Ronda, Spain, 15" x 11".

The New Bridge in Ronda, Spain, joining the Old Town with the New.  Quite a tricky painting this one with plenty of painting around the highlights like the tops of figures, the tops of the walls and the vehicle.  This town is a painter's paradise.  Plenty of lovely scenes of typical old Spanish buildings, narrow streets, squares, the views over the countryside (Ronda is perched on top of a hill top) and the two ancient arched bridges.  Maybe a few more paintings to come here from my photos!

Bristol Harbourside, 22" x 15".

Another of my accepted entries to the local Bristol Harbourside Art Prize 2014.  This is a composition of the Hotwells end of the Bristol Harbour, a popular place for dinghy racing.  The old red-bricked tobacco warehouse or factory is in the background.  With the water, timing is everything, with the adding of the darker waves just as the first wash is at the damp stage and not too moist.  Then when everything is dry, I go in with the boat reflections.

More information on the painting and to view other exhibited paintings from other artists are here on the Steak of the Art website.  What a great name eh?

Chania, Crete, 15" x 11"

Fishing boats moored up in the harbour in Chania's new town area.  With the two very different sides of Saunders Waterford 'Rough' paper, this was painted on the 'wired' side as I call it.  The regular surface patterns show up most in the lighter sky areas.  Generally I paint now on the opposite side to this, where there is a more random pattern, and the graining effect on washes I think is better. 

I am trying a bit of an experiment.  On February 12th at 7pm GMT I will be presenting a live and online demonstration by myself.  I have my HD webcam ready, the paints and paper are ready, and hopefully the technology will all work.  I will probably choose a simple subject for this first session and expect to take 45 minutes to an hour to complete (with the help of my hair dryer!).

All you will need is a good/reliable internet connection, and a headphone or PC speakers to hear my audio commentary (Conference call phone numbers will also be provided).  If you want to, you'll be able to ask plenty of questions.  It's FREE by the way!

You need to register to attend (please do this as soon as possible and not on the day)...

My subject for the painting may be this scene, a little road near where I live.

 Hopefully meet up with you online for this little experiment!

Tavira, Algarve, 15" x 11".

The small Chapel "Capela de Nossa Senhora da Piedade" in Tavira, a very old part of the town, and in a fairly small square in the old part of town.  Quite pleased with how this turned out with the shadows connecting the various parts of the painting (maybe I could have dragged the Chapel shadow to connect with the figure or car on the left?) and just enough figures to add a bit of interest and a focal point.

Bristol Harbourside, 15" x 11".

This is one of my accepted entries to the Bristol Harbourside Art Prize 2014 (all entries had to be a subject around the Bristol Waterfront area) and winner of the 'Porthleven Prize'.  It was a bit of a last minute painting and nearly did not make it.  I'm not sure what the red boat is called, but I spent the most time on that part, getting the curves right and the shadows, being a little focal point.  In the background and very lightly painted in, are the old cranes and the Industrial Museum building or M-Shed.

Yate, South Gloucestershire, 15" x 11".

The entrance to my local shopping centre.  Yate is a 'New Town' developed in the mid 70's and the shopping centre is very much from that era - all squares and lines, no curves, so simple to paint!  Sky was done quite quickly - clear water painted over the area, leaving some areas dry.  Then in with a cool dark for the clouds and some cerulean blue dragged here and there for the sky itself.

Faro, Portugal, 15" x 11"

A dusty lane along the side of the estuary in Faro, southern Portugal.  Not an especially interesting subject to paint - some distant buildings in Faro in the background, a square building on the shoreline and some bushes along the path.  So hopefully added a bit more interest with the couple of figures and the rendering of the surface of the road - different colours dropped in while still wet, some splatter marks, then when all is dry, some dry brush strokes (neutral tint with a synthetic brush)

Cherbourg, 15" x 11"

The 'Quai Caligny' running alongside the Harbour in central Cherbourg.  There's a few ways of doing misty hills or low lying cloud - I went with the shortcut way.  After an underlying wash was allowed to dry (fairly light), I put in a few random areas of clear water where the ridge of the hills are.  Then I painted in the sky with a darker tone of mainly yellow ochre allowing it to bleed into the damp areas.  Quickly after that, I continued with the background hills, allowing it too to merge in with those damp spots.  Fingers crossed, you end up with a passable impression of some mist and clouds.

Bristol Waterfront, 15" x 11".

Yachts moored up at the annual Bristol Harbour Festival.  It was an overcast day so I went for the dull and dreary look.  Sky went in very quickly, cool blues were drawn across the damp paper.  Rather than paint the yachts in too loosely, I decided to spend a bit of time on the left two, putting in details of railings, masts and windows.  Last to painted were the reflections and ripples on the water with a small mop brush with a good point.