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Robin Hood Tree, Hadrian’s Wall

by on May 15, 2012 in Original Watercolours

Painting of Robin Hood's Tree, Hadrians Wall

Robin Hood's Tree, Hadrians Wall

Part of the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner was filmed on a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall which has a Sycamore tree growing in the dip, so as a result, it is often referred to as Robin Hood’s Tree.

I once painted the scene in winter for a charity Christmas card which proved to be very popular but on this occasion I decided to paint it set against the backdrop of summer sunlit clouds. It’s an unusual composition but that’s because it’s such an unusual scene. For those who love to walk Hadrian’s Wall, it’s a familiar sight and often a talking point. If I ever take the Military Road, which has to be one of the best drives in the UK, I allow myself a quick glance to see the lone tree standing in the gap.

The original watercolour is currently available to purchase at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

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Paintings of Italy, Siena

by on May 12, 2012 in Italy Prints and Originals, Original Watercolours

Original Watercolour of Italy

February Morning in Siena

My first visit to Siena was in February 1999. It was a wonderfully bright and crisp, sunny (but cold) morning. When we arrived, the shell shaped Piazza del Campo (where the famous Palio horse racing is held twice a year) was very quiet. It was just a little too cool to do any painting, however I spent quality time observing the locals wandering around the piazza. Most of them were men who would often stop to greet each other and stand chatting. It was lovely seeing them enjoying the bright morning sunlight and their conversations.

On my return to the UK I did a couple of  watercolours capturing the historic centre which has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, one of which I reproduced as a limited edition print  The other is this one titled  Siena, February Morning which can also be seen at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

 

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Alnwick Castle

by on April 30, 2012 in Limited Edition Prints, North East Prints, Original Watercolours

Alnwick Castle

Alnwick Castle

The Northumbrian town of Alnwick boasts a magnificent castle as well as stunning gardens. I’ve had the privilege of painting both. In 2003 I was commissioned to paint over a dozen Northumbrian Castles in watercolour for a leading North East company to grace the walls of their boardrooms and Alnwick Castle was one of them.

I had already decided that I would spread the paintings out over the course of a whole year so that I was capturing all of the seasons. After working out when the sun was most likely to be catching the ancient architecture, I felt that the last light of a summer evening was going to best for this particular scene.

It was painted on an expensive hand made watercolour paper, heavily textured, which was ideal for rendering both the stone and the foreground grasses. It also allowed me to make quite large, free brush strokes to indicate the low lying clouds reflected in the slow moving River Aln. The painting that was commissioned worked well for the client and I was so pleased with the result that I decided to do a slightly different interpratation of the same view which I later reproduced as a limited edition print. The original watercolour can be seen at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

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Spanish Steps

by on April 30, 2012 in Italy Prints and Originals, Original Watercolours

Spanish Steps

Spanish Steps

Paintings of Italy have always proved popular with those folk who love all things Italian. My limited edition prints of Tuscany, Venice and Umbria continue to sell consistently well with folk buying online and from my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

Around 1998 I decided to add Rome to my collection of Italian cities and visited several times to produce a range of on the spot watercolours from which to work from. One such scene was the picturesque Spanish Steps. At about 9:30am I found a suitable fountain from which to rest my watercolour block on and began to paint the steps which were virtually deserted. By the time I had finished the painting, you could hardly see the steps for the people sitting on them, enjoying the warm October sun.

The scene above is the studio painting which I’ve since reproduced as a limited edition print. The location study can also be seen at my Studio & Gallery. Please contact for further information.

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Theatre Royal at night

by on April 26, 2012 in Limited Edition Prints, North East Prints

Theatre Royal at Night

Theatre Royal at Night

Prints of the Theatre Royal in Newcastle upon Tyne are always popular but I’ve seen very few artists paint it at night which is when most theatre lovers see it. Artificial light is not easy to capture convincingly in paint, particularly in watercolour, however, this scene has worked well. The key is keeping the palate simple and the colours clean and fresh in terms of application.

For this watercolour I used Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow, Purple, Paynes Grey and French Ultramarine for most of the painting with touches of Scarlet Lake and Windsor Green for some of the details on the figures and traffic lights.

The original watercolour sold many years ago but I do have other original paintings of the Theatre Royal on view online and at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

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Eigg and Rhum Sunset

by on April 20, 2012 in Limited Edition Prints, Scotland Prints

Eigg & Rhum Sunset

Eigg & Rhum Sunset

The West Coast of Scotland has some of the finest scenery in the world. I’ve only been a handful of times but I’ve always been inspired to paint on location, whatever the weather. In 1998 we decided to take the long drive from Edinburgh to Mallaig for a long weekend. The weather was typical for September, rain. Glencoe was suppressed by low lying clouds but by the time we hit Glenfinnan Viaduct where I did a sketchbook watercolour, the weather began to break and the sun came out.

We checked into a small bed and breakfast in Mallaig and went in search for the white sandy beach of Camusdarach where the film Local Hero was shot. As we climbed over the dunes which hid the beach from the road, we saw a breathtaking view. As the sun was dipping below the islands of Eigg and Rhum we could hear the sound of the waves breaking softly onto the beach whilst a young lady sitting on the sand played a Celtic melody. It was a magical moment which Susan and I will never forget. I took some photographs before the light disappeared but it was too late to do any painting.

The next morning, after a hearty Scottish breakfast, I returned to the same spot to do a couple of watercolours which I was able to refer to so that I could do the studio painting titled Eigg and Rhum Sunset, which is available as a limited edition print both online and at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

 

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Flatiron Building

by on March 31, 2012 in Limited Edition Prints

Flatiron Building

Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building was originally called the Fuller Building and was one of the tallest buildings in the world when it was completed in 1902. Today it is dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers but its distinctive shape gives it an almost aerodynamic feel. The name “Flatiron” comes from its resemblance to an old clothes iron. I was drawn towards its stunning slender wedge shape when I visited New York in 2008 and painted a small sketchbook watercolour at street level of this ground breaking skyscraper.

Back in the studio I painted an A5 watercolour from the sketchbook study and my own photographs and reproduced it as an A4 limited edition print. As I’m writing this blog post, a customer called in to my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland to collect a framed copy he had ordered of my other print of New York titled New York, Dusk and is delighted with it.

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Tyne Bridges, Summer Sunset

by on March 23, 2012 in Limited Edition Prints, North East Prints

Tyne Bridges, Summer Sunset

Tyne Bridges, Summer Sunset

Paintings of the Tyne Bridges have always been very popular. Rarely does a week go by without me selling a limited edition print depicting a view of Newcastle’s Quayside showing one or more of its famous bridges. The Quayside itself has some stunning architecture, so it’s not difficult to find some inspirational aspect to paint. Also, it’s an area which has seen massive changes, particularly over the last twenty years, so even the paintings I have done over my 27 years as a full time artist have become historical.

This watercolour was sold recently from my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland and shows some of the newer additions to the River Tyne, in particular the Sage and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. In the background you have the Tyne Bridge, High Level Bridge and indications of some of the other more distant bridges, all of which are set against the backdrop of a summer sunset. I love the interplay of curves which combine to link the old with the new which is one of the reasons why I decided to publish it as a limited edition print.

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Shell Catchers by Sherree Valentine-Daines

by on March 13, 2012 in Favourite Artists, Limited Edition Prints

Shell Catchers

Shell Catchers

One of the current featured paintings in my Spring exhibition is this limited edition, hand embellished canvas by Sherree Valentine-Daines titled Shell Catchers. The print is no longer available from the publishers so it is doubtful that there will be many copies left in retailers as Sherree Valentine-Daines is a hugely popular figurative artist.

This delightful painting shows two small children, nestled amongst the rocks, inspecting their catch before depositing them into the little red bucket by their side. The brush marks are fresh, spontaneous and yet carefully expressed to ensure that the children’s lovely features are correctly defined. My wife and I are great fans of Sherree’s paintings since we first came across her work at the Henley Royal Regatta back in the mid 90′s when we both used to show our original paintings in the Stewards Enclosure during Regatta week. We also have 4 other paintings by Sherree Valentine-Daines on display at our Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

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Grey Street, Snow Shower

by on March 13, 2012 in Exhibitions, North East Prints

Grey Street, Snow Shower

Grey Street, Snow Shower

My new Spring Exhibition preview weekend started last Saturday. star of the show was this new original watercolour painting titled “Grey Street, Snow Shower” a classic view of what has been described as the finest curved street in Europe. This moody, quite monchromatic painting comes to life with the tiny splash of red indicating the coat worn by the little girl, my eldest granddaughter Emily.

The first customer to arrive purchased one of the larger sized copies of the new limited edition print, taken from the original painting. The next customer to call in purchased the original watercolour which was a lovely start to the weekend. Further copies were sold throughout the day. The new print comes in 2 sizes and can be framed in a number of different framing options depending on ones taste and decor.

The Studio & Gallery in Ponteland is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30-5pm and we are serving free coffee and croissants every Saturday in March for the exhibition.

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