PD31 Last day of first month

Well had a great afternoon painting down at Rye with my friends Chris Daynes and Rowan Crew. We parked up and had to walk a mile along the river bank to get to a great spot thats a favourite of mine and Chris`s as we wanted to share it with Rowan. Really beautiful day to finish off my first month. Cant believe January has gone and that Ive managed to do something everyday! Just 11 months left!

Have uploaded both paintings and hopefully a little video which is something new for me. I bought a little flip video for a christmas present to myself..a nifty bit of kit :-) The first picture I have photographed crooked so it hasnt really got a wonky horizon.. Heres to february!

Rye from the Rother 12 x 16

Rye from the Rother No 2 8 x 16.. I was much happier with this one although it took half the time..less than 1 hour

DAY 30

Got out this afternoon for a couple of hours,really nice weather today. Did one mediocre painting of view from The Old Rectory Small hythe. I have been commissioned to do a large painting of the view from the house, but I think Im going to have to do quite a lot of studies before I work out what and how im going to do it.

Afternoon view from the old Rectory small hythe 12 x 16

day 29

Had an extremely busy day today and again Im pleased its Friday, althoug I have no idea where this weeks gone.
Stopped off just outside Wittersham the village where I lived and did a quick sky study. As I was packing up I notice the moon rising, so got my box out and did a  6 x 8 study which took abot 10mimutes.Would have done longer but couldnt see properly in my van. I did say this was a warts and all project so I will upload them both. Hopefully some better work over weekend!

Day 28..nearly finished my first month:-)

Well I did manage to get something done today despite being very busy. Came home through Goudhurst and instead of taking main roads drove throug the country lanes to see if I could see anything interesting to paint. Ran out of light again which was a shame, cant wait for clocks to go forward!
This painting is 8 x 10 oil on board. Thats it for today.Going to chill

Towards Goudhurst Church, Late afternoon

Day 27

I am still on schedule to do 1 a day. Think its going to be tough! Rene commented that I look like Im painting 2 or 3 a day but its only usually 1 apart from on some of my days off! Didnt get any painting done during te day today, but did a small still life this evening while my wife Jo watched the tv. Nothing on as usual and really enjoyed painting the study of my lead bust!The lead bust was given to me by a very kind gentleman and is one of my most treasured possessions. It was of a little girl and was made by the sculptor Bunny Cinden. It came from the garden of his old house and I assume was a cast off as it has a big crack/fault in the front. Ive always fancied painting it as I thought the greys of the lead were going to be a real challenge. " The famous saying by Velasquez defiunately came to mind, " Look for the coplours in grey and the greys in colour"

Im going to call it " The lead bust, study in greys"

think that sounds poncy enough :-)

off to bed now, got to get up for work in morning :-)

Yesterdays work day 26

Imposting yesterdays work here as I didnt get home until midnight and didnt feel like uploading. Had the day of work( did saturday instead) and had intended to paint all day in London before going to Seago exhibition. Got stuck in traffic jam for four and half hours so that was really annoying. It was a lovely clear day in London but only did two pictures. Not my best thats for sure , but good fun all the same. First one was 8 x 10 at Regents Canal, looking towards Canary Wharf.Tried a different board. Claussens linen stuck to birch made by Sourcetek in America..did nt enjoy it much..very slippery. 2nd was 12 x 16 at dusk in St James Park. Took on something too big for the time of day and ran out of time and light.This is one occassion where I think I will try and do a bit more to finish it off in studio..thats probably what I will do..finish it off! Its 8pm now and I havent ad time to paint today. Im going to try and do another small still life so that I dont miss a day..but I might have to..Maybe two yesterday will count for 1 a day..who cares :-)

Regents canal 8 x 10

Dusk St JAmes Park 12 x 16

Day 24 & 25

Well Im sorry I didnt post any pictures yesterday. I did paint in the afternoon with Chris Daynes and Rowan Crew at Rye Harbour..but not very well! Enjoyed it all the same but really didnt feel like uploading the photos in he evening. Today I nearly didnt paint at all and didnt manage to get the time during the day. Rather than being called a woose by my friend Paul for not keeping to my task I spent an hour painting a little still life. Why on earth I chose the most difficult and decorative thing I could find in my house I do not know..The little Royal Worcester Coffe cup was a present that I bought my dad when I was 10..next time I will choose something much more simple! The 1st of Rye is a red fishing boat that was up on the bank. I dont know what happened to me, after what seems like weeks of grey weather the sun came out and I put my technicolour glasses on! The second is almost dusk at Rock Channel. I did the same scene earlier in the week but this time lowered the horizon. They both measire 8 x 10. The coffe cup is 6 x 8.Tomorrow I am in London painting and then going to Seago exhibition so I wont post again until Wednesday when hopefully I will have a London picture or two to upload.Thats it for now.

The Royal Worcester Coffee cup 6 x 8

A slightly different version of same thing I did yesterday or day before 8 x 10 . Lower horizon and 1 hour later.

Red boat 10 x 8 another "turd" that will get painted over

Day 23!

Cant believe we are nearly trough January. I worked today as Im having tuesday off to go painting in London and to go the the PV of the Centenary exhibition of Edward Seago at Richard Greens. Managed to make time to do another 8 x 10 pochade box painting at Rye just before dusk. Had fun but battled with diminishing light. Hopefully have a proper day painying tomorrow.

Day 22

Thankgod its Friday! Had a very busy day and pleased its end of the week.Painted an 8 x 10 at Goudhurst ponds today .Miserable and grey but really enjoyed painting the scene and liked the reflections of the house lamps in the water, which is what made me want to paint there.I then came back and had another go at my large studio picture.

DAY 21

What a relief it was today to see the sun! I dont know if its just me but every one seems happier when the suns out. Did a little sketch this afternoon on the way back from Hastings on the Rye Road, looking towards Udimore. 8 x 10 . Ive painted at tis spoy many times before usually either in the snow or at sunset in the summer. Different experience sitting in front seat of van with pochade box on my knee, but fun all the same!Got a very busy day tomorrow so may leave home really early and do a sketch to start the day of.

Day 20

Well It turned wet again today and another busy day at work. Stopped on way back in a lane near Wittersham and did small 6 x 8 looking across the fields using my pochade box. Nothing special, but at least I got my daily fix :-) Choice of subject limited by amount of daylight left!

Hopefully get a bit more time tomorrow afternoon to find something more interesting.

Day 19

Well I didnt get anytime today at all.I had planned to finish at 3.30 and do one painting but alas I didnt finish until 4.30 . So determined to do a painting a day not for anyone else but myself and out of desperation I stopped in  Tenterden High Street at 5.30 and spent half an hour painting this nocturne( Turd!) I wouldnt ordinarily show anyone and would definately snap it , but am only doing so to prove I am obssessed and did paint today.I also believe this should be " A warts and all Excercise". Thats it Im sure every painter does his or her share of rubbish and this one will at some stage in  the future be painted over or snapped!

Tenterden High Street Nocturne 6 x 8

Day 18

Had a very busy day at work today and really didnt think Id be able to make the time to paint. However I had to go to Rye so stopped on the way on the bridge that crosses the Rother and painted the picture above. It measures 8 x 10 and took me 30 minutes...I know it probably looks like it! At least Im managing to stick to my guns and paint every day..so far. Apologies for poor photography.

Day 17

Well its been a beautiful day today and I really wanted to go painting. However Life is a big balancing act and I spent most of day with family and walked on the busy beach at Camber. Didnt take my easel..Jo thinks Im obssessed anyway. Had hoped to get back by 1 or 2pm to paint but alas didnt get home until 3.30 . I am so determined to do at least 1 painting a day so did a 45 minute tree study from a field near my house. Didnt have alot of time to choose what to paint or set up so just got down to it and funnily enough enjoyed it as much as ever. Not very pleased with result and almost embarrassed to post it, but I will all the same. Back to work tomorrow,will find time somewhere during the day to paint at least one.

Day 16..Terrible weather!

I was going to go u=out today but freezing and wet and didnt fancy it so spent 2 hours doing next hit on large studio painting of Rye. Long way to go but I Im enjoying it. Using my plein air sketch as reference and having fun with some really big brushes.

Will do something outside somewhere tomorrow.

Day 15. Friday thank god!

Had a busy day today looking at work. Managed to grab and ahour and half between appointments.
Did two paintings both 8 x 10 with pochade box again in the comfort of my warm van..no cold feet for me :-)

The first one of Rye Harbour took an hour the second I started at 3.45 and then had a call from my wife at 4pm reminding me to collect my son, Tobias from Karate. So was limited to half an hour..had to work fast, but was only a boat study. Lets see what the weekend brings. Apologies for poor photography from phone!

Day 14

1 small painting today on a country lane near Rolvenden . Snows quickly melting..maybe rainy pictures for next few days :-(
This one is 8 x 10 and done with pochade box from front seat of my van.

also did a little 6 x 8 on way home when I should have been working. My secretary drove passed whilst I was parked up painting, so now all my staff will know what Im doing when Im not in the office...drat! Oh

well might as well make the most of the snow!

Day 13 Feel like a fraud today

I set out to do a plein air painting a day..today  I didnt do one! I dont think I failed as several days Ive done two! Today when I returned from work I finished off my first large studio painting called "Cloud Shadows, Chapel Bank" It measures 50" x 60" and I used a small plein air painting as reference. I also startedanother 50 x 60 of rising tide Rye, based on 12 x 16 done on location. So no plein air but still a painting to upload!

Day 12 of my Painting a day project.

Cant believe how quickly the time is going. Not sure if anyone is reading or is going to read this, but its going to act like a diary for me and Ive never kept one so whatever should be fun to look back on. Today went to work early and finiahed at 2pm On way home painted these two pictures. First is 6 x 8 and is sheep on the levels. Buggers wouldnt stand still for very long...worse than children. Second was sheep in a field outside a beautiful house called Ramsden. Apparently the timber framed house was built for Omar Ramsden who invented the sextant! This picture is 8 x 10 and painted over anoter old one. Thats it for today ..hope I can keep it up!

Yesterday and todays!

Well 11 days in ..harder to get the time now Im working again, so today just a quick 6 x 8 of Rolvenden Mill on way back from work. The other is again a 6 x 8 from my van, parked up in a layby on the Wittersham Road. Having fun and feel confident I will do 1 every day. if it kills me. Will be easier in the summer  when the nights draw out.

Day 9 !

Lots of snow today..so much so that for the first time for a long time I couldnt paint outside. I tried using my umbrella but to no avail. It was simply to windy and very heavy snow. I resorted to doing two 8 x 10 pochade box studys in the comfort of the house, looking out at garden and one in the front seat of my van in Tenterden High Street in the late afternoon. Hope to get out to do at least one tomorrow! Sorry about poor quality photos taken with my phone!

Day 8 ..Afternoon painting in snow

Very cold and snowy again today. Almost too cold to paint .Fingers and feet freezing so resorted to using pochade box in car with heater on..bit of a woose! Only 2 pics this afternoon.

One of snow on the North Downs and the other a simple snowscape.Looks like more snow tomorrow so will be out again.

Day 7 painting in the snow

Woke up to lots of snow today..school closed and no work..looks perhaps like same tomorrow. Good for me as I managed to go sledging with kids and painting. Did 3 little paintings today and got incredibly cold even though I have new fur lined boots.

1st of day Wittersham Sledging 8 x 10 on gessoed board made by Ian Russell

2nd Looking back to Playden from The Camber Road Rye...got so cold 8x 10

3rd on small sketch of rye 4 x 12 at end of day

The other photos are of a cold nutty painter :-)

So far so good only 358 days to go!

Cold Painting with toothache

I did paint yesterday but badly and didnt post as I had a wisdom tooth out and didnt feel like it..

Today with toothache and in freezing conditions I painted the 2 pictures below. One of snow near Charing. Had to give up in end as pallette and painting covered in snow and paint froze. The other under a dripping wet Hungerfood Bridge on the Southbank.. More tomorrow!

3rd day of painting

Didnt Post yesterday but am still on track with my painting a day project!1st is 12 x 16 of Rising tide near Rye, 2nd is 6 x 8 pochade study of mywife Jo with our xmas tree before it was chicked out and 3rd is one of my first ever still lifes.6 x 8 oil on board using pochade box. The pic is a painting by my friend Bruce Yardley ( John Yardleys son)

Thats it until my next post!

Below are 2 pictures I did yesterday and one more from today.

I think its going to be tougher than I thought..like a New Years Resolution!

2nd January..Day 2 of my painting a day project.

Welltoday I o nly just managed to get out before dark to paint a small 4 x 16 panel of sunset towards Wittersham Church. Its just a cross field from my house. I nearly froze to death and got caked in mud.Tomake it worse it was a rubbish painting and one I would normally refer to as a snapper! See what tomorrow brings!

PAINTING A DAY!

Today was the firstday of my new project to paint at least one picture a day for the next year. Its going to be difficult but Im going to give it a go.

I will post my efforts on this blog, but doubt if anyone

will ever see them!

This is todays effort of thawing snow in wittersham Apple orchard 8 x 10 oil on board.