Rest in Peace, Andrew Corley

 

These were my preliminary drawings for Andy Corley's portrait.  I'm in two minds about showing the portrait itself - it was personal to him, and I can't ask for his permission to share it, because he died suddenly a few days ago: one of the established characters of Niton, Isle of Wight.  I first met him because we had a fixed Friday routine: every week, at the fish and chip van.  Andy's health  had been in steep decline for some months: every footstep was a struggle; my last words to him were "don't forget your stick next time!": he'd managed the walk from his house to the van, and I wish now I'd stayed to make sure he was able to get back again.  Although he was plainly ill, he was always in good spirits, and none of us expected his death so soon: I don't think he was even quite 65.  I am so glad that I was able to present him with his portrait, and gladder still that he was pleased with it - I don't know what his friends and relataives will think of it, but well: he and I knew what was wanted, and for better or for worse, what he wanted I was able to paint for him.  Andy, I'll miss your rotten jokes, which though rotten still managed to be funny; and your always asking after my health, when yours was so frail.  You were a kind man: there aren't so many of those about in the world that we could afford to lose you. 

Next stages, Work in Progress

 

Work in Progress, the Cripple Path, Niton Undercliff

We were a long way from being finished here, but it shows the build-up so far.  Painted in oil on an ACF Canvas - leaving aside the quality of the painting, the quality of the canvas is superb, and they're a pleasure to paint on.  

The next two stages will follow: just as soon as I can get a decent photograph - having camera trouble, or more probably camera operative trouble.  

Work in Progress

 

An oil in its earliest form, on ACF canvas - a new brand I'm trying out, and very pleased with it so far: it's tight as a drum on its stretchers, and made from a terylene cloth, which gives a smooth or at least not disruptive surface quite like high quality linen - which would be far more expensive; and painted with Michael Harding's Burnt Umber: some will warn you against Burnt Umber because of its tendency to sink - and indeed, it does, which is why I don't use it in upper layers (that and the fact that a mixed brown has more life in it; many ways to mix a deep brown: read my little e-book on the Amazon Kindle Store).  Oil Paint Basics, if you need the reminder: and I'm working on an update which I hope will be possible to make available in physical, paperback form.    

You might notice, in this early version of the painting, a resemblance in the cliff face to one Donald Trump: this is absolutely not intentional, and will be corrected in the final version.  It's very, very easy to paint a face in a rock formation or cloud without intending to: I've done it before: one of my clouds looked a lot like the Honey Monster... 

The trouble with showing a Work in Progress is - you've got to get it right; you can't just hide it away and pretend you'd never made a start on it.  So, with reckless courage - here is Stage 1.  

Small Watercolours as we ease into the year!

 I've been playing with a few small watercolours and drawings in ink in the first month of the year - one or two health issues proving troublesome, so I've not been in the mood for anything big - still, I can use these as the basis for larger works when it gets a bit warmer and - with any luck - I start feeling better.

Knowles Farm, towards Niton Village

The lower one is also based on the Knowles Farm area, just another part of it: looks quite scenic until you try walking through it, when you discover that a legion of cows has marched through before you, and left their calling cards.  The one just above it - I made it up, the composition taken from an online photograph.  These little studies are on Hahnemühle Rough Torchon paper, 12 x 17cm.                       

Just a bit of a play with the hake

 

This is a better than nothing effort - had a bit of paper to hand, some watercolour left in palette, so took the hake brush to it -from a photograph of mine at Knowles Farm, Niton, IW.   And not a recent one, the greens were abundant at the time, and so were the cow-pats.  Started with a play-about with Davy's Grey, then added a bit of colour on top.  Just to prove I'm not in complete hibernation.  

Lightfastness issues with Alizarin Crimson

 Normal service has been suspended due to bad light, Christmas festivities, a bit of illness, and sheer laziness. 

 But I thought this link from Golden Paints/Williamsburg would be of interest to painters in both oil and watercolour.

Note that this doesn't apply to "Alizarin Crimson" in acrylic, because acrylics don't (and can't) use the real PR83 pigment.  

https://justpaint.org/alizarin-crimson-now-you-see-it/