Happy Painting with Colour!

I've been working on the second, of what may turn out to be a series of paintings about where I live.  'The Barn' is a social club down the valley road in Marlow Bottom.  You're always sure of a welcome there, and during the Covid lockdown, Shelley Robson and her team have been feeding vulnerable members of the community each Sunday.  Lots of wonderful inspiration for a painting.  Now summer is here, outside the Barn hanging baskets and planters are overflowing with gorgeous begonias, which I just had to include of course.

Please contact me for price and further information if you'd like to purchase the original painting.  Limited edition prints will shortly be available to buy via my website www.beeskelton.com

Here's an impression of how a print could look framed:

My commission order book is currently open for a limited period.  You're welcome to contact me if you'd like me to discuss a painting personalised for you.

Painting village community during Lockdown

Happy Valley acrylic painting by Bee Skelton

Still in semi-Covid 19 Lockdown mode, and having comforted myself with paintings of holiday destinations, I've now returned closer to home for subject matter.  Marlow Bottom, the village where I live has been a hugely positive and strong community during these tough months.  The churches, schools, shops and even the brewery have kept us all going.  It was difficult to decide what to include, and what had to be left out for compositional requirements.  I hope to make a series of paintings illustrating other special local places and people.  I'm open to ideas and commissions from elsewhere.

As usual I began by making preparatory drawings in my sketch book.

The initial composition sketch will make no sense to anyone other than myself.  But that's the whole point of a sketchbook. It's a work book for your own eyes only.

Here are some process images:

I'm very pleased that the completed painting is now being used to raise money for local good causes.  See here for more details on my Facebook Page.

Sketchbook and collage

Oil pastel sketch and mixed media collage work in progress

An unusual selection of work in progress on the easel today, as a result of a visit to town with a friend to view the exhibition of a young talented local artist.  Followed by lunch at our favourite eatery.

I quickly sketched the colourful starter plate with oil pastels on canvas paper.  Now it's propped on the studio easel with three collages I'm in the process of making.  So far on a hard board support I've used acrylic paint, cut and torn painted papers and drawings from my stash together with sketchbook ephemera.  I've a feeling today's food drawing may find it's way into a collage.

 

Romantic fantasy portrait in oils

Commissioned romantic fantasy portrait in oils by Bee Skelton

And they say romance is dead!  Not true, for some of my clients.  As an anniversary surprise for her husband, a lady in New York has commissioned me to paint a portrait of them both in the style of a romantic book cover.  She supplied recent photos and I got to work.  Below are some work-in-progress images for those of you who like to see the process.  
Email me for more information about any of my work.

Portrait for Our Friends Dog Rescue

Portrait of Henry

Our Friends Dog Rescue http://ourfriendsdogrescue.org.uk/ is in need of all our help to continue their excellent work.  I am absolutely delighted that Brenda Pollard commissioned me to paint an oil portrait of Henry, her handsome boy, with her fee going to help the cause.

Sadly Henry is no long with us but Brenda was able to send me some old photos of him to help me create a likeness. Below are some work-in-progress images for those of you who like to see the process:

Line drawing in pencil on the canvas

Started by adding main areas of light and shade with large brush.

Henry portrait work-in-progress 3

Henry portrait work-in-progress 4

Henry portrait work-in-progress 5

Henry portrait work-in-progress 6

Henry portrait work-in-progress 7

Henry portrait work-in-progress 8

Email me for more information about any of my work.

Young sisters and brother portrait painting.

Sisters & Brother -  11x14 oil on canvas - by Bee Skelton  

It really is too long since I updated the blog and even longer since I posted a sequence of 'work in progress' images for a portrait.  Today I decided to do something about it.

Email me for more information about any of my work.

Landscape painting work in progress

Work in progress 1

  Working outdoors near where I made recent drawings.

I'm looking down from near the top of a mountain onto tomato fields and then across and upwards as the hills recede to the mountain opposite.

I began with under-painting in thin paint to set the harmony and mood;  mix of ochre/violet/white and loosely placed the main features with thin raw umber.  I've shown more work in progress images below.  The completed painting is at the top of the post.

 Work in progress 2 

In this session, I managed half an hour before it began to rain and had to run for cover.

Work in progress 3

Perfect weather conditions today.  Still a long way to go with this painting, but more progress.

Work in progress 4.

Garden painting

This is a painting of the view from one of my kitchen windows.  It's the result of a series of studies I made;  sketch, line drawing, tonal study, colour study and finally the painting, which I made by referring to the studies and written notes.  Helpful practice, as it's not always possible to paint while observing the actual subject.

 

Brothers and Best Friends - portrait painting - work in progress 3

In this session I roughly blocked in a background with shadows of the boys in the foreground.  The actual photo image I have of them is an indoor shot.  But I decided that a view of the River Thames near to where they live, would make a better painting.

During the next session, I'll begin to lay in tones to the figures.

Brothers and Best Friends - portrait painting - work in progress 2

I wasn't happy with the first drawing I did for this portrait last week, so I've prepared a larger canvas and started again.  This is much better I think.  The scale of the lower half of little Max is more correct, plus I wanted to include both boys full length.

I will show progress as I begin to paint in the next session.

Brothers and Best Friends - portrait painting - work in progress 1

I've been wanting to make this painting for months, but there never seemed enough time available to work it from start to finish.  So I've decided to do it over a period of time, in between other projects.  It could well take some considerable time, but it will be worth it in the end.  In the meantime, I shall post 'work in progress' images on the blog as it moves along.

These adorable little boys are our grandsons, so you can imagine how much this painting matters.

New portrait painting of Carlotta Valdes

A big thank you to my client for re-introducing me to the Alfred Hitchcock film, Vertigo and for commissioning this new portrait of Carlotta.  Never in a million years would I have otherwise thought of making this painting.  But it's been fascinating and I'm glad I did it!

Here are clips of all the work-in-progress stages on this painting:

Portrait of Carlotta Valdes ACEO

I'm completing outstanding portrait commissions and was reminded that I hadn't shown the final version of Carlotta, so here she is.  If you'd like to see 'work in progress' images of this small ACEO size portrait you're welcome to take a look HERE.

I've now been asked to paint a large portrait of Carlotta Valdes on canvas.  The client has very kindly sent me a DVD of the Vertigo film, which I've been studying. The portrait featured in the film is extremely haunting and I have to say I'm becoming a fan of the the piece in general.  Alfred Hitchcock must have been both a genius and a complicated man.