The new painting ABSTRACTION

It has been a few months since my last painting post and things have changed a bit.  I realised that I am an abstractionist or a free painter when it comes to using colour!  I also rediscovered acrylics and the possible effects.  It…

“Drawing the Horse’s Head” e-course March 2021

An in-depth exploration of the anatomy of the horse's head.   A big project which took me about four months of working several hours EVERY day 7/7, and which includes 45 teaching videos over 10 lessons.  I can highly recommend building an…

Teaching residency at the Munnings Museum, near Colchester 24th to 26th September, 2020

A thrilling experience to teach at the famous Munnings Museum, near Colchester.  This beautiful house was the home of Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959) for much of his life, and when he purchased the house he actually physically transported the…

The new painting

I am returning to my studio after months of virtual but very real activity, constructing online shops and building an e course.  I am inspired by my trip to the Munnings Museum two weeks ago, where I was teaching a drawing class and then had…

Writing an e course “The Art of Drawing Horses”

April to July 2020 I constructed an on-line course "The Art of Drawing Horses" through a Canadian platform called coursecraft.It was a big learning curve, first to get familiar with the platform layout, and secondly to become confident with…

SELF PORTRAIT PROJECT – WORKING FROM HOME DURING THE LOCKDOWN

    A new thread while I am working in confined space in my house.  As a follow up to the portrait class I did two weeks ago, I am having a look at the human head and closely studying the shape of the skull and how the features become…

RECAP BEFORE TEMPORARY STUDIO CLOSURE

Due to the coronavirus, I have moved my workspace to my house and it will take a different direction.  As I will be in a different environment which is less spacious and where I cannot have my current work to hand, I shall be focussing on working…

Portrait painting from life with Alan McGowan March 2020

This was the first time I have worked from life for some time.  I am still in a place where I am experimenting with materials and getting confidence with the oil painting, so also thinking about the drawing and colour in a real life model is…

Making art – what I have learned so far

As an artist who has worked for many years in several different media, I have realised that for me making art is a dialogue between artist, subject/idea and medium.  Each has its own dimension and language.  The subject can simply be an idea,…

Animals at Play BBC Two

  I am loving this series about the benefits and purposes of play.  We can all learn from the young animals!Professor Ben Garrod is one of the main contributors to explain the defining characteristics of play:Relaxed…