Mountains, pubs and more mountains

I am currently quite far through a new painting depicting Aonach Mor, a mountain in Scotland near Ben Nevis.  It's a large ambitious piece and a subject i have never attempted before in my art.  Having recently visited the Highlands i felt like i wanted to respond to the stunning views and the feelings it evoked when i traveled there.  Aside from the obvious beauty of the place I wanted to continue working on a theme that has been in my work for the last couple of years.

Before i even started on this new body of work i knew that i wanted to express a sense of space and stillness.  I wanted no figures, no distractions and to capture nature as i saw it.  The first painting is going well and I look forward to completing it.

My recent painting of The New Navigation pub has been on my mind of late and i may make a few adjustments before it is exhibited.  Most painters i know face the difficulty of knowing when a piece is finished and something has not felt right about the piece for a while.  Just a few little changes i think.

New Navigation

Today i finally finished my painting of an old derelict pub i found in Birmingham, "The New Navigation".  This pub is on Lewisham Road near the BCN Old Main Line Canal.  When i last saw it the place was abandoned and in poor state but it caught my eye as i wandered on the outskirts of the city.  I have painted abandoned buildings many times but this scene is well lit with a bright sky which contrasts with my usual subdued palette.  An image of "The New Navigation" can be found in the Abandoned Spaces section of this website.

I recently came back from Scotland after visiting the Highlands.  There i was inspired by the stunning landscape and loved travelling around the area.  The mountains were incredible and i shall be starting a series of paintings based on my research.

Coast

To coincide with the summer time the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford are holding an exhibition entitled "Coast" which features work by various artists who have responded to the theme.  My Whitesands paintings are included and are nicely situated on the first wall as you walk into the space.  The exhibition runs until early September.

I am currently finishing off my painting of the New Navigation Inn and will soon be taking a trip to Scotland where i will find fresh inspiration for a new body of work.  The plan at the moment is to respond to the mountains.

My art classes with Stafford College are taking a break at the moment and will resume mid September.  The art class at Gainsborough Artworks will relocate to Haughton Village Hall as of the 7th September.  Details for all classes can be found in the teaching area of the website.

Food, pubs and mountains

The Food exhibition began today at Reuben Colley Fine Art.  It is a group show and my "Waffle House" painting will feature there.  The work i have seen looks really striking and it should prove to be popular i would think.

My "New Navigation Inn" painting is making good progress.  There is still much to do but i can see it taking shape and am optimistic it will bea strong painting.  I feel increasing confidence with my technique and that much of what i do is flowing instinctively these days.

My trip to Scotland is getting close.  There i hope to find fresh inspiration for a new body of work which will most likely feature mountains.  For quite some time now i have known how i want my new work to feel but was not sure what it would look like.  The task now is to match subject matter with that feeling!

Waffle House

I have just completed my "Waffle House" painting for the "Food" exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery in Birmingham.  With this piece i wanted to create a serious painting depicting a slightly humorous subject matter.  As i am usually known for depicting buildings i thought it might be interesting to create one with food, in this case potato waffles.  I am quite pleased with the overall result and enjoyed producing a piece with strong light and shadows.

I will now resume my painting of the New Navigation Inn which will lead nicely up to my trip to Scotland where i hope to fine a new source of inspiration.

"Waffle House" can be seen in the Still Life section of this website.

Trees, waffles and buildings

The Woodland exhibition has now finished.  It was perhaps my most successful exhibition both artistically and commercially - several pieces sold and many more people have become aware of my work.  I set out to capture the atmosphere of the forest and create the impression that the viewer could walk into the scene and many people have told me that is how they felt when looking at the work.  I have produced work that i feel is honest which depicts the forest exactly as it is showing life and death, beauty and mystery.

I feel that i have reached a new high with my work but also that my painting technique is continuing to grow.  it will be exciting to see how things progress.  I have noticed looser elements sitting comfortably next to built up detailed areas.

I have just finished a commission based on my painting "Stillness" which is similar but slightly different.  It is called "Stillness Returned" and can be seen in the "Commissions" section of this website"

I am currently working on a couple of more light hearted pieces for the forthcoming "Food" exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery.  This will combine humour and serious painting - an interesting combination!

Woodland

The Woodland exhibition is now on at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery in Birmingham.  It features my drawings and paintings of Cannock Chase.  I am very happy with how the show looks and am delighted that a few pieces have sold quite quickly - the response has been very positive.  This work has been a pleasure to make and it taps into my love of nature and connection to the forest which i have visited all my life.

The exhibition also features work by Reuben Colley who has produced drawings and paintings of Sutton Park and a few pieces by Mark Godwin and Mircea Teleaga.

I am currently working on a commission off the back of the exhibition as well as finishing off a painting of a Birmingham pub.

I'm planning on a trip to Scotland later this year to gain inspiration for a new body of work.  Possibly mountains......

Paintings and teaching

I have a painting and two drawings included in the Brampton Museum Open Art exhibition at Newcastle Staffordshire.  It's a very mixed show and the gallery is nice.  One of my students from my art class, Emily Bradshaw, also had one of her paintings accepted which is well deserved.

I am currently working on my painting of the New Navigation Inn, a derelict pub near the canals of Birmingham.  This piece is interesting because it is full of contrasting elements.  Strong colour next to dark shadows, textured areas next to flat blocks of paint, detailed areas near open space and so on.   I will be following this up with another, quite unusual painting which is based on a striking photo that i took in Birmingham near the canals.

I am currently doing slightly less teaching over the Easter period but will be back with my college courses as well as my own regular class at Gainsborough Artworks soon.  The Gainsborough class is getting quite full but there are spaces on my college courses should you wish to join.  See my art classes page for details.

I am getting excited about the forthcoming "Woodland" exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery in Birmingham.  This show features my Cannock Chase drawings and paintings and will be one of my largest and strongest exhibitions to date.  This work has a lot of depth and meaning to me but also will resonate with anyone who appreciates nature.

Art classes and workshops

My art classes and workshops pages are regularly updated and so if you are interested in learning how to draw and paint do keep looking.

The Stafford College classes continue in Haughton Village Hall on the 12th April and the first session is free.  The Stafford College class at Penkridge starts again on the 20th April.  Contact the college to enroll or myself if you are unable to get through.

Mt regular class on Wednesday morning at Gainsborough Artworks in Stafford is ongoing and you can join when you are ready.  Send me a message to check availability.

I also often run Art workshops and you can request me to run one for you.  Just send me a message with your requirements and i will get back to you.

I believe we all have a creative side and it is just a matter of opening up and having a go.  I teach all abilities including people who have no confidence.  You'll be surprised at what you can achieve if you try and i can help you develop whatever your ability.

Exhibitions and plans

The Nicklin Revisited exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery in Birmingham finished today.  It was an interesting show to be involved in and it drew in not just art enthusiasts but also people interested in the history of the West Midlands.  It was the first time i had exhibited my work in the new(ish) gallery location and i was very impressed with the presentation of the work, all of which was outstanding.

I will next be exhibiting at Brampton Museum as part of the Open Art exhibition which runs from the 19th March to the 5th June.  I had three pieces of work selected for the show including my painting, "By the Tracks" and my drawings "After the Fire" and "Aftermath" all of which are part of the Abandoned Spaces series.

My Cannock Chase paintings and drawings have been delivered to Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery in time for the Woodland exhibition which is due to begin next month.  I am very pleased with this work and it was an interesting change of subject for me.  I feel that i have captured the atmosphere of the forest as i see it and look forward to seeing it all framed.

I am currently working on a painting of "The New Navigation" inn which is a derelict pub i discovered in Birmingham a couple of years ago.  It's going well so far.

New work

I am currently preparing for a new set of work possibly based around the theme of Birmingham, in particular the canals and the buildings that are situated near them.  I have a lot of source material around this theme and so it is just a case of starting somewhere.

The Nicklin Revisited exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery has been extended until the 12th March.  I have three paintings included so do visit the show if you can.

In April i will be taking part in the Woodland exhibition also at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery.  For this show i have produced a number of drawings and paintings based on Cannock Chase.  This work is atmospheric and quiet and explores themes of stillness and being in the moment.
 

Nicklin Unseen

The "Nicklin Unseen" exhibition at Reuben Colley Fine Art gallery continues until the end of the month.  This is a group show where artists from the gallery have reinterpreted archive photographs taken in the 1950s and 1960s by Phyllis Nicklin.  I have three paintings included, images of which can be seen in the Urban Landscape section of this website.

New website

This is my new website which will replace the old one and offer people a better experience when viewing my work online.

I will also continue to list all my art classes and workshops online so do keep visiting to see the updates.  As always I will be happy to hear from anyone with queries about my work or teaching.