Cafe at the Ashmolean

The last time I was in Oxford at the Ashmolean I made this drawing downstairs in the cafe and then worked it up into a painting. I'm very pleased to say that it has been preselected for the Royal Society of British Artists' show at the Mall Galleries in March.

Back at the National Gallery

Another couple of pictures based on observations at the National Gallery. How much is the desire to look at pictures based on what people are told about them rather than their own interest and enjoyment?

Paintings from a trip to Italy

Italy is a wonderful place to paint and draw; every hill has a farm or a town, a church or a castle on it surrounded by cypresses, umbrella pines and olive trees. 

A day at the Drawing Circus!

The Drawing Circus is based in Brighton and puts on extraordinary events which are a cross between lifedrawing and theatre. Accompanied by live music "The Drawchestra"!! groups of models mostly dressed in elaborate circus costumes form tableaus for varying amounts of time. It's an amazing atmospheric experience and here are some of the results...
#Drawingcircus #lifedrawing #theatre #circus #art #painting #drawing #Brighton

Some more portraits and figures

Portraits

A quick sketch of my friend Lily.

A self portrait - I'm looking a bit serious!

Recent paintings

Found an old curtain with lots of pattern on and used it as the background for this picture. I like the  summery feel

#appleblossom on a farm near Meon Hill

View from Meon Hill. I love the panorama in all directions from the top of this hill near Mickleton

Just trying something different for a still life

Painting outdoors now that Spring is here

A bend in the river just outside Stratford upon Avon, a beautiful, peaceful stretch of river about to be ruined by developers. It was beautifully warm; Spring has really arrived this week and it was a pleasure to be outside. #riveravon #stratforduponavon #pleinair #oilpainting #landscape

Later in the day I went and sat in the churchyard of Holy Trinity in Stratford - the church where Shakespeare is buried. It's a beautiful and very large building. I'll definitely do more here as the tress start to come out.
#holytrinity #shakespeare #pleinair #oilpainting #landscape

Musicians

        Using drawings done at various concerts I've used ink paint and oil pastel on these.

This morning's still life

Second time round managed to get a simpler more spontaneous result....

Latest still lives

                   Focussing on colour and pattern

Heads

Some new drawings using mixed media of groups of heads - with a slightly nightmarish feel

Still lives in artificial light

With it being dark so early at the moment I've switched on the light and carried on working: