A picture taken last year on the small roads in North Devon. Loved this tree and the water highlighting the road ahead. I think perhaps the use of some more Bideford Black will be in order. Al
A quick preparatory sketch exploring the tones and contrasts. It took about 45 mins using charcoal, Bideford Black, pastel & titanium white. Also a little scraping with a surgical scalpel.
Abbey Road near where I live in Pilton Barnstaple. Walking into town and managed to remember an umbrella. The neon cheap spring sunshine was still breaking through a bank of black storm clouds. Managed not to get wet all afternoon. Couldn’t resist holding my iPhone close to the ground and taking this image. Al
Finished portrait of my wife Donna. Quite a small composition of 12″ X 10″ acrylic on canvas. I’m quite pleased with this although quite a journey to go to achieve satisfactory skin tones etc. But on the whole it’s certainly her…. Al
Just a couple of pastel sketches. Middle sketch of Manning’s Pit including pig nuts & buttercups. The other is a copy off Pinterest of an artist whose signature I can’t read. Just playing for a few hours to loosen up my usual way of working. Al
ps The artist is John Singer Sargent.
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
Pastel picture of Bideford/Barnstaple Bay (470mm x 300mm). Now and again you rush and produce something like this. Not very happy with the finished picture but there and again art is a moving and linear leaning process. The particular lesson learnt here, don’t rush when you’ve only got limited time and observe, observe, observe! Time spent 45mins. Al
Original picture from a photograph from Facebook. Not too sure who’s it was.
I very rarely drive a car: that’s my wife’s domain. When I do I notice how, once behind the wheel people become more aggressive and unpleasant. Once in a car no one is in the wrong, it’s always the other driver’s mistake. Once behind the wheel the only important person in the world is them. What has happened to courtesy? Mutual politeness? If we walked we would behave differently toward each other. Therefore it’s the anonymity and protection of being in a car that separates us from others. Similar to being on the net where you make remarks, positive or negative, from the comfort of your own sofa. It’s amusing how people want to over take you, they want to get in front, be first, get one up on you. They don’t know me and I don’t know them what’s the point then? Time urgency, late for work, just feeling angry then think about others and perhaps extend some courtesy to others. Smile and the world will be a better place for you and that bloke you’ve just cut up at the traffic lights! Al
Picture taken as my wife drove home from a rather nice weekend in Bristol. This is on the M5 motorway somewhere near Taunton.
Well this evening my son and I decided to go out for a walk and dig for some Pignuts. Finding them was quite easy amongst the buttercups. With the use of a sharp stick my son Archie dug around the stem to tease out the root ball and pignut. A very successful evening’s foraging. Pignuts taste rather like hazelnut crossed with a carrot with a slight hint of hotness. Better than watching the TV or the Laptop. AL
Quite a surprise today no rain, as promised, so a walk up to Manning’s Pit and Bradiford Water in the sunshine. Buttercups were flowering and was informed that in this valley there are three different kinds. White Pignut flowers were also out and with a sharp stick I dug up some pignuts and after a quick wash in the fresh water they tasted delicious. I was also informed that Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest “I prithee, let me bring thee where crabs grow; and I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts” .
Also in Treasure island. “Dig away, boys,” said Silver with the coolest insolence; “you’ll find some pig-nuts and I shouldn’t wonder.”
All in all another idyllic day Al.
The summer is coming but still it’s raining around North Devon. Grey, wet and I am still cold to the bones. We get sporadic sunshine and promised warmth but still nothing to call Summer. Why is it from our childhoods memories were always full of sunshine and happiness? Al
Al Brown Artist. 