Through the Hedge

Hedgerow No.1 (work in progress)


Hedgerow No.2 (work in progress)

I'm working under pressure again. I have about ten days to provide the images of all the paintings I intend to hang in the Figure8 show at the Biscuit Factory in February (details for you nearer the time) and so far I have only four completed. I probably need two or three more and recently have found ideas in short supply.

To clarify: I have lots of ideas for paintings, but having chosen a particular theme (Rock & Tree) for this show, I need to make some new paintings that fit that theme and ideas for such have not been readily forthcoming.

What I thought I would try, therefore, is see what I might be able to do with some hedgerows I found by the side of the road at Auchterarder when I was there in 2009 on one of my annual painting trips. I'm in two minds about how these are going; certainly I'm happier with the first than the second, but as I've put in more time on the first, that's to be expected. I'm very much feeling my way with these and intend to keep looking for more ideas in case they don't work out.

Meanwhile, if you have any thoughts on these paintings, I'd be interested to hear them, but do bear in mind they're very far from completion.

Prague Tram No.1

Prague Tram No.1 (Oil on canvas, 24 x 24 ins)

I'm in a mad whirl at the moment, trying to finish this Tram Series. Now No.1 is done, but tomorrow I'm off for my annual Compo & Clegg Painting Week. This time we're in Scotland, staying at Margaret Evans's Shinafoot Studios in Auchterarder. When I get back, I'll have only a few days to finish the other two Trams.


Tram No.2 (work in progress)



Tram No.3 (work in progress)

I may not have time to post again before I leave tomorrow, so be good while I'm gone.

The Lakes

Grasmere Tree (sketchbook, fibre tip)

I just got back from a week in the Lakes. Every year at about this time, I go painting with Compo & Clegg and the rest, but the last three trips to the South-West of Scotland have been Ordeals of Bad Weather. This time we thought we'd give the Lakes a go. I know, the Lake District and rain are not generally regarded as mutually exclusive, but we thought we'd chance it anyway.

As it turned out, we hit lucky. Apart from an overnight bout of rain, and a shower or two the following morning, we had terrific weather. But there were, unfortunately, some desperately cold winds blowing off the lakes themselves, which somewhat restricted the kind of work we might have got done otherwise. I limited myself to drawing a few rotted and blasted trees. One of them (see above) I was rather pleased with, even if it harks back more to my illustration days.
I suspect that next year we'll not return to the Lakes. Walking the hills is always an attraction there, and a distraction from the primary purpose of the trip.

In Ruins Ruined

I took my exciting new copy of In Ruins to Scotland. Settling down in front of a friendly log fire with a glass of malt whisky by my elbow, I was soon engrossed. Until I got to page 90, that is. It was blank. As indeed was page 91 and pages 94, 95, 98, 99, 102, 103, 106, 107, 110, 111, 114, 115, 118, 119. All completely blank. I sort of lost interest after that. I did consider the possibility that it was some kind of postmodern ironic jest, but decided in the end that that was a little too cerebral an explanation, and opted for an old fashioned printer's cock-up as more likely.

Anyway, I've been in touch with Bibliophile Books and the nice people there have apologised and are sending another copy, hand checked for completeness.

Haste Ye Back

Just back from Duntrune Castle. Filthy weather. Trouble with the staff. Great fun. Cuppa tea. Zizz. More later.

Tonight's Panic

The theme for Tonight's Panic is What to Take to Scotland? Working outdoors, as I shall be for the next week, is really quite problematic for me. I'm primarily an oil painter, and a studio painter at that. Oil paint is not, I find, an agreeable way of making pictures in the outdoors. So Monet did it. What did he know? It's messy and it doesn't dry quickly enough. I'm only slowly coming to terms with the problems posed by watercolour - its inherent wateriness for one thing. I haven't used acrylics in over ten years, so I may try them out again. But they do dry too fast. There's always drawing, of course. That's what I ended up doing on last year's trip. Maybe I'll just fill the car up with everything and do some mixed media work.

To be honest, I'm not really bothered. The other guys are all amateur and look forward to a week's solid painting. I do it for a living and find the prospect of being in the middle of nowhere, away from paperwork and problems, far more attractive than getting some pictures of the countryside done. But then I'm not much of a landscape painter anyway. Chimneys, dereliction, rust and good old concrete and brick are my stock in trade. Last year, while the guys were getting to grips with lochs and braes and forests, the only things to rustle up some excitement in me was a set of old rusted anchors.

Last year's trip was a bit of a disaster in terms of weather. In one day we had sunshine, wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightning. Before Ted could close up his box easel he had a pile of hailstones in it six inches high. I see the forecast for tomorrow is rain coming in from the West of Scotland. Oh well, at least there'll be In Ruins to read and no doubt a decent bottle of Scotch to hand.

But how many jumpers shall I take?