Homage to Vincent

 

The Orange House oil painting 10x12 in on canvas board.

 I love the location of our home.  It's situated on farmland in rural Warwickshire, England.  So it was only a matter of time before it became the subject of a painting.  I painted it in oils with a hint of Vincent on 10x12 inch canvas board.

Sketchbook study in pencil

At a local art group recently, I attended a lecture by Anthony Slinn, about Vincent van Gogh, which made quite an impression.  It was particularly interesting because Prof. Slinn has carefully researched, and physically visited locations of many of Vincents paintings.  From assessing the viewpoints, he discovered how Vincent re-imagined and manipulated the landscape to express his feelings.  Though key features are recognizable in the paintings, when compared with the locations today, it can be seen how Vincents mind and eye re-interpreted them in his unique manner.

Sketchbook study in pencil

 My paintings can begin in several different ways.  With this one, I could easily have set up my plein air easel along the lane, as Vincent would have done for sure.  Alternatively because I know the place so well, I could have used memory and imagination.  However some time ago I'd made sketchbook studies, so on this occasion I referred back to these drawings as a starting point.

 You can reach me by email beeskelton@gmail.com or see more work in my Etsy Shop or website www.beeskelton.com

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.

 

Abstract sketch crawl

Strolling around Old Limassol town with a good friend, choosing where to park ourselves for an outdoor art session, is currently my favourite way to fill a sketchbook.

Recently sight of flaking Mediterranean-blue painted doorways, worn stonework and rusting ornamental metal-work, opposite comfy sun-shaded pavement cafe tables, made the choice easy.  Naturally purchase of a glass of white wine or two had to be made to secure tenure of our spot for as long as we wanted.

Water Baby

I've just finished several months of portrait commissions and feel the urge to let go of figurative work for a while to get some abstract art bugs out of my system. So realism is out, and colour and self expression, is definitely in.

This week I kept my sketch crawl kit to a minimum;  Rotring art pen with black ink, watercolour pencils, Inktense blocks, a refillable water-pen, large soft brush, plastic water bottle and an 8 x 11 in water-colour sketchpad.

Though it might not appear obvious, the inspiration for the sketch here was the roofless interior of a derelict house.  I love making studies of the remains of old buildings;  it's refreshing to abstract shapes and simply make marks to express feelings of the moment.

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After the wine

Another drawing of derelict building.

Pen & watercolour wash

Cold symptoms almost gone, Christmas decorations packed way. So lovely today to head back to the old house with my sketchbook to make another drawing. I like the composition of this one; the deep tones of the derelict building in the foreground contrasting with the lighter, newer building beyond. Think I'll take it a stage further next time, and make a colour study.... weather permitting.

Sketch book drawing of an old friend.

I must have passed this abandoned building hundreds, if not thousands of times.  For 10 years, that I know of, it's stood derelict, defiantly daubed with a For Sale sign, isolated on a considerable parcel of prime land at odds with it's newer neighbours.  While other old property and land in the area has been bought up and developed for Euro-millions, for some reason, probably complicated land title/legal issues, this alone remains neglected and ignored..... that is until I came along and fell in-love.  

Don't go getting excited, I haven't come into a fortune, and won't be putting in a bid.  But just in case someone does, I intend capturing this brave little outpost of old Cyprus for posterity, in all it's decaying gorgeousness, before  developers or weather finish it off.  I'd really like to make a series of studies.  With any luck it'll lead to a painting worthy of it.

Plein air drawing #187

Today I waited until there was a big fat shadow under the palm tree before making this drawing in the bottom garden.  The grapevine growing up the wall, grapefruit trees and bougainvillea made an interesting grouping.  For the first time for months it was fairly comfortable to work outdoors.  Even so I wore my straw stetson;  it's very disreputable and full of gaping holes ... but hey, it works!

Plein air drawing #186

Today I'm drawing looking down onto part of the bottom garden from the terrace.  The viewpoint shows up some nice patterns as the darkly peppled paths work with the trees.

Plein air drawing ~185

This is the first of a series of garden drawings that I'll make in my sketchbook in preparation for a painting.  I have no idea of the view I'll ultimately choose.  It's such a pleasure to just draw and see what happens.  It's still quite hot here;  38C degrees today.  So I waited until around 4.30pm by which time the sun had moved and there was some welcome shade under the big pine tree.

Plein air drawing #184

Down the Valley to the Sea

Fortunately the temperature here in Cyprus has come down a little this week, so that I can work more easily outdoors (en plein air).  This view, looking down the valley onto the sea, was made in my A4 sketchbook.  I first tinted the paper with a wash of black acrylic paint to provide a nice mid-tone, on which to work charcoal and white conte crayon.

Sketch book: Expressions 4.

Pastel

 Pastel

Pastel

Ink pen & watercolour.

Ink pen & watercolour.

Ink pen, watercolour & acrylic.

Sketch book Expressions 3

Before 11^th July 2011, the economy of Cyprus was being allowed to slide metaphorically into the sea by our ideologically paralysed President. At 6am on that day the process was tragically accelerated; a time bomb he'd allowed to be stored right next to the island's main power station, exploded, killing 13 people and ruining the lives of many others. http://www2.onthisisland.com/cyprus-power-outage/2011/07/11/ 

Sketch book Expressions 2

I can't be sure, but I believe my earliest memory was when I was two years old walking across the street from my Grandmother's house in the snow, to the house in which my parents and I were to begin living.  My mother is holding my hand, but being as stubborn then as I am now, I insisted on walking unaided and promptly fell flat on my face in the snow.

I can see things I remember. My father's trilby hat, an essential fashion item in the hat-making town where I grew up. His sport coat has a dotty texture; I remember it was made from rough tweed, which felt scratchy. He is strongly drawn, whereas my mother is hardly there at this time apart from her paisley headscarf. The small figure, is shrugging away Dad's protective hand. The open door (it was green) of our new house, with it's bright interior and windows is welcoming; in contrast the neighbour's door is smaller and darker, as is the interior. My father grew to dislike the neighbour. He was a sensitive man.   

 Our Last Conversation

Sketchbook Expressions 1

 #154

Now for something completely different.  Today I begin a new phase of study into Expressionism, which has less to do with what the eye observes and more about feelings and emotions.  These two studies are made in my sketchbook using acrylic paint.

 #155

 

Reclining figure portrait - oil painting

Woman Resting

Oil painting on canvas

18 x 26 inches

I had intended to make working drawings from direct observation for this painting.  However my model and I had plans for a very yummy lunch in Limassol Old Town, so time was pressing and I took several photos instead.  Back in the studio I then made a drawing with colour/tonal notes to work out the composition and used the photos as reference when making the painting.

Oil painting - Artist and Model.

Artist and Model

oil painting 14 x 22 inches

I began this painting by making a quick compositional sketch looking at myself and my model through a large mirror.  Knowing my model has limited time available to pose, I also made tone and colour notes and tried to get as far as a could with the painting using just those alone as reference.  I used direct observation to paint myself by looking through the mirror.  Eventually I grabbed my model long enough to take a photo of him in position, and then completed the painting using that, taking care to combine the two figures harmoniously, whilst demonstrating that one figure is in the foreground and one at some distance.  It was an interesting challenge, as you might suspect from my anxious squinty expression on my face LOL!

 

Painting and photo sketch #119

A very quick study.

I decided to increase the drama of the original photo composition by bringing the photographers closer to the car as it exited the corner. Using low-tech editing, ie scissors, I cut around the figures and the section of the corner on which they were standing and stuck it down further over to the left.

I tried to find some colour in the greyness of the rocks and dust and added plant life. Also some flying rocks to demonstrate the ferocity of the handbrake-turn maneuvre, together with blurring on the car.

Painting and photo sketch #118

#118

I lay down in the grass to get the shot that the tv camera-man missed. I chose it to develop as I like the silhouettes; tv man and also the spectators on the hill.  I cropped away the front of the car, acknowledging that the rally car is gone already, and blurred it's outline to show speed/movement hopefully.

 

Painting and photo sketch #115

#115

Today's sketch study is inspired by a photo taken in a children's playground. 

Painting and photo sketches #114

#114

The inspiration for this sketch was what seemed to be a very boring family photograph.  Until I noticed the expressions on the faces of the girls.

Painting and photo sketches #113

#113

I'm beginning a series working in different ways with photographs.  Firstly in my sketchbook working directly into the photo image with acrylic paint to redefine the composition, colour and tones.

 

 There's a story attached to the original photograph, which concerns a visit my son made to the shop with our grandson, who got bored and decided to join the window display. His pose earned him a round of applause from a grinning street audience. Fortunately his father allowed an encore especially for the camera... which I'm now having more fun with in my sketchbook.