Cardiff Museum and Art Gallery

Visited Cardiff Museum today and saw Sisely exhibition and the newly re organised art galleries. The Sisely stuff included some of his London paintings and his impressions of Penarth. What struck me was how some of these paintings almost looked photo realistic from the other side of the room, but were very painterly close too. The small ink and wash sketches were also very fresh.

My favourite painting in the main gallery was a tiny Graham Sutherland of a coastal view with flowers. Also more neo romantic paintings than previously with half a dozen Piper's but almost no contemporary painting, presumably because there is a new exhibition starting tomorrow with modern interpretations of the human figure. Got an old catalogue of the Williams collection which includes mainly Piper and Ceri Richards with a rather fine Ivon Hitchens Arched Trees No 12 (pictured)

The Punchbowl, Abergavenny.

Photo of the studio showing what a great space it is. The printing table is on the right and the drawing table in front of the window. Also a painting of The Punchbowl, near Abergavenny, one of the sites where I have been working at for the last five or six years.

St Elvan's church again

Trying out my new old fashioned ink pen on bristol board. Quick sketches and a more detailed drawing.

studio practise

At last we have a studio to practise in, at least for a few months. Carrying on with the church theme, this time, St Elvan's Church, Aberdare which is visible from the window. Trying 5 minute sketches and 20 minute paintings.

St John the Baptist Church Aberdare

Acrylic on board, hit a problem with the trees, but quite like it at the moment

St John the Baptist Church 2

Line drawing of the church with different backgrounds starting with blue printing ink.

trees

Sketching young trees without looking at the paper while drawing. Really like the results, don't know why!
This process called blind contour drawing and accredited to book about drawing by Kimon Nicoloides