KAOS 1 is now closed!

Our Open Studio closed today, great week with lots of work sold and plenty of visitors on the art trail. I really enjoyed the event and look forward to being involved again next year. I sold my oil painting Resplendent, and said goodbye to it today. KAOS have plenty of other exhibitions planned for this year, an exhibition in Southfields,  London is my next event with them, so nose down to the grind stone and get painting!

We're open again!

KAOS 1 is open again for two more days Friday 24th June - 25th June 11-5p.m. I'm hoping for another busy weekend, lots of people were following the art trail around Kingston. It so exciting that people are discovering our local artists.

Ponte Vecchio

Whilst my Sorrento painting dries I got on with my Ponte Vecchio. I continued to use a palette knife, the straight lines and blocks of colours are perfectly suited to it. Perspective has gone mad on this bridge, walls lean in all directions, I guess not surprising as it dates back to medieval times!

More work to my Sorrento painting

Decided to immerse myself in work today, to help distract myself. This morning my eldest son left to go on a school trip to Sussex, he's away all week. He was all smiles so that helped me not freat too much!

So had a further go at this painting. I like some of the reflections that are emerging, but need to work on the details of the chain and rope. I continued to use a palette knife. I'm leaving this now to dry, then I'm going to tighten up some details with a brush.

Open Studios 2011

We've just had such a great day. So many visitors to KAOS 1 who were doing the complete artist trail. All the artists sold work, so a happy studio! Open tomorrow again 11-5p.m. so hoping for another busy day!

Sorrento

I wanted another painting to work along side my Ponte Vecchio painting. This is a small 12 x 12in oil painting. I decided to use a palette knife for the reflections. I need to let it dry a little before I can do more, so will start on my Ponte Vecchio painting tomorrow. This painting is another one that will work will with a palette knife.

Ponte Vecchio

I've just returned from a lovely holiday in Italy, where culture is crammed into every inch! I made a long overdue return to Florence, a city I last visited some 20 years ago. I was charmed by this city then, and I wasn't disappointed this time around. I was fascinated by the Ponte Vecchio with its crazy angles, and little box houses that overhang the Arno river. The bridge was the only one in Florence to survive World War II, and dates back to Medieval times. The beautiful simple exterior of the bridge hides an Aladdin's cave, a  jewellery mecca, shop upon shop that span the length of the bridge.
Today I sketched onto the canvas some basic guidelines, the perspective on this bridge seems to break all conventional rules. I then laid down a dilute layer of oil paint to give a skin on the canvas, mainly to loose the white of the canvas.
I had good news on my return from my hols that I sold a painting in my last exhibition. Now I need to get myself organised for the next venture with KAOS, Open Studio Event, Kingston artists are opening their studios to the public this month, details are on my facebook fan page.