Katherine Tyrrell's excellent blog
Making a Mark
and
the art of landscape
all you need to know about painting is there
how does she do it!

back garden

2010-11-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 5x8"

still enjoying the snow

-18 c (-04f) last night

Builth Wells

2010-11-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x9"

it is never easy adjusting to the snow
the light and contrasts are so different
today was a lot more bearable than yesterday
so nice to stand there in the sun and snow
things are really quiet...
oil on panel 7x10"

Cattle market snow

2010-11-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 7x11"

Brrrrrrrrrrr
crazy farmers...poor sheep

Newbridge bridge

2010-11-24T03:27:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 7x11"

Newbridge is getting a new bridge

what a mess

thought i join the workers for a bit

you don't want to paint this on a nice day...

and this was the scene behind me

a solitairie duck

surrounded by nothing but mud

not a blade of grass insight

November

2010-11-19T04:19:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 7x11"

a typical November day here in Wales

this is the little chiurch on top of Llandewr Cwm

Metropole hotel

2010-11-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

acrylic on paper 6x9"

Hotel Metropole

Llandrindod Wells

Autumn,light effects on the last leaves

Victorian Buildings and a bit of paint

we don't need much,do we?

cattle market

2010-11-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 7x11"

this is the cattle market,here in Builth Wells

it is busy,smelly,noisy and a feast for the eyes

especially with these autumn colors

sunnytown

2010-10-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 5x8"

today i painted sunnytown

Builth Wells on a good day...
Autumn is perfect!

Brilliant trees

2010-10-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 5x8"

Brilliant trees

so many trees,so little time...

Wexford plein air festival,Ireland

2010-08-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

Wexford oil on panel 8x10"

The 3d annual Wexford art in the open festival was another great success.the weather wasn't great but the spirit of the people made more than up for it.

Enniscorthy,oil on panel 8x10"

not sure what i enjoyed more the painting or the nights in the Irish pubs,

luckely i didn't have to choose!

i felt privileged to be part of the great Michael and Michael show!

check out their work from the same event
.

"stuff" (hamilton and son) oil on panel 8x10"

i felt quite rusty,haven't done much plein air at all this year...

let that be a warning to you all...keep at it!

i struggled and was glad just to get a few done

photos,Wexford Open 2010

2010-08-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Johnstown Castle

2010-08-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

we (the plein Ire group and guests) had a little warm up

at the the walled gardens at Johnstown Castle,

in preperation for the 3rd anual plein air festival in Wexford,Ireland

Evening

2010-06-06T04:31:00.001-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

the evenings seem to last forever these days

so nice to be out,be among all this wonder...
.

managed to take some pics of the steps i take

here i loosely draw in the scene with very thinned paint

(perm red with cad yellow)

painting in the darks (perm red,ultra m. blue,bit of yellow,bit of white)

paying close attention to the values

adding colors...and then i got lost in it all and forgot to take more pics

still hope this gives you a rough idea..
.

Biking,Bluebells and a Wall

2010-05-31T12:34:00.001-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"
.
I'm Knackered!
biked all the way up these hills
to paint these bluebells for you
not to far but oh so steep!
well worth it though,got some
white blossoms as a bonus
and downhill all the way
weeeeh!
.

and this is what this same place

looks like in winter

front garden

2010-05-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

.
front gardens are the best
we can all enjoy them!
.

bluebells baby!

2010-05-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

love painting these,,magic!
smell nice too!

rapeseed field

2010-05-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

it's amazing standing in these bright yellow fields,
if not a little smelly,so this had to be done quick!

Tulpen

2010-05-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

where ever we live,i make sure to plant some tulips

yes,a bit of holland in the garden,

not as many as rene has been painting,

but still enough to warm the old cockels

after a cold dark winter.

so much fun putting on pure pigments!

old and new

2010-04-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

i was taken by the spring light shining through the old dry brown leaves off the hedge and the fresh new daffodils
besides it was about time our garden got some attention
.

Anna's place

2010-04-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x8"

another day,another friends place
this is lovely Anna's house
it is a perfect little place
especially to meditate

and eat cake
so peaceful...
and of course daffodils

catching a sunny day.

ting!

glorious lane

2010-04-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 9x12"

a good friend asked if i could paint his lane,

every spring it is lined with these thousends of daffodils,he planted,

going on for more than a mile,simply glorious!

and it was such a lovely hazy day

spring

2010-03-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 8x7"

chasing the last snow

acrylic on paper 5x7"

and another mountain view from the window

march

2010-03-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

acrylic on paper 7x5"

lovely days these days

here are two little sketches from our view...

hopefully the first of many

home at dusk

2010-02-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

after yet more snow

Aliens

2010-02-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

walked into these strange err things

they looked like a cross between palm trees and hay stacks

together with the snow patches an interesting sight

i think i've got them figured out by now...but

do you know what they are?

more snow

2010-01-31T08:31:00.000-08:00

oil on board 6x8"

got another helping of the white stuff

last night

time for some more snow practice

Bryn Rhydd

2010-01-22T04:43:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

i tell you

this place is wasted

on me

it is so beautiful

it's a crime

not

to paint it everyday

Hungry Blackbirds

2010-01-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

you don't often see blackbirds together

but with all this snow it is hard for them finding food

they are constantly asking us to put food out,

i happily oblige,keeps them in the same spot...to paint

hope you feed your birds...

B roads

2010-01-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

most of the minor roads here in wales are not cleared or gritted,

without a 4x4 you don't go anywhere if you live rural...

Snowed in (again)

2010-01-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

yes snowed in again...

got food for two days and plenty of paint...

the postman

2009-12-26T03:15:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

still enjoying the snow!

a day in the snow

2009-12-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

sun and snow and the beautiful welsh landscape...

i've had my x-mass present early!

all three oil on panel 6x8"

marry holidays everyone!

Lorry

2009-12-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 6x8"

more wind and rain

great for a little on the road painting

the sparrowhawk

2009-12-17T01:38:00.000-08:00

oil on panel 5x8"

finishing off this painting,i was thinking of a title,something like,boring lane or flat,flat light,

as suddenly all the little singing birds went quiet and there it was,

the title for my painting

shooting just a few inches off the ground,a sparrowhawk following the road,

no doubt trying to surprise those singing birds

so exciting!

winter morning

2009-12-09T04:38:00.001-08:00

oil on panel 8x10"

and now for something a bit more sunny,

just got the dates in for my plein air workshop in Tuscany,Italy

next spring April 14-21 2010

so if you are still planing for your 2010 holidays...

and fancy enjoying learning and painting a slice of heaven...

experience the thrill and beauty of a wonderful part of Italy,

take memories you've created home with you!

This workshop is for beginners to advanced artists

and will be conducted on outdoors location.

Picture Yourself...

among the sights and sounds of beautiful and romantic Tuscany: olive groves, vineyards, centuries-old buildings, winding streets, texture and vibrant sunlight.

Feel Yourself...

in the warm ambiance of Cortona, overlooking Lake Trasimeno and the Val di Chiana, originally fortified by the Umbrians, claimed by the Etruscans, touched by the Renaissance, almost unchanged for centuries, one of Tuscany's jewels.

Experience...

the joy of painting en plein air in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere with expert instruction and the camaraderie of a small group of learners.

Enjoy...

great Italian food, delightful wines, new friends, breath-taking vistas, history and the hospitality of the people of Cortona.

for more info

please visit the Toscana website

winter soup

2009-11-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

acrylic on paper 9x9"

when it's wet,windy and dark for four weeks of the month

nothing will cheer you up like a home made vegatable soup,

its true!

Moody study

2009-11-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

. oil on canvas 7x10"

managed to drag myself outside to enjoy the weather

it was drap,grey,foggy,drizzely and mucky,

wich was enjoyed by yours truly and some sheep

Fall by the Wyeside

2009-10-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

i know,i know,

it's been tooo long.....a month without a plein air,eek!

so to make it up to you,some fireworks from the car park!

did this scene last spring as well see here

it was a bit of a squeeze,

nice how you can see the scene reflected in the cars

Walk

2009-09-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 7x10"

went for a walk with some good friends this sunday

that is Dave over there

Wales is amazing!

Fluffy Thistles

2009-09-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x9"

autumn evenings are the best

especially in wales

and if you're a painter of course

Kamperen in Nederland

2009-09-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

camp fire (rene & annette)

oil on panel 6x9"

we spend a couple of lovely days

with rene and annette on this beautiful dutch campsite

it is rare to find a bit of quiet nature in holland...

so i'm not going to tell you were it is,hehe

old citroen camper van

oil on canvas 8x10"

rene did a great version here

Rugby practice

2009-09-03T02:44:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x9"

felt very privileged when i wondered into this little scene last evening.

the rugby pitch in Builth Wells,with the very last burst of the low sun,

the sounds of the boys killing each other...

and all i had to do was quickly put down some colors

Pink Pelicans

2009-08-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 6x9

back from a great little European road trip with my boys.

managed to hook up with Rene in Holland

to stay and paint on a campsite

and this Zoo near Arnhem

and the weather was vurrukkulluk!

almost stopped in time for this one...

this is rene showing off...

and me hiding in the bush...

Irish rain

2009-08-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 8x10"

here another painting done during my stay in Ireland
Michael and i had to go out no matter the weather.
and it shows you don't need a nice day to make a nice painting...
Michael did a lovely brighter version here

Wexford,Ireland, plein air painting festival 3

2009-08-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

no stopping shopping oil on panel 8x10"

86 painters on the streets of Wexford,Ireland this bank holiday weekend

an exhausting and very satisfying trip.

Ireland was all it was meant to be,the lovely people,the rain

the pubs...the Guinness and the singing...don't ask!

more shopping in the rain,oil on panel 6x9"

day one was a total wash out,which i enjoyed very much...

the balloon seller,oil on panel 6x9"

Saturday the sun came out and with it most of the other painters...

i was lucky enough to bump into this balloon seller.

...more Irish work will follow...

Wexford,Ireland, plein air painting festival 2

2009-08-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

painters everywhere

what is he painting?

i'm always interested seeing other painters' set ups

this guy was dangerous !

hard at work

these girls worked big and bold

plenty of onlookers

picasso was there too

Wexford,Ireland, plein air painting festival

2009-07-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Ireland this week for a 5-day festival for painters working ‘en plein air’,
Art in the Open 2009 will welcome artists from all over Ireland and overseas to join accomplished Invited Artists, to watch the experts and to take part. Held in and around Wexford Town on August bank holiday weekend, the festival features 3 days’ painting from Friday 31st July– Sunday 2nd August followed by an exhibition on Monday and Tuesday 3rd and 4th August.

Tour de France 2009

2009-07-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 6x9"

sorry,not many updates at the moment

busy painting the tour de France

on my painting le tour blog

woohee!

pond lilies

2009-06-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 6x9"

never had the change before to paint some water lilies...

now i know why Monet liked painting them so much

it was like a meditation...

Drinking Sheep

2009-06-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 8x10"

when painting the fisherman scene below,

these young sheep gathered behind me,to drink from the river

interesting how they all stayed in the shade.

Salmon or Trout?

2009-06-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Salmon or Trout?

oil on panel 6x8"

i caught a fisherman today!

they've got it right,you know...

soo nice to spend a day on the river

(Wye of course)

no matter what you catch...

three giants surrounded by buttercups

oil on panel 6x8"

these trees are huge,as long as i live in wales i wont do them justice,they are that big....and dark

Old Maestro

2009-06-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 7x9"

lucked into this old shed when the light was good this evening...

it housed an old BL Maestro 500 city,

a crap car even when new!

i liked the way the welsh poppies were growing all around it

happy monday

2009-06-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 7x9"

late light on the hill

this is the edge of the town

painting the evening

has its advantages

the birds singing the day

the yummy shadows

it was a lazy day

really

blue wood

2009-05-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas board 7x5"

this wood so blue

late light blue bells

2009-05-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 7x9"

nipped out at the end of the day

the light was something else...

and the black birds cheered me on

Wye knot stop

2009-05-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 6x8"

the Wye knot stop is a cafe and b&b

in the pretty village of Llyswyn by the river Wye

the name, although a play on words,

comes from the way the river meanders

to create the 'knot'.

this is commonly known as an Oxbow bend

anyway this was all a good excuse

to paint another delightful blossom....

car park blossom

2009-04-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 7x9"

late in the day,i was on my way,

finding some bluebells to paint,

didn't get further than the parking lot,

this little perky blossom was winking at me...so...

i'm such a softy!

first cuckoo

2009-04-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 7x9"

the guy coming over the fence couldn't wait

to tell me he heard his first cuckoo,

two days before last years,

i was happy he gave me a simple title for this little painting...

i was going to call it after the place,

gwarchodfa graig cerrig gleisiad a fan frynych

Monday

2009-04-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 8x9"

sweet start of the week,it was...

the cherry blossoms here are going for it!

the sun was out in force,

tullips,dandidils,so much to paint so little time...

saw some bluebells allready

river walk

2009-04-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 6x8"

never short of models on this walk by the river

sat on the ground for this one,perspective wise it made a nice chance from standing

love them spring greens at the moment,can't get them green enough!

Blackbird

2009-04-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 8x6"

blackbird,

every garden should have one,

its fruity song,

one of the finest sounds around...

Sunday

2009-04-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 8x10"

just a lovely Spring Sunday
and this biker happy to pose for me...

Spring in Wales

2009-04-02T03:56:00.000-07:00

acrylic on paper 9x12"

daffodils everywhere!

this is Franksbridge

a place so tiny

the school's only got two class rooms...

little scene

2009-03-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

oil on canvas 6x8"

the boys wanted to go skate boarding,

couldn't leave them on their own,

so choose this little scene nearby,

purely for the lovely afternoon light.

Spring on the Wyeside

2009-03-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

oil on panel 5x8"

Spring on the river Wye

with the Builth Wells bridge and the Wyeside theatre in the background

it was hot and hazy,

felt more like France than Wales...