Category North Devon

Fisherman’s Huts at Crow.

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I was taken by an image, on Facebook, of a couple of old fisherman’s huts at Crow Point in North Devon and decided to sketch them in leu of a painting. I made my way to the White House at Crow and walked left along the thorn ridden breakwater; this is now the only way to get to these huts as part of the inner wall has collapsed. I arrived and marvelled at their rustic charm, rusty orange corrugated iron, weather bleached wooden doors and crude cobbles which remained from years ago.
Quickly I took a series of photographs and made a few reference sketches eventually the dark clouds forebode and soon it began to rain. Luckily one of the huts wasn’t locked and I weathered out the storm in it’s solitude loving that sound of rain on iron.
The smells of the estuary mud and seawater filled the air as I made my way back slipping on the mud and pebbles. Perhaps a painting to come? Al

Broadsands.

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This is picture of Broadsands on Northam Burrows looking towards Appledore and Instow in North Devon. Experimenting with drybrush technique acrylic on panel 460 x 610mm. Original photograph by James Gooding on facebook. I quite liked the pastel colours and have used Turner’s Yellow for the first time. Al

Greencliff.

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An acrylic painting 600 x 760mm on panel of Greencliff near Abbottsham on the North Devon coast. The view is looking downwards to the sea and in the distance Harland Point is seen. It is here where I go to collect the pigment I use to produce Bideford Black. I’ve experimented with layers of acrylic wash for this painting. When viewed in full sunlight adjustments had to be made to create that darker warm evening light. Al

Above are pictures of progress so far, I’ve also started another smaller painting of a sunset at Broadsands on Northam Burrows in North Devon. Last picture is of it in it’s new home, quite an impressive setting!

Roborough Hill.

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Another picture inspired from Roborough near Pilton, Barnstaple. I’m using some broken sticks from the hill to create some surface texture. This is painted using Bideford Black hand prepared paint on thick cartridge paper. The view is of looking toward the top of road leading down to Raleigh and Barnstaple. In the distance there is a slight glimpse of the River Taw leading to Fremington Quay, Instow and Crow Point. Al

Roborough Hill.

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A couple of pictures from my latest foray up the very steep Roborough Hill near Pilton in North Devon. I’ve slightly tinted the black and white images to give them that look of an old school 1930s travel book. I remember, as a boy, looking through those old musty picture books of the world and it was from these very books that fuelled my inspiration to travel. These pictures will eventually become large Bidiford Black paintings.

Roborough Hill

The main reason why I was there today was to pick a place to photograph the Spitfire flying over the country’s hospitals with ‘THANK U NHS’ under it’s wings. I decided to return down the hill and finally took the picture below.

Spitfire over North Devon District Hospital

Floating Off Combesgate Beach.

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A large digital painting I’ve been dabbling with on and off for a few years now! Using the app Procreate on my iPad image size 3,915 x 1,690 dpi. This image was captured on a GoPro camera between sets whilst surfing off Combesgate Beach in North Devon. In the distance you can see the back of the break with a few surfers making the most of a kind summer swell.

Below are the three layers I’ve used to create this large image. Once connected the final image is complete.

Above the completed image on the left and on the right just playing with photoshop to exchange the painted sky with a photographic one! Time to now move on as this composition is finally over and dusted. Al

Glastonbury 2020?

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Sadly this year’s Glastonbury Festival was cancelled due to Corona Pandemic; 50 years anniversary since 1970. I usually work every year at the festival with the fantastic Recycling Team and love the atmosphere in Tom’s Field where we workers spend time listening to live music, eating and drinking in Tom’s Bar. No public of course! We especially love the Singing Cider! Tom’s Field, if course, named after the horse that used to reside there. Well this year I noticed a video about Glastonbury by the artist Beans On Toast and the opening frames showed a scene which inspired me to sketched here in pastels. Well until next year 2010!

Staff of the NHS Barnstaple, North Devon.

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Presently I’m working on a series of sketches of some of my colleagues at North Devon District Hospital at Raleigh Park, Barnstaple. Pen and Ink on thick cartridge paper. So far I’ve drawn ODPs (Operating Department Pratitioners), a member of our Support Staff and Recovery Nurses. I’m also experimenting with Uni-Ball Needle Pens and the moment instead of my usual traditional knib or Staedtler fine draughting pens!