Mates 17 1/2" x 13" Oil WIP

I have done a wee bit more work on this, but I have got to the stage, as I always do, where I think 'that will do'. I quite like it, but it seems a bit bland. So I shall put it away for a couple of days and then look at it again with fresh eyes.

I don't know if I shall paint today. We have just sold our house AND had our offer accepted on the house we want! I am all of a doodah, so excited!

Mates 17 1/2" x 13" Oil WIP

I did some work to Roy yesterday, but didn't get time to post. I find the computer a brilliant tool, as things that are wrong are glaringly obvious, probably because the image is much smaller. I can see now that Roy's neck is too thin and his left arm and hand are all wrong. A lot of fine tuning to be done, then. Back to work!

Mates 17 1/2" x 13" Oil WIP

I have spent my time today, concentrating on Gary. I am happy so far.
Knowing I had to write something here, again made me think about exactly what I was doing.
I seem to blend the paint on the canvas until I get the effect I want. Which is slap it on and hope for the best, as I always say. I can't ever mix the colour I want on the palette, so I do it on the painting! Weird or what!

Mates 17 1/2" x 13" Oil WIP

So this is the second stage completed, which is basically to cover the canvas with thinned paint. I am still not concerned with the details, I just want to block in the local colours.

Colour theme is basic complimentaries, blue and orange and the composition is a triangle. You are always immediately drawn to human faces and flit between the two here, but the strong diagonal across the hands keeps your eyes moving around the painting.

You can see from the reference photo that I have moved the men closer together to make this a stronger compositional element. Having said somewhere that I don't have an analytical brain, I've just thought about this, because I needed to say something and, quel surprise, there is something there after all! I wasn't aware at the time, of consciously making that decision for that reason. Whether it makes sense is something else.

Mates 17 1/2" x 13" Oil WIP

I have had a couple of people asking about my process but I am not high-tech enough to be able to post videos, so thought I would tease, and give a bit by bit, daily, step by step account of my next project.

We have a friend, Gary Ward, who emigrated to the USA about 20 years ago. We don't see him often, but he has family here so he does visit. Next one is at the beginning of September and this year he has made time for us. A real treat! Anyway, I thought I would paint him a present, the making of which I shll share with you. Hope you don't get bored!

This is the very begining, where I sketch out the composition and mark out the darkest passages. An underpainting, if you like, just like the old masters! Ha! I don't worry about detail or about the likeness much at this stage. It is to let me know if it will work, really. I am already intrigued by what they are talking about, as I think I want to fill that empty space between them.

The reference photograph was taken on one of Garys' previous visits. I shall have to post that tomorrow. It is a teeny weeny photo and I shall have to scan it. I shall have to blow it up too, probably.

Thanks for your visit and your interest.

Mirror Image Too 10" x 10" Oil

Apologies for posting this again, but I got a comment from a friend, John Lincoln over on Artbreak, pointing out that my left shoulder looked a bit at odds with the rest of the painting. I, of course, had to rectify that! So here it is again, and I think it does look even better. See how I have gotten big headed with all your wonderful compliments! I love it!

If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.
sharon.wright9@btopenworld.com

Rosina 4 1/2" x 9 1/2" Oil

I have been playing today! I love this painting by John Singer Sargent. So I copied it, but please do not compare with the original, I can see so much that is off kilter!
Oh, but I did enjoy myself!


If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.
sharon.wright9@btopenworld.com

Reflection 8" x 8" oil

I did some more to this, hping to make it more colourful, and to heighten the contrasts within the image. Not sure if it improves it, and in the end I was just going over the same bits again, so I decided it was finished.

If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.

Reflection 8" x 8" oil

This, I think is a work in progress, not quite there yet. Another beach scene. The brilliant sunlight, the couples' distance and their reflections in the sea, all held my attention.

Poppy 4 1/2" x 9 1/2" Oil

This lone poppy in my front garden needed some attention, I thought! I like the poppy, not sure about the rest, but I ran out of time, so shall probably fiddle with it tomorrow.

If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.

Madame S Oil 20" x 30" ( Detail)

This is a detail of a larger painting that I have been working on. I apologise for the terrible photograph. I think it is because of the paint being too oily, all shiny and glarey in places. If anyone has a solution I would really appreciate some feedback. Then perhaps I can get the whole thing posted, ( when finished, of course).

This is tantalising, though, isn't it? It is painted from a photo of me when I was about 31, soon after I met Roy. So as you see I am still going through my mid life crisis! Although, how it will be resolved by painting myself, as young, over and over, and growing my hair long again, I really don't know. Actually, today I have made an appointment to get my hair cut, so maybe it's working! Remains to be seen if I go for the chop!

Sad Dog 8" x 8" Oil

I watched Susan Carlin paint this on UStream TV and she sugested we all paint him too and compare notes. So I did! Oh, I did enjoy myself. So thank you Susan.

The reference photo can be seen on Susan's blog, if you want to compare, but my offering doesn't really. Compare I mean. With a portrait of a specific person I get soooooo worried about getting an exact likeness, fiddle endlessly and make a mess. It didn't matter so much with this and consequently I was free from worry and just did it.

Must maintain this carefree-er ( well how would you say it?) attitude for the next portrait!

If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.

Roy 8" x 8" Oil

Well I wasn't happy at all, so I fiddled and fiddled. It bugs me that sometimes you can paint and it goes like a dream, and other times you make a muddy mess. Well, I can do no more to this, today anyway, slimy surface. Andwhat happened to my enlightened thoughts yesterday? Out the window! I am happier with this today, though.

If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.

Cool Off 10" x 10" Oil

My better half, Roy, rarely ventures into the sea. He doesn't like cold water. So I had to make a record of this, his initial reaction, as he took the plunge. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the water was quite warm!

If you would like to purchase this painting for 70GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.

Suits 18" x 22" Oil

This was a picture in a magazine that caught my eye and I saw it as an exercise to free myself of the dreaded 'fiddling'. I did enjoy painting this, probably because it did not matter how it turned out. Looking at it now, I can see a million things I want to change but I shall resist the temptation to return to it.

I painted this yesterday, and as I wanted thin paint, I used white spirit, which I haven't done for a while. It gave me such a headache, which I still have today, so I shall heed the words of David R Darrow, and stay with the walnut oil in future.

If you would like to purchase this painting for 200 GBP (unless otherwise stated) please email me.