Wells - Somerset - 16th to 18th August

I went with my friend Pam to this excellent city in Somerset, the smallest city in UK and we spend two and a bit days painting there - it was a rather gloomy most of the time - and it rained and rained, luckily there is plenty to admire and rejoice of in the Cathedral. The Vicars close was our first point of call - people who live there are linked with the city's music school - there is no other way - the street is amazing with the uprights of the chimneys creating a very quick rythm.
The Cathedral is set on a Green so there is enough space for its facade (full of figures) to be appreciated. Inside it has the most modern look despite all the work dating from medieval times - the double scissor arch solution to the weight of the central tower is a very clever solution and geometrically very simple and beautiful.
The Lady chapel has a green and red theme and glass windows that are in different stages of repair - quite beautiful.
The access to the chapter house is by a stair that has a complex geometry and it is very beautiful as well.
The chapter house is an octogonal room with a central column.
The back of the cathedral connects to the Bishop's palace that has a complete moat - but we left the views from its garden/orchard for another time.

 

Segovia July 2011

I have spent 11 fantastic days painting and sketching in Segovia.  Loads of views of the Alcazar and from the Alcazar. Some interesting encounters with locals and tourists. And a grand finale of taking part on the Quick painting competition run by the San Lorenzo quarter. I was not that prepared for this one (no materials) and the shops did not have any watercolour paper. Luckily, I got some free large card where I could do a large drawing (not really a painting) with a bit of colour.Day 1 (21st July- Vera Cruz from Alcazar, Vera Cruz, San Esteban and Jardin de Fronkes).

Day 2 (22nd July - Alcazar desde Muralla, Drumming in Plaza Juan Bravo)

Day 4 (25th July - Mujer Muerta desde Alcazar, Cathedral Tower)

Day 5 (26th July La Merced  from Jewish Cemetery)

Day 7 (27th July - Acueducto - vista 1, View from Vera Cruz - long panorama - concertina book)

Day 8 (28th July - La Granja - El Mar, Palacio, Perspectiva de Fuentes)

Day 9 Acueducto - vista 2

Day 10 (30th July - High view of Alcazar and Catedral)

Day 11 (31st July - Grand Finale - San Lorenzo - quick painting - 1 hour drawing - 70x70 cm)

Newbury - Insectes - Night Parade

Last night there was this amazing parade by the Spanish group Sarruga in Newbury to mark the Newbury Comedy Festival - it was free and packed with people - swarming the streets - perhaps 2000.
I tried to  do a few sketches on the move, difficult but good fun.
The machines were massive and heavy pedal cars human powered by the Sarruga people and a few local helpers with some steering from the back. The insects towered over everybody splattering around and interacting with the public both at street level and on the upper storeys of buildings - specially the praying mantis.
Very impressive all around.

Retrospective 7 - France 2010

Catching up with last year's sketches - these I did during a trip around the Loire in France - Chinon and Chambord castles.

And this at La Rochelle in the coast - a place to eat oysters...

Newbury Art Group - Painting around Pubs

This year's painting days with the Newbury Art Group have focused around pubs - below - the first sketch is of a thatched cottage opposite the Bladebone pub in Chapel Row and the other a view of the Pot Kiln near Yattedon. As you can see the clouds were looming.

The last sketch is of one of our members - he sat on a field that was full of cows, they took an interest at some point and came to see what he was doing. typically English he continued unperturbed

Outdoor painting 6th July 2011 - Newbury West Mill Allotments

We spent the day sketching in the allotments yesterday, very interesting and difficult to choose - between long views - i did a quick pen sketch at the end - or close views - of plants and sheds  - in the end i spent quite a bit of the time near Carol's plot and did a few of the poppies with and without petals and the great marigold field she has. The beans and fennel with the background of the shed was also very beautiful

Chapel Row - The Avenue crossroads - Bladebone pub - 360 degrees

I have done this 360 degrees sketch in three sittings (22nd June, 28th June and 6th July 2011) - the first day it was a Newbury Art Group painting day when I started it and did about 1 hour before it started to rain.
The second day I did a session of 2 hours and the third day another hour.
It is about 4 metres long so my speed is about an hour per metre.
All in black and white pencil but two types (HB the first day, very pale) and softer the other two.
What is interesting in such a long drawing is that as cars come and go and light changes all the time, one is choosing what to put in or leave out. As you turn around you are adjusting the perspective and varying the point of view. The three or four buildings at this crossroads are singular (a butcher's, a pub, a thatched cottage and a little shop). To complete the English tradition there is the typical phonebox and postbox on the wall. And magnificent trees all around that give The Avenue its explendid presence.

I show below the whole length as well as the daily outputs and a video of the whole drawing.

4m long - 360 degrees view

Day one

Day two

Day three