An odd thing happened with regard this painting. I saw it on an old friend’s website who teaches surfing in North Devon and liked it so much I asked if I could paint it. I asked if it was his photo he said it was and I completed this picture in my own Bideford Black Pigment. Later I had a message from the actual surf photographer who took the picture. He is a local surf photographer called Rob Tibbles (check out his pictures they’re awesome). A bit red faced I explained what happened and he was quite a chap about it. All the same I withdrew this picture from my site because I hadn’t asked the right person permission in the beginning. Rob liked the picture and said he didn’t mind if I kept it but for me that was not good. Hence this is no longer for sale just in a dusty drawer in my studio. The original photo was entitled Puff The Magic Dragon, hence the sky! By the way check out the original photo my picture certainly doesn’t do justice to it. AL
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Saunton Beach.
Saunton beach painted in pigments found on Fremington Quay. These include Bideford Black. Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber and an unusual grey/ white pigment called Poor Man’s White. Al
Billy Gibbons.
Billy Gibbons (Pen & Ink with some Bideford Black coal based pigment) 290mm x320mm. Just a brief travel back to my draughtsman & illustration days to produce this study of the Famous Mr Gibbons from ZZ Top. Managed to see them at this year’s Glastonbury Festival and still rocking! Al
Photograph courtesy of Kerry Langford Photography & thanks for allowing me to draw.
Going To The Reform.
Painted using hand ground Bideford Black. Took this on my mobile on the way to the Reform Inn Pilton. Just the usual Friday night of real ale. (370mm x 390mm).
Camden Lock. Painted with Bideford Black, a local coal based pigment. 500mm x 300mm.
In search of the elusive Bideford Black.
In search of the elusive Bideford Black Pigment otherwise known as Biddie Black. Running alongside seams of anthracite across North Devon is a black clay-like material that was mined for 200 years in Bideford for its uses as a strong black pigment. The unique ‘Mineral Black’, or ‘Biddiblack’ as it was known, was commercially produced for applications in the boat building industry, for colouring rubber products, for camouflage on tanks in WWII and was even bought by Max Factor for the production of mascara. The mines were closed in 1968 when the production of cheaper oil-based blacks and the depletion of the seam made the operation financially unviable, but many locals still remember the ‘Paint Mines’ and have tales to tell of using the paint or going into the now defunct mine shafts. Today it’s revered by artists who love it’s inky black non reflective properties. It first has to be dried, ground and then mixed with a medium such as PVA or Gum Arabic. Looking forward to making my own now and seeing what images I can produce. AL.
ps most of the information was from a website called The story of Bideford Black.
Old Pen & Ink Drawings.
A few old pen and ink drawings from the 1990s. I love the crispness of such drawings and from my technical draughtsman background love the contrasts achieved. But today I much prefer to keep things a little more spontaneous. But the pull of my past technical training always hinders such artism. Al
Ducks on Braunton Marsh.
Cycling along the Tarka Trail from Braunton to Barnstaple. As you near Chivenor there is a small nature reserve. I just loved the reflections and highlights of the late afternoon sun. This is a small composition for me (250mm x 300mm) Acrylic on canvas. Al
Old Art School Pen & Ink Drawings.
A couple of pen & ink drawings from a long time ago. Perhaps 35 to 40 years ago.
Jack Russell In The Grass
Jack Russell enjoying a run in a field. Acrylic on canvas 20″ x 16″. Just holding an old frame over the picture to get some idea of what it would look like finished. Al
Al Brown Artist. 