The end of a rather stressful year at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, England. This collage is of sketches completed by myself during this year’s Covid Epidemic! We’re all hoping that 2021 will be better for everyone, in the last few days most of us have had our Covid Vaccinations. This post is dedicated to those we’ve sadly lost during 2020, although not related to Covid, memories of them will remain ever present! Al
A few pictures of mine inspired by Baggy Point in North Devon. I’ve shopped some Hercules Transporters in the first and a Spitfire in the second. In the distance you can see Croyde Beach famous for its surf. I’ve climbed Baggy Point many times over the years with one of the climbs oddly titled Kinky Boots as seen in the picture below!
I’ve recently taken a few weeks out of my painting schedule to have a break and gain fresh inspiration. I’ve been fighting with my usual illustrative techniques and have been attempting to find new directions, sadly to no avail. I hope in the New Year to start with fresh optimism and enthusiasm. See you in 2021. Al
I discovered an old postcard image online from North Devon’s Athenaeum of the old lighthouse at Crow Point in North Devon. This building is no longer here but I’ve tidied up the image and photoshopped it onto one of my pictures of Crow Point taken earlier this year.
On the Explore Braunton website there is a great account of the history of this long lost lighthouse http://www.explorebraunton.org/memories-of-braunton-lighthouse.aspx it states, ‘Sadly the keepers were withdrawn from the lighthouse in 1945 when the tower and dwellings became unstable. The light became redundant in 1957 and both the high and low light were demolished. All that is visible today are some remains of the main lighthouse. A modern navigational light is now situated about half a mile to the south of the original site, which is operated by Trinity House.’
Below is a few images I’ve discovered on the internet I’ve also photoshopped a Spitfire on one just for good measure! Al
Spent a rather enjoyable walk along the beach at Westward Ho in North Devon and met up with some old friends and caught up on old times. Similar to many years ago when I painted the watercolour below of the same friends when we had our children with us!
I was taken by an image, on Facebook, of a couple of old fisherman’s huts at Crow Point in North Devon and decided to sketch them in leu of a painting. I made my way to the White House at Crow and walked left along the thorn ridden breakwater; this is now the only way to get to these huts as part of the inner wall has collapsed. I arrived and marvelled at their rustic charm, rusty orange corrugated iron, weather bleached wooden doors and crude cobbles which remained from years ago.
Quickly I took a series of photographs and made a few reference sketches eventually the dark clouds forebode and soon it began to rain. Luckily one of the huts wasn’t locked and I weathered out the storm in it’s solitude loving that sound of rain on iron.
The smells of the estuary mud and seawater filled the air as I made my way back slipping on the mud and pebbles. Perhaps a painting to come? Al
This is picture of Broadsands on Northam Burrows looking towards Appledore and Instow in North Devon. Experimenting with drybrush technique acrylic on panel 460 x 610mm. Original photograph by James Gooding on facebook. I quite liked the pastel colours and have used Turner’s Yellow for the first time. Al
An acrylic painting 600 x 760mm on panel of Greencliff near Abbottsham on the North Devon coast. The view is looking downwards to the sea and in the distance Harland Point is seen. It is here where I go to collect the pigment I use to produce Bideford Black. I’ve experimented with layers of acrylic wash for this painting. When viewed in full sunlight adjustments had to be made to create that darker warm evening light. Al
Above are pictures of progress so far, I’ve also started another smaller painting of a sunset at Broadsands on Northam Burrows in North Devon. Last picture is of it in it’s new home, quite an impressive setting!
Another picture inspired from Roborough near Pilton, Barnstaple. I’m using some broken sticks from the hill to create some surface texture. This is painted using Bideford Black hand prepared paint on thick cartridge paper. The view is of looking toward the top of road leading down to Raleigh and Barnstaple. In the distance there is a slight glimpse of the River Taw leading to Fremington Quay, Instow and Crow Point. Al
A Bideford Black painting I finished last year finally in it’s new home. What a great setting and choice of frame! Really pleased at how it looks! Al
An acrylic on 16 x 20″ canvas of the wonderful Woody Bay on the North Devon Coast. I haven’t visited this location for many years and was delighted to find it as impressive as I remembered. A rocky beach with a Victorian swimming pool and remains of an old pier. Well worth a visit if you’re in the location. This is situated in the Exmoor National Park.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Bay,_Devon
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/heddon-valley/features/woody-bays-victorian-heritage
Al Brown Artist. 