Artworks by Paul Coventry-Brown

New paintings on eBay

2011-12-16T00:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone .. all the paintings are now sold.
I can't say that I am happy with the new eBay pricing structure and have signed an online petition against their 100% commission increase (they even charge commission on the postage you charge now!!!!!). There must be a better way ;-)

The Musician

2011-12-07T06:21:00.001-08:00

16 x 12 inches oil on Gatorfoam panel
SOLD

OK! Last one for today. This was a commission for the owner of the Martin Committee trumpet shown in the painting (as played by the greats). I was asked to do this by his parents as a birthday gift and they suggested adding the hat and suitcase because they had really liked the ones I had done previously).

My first trumpet painting and probably my last (way too much fiddly work ;-) but I did enjoy it.

Three Grannies

2011-12-07T06:15:00.001-08:00

12 x 9 inches oil on Gatorfoam panel

Granny Smiths, my favourite apple (and Neil Hollingsworths too I believe), always good to paint and they don't take as long as lemons, so another plus in their favour ;-)

Lemon in the Balance

2011-12-07T06:11:00.001-08:00

8 x 8 inches oil on Gatorfoam panel

Another trompe lemon. These are heaven and hell to paint and every time I ask myself why I do it!!! It can be difficult to make these work but I guess you will be the judge if it does ;-)

Lemon and Green

2011-12-07T06:01:00.001-08:00

12 x 9 inches oil on Artfix oil primed linen panel
SOLD

Wow! I didn't realise how long it's been since the last post so I'll post a few today. I have been busy doing a few commissions but I didn't post them because they were similar to others I have done (as requested by the clients) so I didn't want to send everyone to sleep ;-)

I have been making my own panels with Artfix L84C quadruple primed linen (expensive!!) and Ampersand hardboard. The linen is amazing to paint on, very smooth and the paint goes on wonderfully for each layer (way better than acrylic primer), I would really recommend it.

And now for something completely different ....

2011-08-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

SOLD

OK! I lied ;-)
This is another 'trompe l'oeil' (fool the eye) done on a 8 x 8 inch three quarter inch thick 'Blick Studio' panel (these panels have a textured surface but I sanded it smooth). Yes, it is just a flat surface ;-)
It works a lot better in real life as I just can't get the photo to convey the real impression of depth. Does anyone have a really expensive Nikon digital SLR they don't need anymore? ;-)

New Stuff ...

2011-08-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, a long time between postings but you get three for the price of one this time - and only two of them are lemons :-)

I have had some commissions recently that I've been working on so I have been keeping busy but I have been rather neglectful of the blog. I also feel that there have been too many lemons posted so I haven't posted all of them, but they have proved so popular and everyone keeps asking me for them so I can't get away from them - anyway, I like painting them so much ;-)
I have some new non-lemon related themes on the go at the moment so if all goes well this may be a lemon free zone for a while :-)

These three new paintings are all oil on panel and I have decided to try them on eBay just to see if it will work for me.
Just click the links if you'd like to take a look.
Lemon and knife - 8 x 6 inches
Jug/milk - 12 x 9 inches
Square lemon/glass - 12 x 12 inches

ALL SOLD

Did I mention that I also paint lemons ;-)

2011-06-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

12 x 9 inches, oil on Gatorfoam panel

I was asked to do a commission based one one of my older paintings with lemons refracted in a glass of water and thought I would do a small series of them as I love the distortion and discontinuation of the lemons behind the glass. This is the second (haven't got a photo of the commission yet) and there will be at least one more :-)
I used walnut oil and Venetian turpentine as the medium on this one.

Greeting Cards

2011-06-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

I have decided to try a few of my paintings as greeting cards and these are the only ones that I have decent high resolution images of at the moment. Unfortunately I wont be able to re-photograph my older works that have sold :-( I guess this will have to be a future enterprise and maybe I should design some specially.
If anyone is interested you can see them here: RedBubble

Tangerine dream

2011-05-23T06:53:00.001-07:00

12 x 9 inches, oil on Gatorfoam panel
SOLD to Ryan Gallery Las Vegas

I did a smaller version of this about a year back without the knife (which is on the cover of the Blick catalogue this year) and just wanted to enjoy painting a tangerine again but using walnut oil this time.
I have started buying unrefined walnut oil from my local supermarket and 'washing' it myself to clean it.
You do that by putting distilled water and walnut oil (50/50) in a clean glass jar, give it a shake and leave it to stand in the sun for about three days. The water pulls the impurities out of the oil and so you are left with oil at the top, mucilage (the impurities) in the middle and the water at the bottom.
Then I carefully extract the oil into another clean glass jar with a pipette leaving behind the mucilage and water to throw away. I then leave the oil in the sun for a further 3/4 days (with the top not on too tight to let a little air in) which lightens the colour quite a lot.
if it was good enough for Da Vinci, it's good enough for me ;-)

Apparently, walnut does not yellow as much as linseed and my next step is to press my own oil from the millions of walnuts cluttering the garden each year.
I still add cobalt drier to speed up the drying time as walnut takes longer to dry than linseed.

Leaving on a jet plane

2011-05-19T01:22:00.001-07:00

16 x 12 inches - Oil on Gatorfoam
SOLD to Ryan Gallery Las Vegas

This is my Winter hat and an old suitcase that I store old video tapes in (so, two lots of antiques ... if you don't include me that is ;-)
I like doing these retro scenes so I may hunt out some more objects that I can use in the junk shops around here.
More lemons and tangerines coming soon - so no surprises there (I'm self indulgent, what can I say!).

Moving pictures (sort of)

2011-04-07T02:46:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in taking a look, I have added a movie of some of my paintings to YouTube.
For anyone with a Mac and iMovie it is really easy to do so let me know if you want to have a go at one.

Let there be light

2011-03-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

12 x 9 inches, oil on Gatorfoam panel
SOLD

I thought I'd try another candle but fill the background in this time to give it a darker feel. I think that I need a lot of time working with this kind of subject to get it the way I really want it to look. If any of you know Joseph Wright of Derby's candle/fire paintings you'll know what I mean ;-)
I had loads of fun painting the very bottom of the candlestick but the background was a nervy time for me and I kept putting it off (so I left it until the very last ;-).

I did something I don't usually do with this one too: I cropped the books. I wanted to do this one in portrait aspect and not landscape so that the candle would be bigger and if I had included all the books the candle would have been too small and insignificant.

Peeled

2011-03-19T05:42:00.001-07:00

12 x 9 inches - oil on Gatorfoam panel
SOLD

When you click the image you will see that I left the photo bigger than life size for a change so those of you who revel in getting up close and personal can see it warts and all ;-)
This one has gone to the Elliot Foutts Gallery in Sacramento. They are a big supporter of my work and they are great people too :-)

I like painting on these panels as they are very smooth and unbelievably light, they are also very cheap. I give them three coats of white gesso (sanded with very fine sandpaper between each coat) and then a final coat of Winsor & Newton Galleria gloss acrylic medium to make them less absorbent.
I get the 3/16 inch thick panels.
You can get them here (mentioning my name wouldn't hurt me ;-): windriverarts.com

Wine on the vine

2011-03-03T10:39:00.001-08:00

16 x 12 inches - oil on hardboard panel
SOLD

This is quite a big one for me and I started it many months ago but gave up on it, and then I started experimenting with different mediums so I thought it would be good to use this failure as a test (so as not to ruin a new one if the experiment went disastrously wrong).
I think I managed to save it so I'm glad I didn't paint over it or use it as a cutting board (as has happened with other dubious offerings).

I'll be mentioning more about mediums from James Cosgrove in the next post when I hope to have a new candle painting completed exclusively with a new mix I am using incorporating some of his fine products.

I finished all the paintings for the Tallantyre Gallery in the UK so I hope to be posting some new work soon that will be available for sale - when I get around to doing some more photos.
This one may or may not be going to the Mason Murer Gallery in Atlanta as I have a lemon painting going to them for a show in April and may send this along for company ;-)

Candle light

2011-02-07T01:44:00.000-08:00

12 x 9 inches -Gatorfoam panel - SOLD

I did the under painting to this one in burnt sienna with the aim of darkening the background with a more opaque black later, but I like the effect of the rough brushwork and the ground showing through so I have left it like this (no, being a lazy devil had nothing to do with it …. honest ;-)
I'm not sure that I will do others like this and am still undecided.

I have ordered some new traditional mediums from James Cosgrove and can't wait to try them so I hope to have a review of them soon. Yes, I probably do have a medium fetish ;-) This painting was just a 50/50 mix of stand oil and gum turpentine with a few drops of cobalt dryer added to the days mix.

Just a quickie ....

2011-01-14T05:17:00.001-08:00

5 1/2 x 7 inches - hardboard panel - SOLD

I enjoyed doing the reflections in the little silver bowl and the 'white' of the lily is always challenging (I use white, raw umber, ultramarine blue and a hint of lemon yellow).

Surprise! Another post ...

2011-01-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

9 x 12 lead primed linen panel
SOLD - Tallantyre Gallery UK

I just thought I'd post another painting of the broken plant pot for your perusal seeing as it has been so long since the last post ;-)

Where does the time go?

2011-01-04T03:18:00.000-08:00

16 x 12 inches linen panel
SOLD to Tallantyre Gallery UK

I never meant to let so much time go by until this latest post but I seem to be living in a time warp.
I have been experimenting with various panels and mediums and had quite a few failures but i felt it was worth the time and effort as I now seem to have found the ideal panel ... I used to use Belgian linen mounted on Gatorfoam panels but now I just use the Gatorfoam panels themselves (bare of linen). I give them two coats of acrylic gesso and then a coat of re-touch varnish to lower the absorbency.
The above painting was done on a lead primed very smooth linen but I didn't enjoy the process at all. It was very smooth but sucked the life out of the paints and took too long to achieve the finished effect so I wont be using it again.
If you are interested in trying the Gatorfoam go here: windriver arts
you can say you heard of them from me as they don't have the panels advertised on the site and I had to ask specially. They are very helpful :-)
I'll be posting some of the newer paintings on the Gatorfoam very shortly.

The Tallantyre Gallery in the UK has asked for 8-10 paintings for a show in London in April so I have about six paintings on the go at the moment (they have accept five others) so I have been very lucky in my start to the new year :-)

I will try and remember to post more work over the next few weeks (providing I don't mess them up that is ;-) but should I enter the twilight zone you will know that ..... I'll be back!!!!

Gone but forgotten?

2010-10-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

10 x 8 inches, oil on Belgian linen panel

12 x 9 inches, oil on Belgian linen panel

Right, excuses for not posting for months ................ hmmm! Well ...... how can I put it? I was abducted by aliens, struck down by some debilitating disease, captured and held for ransom by the Crimes Against Bad Artwork fanatics. Well, nothing even remotely that interesting ;-)

I have been painting but everything seemed to be taking so long to finish and many of them were re-workings of subjects that have already been posted before so I didn't want to post them and bore everyone to death ;-)

I also had about three paintings that just didn't work at all and will be binned or painted over, it was a pretty self doubting couple of months.

Anyway, here are a few of the latest ones and I will post more over the next few days, just to prove that I haven't just been sunning myself on a beach in the Caribbean miles away from brushes and paints.

They are grapes and quinces and very seasonal at the moment over here in France.

These paintings are going to the Elliot Foutts gallery in Sacramento who have been taking most of my work for the last 5 months or so.

Blick Studio Catalogue Cover

2010-08-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

I was notified a few months ago that one of my paintings was chosen for the Blick autumn/fall catalogue .... the big surprise was that I didn't even know that I was being considered! I was told that it was a choice between twenty other artists, living and dead, so they went for someone in between ;-)

Well, finally, here it is and I must say a big thank you to Stephen Swayne of Blick who actually put forward my work for consideration and is always a great source of encouragement.
While I am thanking people, I would also like to thank my sister in law, Sheila, because if not for her support and continuous encouragement I would not have made it this far ............ thanks sis :-)

A Cup of Lily Dear?

2010-07-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 inches, oil on Belgian linen panel
For sale soon at Elliot Foutts Gallery Sacramento

Well ... my good news is that I am now represented by the Elliot Foutts gallery (link above), they have been great and made the whole gallery experience a pleasure for me and they have been so supportive and encouraging. They are also arranging an exhibition of realist artists in October (including my Blogger friends Neil Hollingsworth and Chris Stott) that will be covered in American Art Collector magazine so look out for that. If you can make it, here are the details: October 2nd - November 5th, with the opening taking place on October 9th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM (address and contact on the web site).
I will also be represented by the Tallantyre gallery in Newcastle in the UK when I manage to get some work to them.

Right, the painting ... I have dedicated this to the special person who sent me this lovely cup along with packets of my favourite Starbucks Sulawesi coffee (which I can't get here). To protect the innocent, no names will need to be changed 'cause I ain't giving any ;-)

Japanomouse

2010-06-27T00:51:00.001-07:00

12 x 9 inches - Oil on Belgian linen panel
SOLD

This is a painting of Nosey, a bronze sculpture by the very talented Steve Worthington (a fellow Brit but living in the USA).
Steve has organized a project where he asked 20 artists from around the globe to paint one of his fabulous mouse sculptures and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of them ;-).
When all the artwork is in he will eventually make into a book:

1) to raise money to benefit animals in shelters,
2) be fun,
3) create something of lasting value,
4) showcase some great work by all the participants.

Check out this link (CLICK ME!) to see what some of the other artists have contributed so far, it is a great selection and shows the diverse styles that Steve has managed to get together.

Three of a Pear

2010-06-16T06:23:00.001-07:00

SOLD
12 x 9 inches on Belgian oil primed linen panel

Here you go everybody ............ three lemons disguised as pears ;-) Yet more fruit on the edge.

Lemon twirl

2010-06-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

SOLD

12 x 9 inches on oil primed Belgian linen panel

I was a lot more careful cutting this peel (aspersions to my heavy handedness being referred to in my last post .... yes you know who you are April ;-)
It was suggested to me by a gallery in Las Vegas that I do pairs of paintings so I did this to go with the lemon in the previous post. The next post will be a painting of pears (instead of pairs of paintings ;-)

On the edge ...

2010-06-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

SOLD

12 x 9 inches on Belgian linen panel

When I was setting this up I thought that maybe there was too much of the wooden box showing and that the lemon was not prominent enough, but I wanted to give the feeling of the lemon hanging over a big drop and teetering on the edge (a bit like me ;-). I toyed with a horizontal composition too but it didn't give me that 'edgy' feeling ... this one works for me.

That blue moon means it must be time for another post ...

2010-06-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

SOLD

I didn't realise that I hadn't posted this painting, so here it is. It is 12 x 9 inches on Belgian linen panel and was painted before the one in the previous post.
I have some new paintings coming up in the next few days and you'll be surprised to know that more than a few of them involve lemons.

I have slightly adjusted the new medium that I started using in the last post and it is just wonderful with the oil primed linen panels.
I now make up the mix minus the cobalt dryer and when I start to paint each day I pour out enough of the medium for the day's work (about a teaspoon full) and then add a drop or two of the cobalt to it (with an eye dropper) and give it a good mix. If you add too much dryer the painting will start to dry in a few hours so you need to experiment but try not to use a lot of cobalt as I believe larger amounts can lead to cracking.

OK! So it's another lemon!

2010-04-25T02:39:00.000-07:00

SOLD

This is quite a big one for me 40 x 30 cms (about 16 x 12 inches) and it is painted in a stretched cotton canvas that I have had for ages and wasn't sure what to put on it.
I have also been experimenting with different mediums and have found one that is wonderful to paint with. I am loving it at the moment and will keep you posted in case it goes disastrously wrong somehow ;-)
Here is the recipe if you are interested:
1 part stand oil (W&N)
2 parts purified linseed (Holbein)
2 parts Venetian turpentine (Talens) - this is a balsam and looks like stand oil
2 parts pure gum turpentine and 5% cobalt siccative (Roberson).

I had been trying a Dammar varnish mix but didn't like it as it was too tacky for me.
The cobalt dryer is poisonous so please take extra care if you decide to try this mix (I needed it so I could get back to work on the paintings the next day - only the W&N ivory black and cadmiums took more than 24 hours to dry but you will have to experiment).

I have always used Liquin Original up to now, but I am just experimenting for that 'perfect' medium.

Hey Mr. Tangerine man ......

2010-04-07T04:43:00.001-07:00

SOLD

I forgot to post some other work I did last month, so continuing in a fruity vein I hope you like this one.
It is 12 x 7 inches, oil on gessoed watercolour board (illustration board) and if you like a smooth surface to paint on you should give it a try. Make sure to use at least 2 coats of gesso to seal the paper.
I am working on more fruit paintings and hoping the vitamins are doing me good - to be honest, I don't each much fruit and prefer cakes and biscuits for my healthy life style ;-) I am hoping that just handling the fruit is good for me ;-)

Now ... don't cry over this one ...

2010-03-13T07:14:00.001-08:00

12 x 9 inches - oil on Belgian linen panel
SOLD ;-)

This was the second of my reflections pieces and it may be the last for now - until I pluck up the courage to do another.
I was a bit concerned over the lack of colour after I'd finished this one but I like the simplicity and monochromatic feel. The greys are made up with raw umber, cobalt blue and white for the cool areas and raw umber, cobalt blue, yellow ochre and white for the warmer areas.
The seemingly white highlights all have some yellow ochre added to them too.

Lemon Squashed

2010-03-07T02:04:00.000-08:00

8x8 inches oil on panel - SOLD

I thought it was about time to have a lemon that was not perfect and was messed up a bit.
The idea of reflections was something I had wanted to paint for a long time but was plucking up the courage to face the new challenge - I wish I could say it was easy but ....................... it wasn't!!!
There is another 'reflections' painting coming soon and then I think that's it for now (I like an easy life: I stepped out of my comfort zone and now I'm running straight back into it ;-).

... and now for something completely different ... a painting

2010-03-03T08:22:00.001-08:00

Clementines
12 x 9 inches - oil on Belgian linen panel
SOLD

It's been a while since the last painting but I will be posting quite a few over the next week or so because they have all come together around the same time. Due to the fact that I work in quite a few layers, I am always letting one dry while I work on the next and I end up with 4 - 6 paintings on the go.
I must say that this is one of my favourites because the composition, lighting and colouring just seem to work so well ....... and it was a joy to paint.
I think it has a classical feel to it but I'll let you be the judge of that ..... I just push the paint around ;-)

The Artist Magazine and my ugly mug

2010-03-02T00:09:00.000-08:00

If you manage to pick up the April issue of The Artist Magazine you will see a two page advert for Blick art supplies (link on the left of the page) featuring yours truly.
I use the panels featured in the ad for all my smaller square paintings and they kindly decided to showcase some of the work done on the said panels.
So I'd like to give a special thank you to Stephen Swayne of Blicks for this great opportunity to get some coverage in the US and for his support of my work.

Winsor & Newton Commission

2010-02-14T00:46:00.000-08:00

Last July I was approached by Winsor & Newton and asked to do another painting of my lemons in a bowl (different arrangement and shadow on the bowl) to be used as a label for their new 'Fine Detail' canvas.
I was, of course, thrilled to even be asked by them and the thought that one of my paintings is used on one of their products is a very proud moment for me.
They even credit me on the label so I am very grateful to them.

More new paintings coming soon ... the usual 'they all come at once' posts that you are probably getting used to. Some tangerines coming up this time, ousting the lemons into second place ;-)

OK! Try and keep up ;-)

2010-01-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

12 x 9 inches - Gessoboard
SOLD

Let me explain ............. these recent postings are all ones I have completed over the last month, I am not 'banging them out' (yes, you know who you are ;-) at the rate of one every few days (I wish). I have to post them all now as I have put them on eBay - the links are on the right.
This is one of my favourites as I just like the feeling it gives me when I look at it.

On the shelf

2010-01-17T02:19:00.000-08:00

Oil on Belgian linen panel - 12 x 9 inches
SOLD

Yes, another shell ................ and more to come soon (well, one anyway - then that's it for all things shell like). Click the photo as I have uploaded a larger pic.

Back in Black

2010-01-14T06:02:00.000-08:00

Brass and Glass 8 x 8 inches, oil on panel - SOLD

Just another quick post. I do love green glass, it's the clear stuff that gives me problems ;-)

Tea anyone?

2010-01-10T23:13:00.001-08:00

9 x 12 inches - Oil on Belgian linen - SOLD

I revisited an old favourite for a customer in Bermuda. This battered old cast iron kettle was given to me by an old couple who ran a tiny restaurant in Yokohama where I used to eat about three times a week for many years. Only nine people at a time could fit into the L-shaped room under a railway arch and the food was great (cooked right in front of you and I would chat with them as they prepared my food).

Seascape

2010-01-04T01:41:00.000-08:00

8 x 8 inches, oil on Blick Studio panel: SOLD

Well, it has been a while hasn't it, but in November/December I had some commissions to do for exisiting customers and only got back to doing some 'new' stuff a couple of weeks ago.
The new paintings all seem to be ready at the same time, so I will post some over the next few days to spread them out.

So ........... hands up those of you who thought I could only do black backgrounds (you may as well keep them up as there are more to come - I'd hate to disappoint you ;-)
No prizes for figuring out the title I'm afraid!

Rose on the Half Bottle

2009-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

12 x 9 inches oil on linen panel - SOLD

This is another trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) that I did to fit in this particular frame but rather than do it on hardboard I did it on Belgian linen to see if I could get the same effect (it doesn't work quite so well in the photo becasue of the glare and shadow from the light) ....... and yes, I did drink the wine first ;-) I must do more with wine bottles, it's a good incentive.

Interview

2009-11-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

If anyone is interested, I gave a small (and probably dull) interview to José Carrilho on his The Art Inquirer blog
You may notice that my name has changed to Paul Coventry-Brown, this is to avoid my being confused with the, seemingly, millions of other Paul Brown artists out there when you Google the name (Coventry is my mother's maiden name).
I am working on a few commissions at the moment but I hope to get a new post up soon.

Synchronicity

2009-10-30T02:43:00.000-07:00

There is a story behind this painting:

SOLD: 9 x 12 inches, oil on Belgian linen

Four weeks ago I took my father for a minor operation to the suburb of a city 40 miles away and while I was waiting for him to come out of surgery I took a drive into the historical town centre to walk around and take some photos.
I saw this 18th century door and brass knocker and thought it would make a nice composition:
The square, the circle and the almost triangle of the shadow - I left the knocker at an angle on purpose so that it wasn't too symmetrical.

Then, last week I had to take dad for an eye examination to the same city (but this time in the centre), we didn't know where the clinic was so we printed a map from Google maps, when we found the road we were looking for, we counted the doors down to number 9 and guess which door we were standing outside .... yes, this one, this was were the appointment was for.
What drew me to that door weeks ago in a city with thousands of ancient and small streets - I have no idea!
The chances must be millions to one of this happening ... weird huh!

Au Pear

2009-10-07T02:46:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 inches, oil on Belgian linen panel - SOLD

A break from the 3D stuff (but more to come) and back to black with more of a classical theme.
I do love this oil primed linen and would recommend that you give it a try, if you haven't already. It is Claessens #13 (fine weave) and I get my panels here: SourceTek
I thought painting pears would be easy, but it took a lot of fine tuning to get them to this stage (I'm a bit of a plodder) but it hasn't put me off and I will be trying some more very soon. Methinks a levitating pear is called for to counter the gravity of the above ;-)

Snug as two jugs .....

2009-09-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

8 x 8 inches oil on panel - SOLD

Right ..... I also had problems with this one with a certain blogger (yes, you know who you are Rahina ... OOPS!) who wasn't sure what exactly was painted so I guess I need to explain that everything here is painted except the black background which is just the board I hung it on for the photo.
I posted the side view so that you can see the depth of the panel. It also surprised me that the illusion of 3D worked from the side too .... shiver me timbers (am I too late to get the Pirate talk in?).
Still life next time while I work on the other 'trompe' paintings.

The illusive Pimple ... sorry! ... Pimpernel

2009-09-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm back and a tad later than I thought I would be.
I decided to try and do some more trompe l'oeil (fool the eye - 3D will do just as well) paintings and they take a lot longer to do because of the care you have to take to create the illusion. It no longer is just a painting, it has to look as real as you can make it with a flat surface and some paints.

The painting is hanging on a black board so I can show the shadow the panel casts on the wall to help the illusion (the black background is not part of the painting). The photo below shows it from different angles.

Art Deco Espresso Cup 8 x 8 inches, oil on panel - FOR SALE

Now, some people who had sneak previews actually wondered what is going on here (they thought that the outside 'frame' was real and not painted) .... so I did these four photos of the painting from different angles hanging on a black board.
It is painted on a flat panel that has a frame glued to the back as shown below (courtesy of Dick Blick art supplies).
More 3D and still life to come over the next few days (then probably silence for the next 2 months ;-)

Back from the dead?

2009-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

I thought that I had better put something on the blog before it became extinct.
The lack of posting is due to receiving a commission from Winsor & Newton in July. They wanted one of my paintings to put on the labels of a new fine detail canvas that they are going to market, so I did two paintings (so they could choose one of them) and they took both of them ......
They wanted a similar one to the lemons on the home page of my site. I don't know how the design will look yet and they have promised to send some photos when they are done so I will post them when I get them.

This lily painting was done for Regina (a great customer in Bermuda) and I also did two other commissions since the W&N one but can't post them becasue I forgot to take photos before I sent them off!!!!!.
I am working on some new ones though (one trompe l'oeil as promised - which is taking more time than I thought!) and I will try to be a good, if somewhat erratic, blogger by getting them on here soon ..... duck, there goes a flying pig ;-)

Flying saucer ....

2009-08-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

Well, couldn't find any more gravity defying fruit but I did come across this cup and saucer to continue the theme. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

8 x 8 inches ready to hang panel: SOLD

There are just not enough levitating fruit on these blogs ...

2009-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of fun ..... who knows, there may be more of these gravity defying fruit in the future :-)

SOLD - 8 x 7.5 inches (including frame)
oil on hardboard

Trompe l'Oeil bottle

2009-07-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

SOLD
17 x 17 cms (approx 7 x 7 inches) including frame

I had a frame lying around so I thought I would do a painting to go in it (hmmmm! isn't it supposed to be the other way 'round ;-)
It was so much fun trying to make this look three dimensional and I'm happy with the way it turned out. The shadow on the left and top is not from the actual frame but painted in.
If the buyer hangs it on a wall with a window to the left of it it should be very effective.
I am going to do a series of these little trompe l'oeil (which means 'fool the eye' in French, for those wondering what I'm on about) after I have finished a few commissions that I have on at the moment.

Time for some lilies ....

2009-07-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

I tend to have about four paintings on the go and they all seem to get finished around the same time, hence the gap between posts. Maybe I should aim for one post a week at least, but that would mean being disciplined and the shock may be too much for my system ;-)
So, here are some lilies from the garden. I intentionally left out all the leaves and stems as I wanted them to be free of clutter in this nice little arrangement.
The background is really shades of dark green but I couldn't adjust the photo any more without bleaching out the petals, so it's a compromise.
More photos coming over this week so please pop back :-)

SOLD
35 x 30 cms (approx 14 x 12 inches)
Oil on hardboard

A quick one .....

2009-06-29T01:40:00.001-07:00

This is a one day 20 x 20 cms (approx: 8 x 8 inches) painting of two Japanese tea cups done on canvas which I thought that I'd post just to add a bit of volume to the blog, seeing as I am such a sporadic blogger ;-)
Again, the image is de-saturated (when I compare it to the original that I uploaded) and the blues are not quite as washed out as they appear in this photo.

SOLD

A couple of new ones

2009-06-28T00:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of new paintings (blogger seems to be de-saturating the images so they look really dull - the shell has a rich red background really, not dull brown). As usual, the shadow is just as important as the object (sometimes even more so).

I am working on a butterfly commission at the moment so no new paintings of my own on the go just yet, but I am trying to get back to some new stuff as soon as possible.

8 x 10 inches - oil on Belgian linen panel - SOLD

25 x 16 cms (approx: 6.5 x 10 inches) - oil on hardboard - SOLD

Yes, it's another blue moon ....

2009-06-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? I just don't seem to have got anything done recently but I am going to post some images over the next few days of the few new paintings that I have managed to do.
This one is on hardboard and is probably the last one of this size that I am going to do, I'm just not comfortable with painting large areas ;-) Maybe it's just a matter of confidence when faced with all that space.
I'm still dismayed at my photographic skills and pull my hair out (what little I have left!) trying to get the photos to look like the paintings, but this is the closest I could get and it is still with reluctance that I am posting it ;-)

60 x 25 cms (approx: 24 x 10 inches) - SOLD

One for the road ...........

2009-05-28T00:03:00.001-07:00

I used an oil primed Belgian linen panel for this painting and I just love the way the paint sits on the surface, such a pleasure to paint on ... expensive though (especially after postage to France)! If you've never tried it, I suggest that you give it a go, I wish I had found it earlier!
I think I need to redo this photo as it looks ill defined and muddy on this shot.

SOLD
8 x 10 inches

Some more photos from the art class. We couldn't set up easels this time, but next time we aim to have it all worked out. It was a little difficult for them painting flat on the tables but in the end it all worked out fine and they managed very well.
It was all about the basic handling of paint and how to start and finish a painting with the wet in wet technique. We didn't touch on underpainting, glazes, or scumbles, etc. but I'm hoping that they will progress to that over the next courses.

Showing them the colour I was mixing

My first oil paining :-)

Still alive and well ......

2009-05-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm not the world's most prolific blogger, but I get back here sooner or later. I tend to have about four paintings on the go at any one time and usually end up finishing them all around the same time so the posts tend to be once a month.
I have also done a couple of commissions but I'm not posting them as yet.
This was a big one for me 60 x 25 cms (24 x 10 inches) and is done on gessoed hardboard. I liked the delicacy of the iris against that big, heavy stoneware jar resting on the edge of the table. Any suggestions for a title?

SOLD

I taught my first all day art class yesterday and it was a lot of fun for me and the students all seemed to have enjoyed as we are planning more classes. I just worked on basic painting techniques with them and they managed to complete 2 'alla prima' paintings in one day!
For some it was their very first oil painting (close up view below) and they were thrilled with what they achieved in such a short time.
It was great to have students who were so enthusiastic and they did a fantastic job of pushing away that fear of failure and the "I wont be able to do that" mentality and did themselves proud (just look at those smiling faces).
I did the lessons at a painting holiday resort here in France so if anyone is interested in painting holidays (with a swimming pool!!!): www.paintinfrance.eu/index.htm

I'll be back tomorrow with another painting and maybe another pic of the art class.

Day three .... more stuff

2009-04-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Bored yet? Anyway ..... a few more pics for your perusal. I may leave a few days between the next post for a bit of a break.
This is an old cast iron kettle that was given to me by friends in Yokohama and I love the unusual shape, it seems to float above the table because of the unusual hidden bottom.

40 x 30 cms (approx. 16 x 12 inches)
oil on canvas board

SOLD

24 x 19.5 cms (approx. 9.5 x 7.5 inches)
oil on gessoed hardboard

SOLD

A few more paintings ....

2009-04-21T01:28:00.001-07:00

As promised in yesterday's post .... a few more photos with more to come tomorrow ...
As you can see, I re-visited a few old friends just for the enjoyment I get out of painting these dark background subjects.

For sale: 24 x 26 cms (approx. 9.5 x 10 inches)

Oil on gessoed hardboard

SOLD

8 x 10 inches (approx. 20 x 25.5 cms)

Oil on gessoed hardboard

SOLD

Long overdue .....

2009-04-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough month as I haven't been happy with what I've done recently and hesitated posting anything new, but I have decided to just go ahead and put some of them up for show.
I guess I have been feeling a lot of peer pressure, because before I started the blog I wasn't getting praise from artists that I admire so much and now I feel that I have to live up to their expectations of me, so 'good' is not good enough!
I've had a few paintings that just haven't worked at all this last month and they have been consigned to the bonfire pile.
I will post more work over the next few days.

The 'hat' paintings were done because of all the painting I have done over the last few years, the previous hat paintings seemed to be the most enjoyed by a lot of people ... and I enjoy painting them (my summer and winter hats).

8 x 10 inches Claesen's Belgian linen panel
SOLD

8 x 10 inches Claesen's Belgian linen panel

SOLD

Winsor and Newton Featured Artist

2009-03-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

I received great news today .... that I am now a Winsor and Newton featured artist.

I am absolutely thrilled by this and it made my day!

You can see it here if you are interested:

http://www.winsornewton.com/community/featured-artists/

If you use Firefox as your browser and don't see my profile, please make sure to click the UK Union flag at the top of the page. Then enter the address above once more (copy and paste it from here).

Firefox loads the US site as default and not the UK one. Only Firefox seems to be a problem.

Tagged!

2009-03-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Jennifer Bellinger so I promise to keep it going when I have a bit more time to write up the five facts about myself.

A change is as good as a rest

2009-03-10T02:38:00.000-07:00

I decided to try and do a loose painting in as quick a time as possible and I did this in one sitting in about 3 hours. No touching up later and all brushstrokes left in place - I had to strap my arms to my sides to stop me 'improving' it and making it more like the real thing. It was a good experience and I may continue doing more to try and improve the technique ..... hats off to all those 'one a day' painters!

SOLD

The last of the dark backgrounds

2009-02-28T01:12:00.000-08:00

I think I'll take a rest from the dark backgrounds for a while ... I bought this lighter in Vietnam about 10 years ago.

I am going to re-do the matches photo when I have time as I am not happy with it as it is.

13 x 13 cms

SOLD

Japanese matches - HARUMI 15 x 15 cms

For sale

24 x 30 cms (SOLD)

A few new works ....

2009-02-14T02:13:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd better get a couple more photos on here and maybe a couple more next week. Both are oil on hardboard.

30 x 24 cms (SOLD)

24 x 24 cms

SOLD

My First Post!

2009-01-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

Firstly, I'd like to thank one of my favourite artists, Neil Hollingsworth, for getting me to do this and for his recent encouraging e-mails. But most of all I'd like to thank my sister, Sheila, in Bermuda as without her none of this would have been possible.

I have always been a fan of the old masters, as you may guess. I have tried a looser approach to my work but I can never help tightening it up ;-)

SOLD

The paintings are all oil on hardboard and I only use Windsor and Newton 'Liquin Original' for my medium and rarely use bristle brushes as I usually end up taking more paint off than putting it on :-)
I will be happy to answer any queries about my work or art in general.

I sometimes put work on eBay but I have been lucky enough to sell most of my work privately and all paintings shown in the blog are sold unless stated.
If you are interested in being added to my mailing list, for when new paintings become available, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Day 2

I just thought I'd add another photo today (hmmm! looking like I have a kind of lemon fetish huh!) and, hopefully, when my new camera arrives I'll be able to take some nice photos of the house and my studio.

SOLD

OK! Enough of the lemons (this is a very poor photo even after trying to tweak it in Photoshop):

SOLD