Comments (0) Six paintings from the Fenland series of landscape paintings are on exhibition at the Cazimir Cafe, King Street, Cambridge.
Fenland painting series exhibited at Cazimir Cafe, Cambridge
Two more fen paintings on display
The exhibition runs for one month starting 8th October 2009
I painted this view, another in my Fenland Series, of Ten Mile Bank near Brandon Creek in June. I painted this wet in wet with mostly a large brush as I rushed to capture the vivid blue fen sky and the morphing clouds.
Ten Mile Bank Viewed from Brandon Creek
Fen Storm is a different painting to my recent work, it is painted with free , expressive and large brush strokes. I really enjoyed painting this and will work in this way on future paintings. I hope I have managed to capture the atmosphere off being caught in the storm – I got totally soaked during this storm.
Fen Storm - Oil painting
Finally finished this oil painting of a misty fen day near Benwick.
Misty day on the fens near Benwick
Last few weeks, I have been out sketching, making paint studies and taking reference photos of trees, skies, the sea and various fen landscapes, from Prickwillow to Heacham beach.
Still working on several paintings that I hope to finish soon. And painting a series of ACEO’s and/or ATC’s (Art Cards, Editions and Originals / Art Trading Cards) of trees.
After spending the morning gardening, I decided to continue one of my paintings. The oil painting has been worked up from sketches and ref photos made in April when I visited and walked near Ramsey, Benwick and Whittlesey. I first started the painting a few weeks back, I had already blocked in the composition and then allowed it to dry.
After painting for 3 or 4 hours I felt I really had not acheived much and came very close scraping the canvas clean or white washing it. It just was not working. Then, I decided to combine sketches of Alders (think the trees were Alders) I had made close to the same scene. I have painted three of them into the mid ground and I am pleased with the result.
Still deciding whether or not it is completed. I don’t want it to be too realistic and I intended it to be fairly loose and impressionistic.
Finished this painting of a Spring Morning at St Ives just in time to go into the Landscape II exhibition at Williams Art Gallery. I only had minutes to sketch and photograph the April sky before it changed again.
Oil painting depicting an April fen morning sky
I am exhibiting paintings from my Fenland Series at the Williams Art Gallery. Exhibition starts May 5th. Other artists involved will be Richard Keys, Gail de Cordova, Nicholas James Juett, Jess Sutton and Maureen Mace.
I spent much of my weekends in the fens again. My wife and my oldest son had a lovely walk along the Counter Wash drain in Mepal towards the old pumping station and onto to Manea. We were rewarded by seeing a pair of Great Crested Grebes courting. The walk has inspired me to work on a painting (study) of a view looking from the drain towards Chatteris.
Another walk took us through Ramsey Forty Foot and Benwick, it was cold blustery day and I must admit the highlight was a nice pint of Deuchars IPA in a friendly pub in Ramsey.
I spent a chilly but peaceful Sunday at the Woolpack Fishery in Godmanchester attempting, unsuccessfully, to catch one last tench from lake 8. Unfortunately, many of the lakes have changed hands and from April are unavailable to anyone except syndicate members. No doubt it will we be restocked with carp and already, much to the annoyance of many non anglers, the foot path through to fields beyond is blocked.
What upsets me is, most of the other lakes there already offer carp fishing but lake 8 was more of a mixed fishery with tench, bream and roach. It was a tranquil place to be, watching the grebes, coots, warblers and deer go about their life. Even if I did not catch anything I still had a good day. It was also a good place to sketch and plan new paintings.
Oh well, all good things come to an end!!
Night fishing in the fens - Woolpack Fishery, Godmanchester
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