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New sketch of Ventnor

Some of the shops are starting to open again and yesterday I went to stock up at Ventnor Botanic Gardens.

Having driven over there I thought it a perfect opportunity to do some location sketching with the idea of a Ventnor picture for my colouring book I’m compiling. I have a good selection of Isle of Wight pen drawings ready to go but none of Ventnor apart from the spot designs and Christmas scene. I decided to do the view from behind the spyglass, I have done paintings from the zig zag road before but it is the most amazing view and worthy of another rendition.

Once I have decided upon a view I stand there and view for a while, I work out what I want to get in and then look for patterns within the scene and a way of doing the composition so your eye is led round the picture and back to where you started.

The parade in this scene had a swooping curve taking you along the seafront up the cliff and back along as well as the other way along the sheltered haven and back along the waves.

It was really tricky to get all the buildings in such a small area to scale but I think I have managed it. I had a small moment of joy when the two sides matched up 🙂

The waves were massive yesterday with thundering black clouds and apart from a couple of spots mercifully it didn’t rain.

When I got back to the other side of the island it had rained so much rivers had formed on our gravel drive and the path was covered in mud – a lucky escape.

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New painting of Ventnor

This was drawn on location the same day as my other new Ventnor work – Ventnor Haven. I’m really pleased with both and they work well as a pair too. I really enjoyed working at A2 size and was able to add a lot of detail with the dip pen too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did painting it.

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Open Studio coming soon

For this years event I am back in the chalet for the first weekend only at

18 Shore Road,
Gurnard,
Cowes, PO31 8LD.
T 07421 905382

Paintings + printed
goods for sale & demonstrations. Open
11am-6pm Friday 12th & 10am-6pm Sat/Sun
13th/14th.
DIRECTIONS
The corner of Shore Road between
Woodvale pub and Gurnard Sailing Club.
Disabled access with assistance over
low step.


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Sketching in the early morning sun

I had time to spend in Wootton today having dropped the car off for a service at 8am. I had a couple of hours to spare so decided a walk and sketch were in order. It was cold but sunny, so sunny the sun was like a torch beam with untouched pockets full of damp cold air and mist. I started with a pleasant stroll through agricultural land, marshes and forrest to come out at Wootton creek. After walking backwards and forwards for a while looking suspicious I found the perfect spot to sketch and here is the result, I thoroughly enjoyed the wobbly boat reflections. The row of posts looks like little sea creatures, each slightly different.

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Sun at Sandown

I had to deliver some new stock to Keats in Sandown and took the opportunity to go sketching. I had planned the view back in the summer and taken lots of reference photos on a busy summers day but when I got down to the beach the sun was facing the wrong way. To do the planned section would have meant squinting into a bright low sun with everything silhouetted the cliffs in the other direction were gleaming white and with the sparkling turquoise water I had to do a U turn. I met a couple of lovely people, a man who was very into painting atmospheric works with scant detail and a lady collecting flotsam and jetsam who took these photos for me.

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Sketching at Steephill Cove

Last day of the school holidays and I thought it would be perfect to spend an afternoon at Steephill Cove and have a much needed ice cream.

I took my massive watercolour pad with me so this is one which will take a while to complete but here are the preliminary sketches in the meantime. I have done a couple of crops so you can see the detail too, bit by bit I will draw in pen over the pencil taking care to retain the character and rub the pencil out (and remove any mistakes).

As usual I took a lot of reference photographs to work from which turned out to be a good thing as the tide was moving really quickly. I ended up with all my possessions balanced on surrounding rocks and waves splashing my paper – the sky wash will be fairly interesting!