Very pleased to have recently contributed to the South West Creatives exhibition in Glastonbury. The three day show formed part of the mission to build a platform that celebrates artists, designers and curators within the South West.
“SWC not only aims to build a creative community within the Somerset region, but looks to connect the dots between those working in the creative industry and those whom take an interest in it.”
I displayed four original watercolour urban works.
1 - ‘Towards Piccadilly ’ Crisp Autumn skies in central London. My journey from Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus captured here in fluid ink and signature blue wash. Original for sale here
2 - ‘Lyceum at Dusk’ Long winter shadows fall as theatre goers queue. The evening buzz of a busy London never fails to inspire. The evening’s anticipation captured in fast flowing lines and deep layers of dark paint.
3 ‘Elm Hill, Norwich’ Green shoots of optimism in the spring of 2021. Highly rhythmic and full of unrestrained artistic license, this landscape triggered a welcome shift in my colour use. Original for sale here
4 - ‘Ilminster’ Warm summer blues flood the Somerset town. The angular perspective, piercing skyline and emerging shop front details epitomise my highly distinctive urban landscape style. Original for sale here
I’ve just recently dug out my recent collection of moleskine watercolour books to see if I can pinpoint where whether my style has changed. As an avid sketcher I follow many artists on social media and I often wonder whether theres a limit to development once a style has been truly cemented. My own development seems to have passed in fast and slow moments. Whether thats due to discipline, lack on experimentation or a comfort zone that’s too comfortable, I’m not sure. What I can see personally is a growing confidence in expressive use of paints and a distinct shift towards a more artful representation of an urban scene. I have begun reworking pieces at home as framed art rather than pure on-location mark making, brought about possible by the flurry of commissions in 2021.
This video shared across my Facebook page offers some clear evidence of a shift in confidence but also a more concentrated use of the sketchbook to create scenes.
Recently I had the opportunity to work with Derwent Art, which was very exciting but tested my own filming and editing skills as well as my art! I I took the line and wash paint and pan set for a test drive. It’s a very portable set of half pans and 2 fine liners built for the the urban sketcher and fans of intense and bold watercolours.
They allow for reworking once dried and really pack a punch in terms of vibrance. Standard water colours always dry darker and the reds and yellows can sometimes dull over time. What a delight to see the Derwent pigments remain prominent once dry.
The kit came supplied with a brush pen, not something i’ve used a great deal before. Given my heavy use of water I did fear the pen would need some regular refilling however I was pleasantly surprised. I did find that a mixture of the supplied brush pen and a smaller detail paint brush helped me capture the details required.
It’s become a kit I now take on most sketching trips, very portable, a great range of colours that will last a long time. The supplied fine liners are quality, still going strong after a dozen or so sketches and ultimately for me, great with water.
This compact, curated collection contains versatile greys and blacks along with highly pigmented colours including six of Derwent’s most loved Inktense colours. These paints can be dissolved for subtle washes or unlike traditional watercolour, washes of vivid Inktense paint can be applied without dissolving previously dried layers. Four Graphitint colours provide muted tones and the set is completed with two neutral lighter shades. The black Line Maker pens featuring the finest quality 0.3mm and 0.8mm Japanese nibs, are perfect for versatile linework. This pocket-sized set contains two Line Makers, 12 paint pans, five mixing palettes and a sponge to clean the waterbrush and is ideal for urban sketching and on location art.
