tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58655802211017374612012-01-20T09:48:51.272ZA painters journalKeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-38437937843628064872012-01-18T12:53:00.001Z2012-01-20T09:48:51.279Z

A return to my normal fare today. This winter landscape sketch was based on a photograph I took last winter. For Nottingham folk that might be interested these are the fields at the bottom of Netherfield looking towards Radcliffe. I am working on a couple of other small panels based on this winter theme and I will probably be posting these within the next couple of weeks.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-52927784690387837982011-10-27T09:42:00.000+01:002011-10-27T09:46:11.357+01:00

I am absolutely over the moon to announce that the dragon boat painting, which I eventually called" Sparkling Light - Nottingham Riverside Festival", was awarded the Holbrook Trust first prize at the Nottingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-5452660385087811892011-10-16T13:36:00.000+01:002011-10-26T03:49:07.861+01:00

The Dragon boat painting is finally finished and has been handed in at the Nottingham Society of Artists ready for the Autumn Exhibition which starts on Tuesday. I was going to gild a frame but time and finances got in the way. I did however have time to gild a frame for my other submission, a much smaller picture,  " Early Morning Light - Jim's Garden".

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-9717772976551425362011-10-05T15:24:00.000+01:002011-10-05T15:29:46.228+01:00

Not far of the finishing line! It hasn't turned out as I initially thought but they never do. The major change since the last post is that I have glazed over everything (apart from the highlights) to lower the tone. I was trying to recreate my initial impression on first seeing the subject of how dark everything appeared when the sunlight reflected off the water. I have a bit more to do to

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-35359054969314490412011-09-26T18:53:00.000+01:002011-09-26T18:53:06.762+01:00

Current state of play with the dragon boat picture. I have been working back and forth between the water and the boat in the middle distance today. I reckon there is at least a couple more days of work yet. I am considering attempting to unify some of hues in the water with some glazes but I'm not sure yet.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-27911585083497643292011-09-19T14:41:00.002+01:002011-10-26T03:51:17.202+01:00

I'm having a break from the dragon boat picture whilst it dries so I thought I would dig out my watercolours and have a go. It must be two years since I picked up a watercolour brush in anger - now I know why. They are so difficult. It doesn't help that I can't seem to make my mind up whether they should be  built up wash upon wash to reach the desired tone or whether they should be more 

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-57779254674964556412011-08-31T10:02:00.000+01:002011-08-31T10:02:31.482+01:00

Still a considerable way to go yet but I thought I would share the current state of the dragon boat picture. This seems strange for me because although I have started to put highlights in there are still parts of the canvas as yet untouched ( I would normally leave this until the end). I think this is because I see the highlights as the key to this picture, not just as an afterthought to give

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-76713916581450337682011-08-23T19:40:00.000+01:002011-08-23T19:40:18.186+01:00

How hard can it be to paint a dragons head? I'll tell you - bloody hard. I must have repainted this 5 times. At one stage it looked more like a Duck Billed Platypus than a dragon. Anyway, although it is a long way from finished it is the closest I have got to the feel that I want so I'm going to let it stand for now and move on to another part of the painting tomorrow. The big danger of taking

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-38390069950353762932011-08-20T13:13:00.000+01:002011-08-20T13:13:16.295+01:00

I have been doing a couple of hours a day over the last few days on the picture. I am using paint thinned with Liquin, concentrating on covering the canvas getting the  tones as accurate as I can. The paint is drying fairly quickly, allowing me to redraw with charcoal where necessary. I hope to have all the canvas covered and the drawing done in the next couple of days. I will then start to

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-4040358182709812142011-08-15T12:44:00.000+01:002011-08-15T12:44:15.362+01:00

I have just started work on a new picture based on the recent dragon boat racing at the Nottingham festival. It is a 40 x 48 inch canvas so it is a big one fore me. This photo shows the canvas after about 3 or 4 hours work so it is very early days yet. At this stage I'm just trying to get the drawing and composition sorted out so I am using fairly thin paint. I will post more as the painting

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-79001218393371507882011-07-06T16:58:00.002+01:002011-07-06T17:12:26.623+01:00

It seems like an eternity since I last posted and I'm not going to bore anybody with my the reasons for my absence. Anyway, I am painting again - now with a new purpose built studio / picture framing workshop (see keith-wilkinson-frames.co.uk). This is a rework of an earlier picture - with the improved light in my new studio I could see the light on the grass was way off being far too warm and

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-90083824491144377802009-08-12T08:27:00.004+01:002009-08-27T14:02:20.949+01:00

Finally finished - I think. If nothing else, this project has opened my eyes to the possibility of painting more formal gardens with their ready-made structure and reflecting ponds. I might persue this idea because the pure English landscape becomes too dominated by green for my taste during the summer months.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-89793336614910333702009-07-15T19:22:00.004+01:002009-08-12T08:27:05.799+01:00

A bigger challenge than usual this one. This 24 x 30 canvas of Sorolla's garden in Madrid is based on a photograph by Lubranco. I dont normally use other peoples photos but I couldn't resist this one. Because of the nature of the Creative Commons Licence, which forbids me to sell it, this painting is destined for my studio wall.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-8835862908280467142009-06-28T12:24:00.000+01:002009-06-28T12:24:55.813+01:00

As the title suggests this was painted contre jour but, although it gives the sensation I was after, there is something that I'm not quite sure about yet and I can't put my finger on what it is. I will live with it for a while in the hope that it comes to me.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-84783063197876749072009-06-25T11:45:00.002+01:002009-06-25T12:04:13.885+01:00

I mentioned recently about starting to grind my oil paints. Not only I have found the process really enjoyable but I'm impressed with the results too. Yes there is more variation in the consistency of the colours compared to those prepared by comercial manufacturers but I haven't found that to be a major problem. Some of my colours have actualy turned out to be noticeably brighter than there

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-63588290005572498002009-06-16T19:12:00.000+01:002009-06-16T19:13:14.797+01:00

The sun was out today and so was I. After a couple of hours searching for a subject this morning without any luck I was making my way back home when I stumbled on this subject. It was painted on a 14 x 16 canvas covered panel over about 3 hours during which time I met some lovely people. All in all a great day. If you are one of the people I met - hello again

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-88889092977659764052009-06-15T15:23:00.002+01:002009-06-15T15:40:24.797+01:00

This quickly painted 10 x 8 oil panel is the first painted using my new home -ground paints. The main interest here was the variety of hues in the water. great fun trying to keep up with the ever changing patterns of light. I think with these type of studies you need to map out the main patterns quickly and then stick to them.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-2882553608237250852009-06-01T12:03:00.001+01:002009-06-01T12:18:30.392+01:00

I have not put my brushes away, honestly! Just to prove it here is one I'm working on at the moment. This is a 20 x 20 oil on linen. The frame doesn't mean that it's finished - I often put a piece into one of my stock frames as the work in nearing completion. This helps me judge how far to take the piece. Whilst I'm on the subject of frames, I am awaitng delivery of all the equipment and

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-71896984331004415202009-04-23T16:10:00.000+01:002011-10-26T03:44:43.697+01:00

Back to oils again with another view painted from my garden (the dandelions aren't mine by the way). This is a 10 x 12 oil on canvas painted in one wet. My initial motivation for this was the light on the rooftops. Aren't windows difficult? Very easy to overstate the detail of the frames!

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com423-47 Little Ln, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire NG16 2, UK52.99234780731521 -1.256593465805053752.99204930731521 -1.2572104658050538 52.99264630731521 -1.2559764658050536tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-54449340655603607992009-04-21T08:55:00.000+01:002009-04-21T08:56:04.802+01:00

I will be the first to admit that I am not a watercolourist (yet) but, as this is the first picture that I have done in weeks, and therefore a bit of a milestone, I thought it was worth posting. If you have seen my blog before you may know that I have been too preoccupied over the last couple of months to paint. Well things are improving. Dad is now settling in at the nursing home and I am keen

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-10148293267719354842009-02-18T08:48:00.004Z2009-02-18T09:18:36.828Z

I feel I owe an explanation for my recent inactivity. Anyone who has followed me for a while may recall that I moved my studio to my fathers house towards the end of last year so I could be on hand to offer him more support. Since Christmas I have found myself spending more time doing things for my dad as his health deteriorated. Then, nearly a fortnight ago, I found him on the floor one morning,

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-90717816295140589192009-02-03T14:10:00.000Z2009-02-03T14:10:55.782Z

Just testing an idea to see how it works. I did this today - very rough and ready (10 minutes tops) There was snow on the ground and the sky was quite heavy. The thing that interested me was the rythym set up by the glimpses of the snow though the hedge contrasting with the otherwise static horizontal bands. I think it might work as a big picture so I'm going to have a stab at a 48 x36. That

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-47496875054580513632009-01-09T15:21:00.004Z2009-01-16T11:27:31.593Z

I have been experimenting with the texture of paint recently. Simple things like alternating the direction of brush strokes or changing the grip on the brush can impart a different quality to the surface. Unfortunately, such subtlety does not photograph well (at all!). In this painting that I finished this week the whole foreground was repainted in a couple of minutes after it had become too

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-19805965684528034722009-01-05T13:26:00.011Z2009-01-07T09:30:04.697Z

This is a rework of Summer Landscape, a picture I posted a while ago. I had some concerns with the first version:the central tree on the previous version was dividing the picture in twoit lacked any obvious focal point the prominent foreground shadow led the eye out of the picture on the left hand sideDuly, the tree has been felled and a walker, accompanied by his dog, now makes his way across

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-60111411075786114152008-12-19T13:00:00.004Z2008-12-19T13:04:53.836Z

Well, here it is. I've resurrected on old compact digital camera so I'm posting the study that I was lamenting on Wednesday. No time to write more - Christmas shopping and all that!

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-63742219850945187242008-12-17T07:47:00.007Z2008-12-17T10:31:08.440Z

Have you ever had one of those days when you should have listened to that little voice in your head telling you to have a day off? I had one of those days yesterday. I'm not going to bore you with the details as to what put me into that mood - it's a long story - but here's what happened to me when I didn't take my own advice.Driving over to my dads house (I have my studio there) I knew my mood

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-20595400842342118592008-12-11T10:44:00.005Z2008-12-11T13:14:36.473Z

Sometimes painting has to be approached playfully. Today was such a day - no plan, no reference, just the joy of applying paint and moving it about. These days are necessary to help guard against becoming too literal - for me in anyway. Additionally, these type of pictures tend to lay about the studio and feed new ideas.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-61063665284742635282008-12-09T13:42:00.004Z2008-12-09T15:55:23.097Z

A small 10 x 8 oil on MDF panel painted earlier today. Carlson warns against painting the unusual and I think this is verging on one of those occasions. However, this piece was never meant for sale and I couldn't resist having a stab at this strange light effect. The underside of this bridge was receiving an intense warm light reflected from the canal. 

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-26737585134475130662008-12-02T12:21:00.003Z2008-12-02T12:26:45.900Z

It's been snowing here today and, to make matters worse, the central heating has packed up! To cheer myself up I painted this small summer picture. The reference material was a photograph that I took a couple of summers ago when cycling the Tissington Trail in Derbyshire.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-10300939603401979552008-12-01T14:27:00.002Z2008-12-01T14:31:32.490Z

This is an image that I have painted before but this time I have tried to convey the feeling of early evening.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-44584452428327865402008-11-24T14:16:00.002Z2008-11-24T14:23:50.603Z

Well, to says it's my very first would be a lie - I did play with watercolour a bit in my teens but that was so long ago I guess this counts as starting again. The picture was based on a small oil study that I did a couple of months ago. It is painted on Saunders Waterford 200lb (NOT) paper which I really liked. Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the painting before I framed it so sorry for

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-43018528839358556742008-11-19T14:41:00.003Z2008-11-20T09:48:13.516Z

It's good to get back painting again after weeks of working on the studio. Since I last posted the picture I haved applied a glaze of Ultramarine to all but the sunlit areas which I have restated with lighter, warmer greens. A lone mallard has been indicated in the canal to provide a focal point. I will now put this picture to one side for a few days and then look at it afresh to see if anything

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-33528436195292292502008-11-17T18:04:00.006Z2008-11-17T19:12:56.954Z

It's took longer than I thought but the new studio is ready for me to start work. Most of the work was done a fortnight ago but, since then, I have been waiting for delivery of the fluorescent tubes. I have painted the room a neutral green-grey colour to minimize any glare from the 6, 58w, daylight balanced tubes.I have fixed some inexpensive table-top easels to the walls to give me extra easel

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-13762511136826329872008-10-22T19:07:00.003+01:002008-10-22T19:14:32.346+01:00

I was delighted to find out today that Light on Flooded Meadow has won third prize for the Holbrook award in the Nottingham Society of Atrists autumn exhibition - a much needed boost! Continuing from the previous post, I reckon there is about another weeks work to do on the new studio- photos to come soon.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-64271413668438814012008-10-16T06:55:00.002+01:002008-10-16T07:05:45.614+01:00

There have been no updates for a few days now because I have been busy decorating a new studio. My father is nearly 93 and, although he has managed on his own up to now, he is starting to need more support. To cut a long story short, I am converting one of his bedrooms into a studio so I can work from there during the week. I will post pictures of my new studio as soon as it's finished (

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-48202958237708919402008-10-01T15:03:00.001+01:002008-10-03T16:19:26.203+01:00

I have now taken this about as far as I can for today. I'm going to let it dry and perhaps give it a coat of retouching varnish before making any more decisions. This will lift any sunken patches and allow me to see all the tones in the correct register.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-65434855336564544512008-10-01T11:27:00.000+01:002008-10-01T11:27:39.766+01:00

I have now all but abandoned the original photo reference. I have deepend the tone of the water and slightly lightened the tone of the distant hillside and the sky.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-63485525244419760002008-10-01T08:39:00.001+01:002008-10-01T08:40:40.559+01:00

After about another half hours work and things are starting to come more into focus. As yet I have managed to avoid getting bogged down with too much detail. Essentially, I have continued working within the large masses, slightly altering their shape, temperature and hue whilst attempting to retain the tonal values. I think the next step will be to develop the water.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-4379318442329884302008-09-29T14:05:00.003+01:002008-09-29T14:18:38.248+01:00

I'm on a roll today. Managed another 20 minutes on this one before the rain came (working outside because of inconsistent light in studio). Having looked at the previous days work I decided that I was nowhere near the tonal range that I wanted. Again I have made no attempt to paint any details at this stage. It really is all very rough and ready but I am now closer to the full range of tones that

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-13005172378665734602008-09-29T11:20:00.003+01:002008-09-29T11:27:53.409+01:00

A slight detour from the WIP that I started last week (I will be progressing this soon honest!). On Saturday I started working on a 20x20 of some horses seen in early morning sunlight and, like a good book, it got hold of me and I couldn't put it down. Here is the picture up to now although if you have followed any of my other posts you will now that things can change and often do! 

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-53991242023515707772008-09-25T13:03:00.006+01:002008-09-25T13:44:50.678+01:00

I thought I would share the development of a painting for those who are interested. Starting with a photo of the Nottingham Canal my first step was to lighten the shadows using photoshop (they were rather dense and heavy in the original). I then cropped the image to a square to end up with the photo you see above. This is now the starting point for my painting. I must stress here that I am not

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-79893716625379264922008-09-18T08:59:00.008+01:002008-09-18T09:14:00.222+01:00

At last the troublesome beast is starting to look more like beef than pork. Not the best photo - the light appears to be catching the weave of the canvas which has badly affected the darks.  

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-55118030774343392002008-09-17T11:54:00.002+01:002008-09-17T12:03:00.418+01:00

Whilst I'm in the mood to blog about altering pictures here's those cows again. Honestly, I ought to take up golf - I sure as hell can't paint cows. I must make a mental note at this point to refuse any commissions that involve livestock. I think the picture is now working better as a whole but my problem is the cow standing farthest to the right - despite my best efforts it looks like an

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-26082967961184259702008-09-17T11:43:00.002+01:002008-09-17T11:52:53.841+01:00

I simply can't stop myself. If a painting stays in the studio for any length of time the chances are I will see something about it that I am not satisfied with and I will be compelled to change it. This is a painting I blogged about a few months ago. There was something about the mass of land in the bottom right hand corner of the original that I wasn't happy with so I have removed it along with

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-14611874306039523992008-09-16T16:25:00.000+01:002008-09-16T16:25:24.888+01:00

Managed to get out today and paint. The weather was very overcast and for a while I thought I wasn't going to find anything worth painting when this very simple view struck me. Essentially there are only four main tones and the whole thing hinges on the single tree on the right balancing the group of three on the left.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-82677642556790762932008-08-04T19:08:00.000+01:002008-08-04T19:08:32.039+01:00

I had an hour to spare today and rather than go out searching for subject matter I loaded up my palette, headed for the garden and painted the first thing that came to my eye. This picture is 8x10 and it is painted on gesso primed MDF.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-69580948622964417112008-07-31T10:07:00.000+01:002008-07-31T10:08:20.307+01:00

How many times am I going to alter this picture before I am finally satisfied with it? In truth I still don't know whether I'm done with it. You alter one thing and this changes the relationships of everything around it. I feel I am as close to my original concept as I have been but I can still see things that might need attention. I will now let this dry before giving it another coat of

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-32635202128044883902008-07-02T06:36:00.003+01:002008-07-02T06:49:36.072+01:00

12 x8 oil on gesso primed MDF panel. I'm pushing the colours again on this painting although the digital camera does seemed to have overemphasised some of the blues.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-3114031444926894842008-06-30T03:25:00.004+01:002008-06-30T03:51:04.293+01:00

This 12x10 oil painting was completed yesterday. I deliberately set out here to push the colour as far as possible. It's surprising how much colour you can use and still have the subject read in a naturlistic way.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-17760516298994193202008-05-21T09:06:00.003+01:002008-05-22T07:12:50.373+01:00

This is the first of my pictures from the Suffolk trip last week. It's a 10x12 oil on panel (MDF covered in butter muslin and then oil primed). What struck me was the warmth of the late evening sunlight contasted against the relative cool of the shadows on the large expanse of wall. I have deliberately pushed the colour contrasts a bit to try and capture the essence of the scene. Back to the

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-87344807761679920252008-05-08T10:46:00.002+01:002008-05-08T10:53:03.244+01:00

I'm off to Suffolk for a weeks plein air painting next week so hopefully there will be several paintings to post on my return. I'm really looking forward to having nothing else to focus on for the whole week other then the painting. It's amazing how much everyday life encroaches on your painting time if you let it - mind you, its probably me just procrastinating - sometimes doing the hoovering

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-76134839326110846162008-05-08T10:16:00.005+01:002008-05-08T10:38:47.933+01:00

I'm still not sure about this one. Sometimes paintings that I'm not 100% happy with keep niggling at me until I alter them. On other occasions I tell myself just to learn from it and move on. Anyway on this occasion I couldn't resist altering the painting.My thought was that the light on the water in the original was too cool and that it wasn't 'singing' against the surrounding blues. A glaze of

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-62642741851443398272008-04-30T12:59:00.002+01:002008-04-30T13:11:03.729+01:00

This was a an experiment to find out what could be acheived with a palette of only three colours (plus white). The colours I used were Cadmium Yelow Pale, Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson. I was surprised as to how liberating this was. It saved me from getting bogged down trying to match colours exactly. Instead I was forced to interpret using what was available.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-91636760224940108672008-04-16T07:57:00.004+01:002008-04-16T15:54:08.709+01:00

10 x 12 oil on muslin covered panel. This was completed in about three hours.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-23315862227753256052008-04-09T11:26:00.003+01:002008-04-09T12:39:17.774+01:00

Inspired by last years holiday in Kefalonia, the painting I did today is a 10x12 oil on panel. The idea was to convey the impression of cool shade contrasted against the bright sunlit area.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-51347069488376907292008-04-07T16:17:00.002+01:002008-04-07T16:31:14.606+01:00

Because I'm nosy and like looking in other peoples studios I thought I would share my workspace with you. Basically, its an old, cold damp outbuilding with the most appaling light conditions. Its either too dark or I'm moving my easel about to dodge shafts of sunlight. Still, I shouldn't moan - it at least provides somewhere to store my growing collection of painting equipment which would

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-88594304520017358462008-03-27T17:36:00.002Z2008-03-27T17:48:38.111Z

I spent some time today reworking a painting that I did a couple of years ago. Although I was pleased with the original there was still some room for improvement. Essentially, the image was simplified and the colours strengthened to throw more emphasis on the sunlit field.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-78884261992099599242008-03-05T13:52:00.002Z2008-03-05T13:59:30.895Z

Today's painting is a 10x12 oil on panel. It was based on a combination of a photo reference and memory. It's surprising that, even though I took the photo nearly two years ago, as soon as I started painting the memory of the day came flooding back.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-88340091226567882052008-02-27T16:22:00.005Z2008-03-03T13:22:16.744Z

I Needed a change today from all the blues and greys of the English landscape this time of year so I trawled through my reference library and worked up this small oil sketch.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-50216068070742594542008-02-25T16:29:00.006Z2008-03-03T11:27:44.944Z

Managed to get out today. Went to a local nature reserve at Shipley Park. There was a biting wind and towards the end my hands were that cold I was struggling to hold the brush. I continued with the theme of bright light reflected off the water's surface. The study is on a 12x10 oil primed linen canvas.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-76881504994097305012008-02-20T15:24:00.004Z2008-03-03T11:08:12.912Z

Couldn't get out to paint today as I'd hoped - the weather was too bad. A blanket of freezing fog hung over the house today. I rummaged through some photo references and found one I liked. It was a snapshot of the recent flooding of the Erewash near Ilkeston. What caught me eye was the intense light on the water accentuated by the low sombre tones of the landscape. I decided to work up a small

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-10803900295014364542008-02-18T09:00:00.005Z2008-03-03T10:51:43.346Z

A bit of a deparure from the norm this one. I have been working on a small oil painting form a combination of imagination and memories. I have been trying to capture the slightly surreal feeling that stems from being alone watching the sunset. Although the painting seems to be starting to work, it still needs something but, at this moment, I'm not sure what. Perhaps I will leave it alone for a

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-81536057948086555892008-01-16T18:47:00.000Z2008-01-16T19:06:48.724Z

This blog started out under the name, "The Illuminated Landscape", but having just discovered that there is a book about painting and another blog with a similar title, I have decided to change the name to "The Filbert and Rigger". For the oil painters among you these terms will need no introduction. For everyone else however, these are types of brushes. The filbert is similar to a flat brush

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-18552106127567601732008-01-16T12:09:00.002Z2008-03-03T10:14:47.717Z

I want to talk about a picture that i did some years ago now. It sits at the top of our stairs and I pass by it several times a day, usually without giving it any thought. Today however, was different. I'm not sure why but as I climbed the stairs I focused on the picture. Why do I like this picture, I thought. After all, it is of little technical merit and was only ever intended as a quick oil

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-15634005249255165562008-01-06T19:33:00.004Z2008-03-03T10:06:54.358Z

This was painted alla prima in about two hours (It would have been quicker but I got carried away talking to passers by) towards the end of October last year. The support is one of my ususal suspects - a 10 x 8 gesso primed MDF board.

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865580221101737461.post-8043619123955467842008-01-04T10:54:00.001Z2008-03-03T09:19:29.400Z

If you have read my profile you will see that I have described myself as a civil servant turned painter. I thought I would start this blog by expanding a bit. I've been a civil servant for 21 years but, although I have enjoyed my job, I have become increasingly frustrated with the lack of opportunity and, for the last couple of years I have been itching for a change. Anyway, last year, in a bid

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696037671317713168noreply@blogger.com2