2019 brought in the Centenary of the scuttling of the German Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919. As part of the commemorations of this event several teams of divers surveyed the wreck of the BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club) adopted SMS Cöln, a SMS German light cruiser of the Cöln class and …
I have to confess I have never painted a portrait… just seemed too difficult and therefore scary to attempt. So, to get over this fear, and hopefully pic up the skills required to get commissions, I embarked on a weekends Portrait Painting with Oils workshop with the extremely talented artist Mike Skidmore, based in Ross-on-Wye. …
This work has been a challenge as have not done anything like it before. Trying to capture the current condition of the wreck, the undersea colour and light, the sense of exploration by divers, the focus of the painting and composition – all fluid and have changed direction and thoughts several times in the process …
Have just returned from a trip to Italy where I spent an amazing week in Umbria, with a quick trip over the border to Tuscany too. We stayed in the beautiful Villa Bastiola in the mountains with stunning views. I didn’t get much chance to sketch but did get plenty of reference and inspiration. I did …
Apart from painting, I have produced several commercial illustrations recently. Using Adobe Illustrator I have created a number of custom brushes to help me achieve an engraving style which was used for a limited edition tin of original pattern trout flies, depicting Charles Ritz at his favourite spot, the ‘mill of Aclou’ on the river …
Well that’s the GSA annual exhibition at Painswick done. Didn’t sell any of my original art but a few of my greeting cards went… covered my mileage costs if nothing else! Not forgetting of course that my painting ‘out of the inky black’ was awarded the ‘Presidents Cup’… Awesome. I collected my work this afternoon and now …
So I needed reference of Simon exploring the wreck of the M2 submarine for his commissioned painting (in progress), only was having trouble getting booked on the wreck as local skippers were all booked or weather turned against us. So… brief to Simon at National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) Teddenham, near Chepstow was “at 30 …
Will go to any depths to get painting reference! Read More »
I was delighted to have this painting, one of three I submitted to the GSA annual exhibition at Painswick this year, awarded the Presidents Cup! I didn’t even know there was a presidents cup, or any awards dished out at the exhibition preview night. So when the chairwoman, Rosemary Harvey, greeted me at the show and …
So I needed reference of Simon exploring the wreck of the M2 submarine for his commissioned painting (in progress), only was having trouble getting booked on the wreck as local skippers were all booked or weather turned against us. So… brief to Simon at National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) Teddenham, near Chepstow was “at 30 …