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Grainger Street

by on April 24, 2012 in Limited Edition Prints, North East Prints

Grainger Street

Grainger Street

The popularity of my limited edition prints is partially down to the fact that I usually include figures in the paintings which bring the painting to life. Over the years I spent considerable time observing people going about their daily business in cities like Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, Venice, Florence and New York. I’ve developed a kind of shorthand for drawing them on the move in my sketchbook which I can refer to when I come to do a studio painting. I will of course take photographs as it’s impossible to draw people in detail walking about the streets unless they are deliberately modelling for you.

It’s the figures in this painting which are the dominant point of interest. Folk have often commented that they love the old man shuffling along with his newspaper sticking out of his back pocket, the two old ladies nattering away with their shopping bags and the road sweeper who has stopped to light up a fag. The original painting sold many years ago but the limited edition print titled Grainger Street is still available online or from my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

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Florenze from Piazza Michelangelo

by on September 18, 2011 in Painting on Location

Florence from Piazza Michelangelo

Florence from Piazza Michelangelo

Probably the best view of Florence is from Piazza Michelangelo. I’ve now painted several watercolour studies from the piazza which boasts stunning views of the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the River Arno. Last Sunday afternoon was hot and sunny in Florence which meant that the watercolour paint dried very quickly, in marked contrast to the last time I painted this view. It was a cold, wet February afternoon, the light was fading and Susan had to stand over me with an umbrella to keep the rain off the paper!

It was worth the effort though. From these studies, I was able to paint a large studio watercolour titled “Florence from Piazza Michelangelo” which has been one of my best selling limited edition prints of Italy.

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London Eye

by on July 1, 2011 in English Scenes, Football and Rugby Prints, Limited Edition Prints

London Eye

London Eye

London is full of incredible architecture from so many different periods in history. The London Eye has taken it’s rightful place as an iconic symbol of the Thames amongst other famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge. It was opened in March 2000 to bring closure to the 20th Century and to herald in the new millennium.

For this particular painting I wanted to combine the new with the old and to create a strong visual contrast between the sharp, straight vertical lines of past architecture against the smooth, gentle curve of the giant wheel. By looking into the low afternoon sunlight, most of the shapes became silhouetted which gave me the opportunity to produce some intense golden colours for the sky.

The London Eye is one of two paintings I have reproduced as limited edition prints, the other being Thames Sunrise. The original will be one of the watercolours I will be exhibiting 4-9th July at the CastleGate in Newcastle as part of the charity exhibition titled “INDEPENDENCE” to raise money for OWN IT.

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Castle from the Grassmarket, Edinburgh

by on June 16, 2011 in Limited Edition Prints, Scotland Prints

Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket

Edinburgh Castle from the Grassmarket

My first limited edition print of Edinburgh was a scene of the Grassmarket published in 1993 which sold out in less than a year. Since then I’ve had a further 18 of my watercolours of Edinburgh published as limited edition prints which have been hugely popular.

Edinburgh Castle boasts a commanding position over Auld Reekie. Many of my paintings of Edinburgh depict the castle almost as a backdrop to some other aspect of the city, as in this scene of street life in the Grassmarket. The loose brush marks which I’ve used to render the sky, the figures moving in and out of the shadows and the dark, heavy foreground, all help to add drama and life to the overall composition titled “Castle from the Grassmarket Edinburgh”.

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St Giles, Edinburgh

by on June 15, 2011 in Limited Edition Prints, Scotland Prints

St Giles, Edinburgh

St Giles, Edinburgh

St Giles Cathedral stands proudly along Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile in-between the Castle and John Knox House. It has a distinctive crowned spire which reminds me of Newcastle’s St Nicholas Cathedral. Today it attracts a congregation of several hundred worshippers led by around 50 elders who manage the building and the church. When I say church, I mean the people, not the building.

For this particular painting of Edinburgh I wanted to make the Cathedral the main focal point, so I made took photographs of the sun hitting the stone work. This meant that most of the rest of the buildings were in shadow. To create further interest, I wanted to show the Royal Mile on a typical rainy Edinburgh day, so I took some reference photographs of the High Street in the rain with plenty of folk avoiding the puddles. Using a combination of photographs taken on two different days I was able to produce this watercolour capturing a burst of sunlight breaking out from behind the clouds after a heavy Scottish downpour. The red phone box and black cab add further colour and movement to the whole aspect of life in the city. It’s been one of my best selling limited edition prints of Edinburgh.

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