Commondale

This is the valley between Kempswithen (the hill on the left) and Commondale (the village is to the right of the picture), in August. I love that view. I pass it on the way back from Westerdale. I wasn’t quite sure what this area was called, until a friend of mine saw this painting, it turns out he grew up in that valley… My working title was “Loving Ling”.

Commondale, oil on canvas, 40x120cm, RRP £600.

Commondale, oil on canvas, 40x120cm. RRP £600. Reserved.

 

Whitby

Whitby. oil on canvas, 20x50cm, on 1.7cm stretchers, £290.

Whitby. oil on canvas, 20x50cm, on 1.7cm stretchers, RRP £290. Now sold, and in the private collection of Mrs D.G.

My latest painting. I spent a month painting Whitby for a commission, so I had a bit of a thing for Whitby Abbey…

Robin Hood’s Bay

Here’s one I’ve been working on since the beginning of August. Yes, sometimes they don’t work out as I thought they would. Nearly gave up, then reworked all the colours. Now I’m happy with it. Robin Hood’s Bay. oil on canvas, 50x100cm.

Robin Hood's Bay

Seagull Blues, Robin Hood’s Bay. oils on canvas, 50x100cm (20×40″). Currently in Trattles and Geall’s Gallery, £650.

Cod & Lobster, Staithes.

Cod & Lobster, Staithes. acrylic inks and gouache on watercolour paper, 21x29cm

Cod & Lobster, Staithes. 2012. acrylic inks and gouache on watercolour paper, 21x29cm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oil paintings take me about 3 or 4 weeks to complete, and sometimes longer. Therefore quite often, in between oil paintings, I use water-based media, which is so much quicker. From deciding on a composition to completing it takes me 2 or 3 days. At the moment I really like using acrylic pigmented inks. Contrary to “normal” inks, which can be fugitive, ie fade in daylight, these inks have a good lightfastness rating. I prefer transparent colours. Waterproof when dry, colours can be layered without disturbing previous coats. I loved Rotring Artist’s Colors, but they are discontinued. They were transparent and lightfast (I still have glass which I painted about 25 years ago, so I know the colours were lightfast for at least 25 years even when hanging in a window). Still, other reputable firms now make acrylic pigmented inks, so I’m sure they’ll withstand the test of time.