Workshop at Hornsea

Both pictures are now for sale.
Varnished, acrylic on canvas
40x32 inch approx.

£350

After a busy summer of painting outdoors, traveling up and down the East Yorkshire Wolds where I painted many views, I have now slowed down and am considering different projects. On fine days over winter I intend to continue painting outdoors when I can, even perhaps inside some of our magnificent churches.... hmmmn... there is a thought, perhaps another theme.
Last Wednesday I went over to Hornsea, to see the Spectrum group of artists. They had invited me to give a workshop. This was something new. I prepared some materials and we decided to do one picture. I ambitiously set up two large, 40 x 30 canvases which I had roughly primed the night before with a grey background. I thought the size would help the artists to see what I was doing. It worked well except perhaps my idea for the second canvas. I had thought that I could involve the group to do some work on it but time was against us. So, a lesson learnt. Perhaps concentrate on just one canvas next time which will also mean that I can circulate more and help out where needed.

 

So here is the first picture. It shows the Folley at Risby. I was using acrylics with varying properties and wanted the picture to shout out that it was autumnal. The colours are thus rather vivid, perhaps less so than this picture shows, especially the Folley itself. Nevertheless the result is pleasing I think, the composition works quite well. The idea to exaggerate the water reflections seems to work and the lone fisherman is concentrating hard.

The second picture is the same scene.

But here, I wanted to be looser. To be rather less inhibited and to let the colours sing a little more.

I'm not sure which I prefer now. Again the brick folley is too pink but the rest of the picture works. I have experimented a little with the colours but on the whole they blend well I think. It is, as always, better to see the originals. I have only added some minor detail to both pictures at home, otherwise they are as I did them at the workshop.

Hope you like them.