King's College from The Backs

King's College from The Backs (Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 ins) £190

I should have realised that some of the paint on the King's College painting would still be tacky, which meant that I couldn't make the final adjustments straight away, so I began work on a new painting related to the Seaside Cafe pictures. By the end of the afternoon, the paint was firm enough for me to finish King's College from The Backs. At only 9 x 12 ins., it's a little too fiddly for me to consider anything else like this soon, but I'm quite pleased with the way it's turned out.


Above Harry Ramsden's (work in progress)

I'd already started this painting a month or so ago, but I wasn't happy with the composition, especially as part of the Harry Ramsden signage was off the bottom of the picture. I knew my good friend Kevin had taken a photograph in Brighton at the same time as I took mine, so I asked him for it. His is almost identical but the image was more securely anchored in the rectangle and I much preferred it.

Today's work meant painting over the original start and moving the image slightly to the left and up. I was worried this would take some doing, but it all went well. The only problem now will be in developing the signage so it looks as close to the real one as is desirable.

Seaside Cafe Nos 1 & 2

Seaside Cafe No.1 (Fortunes of War) - (Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 ins.)
Private Collection


Seaside Cafe No.2 (Due South) - (Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 ins.) £190

The cold weather, coupled with the failure of the Art Club's boiler meant that when I got there yesterday, the oldsters had decided that they couldn't take any more frozen bones and gone home.


Bolbec Hall Studio

In splendid isolation, I set to and finished off the two paintings of Brighton cafes

Rocks Nr Sawrey

Rocks Nr Sawrey (Oil on canvas, 40 x 40 cms)

Thank heavens for the Art Club. On Thursday I found myself with a burning desire to finish off the rock study. I knew there was little to do, so I made a short visit to the Club and put in the branches, did a little glazing with some sap green, signed off on it and came home satisfied.

For most of the time I was on my own, as the boiler in the building has broken down completely and the old gadgies at the Club are feeling the chill. But there are electric heaters and it certainly felt warmer than the studios when I was at University. I'd taken along one of the Brighton cafe pictures, but realised that I need some very small brushes to finish that off. Something for next time.

Two from Brighton

Brighton Cafe (work in progress)


Brighton Cafe 2 (work in progress)

For the last two days I've been earnestly trying to finish these two small paintings. I made the unfounded assumption that because they were small, I could get them done quicker than a larger painting. Very silly. Despite my use of Daler Rowney's excellent Alkyd Medium, some of the paint simply isn't drying and all attempts to work on them has resulted in lifting and smudging.

So here they are for you to look at: works in progress.

Checking In

Just a brief note to explain the absence of any recent post. I'm in Wokingham for the week, staying with friends and enjoying our English mixed weather.

Not a lot of art-related activity, although a trip to Brighton has suggested some new imagery, and I did enjoy our visit to the Bohun Gallery in Henley.

I'll be travelling back on Wednesday, with the possibility of a detour to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, after which Normal Service will Resumed as Soon as Possible.