Latest Painting

This painting of my Grandad's fob watches doesn't really suit the gallery where I usually exhibit, but I really wanted to paint them. He was a Railway Guard on British Rail

Brittany's Beached Boats

In the late Summer, we had a wonderful three weeks in that glorious weather that would have made any holiday perfect. We thought we would try to see the quite a bit of the interior of France instead of just the coast. So we bought a Vauxhall Vivaro that already had a folding bed in the back. We added our alcohol cooker and potta potti from Strix and we were away. We went across on the Plymouth to Roscoff ferry. 
We went as far East as the Loire Valley at Saumur and as far South as Rochefort. Ile de Re was a wonderful place and if we won the lottery we might stay there quite a while.
Brittany is the best place for beached wrecks, which I love to paint, and for boats in general. 

Duoarenez maritime museum was worth visiting. 

Cameret has always been a favourite spot, it was our first stop crossing the Channel in our own boats. The fishing boats slowly decaying in Cameret's harbour are lovely subjects. The fisherman's chapel is one of best churches I've been in, with it's calm atmosphere, model ships and other votives.

I'll be taking these paintings to Waterside Gallery on St Mawes at the weekend.

Summer Sailing

I've named this post Summer Sailing, but it would be more truthful to say Summer Lazing. We have spent more time at anchor just relaxing in the cockpit enjoying this fantastic weather. Cornwall has no equal when the sun shines. I have managed to quite a few paintings, so I haven't been too laid back.

I did these sketches to illustrate reflection (top) and shadow (bottom)

Just got an e-mail from James at Waterside Gallery St.Mawes to say that he has sold a triptych of

 coast walk views and the painting of a crab fisherman in Porthleven that featured in an earlier blog. 

Falmouth Working Boat

In October we have an Oyster Festival here in Falmouth, where a lot of 'shucking' goes on along with well known chefs doing cooking demonstrations.
Alongside the quay there was an interesting Falmouth Working Boat called Alf Smythers,  which is still being  used for oyster dredging. I did a quick sketch before the rain came in heavy, and luckily managed to take a few photos on my phone.
The oysters in the River Fal are only allowed to be dredged for under sail or by oar, in other words- not with an engine. This is a sustainable and eco friendly fishery, and it's the traditional way too. Last week I met Ranger who is the skipper of Alf Symthers, and he was happy to hear of the sketching. Here is a link to his new website cornish native oysters for more details of how they work.

During the last month I have painted a triptych of Alf Symthers, showing her from different views. I have been doing quite a few sets of three recently of different subjects and they sold as soon as they were hung in the gallery!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I haven't been able to get online much this summer, but now with our mobiles  now having a 1GB instead of 100MB means we can use the laptop.

 Luckily the last paintings I took to Waterside Gallery are selling well, I wasn't sure how they would go, but when framed and hanging on the gallery wall I was pleased how colourful they looked. 

I have spent the last few weeks painting a few watercolours, the best times were being able to do this sat in the cockpit in the sunshine. I have also been trying write up my sketchbook journal about our Camino that we did in June. We have had some perfect sails in the local area, which can't be beaten for boating when the weather is fine. Magical nights at anchor up the River Fal with tawny owls making the odd hoot.

Latest Paintings taken to Waterside Gallery St. Mawes, Cornwall

These are a few of the paintings I have been experimenting with recently, along with my usual watercolours of local scenes and boat details. When shopping at a Breton market last year, I was fascinated with the striped awnings of the stalls, bright colours of fruit and glistening fish, together with my admiration of the Scottish Colourists, made this work a real pleasure. When I showed them to the gallery owner to ask his opinion, he took six there and then to have them framed , which is very encouraging. The first one I did in this style was for the Twitterart exhibit and it sold straightaway, so you may see more bright work here soon.

Gweek Boatyard

I heard yesterday that Luke Powell's building of Scilly Pilot Cutters has come to an end at Gweek and there is no sign of his workshop having been there. All things change, but I used to love to watch the progress of each boat in construction and then to see them sailing. A friend lent me Luke's beautiful book Working Sail last month, I wish I could have kept it! http://www.workingsail.co.uk/new-book/ . The above painting is from couple of years ago, and if there are any keen health and safety inspectors looking the fellow was wearing a dust mask, but the romantic in me changed that!