A painting in Bideford Black of Roborough Hill in North Devon. During this lockdown time I’ve been trying to find a quiet cycle route for my daily exercise. I’ve found this place at the top of a very steep Roborough Hill. From here the view is amazing with a panorama out over Barnstaple. I’m also quite pleased that I can cycle this hill in my main cog at the grand old age of 62 lol. This is painted on Bockingford paper and the image size in 640 x 410 mm.
Another Bideford Black painting this time of Roborough Hill ten minutes from where I live. I cycle all the way up to the top where you get some sensational panoramic views out over Barnstaple and the River Taw! Early stages at the moment. Al
Bideford Black pigment on 250lb Bockingford Paper. After a warm cycle ride around the Marsh in Braunton I’ve decided to paint this Linhay yet again. Stormy sky and an even more stormy time for everyone regarding the present Covid conditions. I thought the dark foreboding nature of this paint and subject to be quite apt! Al
The completion of a large 48 x 20″ panorama on gesso primed panel. An acrylic of Castle Rock at The Valley of Rocks near Lynton in North Devon. Love the rugged coastline and rocks here. Climbed here too! The Devil’s Cheesewring is a rock outcrop which stands on a slope leading to the famous Castle Rock. Al
Another trip out to the old Dairy Crest building in Taddiport, nr Torrington, North Devon! My son Archie required more pictures for his end of term exams and here we were. I managed to chat to one of the grafitti artists at work here as he prepared another wall for a composition! There is some fantastic work here so if you’re near pop in and have a look at North Devon’s most original Contemporary Art Installation! Al
An acrylic sketch on gesso panel 400 x 300mm of a warm Autumn evening on the River Taw in North Devon. After an enjoyable cycle around the area I spotted a kingfisher off the slipway on Barnstaple Quay. On returning home I came across this view! The original image is more subtle in colour and tone. This is probably my last image of 2019! Al
Barricane is a picturesque cove tucked in between the rocks, famous for cowries and other exotic shells sought out by children and adults alike. For many years this secluded beach was a locals secret hidaway but recently the word has got out. In the summer there is a food hut that sells curries and tea in china mugs. Sadly a few visitors and locals alike bestow the beach in rubbish, bottles and discarded BBQs. It was our Secret Heaven!
https://www.albrownartist.com/post/barricane-beach
KOH SAMET
Deep green and distant islands
I have been off Ban Pae Pier.
Where the salt white sands are bleached,
And the water’s crystal clear.
Sweeping shadows of the palm trees,
Open fingers brush the shore.
Band of grey approaching thunder,
Monsoon rain a little more.
Without care for tortured world
We bronzed our thoughts away.
Cosmopolitan games of volleyball,
Oriental Eden made for play.
Beachside huts now mute and toppled,
No more bucks from Uncle Sam.
My friends have now gone elsewhere,
Have they gone to Vietnam?
Korean families with their beach craft,
Who’ve discovered Diamond Sands.
While away their humid moments,
Where a noisy jet ski lands.
My uncovered secret heaven
Was impossible to hide.
Speeding years and aging faces,
From those memories we cried.
Why couldn’t it last forever?
Tearful dreams of carefree days.
Fleeting moments of impermanence,
They’re our lives the Buddha says.
So now it’s time to move along,
Relieved so one pretends.
Now I’ll sit alone and drink awhile,
To the ghosts of dancing friends.
A view out to see from Crow Point in North Devon. On the horizon the famous Lundy Island. This item if for sale on my website at https://www.albrownartist.com/ if anyone is interested. Many thanks Al
https://www.albrownartist.com/post/crow-point-to-lundy
Perhaps my next large scale acrylic? Photograph taken on my iPhone in January 2019 with a photoshopped sky. Love photoshop which allows me to experiment with compositions, tones and colours. I then take these onto the canvas and alter them to fit the media technique. Al
https://www.albrownartist.com/post/linhay-on-the-marsh-1
For sale on my website https://www.albrownartist.com/
Al Brown Artist. 