PLEIN AIR EASTON

Ive just returned from Maryland where I spent 10 wonderful days as a participant in Plein Air Easton. It was a great event and the first time Ive ever taken part in anything like it. I have so many great experiences that I couldnt possibly write them all down without boring everyone. What I would say is that the organisers and volunteers did a great job and treated all 58 artists like royalty. Plein Air Easton is run like a really well oil machine and I was proud to take part. They provided us with accomodation with host families, food, drink and lots of amazing painting opportunities. Many of the volunteers allowed us to paint at their beautiful houses and hosted bbqs and events which were all beautifully done. To cap it all they put on a great show at The beautiful Academy Museum in town at the end of the week.

I was very fortunate to stay in one of the most beautiful houses in Wittman by the owners Bill and Doris Nielsen and did many of my paintings there. Had no real disasters except a narrow miss with a deer on the Tilman Island road where I swerved, hit a pot hole and had a blow out that took me two hours to repair in the pitch black. The following day I locked myself out and had to break into the guest house as there was no spare key and Bill and Doris were away. Thats it in brief, met some great people, ate too much food and somehow managed to do 25 paintings in the blistering heat.I will definately be going back next year if they will have me....

Chesapeake Pines 12 x 16

St Michaels Crabber 12 x 16

Anyone for tea..Had a great last day at  Brunch winners..beautiful brunch at lovely estate whilst the 12 winners did a painting each which were auctioned.Gutted that I couldnt paint. If I had it would have been these great tea pots that no one did

crow brothers 6 x 8

Down River Tillis Mill 12 x 16

Chesapeake sun rise 8 x 10

Grafton Manour

Heritage Duo 8 x 10

Front page news on the Easton Sun:-)

`Redneck` mustang

Rusty Blue..12 x 16  couldnt resist painting this. found it in a back street in Tilghman Island. Sold on collectors evening..paid for my flight and car :-) where theres muck theres brass!

afternoon light tillis Mill 12 x 16

Corn barn Grafton Manour 8 x 10

Can you believe this! people actually order these!!!

Summer reflections 12 x 16

Couldnt believe my eyes when I saw this on the wall of the Troika Gallery.I stood next to Ken Backhaus ayear ago when he painted it a Permaquid point in Maine

Tim Bell painting his skip jacks. He would have liked to have done a larger one but this is the maximum size allowed in competition..He used a huge frame though..love the easel set up too!

Ken Dewaard hard at it

Grafton Manour Pines 12 x 16..a gift to my hosts

across the lawn  8 x 10

finally for those of you who missed me making a pillock of myself on BBC2 earlier in the year ..heres the clip  :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjlgmt4tJko

Recent paintings

I havent been painting much lately..less and less infact as Im finding it difficult to get the time to. Infact Ive only painted twice in the last two weeks. Last wednesday I went with Chris Daynes to Dungeness Beach with 20 A level art students from Our local grammer school...all Im going to say was it was fun and a new experience. Yesterday I made the long drive to Maldon to join the Wapping Group. I was pleasantly suprised as I had low expectations and when I set off it was pouring hard. There were more opportunities than I had imagined and a good turn out from the group.I was in my element as there were lots of boats and after trees , fields and sheep I always like to paint them:-) This will probably be my last post until I return from USA where im off to in a week.

cloud shadows dungeness 12 x 16

fishing boat dungeness 8 x 16

dingy maldon 8 x 10

smack at maldon1  8 x 16

smack at maldon 2   12 x 16

boats at maldon 10 x 8

first post in ages

I havent posted for ages as my camera broke. Well now I have a new one and will post a few paintings from the past few weeks. I havent done much at all for the last few week as every weekend for the last 3 Ive been doing open studios. Now I will try and post more regularly again:-)
I have still managed a couple of trips with the wapping Group though..one to West Mersea in essex and one to Gillingham Pier. This weekend I painted in Burford in the Cotswolds and London with my friend Paul. On wednesday Im taking 20 A level art students painting on Dungeness Beach. Hopefully I will have some good pictures to post from that trip. Then in 3 weeks Im off to USA again to paint in Plein Air Easton..cant wait:-)

Barge by Slingford Bridge, Cotswolds 12 x 16

Burford High Street, Cotswolds 12 x 16

Door study Burford 10 x 8

Gillingham Pier 12 x 16

Jermyn Street Cafe 6 x 8

Marlborough Gate, St James Park 14 x 12

Smack at West Mersea 6 x 8

Yachts at West Mersea 8 x 10

This weeks work

Well despite having a very busy day job I have managed to paint 9 or 10 pics this week.Im paying for it now though as Im having to work in my office at the weekend. I painted with Chris Daynes and Andrew Roberts on Sunday, had my first day painting as a `Wapper` on wednesday at Hoo near Rochester and painted at Jeff Becks house late thursday afternoon. Ive also been working on some studio pics in evenings, but spitting my dummy out as I cant do them very well. I really struggle to feel inspired away from the subject and its a completely different experience..one I dont know if I will ever get used to. Next trip St Pauls Cathedral and surrounding are on wednesday. lastly I have my tv debut on wedneday the 11th ( this wednesday) on BBC2 at 5.15 where Im featured on a show called `Show me the Monet`...Im sure to have made a complete prat of myself:-) ..I dont think I can help it !

on the beach camber 6 x8

Watlands Udimore 12 x 16

yacht study rye 12 x16

Thames Barge Grave yard Hoo, Rochester 12 x 16

Towards hooe marina 8 x 10

tug study 8 x 6

tug at Hoo 8 x 10



JBs door 10 x 8..my favourite of week



Up the garden path JBs 10 x 8

Studio pic of Putney ..where im at so far 20 x 30

Good News

Well I have some good news to post today. Yesterday I was accepted as a member of the Wapping Group of Painters. Its great news for me as not only is it the oldest plein air painting group in the uk but it means I get an excuse to paint every Wednesday during the summer months with a group of friendly like minded painters:-)

I did paint yesterday but not very well and I only did two all day... Then today I went to Jeff and Sandra Becks house to paint the bluebells..had a great time and found so much subject matter that Im really excited about going back. Anyway here are my efforts

afternoon light london Apprentice 8 x10

River Hall Bluebells

Sandra Bs wagon 8 x !0

Isleworth Tug 8 x10

Some from Pinn Mill and Camber

Had a great couple of days. Went to Pinn Mill in Suffolk yesterday with Chris Daynes. We set off at 6 am and got home at midnight. Its a great painting venue..hard to beat infact but its also been painted alot. I actually started 9 paintings but only ended up with 7. Alot of the same images but at different times. The three sunset ones were painted one after the other i  quick succesion. Today I spent a nice afternoon at Camber with my family, friends and pochade box. Did 4 quick small sketches.  Now got a week off so should get quite a few paintings done. On Wednesday I hand in to the wapping Group to see if I become a member. Im not holding my breath, but will wait and see. Thats it for now.

Early morning light Pinn Mill 6 x 8

Early morning light 2  6 x 12

Smack at Pinn Mill 6 x 8

Picnic on the banks of the Orwell, Buttermans Bay 12 x 16

boat at Pinn Mill 8 x 10

sunset Pinn Mill 6 x 8

Sunset Pinn Mill 2  6 x 8

Under the Parasol Camber 6 x 8

walking the dog camber 6 x8

watching the yachts go by  6 x 8

busy beach 8 x 10