The Crown Cirencester

Alex and I recently spent a few days in Cirencester. For the most part I walked around the town doing the odd sketch with Jac and Alex enjoyed the hospitality of the shops! It was all very pleasant and relaxing.

The sketch above was done on good cartridge paper using a 6b pencil and an aqua pen dipped in a small watercolour box. This system works well as I can quite comfortably stand and paint/sketch for 20 minutes even with Jac on a lead.  The picture shows Jac and I outside a wonderful premises.
The Crown in Wet Market Place is an excellent hostelry. Friendly with a real fire excellent Bath ale and the best pub food we have had in many years.

Laugharne Castle

This painting of Laugharne Castle went last week. It is a bit too red in the image on my pc.
I was in the gallery today and we had a few people through the door so worth doing. one of the customers recalled Dylan Thomas on the bus to both Llansteffan and Laugharne. He was apparently quite inebriated on most occasions.

I also  had a good discussion with a sculptor today about the merits of basic skills in arts and crafts.
We both agreed that there is more than an element of snobbery with many artists unjustifiably looking down on craftmakers. Quality work is equally valid in both 2D and 3D formats.

I have to pick up Alex now then get on with the dinner!

Black Sheep

I have been watching David Dimbleby sailing around the coast and it has made me feel a bit nostalgic for our sailing days. Pictured above is one of our boats a little yacht called "Black Sheep".
This was a lovely boat with lots of teak and varnish but a bit of a pig to sail. The sail set up was never quite right as it really needed a short bowsprit to balance the sails.

Anyway we had great fun in her and sailed alll around th the coast of South and West Wales in this and other yachts.

A Perfect Day

I finished the above painting this week. It's a smaller version of a painting I did of Llansteffan with the sunset going down a fortnight ago.

Had a perfect day today sketching and reading. We are not having a Christmas Exhibition this year for the first time in half a dozen years. Alex and I have had a lot on so its had to be put on the back burner.
Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2JXy1Z9ovs

Crow

You don't just get seabirds on the beach and the dark colours of crows and rooks make a good contrast to a very light beach particulary if you include a reflection.
The picture is a simple one that will probably never see a frame but satisfying to paint nevertheless.

Link is kind of appropriate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecW0nSrMEY4

John Brown artist chairmaker

The other day I was contacted by Rosey More the grandaughter of John Brown.
John was a very skilled woodworker and artist. He had a good full life and had worked as a boat builder highly skilled chair maker and also as an artist. I knew John as was saddened by his passing.
He was a font of knowledge and good company.

Anyway I did a post on my blog about John http://carmarthenartist.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/john-brown-artist-woodworker-chair.html in August 2011. Rosey recently saw the post and got in touch.

It brought back memories of John and prompted me to do a sketch of him working in wood planing at the workbench. As time passes your memory loses detail but it is certainly recognisable as him.
Rosey is doing a course in jewellry and ceramics so obviously creativity runs in the genes.

I do get

 "Eugene Boudin"( French Impressionist Painter, 1824-1898) I do get. He could paint ships effortlessly. Being the son of a ships carpenter he knew what he was painting and did a damn fine job of it. 

 Boudin did tend to use a lot of black and greys which was unusual for an impressionist. The impressionists were all about light and painting outdoors. Fine unless you live in the UK!

Talking of light Alex, my good lady has gone very "Christmas Lights", Every where you look there seems to be a set of twinkling fairy lights. There are so many it takes five minutes to go around the house turning them off. We haven't yet got to the stage of icicles on the roof and Santa on the chimney or reindeer grazing on the lawn but I do return home wondering what new fairy enhancement is going to greet me.

Talking of Fairies one of my favourite paintings is the "Fairy Fellers Master Stroke" by Richard Dadd.

Dadd was quite mad and ended up in Bedlam having killed his father who he believed was the devil. On the up side he was one hell of a painter, hell being the operative word.