As is the tradition on Skokholm Island, where I spent 7 wonderful days last week (May 2022), the finder of rare birds paints them for posterity on the toilet wall (These days, due to renovations and modernisation of the observatory buildings, the ‘toilet wall’ is a removable board that hangs on the original toilet wall, festooned with wonderful bird artwork).… Read More »Skokholm Bird Observatory Artwork
Last night I had arranged to give my daughter’s best friend some tuition. She’s crazy-keen on art and had been given some acrylic paints but didn’t really know what to do with them. I work in oils and watercolours. I have some acrylics but they remain unused in a drawer at the moment. I hoped this wasn’t going to be… Read More »The Painting Glass Is ALWAYS Half Full | Guest Post by Artist Ian Holtedahl-Finlay
I was recently commissioned by the Elenydd Wilderness Hostel Trust to paint ‘Ty’n Cornel’, one of their hostels high up in the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales. Ty’n Cornel has been called the most remote hostel in Wales. It lies next to a stony track across the mountains, from which there is little sign of the hostel until you round… Read More »Elenydd Wilderness Hostels Painting Commission
We recently took a boat trip to wonderful Skomer Island, an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, here in west Wales. Skomer is known as one of the best places to see puffin worldwide, and we weren’t disappointed; there was literally 10’s of thousands of nesting pairs. Suitably inspired, I’ve been busy painting puffins ever since, using some of our photographs taken… Read More »Puffin Painting in Oils, Stage by Stage.
What is a pochade box? Unless you paint, you’ve probably never heard of one, but the term ‘Pochade’ is derived from the nineteenth century French verb Pocher, meaning to sketch. A pochade box is essentially a small box, usually made of wood, that has 3 unique properties. 1. It has a hinged lid that acts as an easel and holds… Read More »How To Use A Pochade Box, And Where To Get One
Like most other professions, hobbies or pastimes, oil painting comes with a overwhelming array of extra equipment, accessories and latest must-haves, that some people will say you need if you’re serious about making great art. Like most other professions, hobbies or pastimes, you need very little of it. In fact, you can be at a distinct disadvantage if you own… Read More »How To Start Painting With Oils – 3 Things You Need
Hi Everyone, and a warm welcome to my painting blog. You may have gathered from elsewhere on my website, that I was overseas painting in New Zealand for a few months over Christmas and New Year. I’m back in my studio in West Wales now, and although as keen as ever to get back into it, I decided that my studio… Read More »How To Paint Loose Paintings.
