Centennial Park

Watercolour on cartridge paper 10.5 x 15cm

Watercolour on cartridge paper 10.5 x 15mm

These are a couple of sketches done on a windy day in Centennial Park just before Christmas.

Wooden duck

Oil on canvas

This was done using a glazing technique to bring out the colours, especially of the wooden duck.

Boots and an egg

Oil on canvas  24.5 x 30cm

This is another exercise in glazing. The painting was first painted using thin opaque paint and then, when dry, transparent paint was applied over the top.  Except for the egg.  This was painted green and then flesh tones were applied over the green, leaving only a little green to show just on the turning point.

Still life with enamel jug

Oil on canvas 24.5 x 30cm

I painted this over an old picture that I wasn't happy with.

I have allowed some of the old picture to become part of the new and deliberately kept the paint loose.

There is always the difficulty in painting of knowing when to stop, and not overstating.  I have noticed that with some very finished and technically proficient work,  the viewer can feel shut out, as if there is nothing left for them to do: all the Is have been carefully dotted and the Ts crossed.

Watercolour sketches in Central Ave, Lilyfield

Watercolour on Cartridge 21 x 29.7cm

Watercolour on Cartridge 21 x 29.7cm

Two more sketches done during the beautiful Jacaranda season!

Watercolour sketches around Leichhardt

These little sketches have all been done around the Leichhardt area over the past two Fridays.

The weather was absolutely perfect and it was a lot of fun just sitting on the grass, on the verge in some of the side streets or in Lambert Park.  Whilst under one tree I did get an offering from a bird, which my friend, Lucia, who is from Hong Kong, tells me is lucky!  On the other hand, my lottery ticket didn't win so ...

Friday shopping

Watercolour on cartridge paper 297 x 210mm

Marion St traffic

Watercolour on cartridge paper 297 x 210mm

Davies St, Leichhardt

Watercolour on arches 210 x 148mm

Sue landscape painting

Watercolour on arches 210 x 148mm

Marion St lights

Watercolour on arches 210 x 148mm

Foster St

Watercolour on arches 210 x 148mm

Traffic lights

Watercolour on arches 210 x 148mm

Yellow tablecloth

Oil on canvas

Lamp

Oil on canvas 24.5 x 30cm                  Sold

Sweet n' sour

Oil on canvas board  24.5 x 30cm

The lemon in front of a vinegar jar was the inspiration for this title.

Finalist in the Hornsby Art Show 2015

Finalist for the Art Est Calendar 2015

Spring morning

Oil on canvas 24.5 x 30cm

I have taken this idea from a painting I did a while ago and revamped it.  I have made the composition tighter.

And thanks to the suggestion of my friend Bev, I have called it "Spring morning".

There is something about bright primary colours that does convey joy.

Cocktail

Oil on canvas 24.5 x 30cm

I have dispensed with the collage making beforehand.  Instead, I am using familiar objects, working out a composition and then painting on the canvas without looking at the real objects (well, not too much).  Wasn't it Bonnard who used to paint in another room separate from his still life set up, so that he wouldn't get too hung up by the reality of the forms and instead, retain his initial inspiration?

Collage No 3: Pink Jug

Collage, card, paper on cardboard  22 x 30cm  Sold    

Oil on canvas board  24.5 x 30cm

I am having so much fun making these that I have decided to do some more.

This technique allows me to really think about the shapes, both positive and negative,  and the composition.

Collage No 2 Polly

Card and paper on cardboard

Oil on canvas board  25.5 x 30cm  Sold

Collage No 2 Fiesta

Paper on cardboard                  Sold

I had so much fun with the first collage that I decided to do another one.

Oil on canvas board  25.4cm x 30

Finalist for the Hornsby Art Prize. 

Collage I

Paper, cardboard on card 29.5cm x 21

The idea of this exercise is to make a collage from some still life objects and then do a painting based  on the collage.  it is more an exercise in looking at the abstract shapes rather that details.

Oil on board 28cm x 35.5

John reading

Oil on canvas

Four objects on a green cloth

Oil on canvas board

This is another attempt to be very loose with the brush strokes and let some of the background show through.  The technique allows the forms to become understated and on the way to becoming abstract.

Sketch with apple

Oil on canvas 24 x 18.5cm

This was an exercise in being very loose with the brush strokes and letting some of the background show through.  The result is quite lively even though some of the accuracy is sacrificed.

On a roll

Oil on canvas

This was basically white on white: a roll of paper, print making rollers on paper in front of a white wall, with the light creating a beautiful blue, aqua and pinkish shadows.  

Pepper's Creek, Rockley

Oil on canvas 30cm x 40cm

Peppers Creek runs by a delightful little historic town by the name of Rockley.

The town is located 232 kms. west of Sydney across the Blue Mountains, 23 kms south of Bathurst.

I visited this place whilst doing a landscape workshop held by local artist, Tim Miller.  So, although this painting was done only recently, I remember the tranquillity and peacefulness of this area which seems to be largely untouched by time.

Still life with blue cup and saucer

Oil on cedar board  30 x 13.5cm

I bought this blue cup and saucer at the Rozelle markets and I think it is going to be a frequent feature in my paintings.

Model One

Oil on canvas  13.5 x 23 cm

I love listening to music while I paint.  So today I painted the radio in a small composition.

Across the room

Oil on canvas

The red umbrella

Oil on canvas

The red umbrella hanging on the wall was the inspiration for this painting.

Manilla envelope

Oil on canvas

This is exploring the same forms as my last painting but varying the composition.

Manilla envelope, books and pencils

Oil on canvas

This was a view of the studio.

Lambert Park No 3

Oil on canvas 30 x 25cm

This was painted plain air in Lambert Park on a day that was sunny but with an icy wind: good encouragement to get on with things, not fiddle or waste a minute!

Pink shopping trolley

Oil on board 23 x 30cm

This was painted in Lambert Park.  One of the painters left her shopping trolley right in my line of view.  With the sun shining it glowed a bright pink which added a nice touch of colour that I couldn't resist.

Finalist for the Greenway Art Award 2014 and Hunters Hill 2016.

Still life with two mugs

Oil on canvas

These were a few things scattered on top of the cupboard.

I liked their random arrangement (with just a little tinkering by me).

Still life with jug

Oil on canvas paper  42 x 29.7cm

This five objects were just bunched together forming an arrangement with out any help from myself so decided to paint them.  Sometimes finding an arrangement is not that easy.

Still life with scissors

Oil on canvas

This is a view of a section of the studio.

Still life with green jug

Oil on canvas

Still life with plastic bottle

Oil on canvas          Sold 

Still life with two lemons

Oil on canvas

This was painted using a very limited palate: white, cobalt blue, burnt sienna and yellow ochre.

Young woman in a floppy hat

Oil on canvas

Woman in a floppy hat

Oil on canvas

Woman in a white dress

Oil on canvas

Lambert Park 2

Oil on canvas

This was painted plein air in Lambert Park, on a truly beautiful May day.