My mini canvas project

These are mini canvases 8 x 8in, both oil. There are intended of an exhibition at the end of November with my KAOS art group. The exhibition is the Very Affordable Christmas Art Fair, as the title suggests the exhibition is an aim to make art affordable to all, artwork is to be priced £100 and under.

I'm working these two alongside one another, the top painting has a thin skin of lean paint on it, to give me an idea of the overall balance. You will notice a grid on both, I'm painting them from photos, taken by myself, so due to the complex pattern on the giraffe's fur, and the unusual dimensions of the animals, I thought it would be best to use a grid, to help with proportions and to stop me getting lost in the patchy markings on the giraffe.

Giraffe w.i.p

I didn't think I'd start anything more this week, however had a few hours, so decided to make a start on a mini canvas. It's only 8 x 8 in. I've two of them, both are going to feature giraffe. They are intended for my Xmas exibition with KAOS, end of November. The artists are getting together producing lots of these mini canvas, so we can have a canvas wall of very affordable original artwork. There will such a diversity of work, I think it will be great.

I have used a definite grid work for this under-drawing as the patches on the giraffe's fur have been stretched and folded with the pose of the giraffe, making them very hard to follow.

Ponte Vecchio 2

Finished off my small drawing of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, just in time to start getting myself straight for this weekend's exhibition. I feel I want to go back to Florence again, it's such a magical place, so pretty.

Another painting of Ponte Vecchio

A small study, still in progress, I'm busy this week with an exhibition so didn't want to start anything too big. This is an A4 gouache and pastel pencil, I started the painting with simple flat blocks of gouache, which I'm now working into them with pastel pencil.

Ham Art Group Autumn Exhibition 2011

I'm starting to get myself organised for my next exhibition. I enjoy this exhibition as I can get involved in the actual setting up, I love putting out all the work submitted by the group and arranging them into an exhibition, we never know what's going to be submitted and how it will work together, but some how it always does!

Tropical waterlilies I and II, now finished

Here are my finished tropical waterlilies. Finished just in time to dry for my exhibition next month. Both painting are an attempt to capture the illumination of the lilies petals in the fantastic light of the glass house in Kew Gardens, and the reflections in the lily pond. 

My next project below is another A4 paper based project, I'll probably use gouache and pastel pencil. It's a section of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. I've already painted this bridge in oils, that painting was about the sunshine on the walls and the reflections in the windows. This composition has great shadows, cast from the shutters. 

Stag in Richmond Park

Here's my stag, a quick A4 painting whilst my oil painting dries, I'm quite pleased with it. I'm wondering if it would work well as an oil painting. I may work a little more into the bracken, but for now, I'm returning to my waterlily.