My New Painting DVD-More Information

As promised yesterday, in this post I'll just be giving a little more information about the DVD with some more pictures. When the trailer is out on YOUTUBE, I'll be making a new post on that later on. The release date is the 29th of November and you would be able to get them from TownHouse Films.

During the summer holidays I travelled to Cromer to do 4 paintings, all of which are featured in this DVD. It is titled,"COASTAL ADVENTURES IN ACRYLIC"

These are some pictures taken during the shoot out at Cromer.



Adebanji on Cromer Pier with the onlookers
While painting this you'll be able to see the way I plot the scene to include figures along the Pavilion and how simplified it can be.




The mediums I used for the paintings





This is the way I used my palette throughout the paintings





These are the colours I used during the whole coverage, all Winsor & Newton Artists Acrylic




Adebanji painting Cromer from the Rocket House Cafe
While painting this you'll see how, from a toned monochrome surface, the painting starts to build up with life and vibrant colours all painted with PASSION!


Stay tuned as I keep you updated, meanwhile I'll continue with my Bath Marathon 4 PART 2, tomorrow!

Bath Marathon 4 PART 1 and a bit of info on my new PAINTING DVD

This is Part 1 of a 5 part series of posts for my 4th Bath Marathon. I'll also be giving you some information about my new painting DVD, which features me painting at Cromer on the coasts. Tomorrow, I'll make a full post all about it and as the day of release gets closer, I'll be posting more information about it!

BATH MARATHON 4


156- Queen's Square, Autumn I- My first shot on the 4th marathon, I got to Queen's Square and made the first Autumn series at Queen's Square.



157-Here it is Green Street at night, a beautiful scene at night, the first street I lived when I got to Bath last year. There was no need for the camp light because the light from Jack Wills was sufficient!



158- Queens Square Autumn II- The sun had a brilliant effect on the tree and kind of cut the tree into equal parts of light and shade diagonally, I couldn't resist it! I got a commuter to take me pictures here, which she recommended I send to her. She loved the piece! Bonnie got some video recording of me here too!








159-Queens Square Autumn III- This one was done in a real heavy shot, one of my favourites. I felt a bit nervous as Bonnie was recording on her camcorder from start to finish, we were lucky, the rains started when I pulled my last brush stroke! ENJOY THE MINI CLIP OF IT ABOVE ON YOUTUBE




160, 161- Queen's Square Autumn IV- This is a double, I wanted to capture the beautiful building along Queens Square- The picture is not that good because the rains came rushing I got soaked and my painting too! I really got discouraged here. Then a lady cheered me up, she said she had been watching me from her office window when I did "159"- She said she really loved it and saw that I packed up, immediately the rains started- Now-every little encouragement when painting outdoors HELPS!



162, 163-The Abbey at Night(LIGHTS ON) I have done this scene before but it was with the lights off. the lights go off at 12 midnight. This time I started a bit earlier and I was able to get the texture and beautiful relief structures on the building! This place rocks at night! This painting is better seen in the flesh, I really used pounds of paint!



164-Brock Street, facing the Royal Crescent-I had just finished meeting Peter Brown on Gay Street. I was inspired! I was on my way to the Golf Course but when I got top Brock Street, the light got me I set up and with fire I knocked this one in an hour!



165- Upper Church Street, without the cars- I was still inspired here. So I got only a few steps down Brock Street and discovered Upper Church Street, as I was painting one guy begged me not to put the cars, I agreed, so it is titled, "Upper Church Street, without the cars"

MY PAINTING DVD
As said earlier I would give this a full post tomorrow, but I can't wait to share some of what you are going to see in this DVD. Earlier this year I went with the crew from TownHouse Films to Cromer to get this done. When it is out you'll be able to see everything I do and how I do it in full hot "speed" from start to finish. All paintings were done in acrylic and it's great to see the techniques involved. Below is a picture taken during the shooting. More to come tomorrow!

ADEBANJI'S PAINTING ON FRONT COVER OF BATH MAGAZINE

I have been so busy and there are lots to post. Like letting you know my SOLO EXHIBITION OF THE BATH MARATHON starts off on Saturday 4th December, 2010 DV at the Bath Gallery, posting all the pictures from my 4th Marathon, doing quite well at the Affordable Art fair, I sold 7 paintings through Enid Lawson Gallery.I am still recovering from my 4th Bath Marathon. The 4th Bath Marathon was really a battle rather than a marathon, but I REALLY thank God for seeing me through. The weather went really cold, at one time is was 2 degrees while painting on Cleveland Bridge......I'll have loads to tell on that.



Adebanji with painting-I had just finished painting the Golf course and had to rush in with my painting gear still on!(I was late)


But for this post I just want to highlight that one of my paintings, "Morning Light, Pulteney Bridge" was on the front Cover of the Bath Magazine. This painting was featured during the Bath Prize and it was auctioned with the proceeds to go to Dorothy House. There are 125 limited edition prints available, if you are interested you can contact the Bath Gallery.




COVER STORY ON PAGE 26, October issue


I am also using this post to show stages of how I go about a studio painting like this. Which is quite different from my normal direct method of painting plein air.



Editor of Bath Magazine with Painting

STAGE 1-SKETCHBOOK, VALUE PATTERN AND UNDERLYING ABSTRACT DESIGN
Here I plan the value pattern and underlying abstract design, it is here I make sure that everything works with the balance of light and shade. I also want to make sure the big shapes all work from the start. I make sure I can direct the viewers eye through the painting as you can see with the arrows and direction here.





STAGE 2-MONOCHROME WASH
After sketching the main elements in, I make an under painting of a warm monochrome since most of the painting is going to have cool morning blues.





STAGE 3- BLOCK-IN
I block in the main colour shapes here- the aim is to make sure I cover the canvas.




STAGE 4- BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Here, I now start tying it all together making sure every element has the right colour, texture and value. Also, I make the brush strokes communicate feelings I had when I witnessed the scene.




STAGE 5- FINAL PAINTING
Now is the time to bring in the details and make some heavy structured, thick marks and strokes to bring out the reality of the scene!

Meeting the INSPIRATIONAL PETER BROWN

Adebanji and Peter Brown at Messum's


There's never an end to learning and sometimes artists keep looking for inspiration everywhere. I find myself pouring through art books, artist monographs, art history books and books in libraries, walking through galleries for endless hours, researching on the internet and walking everywhere with my eyes WIDE open to everything and anything around me. This has always been my practice and it's fun, although it can be exhausting too. But of all the sources of inspiration for artists, there's nothing like meeting other artists, especially those you admire. It's even better when you meet them at their exhibitions and also meet them at work!



Peter Brown standing with a fresh finished piece of Alexander Place on the small easel-There were also pictures that showed his progress from start to finish


Well, for the first time I was opportuned to meet Peter Brown, He has always been one of my favourites. He has a tireless work rate and his paintings and drawings of life in the city and the suburbs are simply amazing! Just check his site to see the number of cities he has painted in and the works produced!


The show front


I got an invite from Messums to meet up with him on a Saturday morning, when all galleries on Cork Street where having an open day. Immediately I got into the exhibition I met him and we couldn't stop talking, about art and everything about painting outside and all that. I got to ask him one question I love to ask any artist I admire, and it was "Which artist has influenced you the most?" He said Ken Howard, Alfred Sisley and Walter Sickert and many of the impressionists.


He changes his hats as the sun comes in with blinding light

I also met him at work in Bath and got some pictures of him while painting on Gay Street. The great encouragement and buzz artists can have on each other can be amazing and after I met him I was inspired to do 10 pieces of 6" x 8" in ONE DAY, for my current Bath Marathon which I'll be sharing later this week. Stay tuned!



Little message of encouragement on his Exhibition Catalogue-who can read exactly what was written, there's a prize for the first winner!

Sketches on the bus, train and tube in October II

These are the sketches that got me back to my routine! It's always a good feeling when the pen flows and the hand and eye co-ordination is sharper. Lack of practice is deadly!

Sketches on the bus, train and tube in October I

Getting into my routine sketches hasn't been easy and I am really struggling, but the good thing is-I'll be using a more of public transport before I head back to Bath.

Some artists that caught my attention at the Bath Prize 2010

Judges (Artists) with Winning piece.


The Bath Prize is running for the second year and it was great to see an exhibition that featured wonderful works of art to celebrate Bath, a world heritage City. This year I didn't take part but I was part of the judging panel which consisted of Bath gallery owner and artist Nick Cudworth, who was the chair, The Bath Chronicle Editor, Sam Holliday, The director of The Holbourne Museum, Dr Alexander Sturgis and The Inspirational Bath Artist, Irene Marsh. The winners can be seen on the Bath Prize Website. The exhibition is still on at Bath, it runs till the 9th of October at the Octagon, Milsom Street.

This post is just a short review of some works that I really loved. Sometimes you leave the exhibition hall and just need to go back again and again to study, and just stand in awe at the wonderful pieces on display. This is exactly what happened to me. I looked through the whole exhibition again, for about three hours on the opening Saturday but, still had to go back on Tuesday before I left Bath to get a closer feel of the exhibition. It has been great to discover new artists all inspired by Bath! I remain spellbound by the City and I just love it!

1 Scott Rayson


"BATH RUGBY KING"-This is a sublime and accurate pencil rendering, a wonder to behold! The beauty of the Graphite pencil at work in linear labour!

2 Roger Dellar


"RAIN AGAIN"-You won't understand, if only you planned to paint in Bath!! It's a wonderful grey day of Bath in gloom. The front figures add scale to the work and the rectangular format, with the pole dividing the painting into beautiful unequal halves! One of Rogers work won the Best Oil based painting.

3 Sandra Raven


"LUNCH TIME IN BATH"- It's just a heartwarming piece with an illustrative touch. I just love the kind of story behind it.

4 Mark Reynolds


"STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"-Sublime detail in watercolour, almost pencil-fine like in appearance.

5 Jonathan Mulvaney


"SUMMER SHOWER, ABBEY SQUARE"-I wish I could see more of his work. It's one of my best pieces. I love it because the Composition works as a abstract. It is also full of mood and mysterious warm darks! This piece won the best Water Based Work in the Exhibition.

6 Stephen Bishop


"THE STONE STEPS, BATH"-An amazing piece that is full of harmonious streaks of broken colour, worked well with a palette knife. It is wonderful to behold!

7 Susan Edwards


"DRAMA, ROMANCE, HISTORY, NOCTURNE"-One of my best pieces. I just love the sheer ambition in the heart of this artist. The colours, the scale and the paint application all tell the story of Bath!

8 Dennis Roxby Bott RWS


"GREAT PULTENEY STREET"-A deft piece of pleasure with watercolour. It is draughtsmanship at it's best. A great British watercolour!

9 Roy Connelly


"BUSKING AT THE ABBEY"-A rare little gem! Capturing the atmosphere in a moments time. The musician is carefully placed and balances the whole piece, I love it!

10 David Pilgrim


"RAINY DAY, BROAD STREET"-One of my favourite pieces in the exhibition. The colour of rain has never looked so beautiful, yet so lovely painted. A true test of endurance in the rain by a skillful plein air painter. One of his works also won the best small painting. He also won the Golden Umbrella for Enduring the rain, picture below.



11 Gerald Cains


"TWERTON PARK"-It's just the sheer ambition and energy to produce works of this scale that interests me, great ambition! This piece came third overall in the Bath Prize.



Gerald with his painting

12 Adrian Sykes


"BUILDINGS OF BATH"-The skill and labour of the ORDINARY PENCIL is at work here! This piece is mystery! Careful rendition, yet full of tonal graduation of atmospheric perspective. It's a delight to behold! This piece WON the BATH PRIZE!

13 Jonty Saville


"PARADE GARDENS MEMORIAL"- It is my obsession for drawing that makes me fall in love with this piece. It's linear quality is superb with felt washes of what I think may have been done with a Tombow brush marker.

14 Alan Reed


"THE ROYAL CRESCENT, BATH"-This is what I call "looseness and precision". It is only when you look closer, would you see the quality of loose washes that all add up to an impression of detail when looked at from a far! Brilliant! This piece was the runner-up in the Bath Prize.



That's Alan with his pocket sketchbook, the image opened is one he did of the Roman Baths. He met me while I was on my third Marathon, painting on Gay Street.

15 Bob Child


"LAURA PLACE 2"- It's the simplicity of watercolour here, that caught my attention. Very bold and simple-makes up for a neat piece!

16 Karl Terry


"WET MORNING, BATH ABBEY"- I have been here in wet conditions and this piece justifies the colours and mood. It isn't easy as it seems and Karl makes a good impression of the whole atmosphere on a wet day.

17 Lisa Shearing


"SHEEP GRAZING AT LANDSDOWN CRESCENT"-An amazing piece, better seen in real life at the exhibition.I just kept coming back to it. It has something mysterious about it, but yet it could be my love of the sheep. I have been at this spot and it has been captured superbly in blazing acrylic!