Four paintings from my past, when I began to believe!
Boys at Crow Point playing in the driftwood!
My family on an Autumn day, a wet Westward Ho beach with mum, twins, Harry & Colin.
Manning’s Pit in Pilton.
A Linhay on the Braunton Marsh which became a breakthrough in my painting! Al
Back to landscapes this time Saunton Sands in North Devon. After an hours work just to get rid of the acrylic green aerosol spray primer I completed this painting early in the morning after a sleepless night. I’ve attempted to capture that almost spotlight quality of an Autumn sun over the Bideford Bar from the lay-by at Saunton. Acrylic on 610 x 410mm gesso primed panel. It is quite difficult to capture the true colours with my iPhone but I quite like the finished image!
I cycle the North Devon coast regularly and passing this wind blown tree at the top of Down Lane near Woolacombe recalled an old pen and ink drawing I did years ago. Not much has changed except the gate the overgrowth and instead of grazing sheep corn is now grown; I always liked the sheep’s wool hanging off the barbed wire in the ink drawing. The trees are still almost identical this is perhaps due to the strong coastal winds keeping their growth in check.
Framed and in a new home. An old pastel sketch of people enjoying the surf at Saunton Sands as the tide goes out! I love how the water leaves that glasslike appearance on the sand. The reflections are often breathtaking!
An exercise in not over working and titavating with a painting. This is about two hours work and the speed of paint application certainly concentrates the mind and eye. This is Crow Point on a typical mixed weather day with the evening primrose sprinkling the beachside. There are always some great cloud formations here over Appledore in the distance!
A quick look through a forgotten folder found behind some canvasses in my studio. If there’s anything you like please let me know as all are for sale! The music is a little noodling I did on my guitar a few years ago and I entitled it Costalotcoffee!
A painting using the local Bideford Black pigment. This painting is of the old boardwalk which lead to Crow Point in North Devon.
This twenty one year old painting was hung in my old kitchen so after the kitchen was renovated this painting and its frame were cleaned and a few corrective touches made; better than before!
Through the gap in the dunes you used to be able to see this wreck of the old Sea Mack now sadly almost gone!
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
A mixed media composition using Acrylic Paints and Bideford Black. Inspired by a drive back from Putsborough Beach on a winter Sunday when we came across Fairlinch Cross. The cold winter light shone off the wet road with the windswept trees bowing over the hedges, I was struck by the stark contrasts of dark, colour and the shadows of the hedge crossing the road.
Al Brown Artist. 