Gritstone Edge (4)

My fourth painting was taken from a photo in a magazine which was called 'Gritstone Edge' I thought this was the name of the place but further research showed this to be a generic term for a type of rock formation. The northern Peak District is bounded on the east and west sides by scarps known as ‘edges’, which are made of coarse sandstones, referred to as ‘grits’.

I painted this scene in record time while waiting for Mum to take me to catch a bus. The time pressure means that this is more sketchy than the first three, and the grain in the paper showing through the pastel gives it more of an ‘unfinished’ look. The painting has rather a naïve feel, which Mum loved - she immediately framed it and hung it on the wall in her conservatory!

Arbor Low stone circle (3)

This was my third painting – another scene from the Peak District photo book. Arbor Low is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Derbyshire and is sometimes referred to as the 'Stonehenge of the Peak District'. The henge was constructed about 2500 BC. No one knows why it was constructed or what it was used for, but it must have been an important focal point for the people of the time.

Like many Derbyshire beauty spots, it can be bleak in winter and stunning on a fine spring morning. This photo was obviously taken on a bleak day, but I loved the unusual black, mauve and lemon sky in this photo.

Hand stone, Beeley Moor (2)

This was my second painting after reconnecting with art in 2006. This scene is another one from the Peak District photo book – of a hand stone on Beeley Moor. On this heather clad moor, some 1,200 feet above sea level, there are over thirty pre-historic barrows and cairns.

Beeley Moor can be bleak but I was drawn to this photo by the strong colours, particularly the dramatic purple sky. I also liked the way the hand stone sits in what resembles a nest.

William Clough Valley (1)

The next batch of blogs will focus on my early work. Those of you who have been following my blog may remember that in my first post I mentioned that in 2006, on a visit back to the UK when I was staying with my Mum for a while, I picked up her pastels and did a painting. This is that first painting.

The subject, William Clough Valley in Derbyshire, came from the trusty book of Peak District photos. Although it is quite simplistic in style it was enough of a likeness to the photo to inspire me to take up art again.

By comparing this painting with my latest work (the cat portrait below) you can get an idea of how my style has developed over the last four years.

What’s new pussycat? (62)

Sorry for the long delay between posts – I’ve recently returned from an unexpected trip to the UK. This is my latest painting and my first pet portrait. I decided to do it as a present for my brother-in-law who celebrated a birthday a couple of weeks ago while I was in the UK.

I couldn’t think of anything to buy him so decided to paint him a portrait of his favourite cat, Sweep. Mum claimed she had taken a photo of Sweep some weeks before, so I printed it off and set to work. Sweep has very unusual and pretty markings and I worked hard to get them right. When it was finished I was confident it was a reasonable likeness.

However, when John opened his present he looked bemused and asked whose cat it was.
“It’s Sweep, your cat,” I said, amazed that he couldn’t tell.
“But Sweep doesn’t have any white on his face,” John said.
At that moment, Sweep came into the room and John picked him up so I could see. And he didn’t.

So whose cat had Mum taken the photo of? That remains to be discovered. It certainly looks similar to Sweep … but not similar enough! So my first pet portrait worked at an artistic level but not on the most important level – an exact likeness to the subject.

Shane 2009 (59)

Had to post my latest painting as I’m pretty excited about it. This is my first portrait and I’m really pleased how it turned out. It’s of my nephew, Shane, who was three at the time the photo was taken. He’s very cute and his rosy cheeks come from growing up on a farm and playing outside.

Pembokeshire coast (8)

This painting is another scene from a photograph I took when walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in 2006. This was one of the first pieces I painted in Australia, at a time when I had a limited choice of pastels.

It was quite a complex picture and I had difficulty getting the angles right for the cliffs falling to the sea. The result is rather abstract and looks to me as though a lumpy quilt has been laid out over the peninsula … but I like the quirky feel of this painting.