Leaving Tavistock. When you leave Tavy and head back towards North Devon you approach a stretch of road with chimneys of old tin mines in a valley to your right. On a trip back from a weekend in Plymouth I glanced into my car mirror and glimpsed this view. I quickly pulled into a layby and with just a biro sketched this image and made a few colour notes on a scrap of paper. This pure watercolour was painted in July 2003, fifteen years ago, and still remains one of my own favourite picture for which I’m immensely proud. It is still in my own collection. Al
Category North Devon
Humpback Whale & Calf.
With the new ecological worries of plastic in our oceans where will the likes of these wonderful species be in another few years? Watercolour & bodycolour. A painting from way back when. Al
Waves at Woolacombe Beach.
An acrylic on panel 610 x610mm of a sunny day on Woolacombe Beach with a stormy sky. Painted from a photograph taken last Sunday.
Pyramid Stage No3.
A large canvas 48″ x 30″ acrylic. The third in my Glastonbury Festival pictures. A large composition for my room. Love this image from Matt Cardy the photographer of Coldplay in full action on the Pyramid Stage. This painting was photographed on my iPhone although titanium white becomes too pronounced and other subtle colours lost. A useful lesson learnt here was Paynes Grey; it varies greatly from company to company! I usually use Liquidex but ran out and used Cryla instead. Wrong…Cryla’s colour was brown and looked quite dirty compared to the blue/black of Liquidex, see below for colour comparison. You live and learn. For prominent colours don’t change mid painting! Al
Croyde Bay
Croyde Bay. Acrylic on panel 600 x 600mm. Caught sight of the sun breaking through the spring foliage and loved the play of light on the grass. This is a view you would see if you left Ruda Holiday Park and walked through the back way to the Thatch Pub in Croyde Village. Haven’t painted for about three weeks and found this a little warm up painting for another large Glastonbury painting! Al
Blue Pyramid.
Just another large 100 x 100cm canvas with oils. This time on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival. I don’t think that oils are quite my forte so I will probably return to acrylics. Oddly enough the previous Red Pyramid, and this Blue Pyramid are of the same band on different festivals 2011 & 2016. Al
Red Pyramid.
The Pyramid oil on canvas 100 x 100cm. Not really meant to be an exact photographic style image rather than an impression of what it is like to be in front of the Glastonbury Stage when its in full flow. I work at the festival every year as a recycler and am now a veteran. Al
Amelia.
A large canvas of my daughter Amelia in acrylic 100 x 100cm. The background was taken from Drew Struzan’s album cover Blam for the Brothers Johnson. Really enjoyed this composition so perhaps more portraits in the offing. A friend of mine said that perhaps a large picture of the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, but i’m thinking perhaps one of Bowie. Al
Road to Bishops Tawton.
Another painting inspired from a trip to the back and beyond of Bishops Tawton nr Barnstaple, North Devon. Just love that stark winter light and reflections in the puddles on the roadside. Experimenting with a muted palette here consisting of Paynes Grey, Coeruleum Blue, Yellow Green, Raw Umber, Titanium White, Flesh Tint & Raw Sienna. Just can’t wait for that spring warmth and sunshine to arrive. Mixed media of acrylic and pencil on gesso board 610 x 610mm. AL
Backroad to Bishops Tawton.
Went to collect a shoe rack from a couple in the back and beyonds of Bishops Tawton nr Barnstaple. After getting rather lost on a few detours I found them and collected said shoe rack. On the way back to the main road I had to stop the car and take a few photographs of weird and wonderful trees. This one with it’s water swamped road caught my attention. Love the skies reflection and decided to make the tree somewhat cephelopodic in shape. Acrylic & pencil on gesso panel 610 x 610mm. More trees to come. Al
Al Brown Artist. 