Sketches on the train and tube in November V

More sketches of people on the trains and tube. Some of the key elements to really get a resemblance can be intense observation and trusting your hands to put down exactly what your eyes see. I must say, for public transport sketches of people, each artist has to find a "personal shorthand" way of editing the vast information you see in faces and just highlight the essentials. Easier said than done. This is something I constantly struggle with!

Apologies for some of the poor images, I have been battling with my scanner of recent.

Sketches on the train and tube in November IV

More journeys for me recently means more sketches. One of the guys in these sketches (Asian) actually asked me to sketch him after he was entertained by watching me sketch the tall guy, sitting and reading in one of the sketches.

Interesting journeys!

Sketches at the Mall Galleries and the train in November III

I am back to sketching with my beloved graphite, it feels a bit strange after a long time but I'll gradually get back into the full hang of it before this current sketchbook runs out.
I did some warm up sketches before the evening of life painting started at the Mall Galleries at the just concluded ROI exhibitions and also some others as usual on the train.

Sketches on the train in Novemeber II

These are the last two pages of my current sketchbook. I'll be starting a new one today and it will be in graphite. I'm not too keen on graphite in sketchbooks because they become messy but they'll help me to experiment once more with the medium I love so much! If you want to see how I transformed the middle man (above)into colour with pastel, click HERE

Sketches on the train in November I -Happy 1st Birthday to Urban Sketchers!

More sketches of people. Keeping my eyes and hands focused in co-ordination training- I think one of the hardest things to do is to fight ones brain and actually sketch what one sees. There's never a comfortable ground in sketching!



I'm also using this opportunity to congratulate Urban Sketchers on their 1st Birthday this week.



Urban Sketchers has really been a great encouragement for me! Just looking at all those sketchers out there doing just one thing-SKETCHING-is incredible! Hope to see more and more of this fantastic group. Click HERE for my contributions so far to this dynamic group!

"Art Therapy"(self portrait) 24" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas, 2009

I have been doing a bit of research on Art Therapy recently and I have used myself as the model in this piece to depict the surge of hope and spark of life that Art Therapy can bring into an Individuals life. This individual may be finding it hard to cope with various negative symptoms and experiences in life, but all of a sudden the individual is able to recover, reconnect and get revived through creating art, self expression and a renewed sense of belief in ones self through creative means.



Most of the strokes in the dark areas of the background in this painting are the negative words and experiences that I personally struggle against, while the calligraphic strokes in the brighter areas are actually positive, motivational and inspirational words that have helped me remain focused in the most difficult times and experiences in my life.

For this whole piece I have used the new Winsor and Newton Acrylic on canvas. I developed this piece with a "sketchful" force and tried to keep that vitality throughout till the end.

Some young painters I loved at the ROI Exhibition 2009

As promised earlier this week I said I'll post some of the painters I loved in the Winsor and Newton Young Painters (Under 35) Artists Section at the ROI Exhibition 2009.

1. Yasunobu Shidami
He won the 1st prize in the Winsor and Newton Young Painters Section. He was a year ahead of me while at Heatherleys and he has set new standards and goals for himself since then. He had a masterful self portrait piled with rich thick paint, you'd just need to step back and squint at the piece to appreciate the facial structure and richness of the colour tones. This piece can be seen below in the picture that shows the cross section of the finalists in the Young Painters section.



2. Stephen Teeuw

I first got acquainted with him when we both qualified as wild card regional finalists in an ITV series called "Brush With Fame" in 2005. He uses a limited palette with very expressive strokes. What I love most about his work is the way he keeps the tones down to nothing more than two and works on the edges to unify them.



3. Natalia Avdeeva

Another Heatherley graduate, she had two paintings in the show and they were just a delight to behold. I don't have any images but she is an artist with a keen eye for colour harmony and composition.

4. Chris Jones

I love this piece, "Fathers and sons(fighting Pekins)" and I love it for the sheer drama, motion and imagination that went into the composing and execution of this finely rendered piece. I just discovered this artist in this exhibition.

5. Johnny Morant
His painting can be seen in the image under Eskov Pavel another painter in this post. It is a sort of rush hour scene of "Villiers Street". I love his work, it is fresh and dynamic. Discovered him in this show too.

6. Eskov Pavel

This painter from Russia won two awards with two wonderful winter paintings. I was talking to Olya who was around to receive the awards on Eskovs behalf and she can be seen below with one of the winning paintings "Museum of Art in St Petersburg". In both winning paintings he handled the scenes in the most masterful way. These can easily go wrong if the whites are not right. Another new discovery.



7. Maryam Foroozanfar

I first discovered her paintings in the BP Portrait award some years back. She is a fine "detailist" with the ability to handle very subtle colour shifts. I just love what she does with paint! Her piece " Bathroom " in the show was a melody of greyed yellows, just loved it!


8. David Pilgrim

A fellow blogger and an artist I got acquainted with in the ROI shows as he has been a regular for three or four years running. His piece below won an award in the show and if I wasn't mistaken, it was one of the first ten works to be sold in the show! I love the freshness of his plein air work and his ability to capture subtle changes in light.



9. Micheal Robson

Another discovery from this show. His work resonates with confidence! I asked him where he learnt to paint so confidently outdoors and he said he just has to work that way, as the weather sometimes keeps changing. He won the Phyllis Roberts' award of £2,000 donated to support and encourage young painters.



and Micheal snapped me with my painting too

"Industrial Synthesis" 15" x 9", Mixed Media on Paper, 2009

This is my entry into Karin Juricks DSFDF, The reference picture had roof tops and I didn't really find the whole picture interesting but a section of it.



So I decided to zoom into this area and make a statement with it. I just loved the various tonal values, the variety of shapes and diagonals, so I played around with them using charcoal, oil base pencils and white acrylic. I fixed the charcoal and Oil base pencil marks then worked over with some white acrylic touches.

Sketch of Sir Donald Sinden CBE at the ROI Opening, 2009

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters 122nd Annual Exhibition 2009 opened yesterday and it was a visual feast! I can't believe I arrived at the gallery around 2pm and ended up leaving around 6pm. That means I was walking around the gallery carefully looking at paintings for approx 3/4 hours. I haven't been feeling well recently and I have needed to slow down but I must say taking in paintings can be very refreshing for the body and soul. I left the gallery soaked with paintings, notes, mental notes and a good feeling. I'll be posting a few of my favourite painters/paintings in the show and also notes on a young lad I met yesterday who won The Phyllis Roberts Award of £2,000-it would be presented annually to encourage and support young painters.




One of the highlights of the day was the award giving ceremony and that's what this post is about. Sir Donald Sinden CBE gave out the awards and he was such a funny man, I couldn't but sketch him while he cracked jokes and made the ceremony a delight to behold!

Sketches on the train, tube and Bus Stop in October IV

More sketches on public transport and even a self portrait, from looking at my reflection the window on the train.

Kezia in sleep mode VIII, Oil Base Pencil, A3 Sketchbook, 2009

Another shot at Kezia in sleepmoode. This time I put her on the chair, as she is learning to sit and watch me paint but it seems she couldn't cope with the boredom and slipped off into sleep mode.



What do I do? Take her to bed, naaaaah.....Quickly grab a quick shot before laying her peacefully on the bed. It's all about ceasing the moment!

Kezia in sleepmode VII, A3 Sketchbook, Carbon Pencil, 2009

Capturing my little princess as she sleeps is not that easy especially when she falls asleep in my hands/shoulders. I decided to incorporate my face into these ones to add some contrast.



I have done these with a carbon pencil B and 2B on cartridge paper.

Winning "The Artist Magazine/Royal Institute of Oil Painters Competition" 2009

This is some good news I've had and will be having this month. This time it would be having the opportunity to exhibit with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters this year at the Mall Galleries, London.
The exhibition opens on the 28th of October, 2009 and will run till the 8th of November. If you are in London during that time, it will be worth viewing!



Summerlight, Clapham Common 24" x 18" Oil on Linen 2009


In Summer this year the advert came out in The Artist magazine for an oil painting to be submitted no larger than 36" x 24" for a winning place in ROI exhibition this year and for a mini profile in the November Issue of The Artist Magazine. I gave it a go and I really thank God, I WON! You can read about it in the November Issue of The Artists Magazine and also the interesting article of 100 years of the Royal Charter of the ROI and what to expect this year!

The painting I entered is called Summerlight, Clapham Common it was painted on a 24" x 18" Winsor & Newton linen Canvas and took me almost a week working on the figures from left to right, making sure each section was finished as I worked mainly focusing on the shapes, drawing and values. My mission was to make sure the figures retained a glowing play of summerlight on them and also that the whole piece showed a vibrant, lively, sketchy feel of the excitement and childlike drama that scenes like this invoke on our memories of childhood and those great times.



Painting showing left to right sequence and underpainting


I discovered I won the prize at the Mall Galleries, as there were 5 shortlisted candidates(James Willis, Rizwan Pradhan, Catherine Gow, James Hirst and Michael Robson) and also 5 judges namely, Dr Sally Bulgin(Editor The Artists Magazine), Peter Wileman (President of ROI), Ian Cryer (Vice President ROI), Dennis Syrett(Past President ROI) and Malcolm Allsop of Townhouse Films. We all came with our paintings and while judging was going on we got to preview the Threadneedle Figurative Prize exhibition which was still being set up. After a while we were called back and the judges said they had unanimously decided that my painting won! All other shortlisted candidates agreed too!



The whole set up in my studio including reference picture/palette.

More pictures during presentation(below)



Judges, shortlisted candidates and winning painting




Dr Sally Bulgin (Editor, The Artist Magazine), Peter Wileman (President, ROI) and Adebanji

African Headgear III, 16" x 20", Oil Base Pencil/Charcoal Dust

This makes number 3 in my current Afro Headgear series.



The model here is my great friend Esta who I have used many times in my Afro Series too.

I have used Charcoal dust for the broad tones and Compressed Charcoal for the darker tones. Then I used Oil base pencils for the details and lines on Norfolk Cartridge paper.

Sketches on the train, tube and home in October III

More sketches of people. I also managed to get in Josh and Kezia into one of them (above) morning!

"The 22nd Anniversary", 24" x 20", Oil Base Pencil, 2009

This is another commission completed and delivered with the client pleased. The clients were their children and they gave it as a gift to their parents!



I have used medium, soft and extra soft oil base pencils on a smooth artistico fabriano watercolour paper. I really liked the smooth absorbent texture of the paper and the way the oil base pencil marks appear on the paper.

Sketches on the bus and train in October II

Just one page spread from last week!

Bath Experience V (Winning the Future Bath Plus Plein air Award)

My experience at Bath continues with the Private view of the 154 paintings at The Octagon, Milsom Place . I got there to find out that one of my paintings were missing from the main display walls, it was only when the awards were being called out that I found out I had won the Future Bath Plus Plein air award! Now that really made me feel great! Once in a while these things happen they serve as great motivators! I really thank God for the opportunity! This was the first painting I did in Bath! The experience of painting this piece wasn't that straightforward either!



Around Theatre Royal before the rain, Acrylic on panel, 40cm x 20cm, 2009


I arrived in Bath, after a three hour journey on the Coach from London-Victoria, not knowing where to go because this was my first time in the city, but I had a handy map and located the gallery where I needed to get the place allocated to me. The lady at the reception told me my place was The Theatre Royal. She showed me how to get there and wished me well. The only sad thing on this day was there was no dramatic light in the air, it was a typical British grey day and there were even signs of rain in the air! But I kept a positive attitude, got to the venue and started looking for where to position myself. Finally I got a place of refuge from the oncoming showers and I got everything out only to find my easel had loose nuts and bolts, and to make it worse they were missing! So I had to abandon painting for the moment and begin shop searching. After a few miss hits, wrong turns and not listening well to the directions given, I finally got to a nice hardware shop and the man was terrific, he really helped me find all I needed and now I could go back to the scene and paint! I was so lucky to pack light, because if not, by now I was already feeling exhausted!



Picture of the scene


At the scene, the action started! I painted for the next 3-4 hours just trying my best to fine tune my painting, fighting the changing weather, hunger and trying to answer too many questions asked by people passing by. I used Acrylics, the New Winsor & Newton acrylics and they were a delight! The work was done on a Masonite panel I primed myself with gesso and a grey acrylic mix.



My palette, painting and general set up



Enough said! The pictures will tell the rest of the story!





Adebanji with The Mayor of Bath




My winning painting with the lucky RED DOT!





Serious Business, painting in progress





Adebanji with Bonnie Helen Hawkins and Richard Hall, Director of Future Bath Plus

Bath Experience IV, 2009

This is another post on my experience in Bath. This scene actually caught my attention on the morning I was about to leave Bath. Before this encounter I had made up my mind on what scenes I was going to paint BUT then came the morning...........I was walking up to Queens Square and Lo and Behold! A beautiful shade caused by the morning sunlight hit against the lofty trees around Queen's Square and the effect of this shadow created a wonderful warm/cool shadow on the adjacent building of Bath Academy. Wow!!! I must have been heard by a few passers by, but they must have been thinking... has he lost it or what is the wow factor about? But, only me, my camera and the scene understood the mystery that would captivate me till I got back to London to paint this scene!



I tried my best to recall all the feelings, sights, drama and mood of this place back in my studio but sometimes it can never be the same. Even an Alla Prima painting on the spot may not be able to justify my quest! But nevertheless I did what I could in oil on canvas 60cm x 30cm. You can see results in the painting above.

This was the second painting I put into The Bath Prize. Stay tuned for the post on my winning painting in the Plein Air Category- It was done just before the rains broke out......................could a grey scene have anything to write home about?

Bath Experience III, 2009

This is another entry on my experience at Bath. I produced this painting after enjoying a good long walk just taking loads of pictures of the beautiful City of Bath at night.



For this painting, it was the Abbey and it just had a beautiful glow at night, even my little camera I had in hand couldn't give the feel and majestic presence this sight manifested. I tried my best to capture that feel on canvas with paint and the painting shows my struggles to interpret it to the best of my ability. This was done in oil on canvas, 40cm x 40cm.

This painting is one of the 3 works I submitted into The Bath Prize, a rather unique competition that encouraged artists to paint different scenes of Bath. I won the prestigious Bath Future Plus Prize for the Best Plein Air painting, I'll be posting on that later this week. So stay tuned! If you are in the City of Bath, you can view the exhibition of the all 153 works at the Octagon, Milsom Place, Bath

Sketches on the train, bus station and coach in October I

More people!!! I couldn't resist sketching the old man above on the left. He had the dream features for an addictive sketcher!

Daniel, 30" x 30", Oil on Linen, 2009

This is a recent commission I have finished, with the client pleased and the work delivered!



I have worked with oil in a technique that employs glazing, starting from thin oil layers to heavy layers but still keeping the transparency.




Below are some detailed shots

Sketches on the train and Bus Stop in September VII

More sketches even a dog!

Sketches on the tube and train in September VI

I had a nice time chatting to the man in the sketch below on the left. He was quite impressed with the sketch and gave me a seriously interesting interview about my sketch life! I also grabbed a few shots of my daughter, Kezia in the buggie


!

Sketches on the train, tube and bus in September V

Back to the sketches again! More people sketched!

AFRO HEADGEAR II, 12" x 16", Mixed Media on Pastel Paper, 2009

This is makes number 2 in my current series of African Headgears.



I'm exploring this series from all angles and will use all forms of media to get my message across, even wax and possibly clay.

For this piece, I had as my model a lovely lady I met at a friends wedding. She naturally took this pose and that was it!




I have used charcoal dust, ink washes, acrylic washes, white ink and oil base pencil to produce this piece on a slightly warm grey pastel paper.

AFRO HEADGEAR I, 10" x 8", oil sketch on canvas board, 2009

This is a new series I am embarking upon. It is all about the beauty, elegance and variety of African Headgears. There are so many different types from different cultures and countries in the rich continent of Africa and I will be using the medium of drawing, painting and sculpture to get this series going.



My first series just takes me out of the blocks. The model is my cousins wife. On the day of her daughters naming ceremony she was decked with "asho oke"- a very traditional garment worn by Yoruba's from Nigeria on special occasions. But what attracted me most was her "gele" (head gear/head tie) it had a sort of hanging feel to it at the back and that's where I concentrated most of my heavy textures on.

To execute this piece I have used an oil wash for skin and mostly quick applications oil paint in impasto for the textures of the head gear.

Sketches on the train, bus and bus stops in September IV

More heads of people I see everyday!

Sketch of Threadneedle Prize wrap up party, 16" x 12", mixed media on paper, 2009

Yesterday I attended the Threadneedle Figurative Prize Wrap up party and I was able to have another good look at all the paintings. It was an interesting exhibition with a good mix of different styles and art in different meduims. Against a lot of other peoples response and opinions at the show, I really liked the painting of St Peter on the Cross by Louis Smith-I just like it for the sheer brilliance of the composition, draughtmanship, subtle value shifts and the bravery to actually paint such a piece that would be bound to face public criticism. But my best piece was a sculptural work by Tim Shaw- the sheer presence of it threw me off balance. It had a whole room for its presentation!

I have sketched a section of the party at the Mall Galleries with the St Peter painting by Louis Smith as the centre of interest. I have done this with biro, ball point pen, white ink pen and white oil pastel on cool Grey pastel paper.

Adebanji gets review on One Ambition

The Internet is a funny place and sometimes you stumble on things you least expect. I stumbled on this review by an interesting site called One Ambition. The goal of the site is about educating buyers, collectors and lovers of art on exceptional art and artists. The blog is written and maintained by the artist John Kelley….
This was the review they had on my sketches

One of Adebanji’s sketches




There are many things I do not like about technology and the web. This blog is not about my minor discontents but I mention that to contrast how wonderful the web is at introducing you to people you would have otherwise never run into. Adebanji’s sketching blog makes me very thankful that we have the web. There was so much content to choose from on his three sites that I have decided to post on his work in general rather than a specific piece in hopes that you will take the time to look through his sketch book and enjoy the journey he is recording for us.

What I like about Adebanji’s work.

#1. Integrity - I believe all the artist I have posted have this but when you are out in the streets each day recording life with your pencil as it passes you by…. well you really can’t have a more honest approach to producing works of art.
#2. Composition - As with so many of the artist I really enjoy Adebanji has a great eye for composition and you see this in all of his sketches.
#3. Drawing - I guess that’s obvious. To fully understand what I mean, take a sketch book, go sit on a street corner and try and draw people…. while they are moving…. with the light constantly changing. I really love the skill and freshness of his work.
#4. Fun - I try and stick to 3 observations but I can’t leave this one out. It is simply fun to follow what Adebanji is working on!
Look and Enjoy!

Adebanji’s Sketching Blog

Adebanji’s Painting Blog

Adebanji’s Website

Purchase Adebanji’s Art

To see the original post click HERE

"Left Over-Raiders" 13" x 6.5", watercolour, 2009

I have been so busy working on a portrait commission of a large head, 30" x 30" and it has almost made me loose track of most things that I almost missed Karin Jurick's Different Strokes from Different folks. It is has been one year since Karin started this great blog after the her dog, Jack passed away. Ever since, she got artists all over the world painting and drawing Jack. She has continued to inspire artists all over the world with her weekly/biweekly challenges. I must confess these challenges have made me change the way I see a picture, forever. Most people cringe when artists paint from pictures and I used to, but that was a very very long time ago. I became more convinced that artists can paint from pictures, even more when Karin, who paints from pictures herself started this whole DSFDF thing. She has given us numerous tips from what to look out for, how to compose and even how to take pictures of our paintings/drawings. May the Good Lord bless her. Sometimes my wife wonders why I never want to miss these challenges and I can't explain it! I think I am addicted!

Well, this weeks challenge was of cupcakes and 145 artists all over the world took part. You just need to check out the site to see the different interpretations on this subject matter.



(detail)

To attack this challenge, I wasn't all that inspired by the cupcakes but I was really caught up by those little coloured sweet things that were scattered all around the cupcakes and the surface they were placed on. You can see the reference photo by clicking HERE. So I wondered what I could do with these coloured sweet things. Then I said it would be nice if we all enjoyed our cupcakes outside in the sun in front of a nice cafe with tea and coffee. But when we finished eating our nice cupcakes, we messed up the floor with the little coloured buttons and before the attendants could clean up, the typical London pigeons gave them a helping in hand by RAIDING THE LEFTOVERS!

For this I have used a variety of reds, blues and greens for the flat washes in watercolour and I spiced it up a bit with a 0.5 pen, just to refine the drawing. I wasn't really looking for a perfect drawing but the abstract design and shapes those shadows under the chairs/tables legs played with the overall landscape horizontal format I used for this piece. The paper used was 100% rough arches watercolour paper(300gms)

Sketches on the Bus in September III

Just one page spread!

Sketches on the train and bus in September II

Some recent Sketches on public transport.

Sketch of Romney Road Greenwich, 16" x 12", Pen and Ink, 2009

For number 11 of my London sketches, I am in South East London, Greenwich, and I have captured a very rough sketch of Romney Road, Greenwich.



I worked with black and white pens, with ink washes on a neutral grey paper.

Bath Experience II, 2009

Another experience in Bath, this time I was in the park at Queen's Square and I noticed two interesting trees. I quickly sketched them to wile away time while waiting for my coach time.

One of the trees looked like a one-eyed monster and the other had a beautiful curvy flow to it.

These have been sketched in ink with a pen (0.2 nib) and Tombow grey No75 Felt brush pen in an A5 sketch pad.

Adebanji in NEXT Newspapers, Nigeria (By Wunmi Akide)

This Article was in NEXT NEWSPAPERS recently-


Drizzly Day on Fleet Street, painting by Adebanji Alade

Art in pursuit of excellence

By Wunmi Akinde


August 14, 2009 01:48PMT

Who or what inspired your art career?

I have always loved to draw and only ever really considered being an artist after a divine revelation. After that, it has always been a desire to pursue excellence in art and that has inspired me and kept me going.

Some of my greatest influences in the field have been Nigerians like Abiodun Olaku and Kolade Oshinowo. Then classical artists like John Singer Sargent, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Anders Zorn and Joaquin Sorolla. When it comes to sketching, it was two things. First, my reading a simple book on sketching written by Alywn Crawshaw in 1992 and more recently, my instructor at Heatherley's, Jeff Stultiens that set the ball rolling.

Why did you relocate to the UK?
I was born in the UK; I felt there were better opportunities to further my education in the UK so I made the decision to relocate.

How have Nigerians reacted to your work? Have you participated in any art shows or exhibitions in Nigeria?
Nigerians like my work. I think over here in the UK, when they see and hear that I'm an artist they feel proud that one of their boys can actually practice as a professional artist here. I took part in the Society of Nigerian Artists Exhibition (October Rain) in 2008 and Class of ‘97 YabaTech (Splash of Colour) also in 2008.

I sold works in both exhibitions. The Nigerian collectors were inspired to purchase when they saw the quality of what I produced and learnt of the awards I have won in the UK.

Will you say that your being a Nigerian has in any way impacted on the progress of your work in the United Kingdom and beyond?
Being Nigerian has impacted on my work in the UK because all the trainings that has made me what I am today started in Nigeria while I was in YABATECH.

They made us learn the hard way at the school and that has had a strong impact in helping me to survive through the hard times here. Also my choice of vibrant colours, vivid strokes and works full of life and energy all have roots and influences from my growing up and being exposed to art in Nigeria.

Why did you pick sketching?

I picked sketching because sketching is the purest and most immediate reaction on paper that you can get from a representational artist. I believe every idea starts in art with a sketch and also, I believe that to sketch from life is a great way for me to appreciate and pay keen attention to what is around me.

For instance, when sketching the human face, it makes me learn of the possibilities inherent in the human face such as moods, emotions, character, form, shape and structure in a way I would never have been able to learn through any other way.

The original article can be viewed on the their website if you click HERE

Here below is an scanned image of the actual newspaper clipping

Sketches on the train in September I

Couldn't find my normal sketch pad today but I always have these 10p ones handy, the downside is, they are not made of acid free paper but at least I save missing out on sketching!

AFRO XXVII, 11" x 13", Oil Base Pencil/Charcoal, 2009

Here comes number 27 of my current Afro Series and if you remember from my last post on the Afro Series, I said the drawing had a better resemblance. This to me looks more like the model.



I have used Soft Oil Base Pencil with charcoal to render this piece. The emphasis of this series once again is to explore the variety and beauty of natural Black Afro Hair, something that really fascinates me!

I have got three more models lined up, any more takers? If you have a good Afro or know a friend that has a good Afro, please feel free to contact me and we'll arrange sittings or work from photos.

Kezia(VI) and Josh (XVI) in sleep mode, Oil Base Pencil, 2009

The records in my visual diary of sleeping modes continue with Josh and Kezia.

The only time I can really capture them in a peaceful bliss.

Both sketches are done with Oil Base pencil (soft).

Bath Experience I, 2009

My first time at Bath! I was more than impressed! It seems they planned the whole city to look like ancient Rome. One thing stood out to me and that was the colour of the buildings were all faded yellow orche. I only spent a day and a half and I couldn't stop taking pictures, that I will have to develop into paintings, as the whole city is just a painters' delight!

Here (below) are two rough pen and inks I did of the Roman Baths and Kingsmead Square. I really enjoyed the experience, hope to go back there!

The unpredictable weather almost spoiled my plein air experience, I 'll share in later posts.

Sketches on the tube, train and bus in August VI

More sketches of people.

Charing Cross Rd, Oil sketch, 7" x 12", 2009

Experimenting painting the outdoors, indoors- I worked on this piece for approx 3 hours to keep it fresh and lively as I would have painted it on the spot.

It's one of my most frequently walked roads in London, I always go to the Borders and Foyles Bookshop on this road to read art books!!!

AFRO XXVI, 12" x 16", oil on canvas, 2009

Another shot at my current Afro series. I met this girl on the escalator at London Bridge, her Afro got my instant attention, I asked if she'll like to be part of my current project, she agreed when she saw some samples of my previous work. I didn't really get her resemblance as you'll notice when I post the drawing version of this piece which I feel looks more liker her. But the emphasis of this series is not really about the peoples faces but their hair! I am just always captivated by Afro hair, and I carry this feeling with me into the process of working it out during the execution of the work!

Sketches on the train, tube and bus in August V

More sketches on public transport! Got to sketch myself in one of them by looking in the window at night on the trains.

Sketch of Wellington Arch-Hyde Park, A3, Pen/Ink, 2009

Out and about the city again! This time it's Hyde Park Corner and The Wellington Arch caught my attention on a hot summers morning! Temperatures went high as 30C, which is really high for London! The Ink washes dried so quickly.



This was done with Pen and ink wash on an A3 Bristol paper. The Bristol paper is very white which really helps for the vibrant result.

Sketches on the bus in August IV

While sketching, it is amazing what a single line can do, what it can suggest, what it can make one to believe and probably even deceive! The whole frame of a sketch sometimes lies in the power of the line, the immediacy of it! To gain full power of it one must trust what the eyes sees and have the faith that the sketching hand would be faithful its visionary guidance.

Sketch of St Mary's Church, Battersea, Graphite/Charcoal, 2009

Out and about in the city again, this time its a seascape view of St Mary's Church, Battersea. It creates a kind of contrast- the modern architecture in the background and the Church which history records had its original built in 800AD




This scene would have been far more interesting in colour. Hope to paint it when I begin paintings of the city. I liked this place because it wasn't not busy and the cool breeze from the River was refreshing!

Sketches on the bus and train in August III

More people that have caught my attention!

Look closely to see some of my thoughts on some of the people sketched!

San Francisco Blues, 12" x 16", oil on canvas, 2009

-After a few looks at the final version before, I was disturbed with the thick line that went across the picture and the red figure. Now it seems a bit more calm and relaxing, something I can live with.

This is my entry into this Karin Juricks DSFDF. The reference was a high point view of a San Francisco Street.



This piece was totally experimental, as I wanted to see how the scene would work out in a blue scheme. I started on the deadline date with many other paintings going on at the same time, so I only had 2 hours to sacrifice this into my busy schedule, as I always hate to miss out on each challenge.

I have shown a bit of the big abstract shapes I focused on from the start and how seeing them and identifying them early on before starting such work can really help in working out the painting quickly. As with many others who did this challenge, I just went straight into the painting, below are the steps after 30 minutes of painting.



step 1- This is where the main abstract shapes are knocked in at white hot speed!



step 2- This is where the sketching lines are added with an oil pastel stick to get in some highlights and dramatic lines to set the scene rolling!

This piece was done in oil on canvas in one sitting (Alla Prima)

Sketches on the Bus in August II

More people that caught my attention.

Sketch of Buckingham Palace, 13" x 10", Oil Base Pencil/charcoal, 2009

Some more sketching about in London.

This time it's where the Queen lives.

This was done with Oil Base Pencil and charcoal wash.

Sketches on the bus in August I

Addicted to sketching on public transport!

More people that caught my eye!

Kezia in Sleep mode V, A3 sketchbook, Graphite, 2009

Another opportunity to capture Kezia sleeping.

I used graphite in my A3 sketchbook.



These series of sketches are a visual diary of my daughter, Kezia, asleep. It gives me the opportunity to record her features as they change and also a record to look back to in the future.

EMOTIONS XII, 12" x 16", Mixed media on cardboard, 2009

This is number 12 in my current series on Emotions.

I used myself to model this piece.

It shows the emotions present as a human being passes through the storms of life. Silent but steady the effect is engraved and remains an experience to remember.




I started of this piece with graphite, then etched away with my blade, then I introduced Biro and wax crayons on off white cardboard.

Sketch of Dorothy, Graphite on Paper(A2) 2009

Today I got to sketch a wonderful lady introduced to me by my friend Graham, She is 102 years old and she is knowledgeable, humorous and friendly!



She used to teach nurses at St Thomas Hospital years ago and she even does some drawing herself. She showed me a picture she did in her 90's! I couldn't believe it! This is the oldest person I have met and I felt really great, having the opportunity to sketch her.



(detail)

Static Motion, 16" x 18", Mixed media on paper

This is my entry into Karin Jurick's DSFDF!

Some of you might know why I have interpreted this as a boxer, who has lost 2 rounds and is almost knocked off balance! He is sitting down at the interval before the third round, looking dazed. He has just escaped a knock out and he is feeling the pain! Thoughts are running through his head....Can I go on? Is it worth it? Should I just throw in the towel?......This is exactly how I felt after the British Airways voting didn't favour me for a second time! But then- This work is about static motion- That period where you contemplate, think, ponder and plan your next move. Like this boxer I am DETERMINED, EVEN MORE FIRED UP! This fight has to continue, this foe has to be defeated! I can make it! So even while working on this boxer- I felt the surge of energy and belief and also I added words, positive words on to the drawing, some of which you may not be able to see on the monitor screen, but they are all motivational phrases and that's it! STATIC MOTION- I may be static, but I am moving, planning my next move and I'm rest assured this battle is not mine but God's! VICTORY IS NIGH! Get up and stick in there!



(detail)

This piece was done with willow charcoal, ink, acrylic, coloured pencil and fixative on dark grey paper.

Sketch of Sloane Square, A3 Bristol Board(paper), oil base pencil/charcoal, 2009

Got out again on Tuesday evening. This time it's Sloane Square!


I've always loved this spot!

This was done with oil base pencil and the washes added with water mixed with charcoal dust.

Sketches on the bus in July IV

These are some recent sketches of people on buses in July.

Sketch of London Eye, 14" x 15", Oil Base Pencil/Charcoal, 2009

Today, I got to sketch the London Eye . It was a nice day and even though I arrived late in the afternoon, I still got to finish the sketch, as it stays bright for so long nowadays in the late summer.




This was done with Oil Base pencil(medium) with charcoal dust and water for the washes on card paper.

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