A large scale painting inspired by a recent walk at Hartland Quay in North Devon. Canvas 48 x 36”. I’ve first laid down the dark tones with Paynes Grey & Bideford Black to gain some sort of structure with which to overlay with colour. This is the fun part as I prefer to work quite quickly, this only took about an hour. The rest of the work was created with both washes, dry brush and blocked colour to try and prevent overworking the composition. Al
A picture inspired by the North Devon coast and Lee Bay. Acrylic on canvas 24 x 18″. It is such a wonderful beach to explore when the tide is out, many caves and little inlets around with wonderful views out along the tall cliffs of North Devon.
Recently I’ve been spending time at Sandy Cove Beach near Lee Bay in North Devon and have decided to start a painting inspired by sketches and iPhone images obtained there. My wife and I go to this beach and hunt sea glass for the jewellery she creates then onward to spend time at The Grampus Inn. I use photoshop to create compositions, similar to traditional preparatory sketches, to inspire and familiarise myself with the subject before I start painting. The image above has obviously been photoshopped and will not be painted.
I’ve just discovered this painting from a while ago! It is of a rock pool at Blackpool Mill Beach in North Devon. This beach is at the end of an enjoyable woodland walk from the famous Hartland Abbey. Just before the beach is a wonderful old building set in grassy grounds called Blackpool Mill Cottage which featured in the BBC production of Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’, as the cottage in Rosamund Pilcher’s ‘The Shell Seekers’, and in 2016, the location for The Lanyon in BBC’s ‘The Night Manager’ starring Tom Hiddleston.
I particularly like the pebble beach here, it’s rock pools and picking up spectacular pieces of driftwood left behind by the Atlantic storms.
A favourite topic of mine, beach side huts and houses. I’ve started formally with some loose perspective guidelines and added some acrylic spray can paint to remove some of the initial white of the gesso! Acrylic on hand made canvas panel, 13 x 24″ in old money!
The second in a year and hopefully the end to my lull. This painting is of The Tarka Trail, in North Devon, as it passes through Instow. It was a humid sunny day when I sketched this and was taken by the blue beach house and the red poppies. When ever I see red poppies it always reminds me of childhood memories at Instow. As usual I will sit on this painting for a while then make the final corrective adjustments! Al
We’ll at least a canvas is up now for the first session in SIX months! I haven’t even picked up a brush since January so this one should be an interesting return!
Latest update this morning I decided enough is enough and decided to paint no matter what happens. I’ve chosen a familiar subject of the now removed board walk at crow point and will be adding the final flight of a Hercules C-130 which have now been taken out of commission. This painting is now complete and hopefully I will be back to more original paintwork soon! Al
It’s been a while since I’ve put brush to canvas, the last time being January, so I’ve been taking iPhone pictures wherever I go to try and gain some inspiration. Today I cycled down the Tarka Trail from Barnstaple to Instow and was immediately taken with the seasonal poppies.
Along the trail lie various beach side huts, most of them were surrounded with blood red flowers. I remember them flowering here when I was a boy and wherever I see them they always remind me of Instow. With the sun high in the blue sky I was taken with this blue beach house and the contrasting poppies, I’m sure at some point this image will inevitably be used for a painted composition. I’m presently still not painting but instead playing the guitar so at least some creativity is being done! Al
We made the most of a gap in the weather today with a walk in the sunshine around Instow in North Devon. The waterfront was closed off to traffic and a right royal street party was underway; my wife and I had the mandatory Hocking’s Ice Cream with clotted cream on the top. The humid afternoon soon began to lose it’s sunshine but not before I managed to take these pictures in the graveyard of Instow Church. I’m struck every year with the cadmium yellow rapeseed fields around the estuary and was very pleased to capture them this year.
Taking a break from painting at the moment due to family bereavements. I can’t find the motivation to put brush to canvas at the moment but hopefully soon some inspiration will come my way to resume work! The picture above is my favourite linhay on the Braunton Marsh in North Devon, taken on a recent cycle ride to try to clear the mind. Al
Paint stained nails
That I can never seem to clean
Grips a can and a match
If you know what I mean?
To ignite that wasted effort
Nothing’s been so hard
Now to burn a lifetime’s failings
In the seclusion of my back yard.
A selection of some of the paintings I’ve completed in 2022, the year started out with a Bideford Black and ended with a large composition called Secluded Stream. I’ve had the great pleasure of twice visiting the Lizard in Cornwall this year and searched for sea glass with my wife along the North Devon Coast. During the year I was invited by a friend of mine, Adrian Beasley, to join again with the Black Arts for a residential course and worked with clients using the Bideford Black pigment at the Northam Visitors Centre. Having not exhibited for quite a while I ended year at the Burton Gallery, I’m now taking a slight break to plan my 2023 campaign. Al
Al Brown Artist. 