I’ve spent an hour this evening matt varnishing and signing a few finished paintings. A question; should you sign finished work? People have mentioned to me that the contemporary idea is work should be unsigned unless you perhaps sign the back. Thoughts anyone? Al
Back to landscapes this time Saunton Sands in North Devon. After an hours work just to get rid of the acrylic green aerosol spray primer I completed this painting early in the morning after a sleepless night. I’ve attempted to capture that almost spotlight quality of an Autumn sun over the Bideford Bar from the lay-by at Saunton. Acrylic on 610 x 410mm gesso primed panel. It is quite difficult to capture the true colours with my iPhone but I quite like the finished image!
whilst cleaning my studio work station, it was once used as an anaesthetic trolley, I came across this old sketchbook which was used whilst I was a registered nurse. It shows theatre life a few years back at The North Devon District Hospital. I am now retired.
A very personal picture of which I’ve been thinking of for a while. It is of my late wife Donna’s hand as I held it during our last few days at The North Devon Hospice earlier this year. The kindness and love given to us there I will never forget.
The Haunted House at Westward Ho
M5 Westbound Towards Taunton
A view leading away from the RNLI Lifeboat Station in Appledore, North Devon. The pen & ink of mine on the left drawn thirty years ago vs the same scene today!
Back to a little landscape of Hartland Quay walking along the coast path to Speke’s Mill on the North Devon Coast. Acrylic on 26×16” canvas.
A series of pen and ink drawings made during the pandemic in 2020. These are nurses and ODPs (operating department practitioners) who worked with me at The North Devon District Hospital.
My annual trip to Fairport’s Cropredy Festival in Oxford for music, great food and beer. I have a wonderful time walking along the picturesque canals with their longboats and drinking in the two pubs, The Brasenose and The Red Lion. Both pubs have fringe music festivals and I enjoy having a few ales in the churchyard amongst the gravestones opposite The Red Lion. The picture above is of the old lock keeper’s cottage and this is where I often spend time peacefully in the sun.
During this busy visit I managed to get in some time to do some pen and ink sketches. The canal tow path with lock man’s cottage is a particular favourite of mine at Cropredy. The other sketches are of the main arena and stage at the festival with its lights and speaker systems. It was great to see the Harvest Moon in the sky during the evening performances and a special appearance by the famous Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.
Whilst continuing with the portraiture theme I was looking through some old digital files to print off some client requests when I accidentally came across this image. It is of a past work colleague on her trip to New York I was struck with her wild red hair and misty Manhattan. Acrylic on 600 x 800mm canvas. Al
Al Brown Artist. 