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