So in January of 2006 at 58 years of age the old urge came back I started a few exercises that was in the book my grandson had given me as part of the Christmas present I made a reasonable attempt at a banana, did a field scene from memory but felt that the medium was to small (working on art paper from a small 4” X 6” book.)
So now with money to spare (a far cry from my youth) I purchased a full sized easel and built up my collection of brushes, paints & mediums and started on exercises I found in books.
I did some exercises small things, such as two wine glasses, and a tin with a cherry in it, from Rosalind Cuthbert’s book “Artist’s Questions Answered Oils” on 8” X 8” canvases. My beginnings in oil
Four landscape scenes on 10” X 12” canvases the first two were, from Michael Sunders book “Landscapes in Oils” the other two from memory. My beginnings in oil
A Lily from an exercise in Noel Gregory’s book “Flowers in Oils” on a 12” X 16” canvas. My beginnings in oil
My First attempt Large scale on a 30" X 24" deep edge canvas was a painting of “Richmond Hill”. The choice was pure romanticism as my wife and I did our courting in Richmond the idea was to catch the light streaming from the right the cars look out of proportion and amateurish but what the hell it was a challenge. This now resides with my youngest daughter.
I also took this from Michael Sunders book “Painting with Oils”. My beginnings in oil
My Second Attempt the Landscape scene now resides on my eldest daughter’s wall. In the landscape scene I got the clouds right and the stone wall but the distant hills didn’t come out as I wanted them on a 20" X 30" deep edge canvas.
This again, was from Michael Sunders book “Painting with Oils” My beginnings in oil
The Third a still life of Dog Daises also resides on my eldest daughter’s wall. The Dog Daises I was quite pleased with this was on a 20" X 20" canvas This was, from Alwyn Crawshaw’s book “Oils for the Beginner”. My beginnings in oil
The forth attempt was on a deep edged canvas. This canvas my wife keeps. I had the sky just right but the tree was a bit scrawny and bare. This was, from Michael Sunders book “Landscapes in Oils” on a 24” X 24” canvas My beginnings in oil
I remembered watching a fuzzy Afro looking haircut guy on TV and being mesmerised by his relaxing voice and manner demonstrating a Wet on Wet technique, this was of course the much loved and missed Bob Ross.
(Bob Ross)
(A cup off hot coffee and half an hour of Bob on the TV, best way to start the day, totally chilled out “God Bless my Friends”)
I purchased a couple of his DVD’s and decided that I would try out his style; I had already started to cover my canvases in Gesso as a base layer to work from varying colours and texture and noticed that he too used this in some of his work so I thought at least I’m half way there, however he would finish a masterpiece in 30 minutes where as I had been taking three weeks. I liked that idea as one or two of my paintings never got finished purely as I got bored with them and here was a method that speeded up the process. As I am not the most patient of men this was right up my street.
I imitated four works from his DVD’s after purchasing the required Bob Ross equipment 2”& 1” brushes liquid white etc. (warning Bob Ross materials are not cheap) it took me around two to three hours to complete what Bob did in thirty minutes but a lot quicker than three weeks. Bob Ross style
The first has been nabbed by my youngest daughter and the third by my mother in Law (I must be doing something right). All paintings are on a 16" X 20" canvas. Bob Ross style
I had seen in the Range, at Llansamlet, Nr Swansea (a local store) a chap called John Bailey who was a certified Bob Ross instructor.
He gave a couple of demonstrations in the stores art department and seeing my own work I decided to have a lesson from him at his workshop at Ivy House Lakes near Wooten Basset.http: www.john-b-bailey.co.uk/3.html Bob Ross style
My first workshop attempt, this has now been nabbed by my grandson for his bedroom “he’s got good taste for a three and a half year old” on a 16" X 20" canvas.
I really enjoyed this class and found it real value for money and I hope to attend some more of his classes in the near future.
He helped me to realise that without paint there isn’t a painting, applying the medium more thickly can help, my fault of being too stingy, well come on Bob Ross paints aren’t that cheep (Rip off Britain comes to mind). Bob Ross style
The first attempt after the class I found the pictures to be empty of life so started to add wildlife to give them some added interest.
The second well getting adventurous now Blazing sun loads of colour. Bob Ross style
I was starting to go through canvases at a startling rate so next was to look around for a cheap supplier to buy in bulk if possible.
Also I suffer from spondylosis in the neck and shoulders standing upright when painting helps, the one thing Bob Ross had that is a god send for people like myself was his design for an easel, not cheap, but allows you to be in a good upright position and holds the canvas firm when painting so that was going to be my next purchase, shop around these easels are expensive I found a good price at discount art on the web.
I thought “What the Heck” (OK a Bob Ross quote) others might be interested in this achievement so let’s put a blogg on the Internet and display the works someone may even want to buy one you never know.
I will display my works here regularly, the storage of them is a problem so if you like one send me an email as some are for sale, I say could be at the rate my daughters nick them they probably have a side line in selling them themselves.
I found a very good web sight http://ayoubart.co.uk they have a forum that is excellent for advice on art issues particularly Bob Ross, Darrell Crow and some good money saving ideas.
The next attempt was to follow Bob’s example of creating a painting using just Titanium White, Midnight Black and Alizarin Crimson. on a 16" X 20" canvas, the wife has just nicked this one.
Well after some constructive comments from members of Sue’s Arty Party Forum (see link above) I have tried to vary my art to create a hybrid of the Bob Ross technique and my own style (if I have one). Bob Ross style
The first I wanted to create a vision of a waterfall near my home at Aberdulais known as the "Devils Cauldron" it turned out to be nothing like it, I wanted a dark rocky vicious bubbling cauldron of terrifying water ended up with a pretty little scene (round one to Bob Ross) ah well will try again later. Bob Ross style
The second was of a winter scene of a place I used to play as a kid called Lime Kiln Bank Nr Hanley and the canal or cut as we used to call it frozen over in winter with Double Decker busses trying to navigate the steep hill and the old pottery works in the background.
The bus looks amateurish and the wall didn’t come out quite right, and I could have made more of the distant works. But will keep at it till something turns out just as I wanted it to.Original Oils
Drop me a line at the email link above if you have useful suggestions or just want to talk Bob (Bob Ross that is).
My next two pictures where done in October on my usual 16" X 20" canvases the first canal bank followed yet another Bob Ross video exercise but I added more to it, on the banks of what was supposed to be a lake I turned it into a canal bank and added a more pinkish bush colour to the bottom right
The other was again a Bob Ross clone but again I try to add my own touch in this instance it was the birds and the lone sailor in his boat. Bob Ross style
Now for something totally different in November I tried to do an abstract painting on a 12" X 30" Box Canvas the bands where done in a standard wet on wet blend but the Berg was done only with a pallet knife due to the thickness created it took weeks to dry down, the picture has stronger colours than shown the flash has made the centre bands look fainter than they really are. Abstract Oils
I next did a test painting, my daughter wanted me to paint a picture for her similar to the Blazing Sun but with different colours and the cabin gave me some practice with the pallet knife, then my eldest daughter gave me a Box canvas 36” X 36” I have never tried to paint on a box canvas of that size so found it was going to be a daunting prospect, I did this test to see if these where the colours she wanted in her painting.
I have found my easel will not accommodate a canvas of that size, talk about jumping in at the deep end, I will keep you posted as to how it turns out. Bob Ross style
My Blue period? 20” X 16” canvas, Wanted to try a winter scene with layered depth, distant mountains then nearer mountains then nearer hills and then foreground, Bob Ross style
I start to wonder at this point as I am finding that every painting I do never seems to be just right, there is always something in every painting that is not what I intended or I walk away thinking that could be better, later they seem to grow on me.
I don’t know if anything I paint will ever be the one where I say to myself that’s perfect, or is it that I am asking too much of myself? Will I ever be satisfied with any of them? Do all painters feel the same way with their work?
The Brook, I found I had a pile of paint left on my pallet and not wanting to waste it knocked this one up on a Box canvas 10” X 14”. Bob Ross style
OK as I said before I am trying to develop a style, that’s if you do develop one or is it just something unique about how you approach a subject? Anyway I wanted to try another abstract I have recently been writing about my childhood experiences (which I hope to put on this site later) and remembered that hell hole Shelton Bar.
For the un-initiated Shelton Bar was a huge iron and steel complex at Etruria just outside of Hanley, in the 50’s it was at its height combined with Coal Pit’s like Hanley Deep, the Pottery works and all the other industrialization. It was all a vision of Dante’s Hell, a local joke in the town in the 50’s was “is that the sun or the moon? How do I know I’m from Stoke?
So how to capture the blackness from soot, sulphur and pollution the blaze of furnaces, it reminded me that H.G. Wells wrote about this place in “The Cone” and I heard it also gave him the inspiration for the “Lord of the Dynamos”.
So on a 12" X 30" Box Canvas is my interpretation of “The Cone”. I wanted something dark and foreboding yet with a feel of raw energy. Abstract Oils
Well I have been at this painting lark for one year now, so it is time to take stock of progress, I have enjoyed doing the Ross clones, but I have wanted to do something that is uniquely me. I will still do the Ross style as it is so enjoyable but will keep searching for that elusive painting that states this is a Stu Smith.
Over the Christmas break I did a clone of the Cone (I think I will call it that as sounds catchy) on a 12” X 16” box canvas to see how it would look on something smaller. At first I did it in portrait then scrapped it all off and re did it again in landscape, hence the slightly darker centre. Abstract Oils
Then following as stated previously something from my childhood memories I painted Bluebell Wood on a standard 16” X 20” canvas, this was partly Ross style with people and animals in it (spot the Fox) I was not happy with the browns in the distance. Bob Ross style
I then painted on a small 8” X 8” box canvas one I’ve called “Stained glass” using just a pallet knife I wanted that look you get when two colours are mixed in melted glass, it’s a good way to use up spare paint on your pallet and you can hang this one any way up that you like, still get the feeling this has all been done before. I intend to create a trilogy of this style to see how they look on a blank wall Abstract Oils
The next was “Amber Falls” a revisit to a waterfall scene trying different colours, these will help when I paint the Aberdulais falls later. Bob Ross style
Then “Secret Falls” my first attempt at an oval, I was quite pleased with this one as it became a learning curve on what would be effective as a masking material I tried Contac Paper but this failed to stick, I found that Fablon worked better, even then the liquid clear still managed to leech under the mask (see top right hand edge of the Oval).
Making the Oval was a problem solved by using an old pallet as a template, machines for cutting ovals where either too small or too expensive.
I have since had this framed as my eldest daughter took a shine to it. I had an oval card cut to the same dimension as the painting in a light cream colour, and with the dark wood frame this really threw the painting out and is admired by many. Bob Ross style
The next Oval was “Winter Sun” my second attempt at an oval, Getting used to this now but found the oval not quite right, so it looks as if I will have to invest in a decent Oval cutter after all. Bob Ross style
On a 16" X 20" canvas nothing could be further from Bob Ross than this townscape, no mountains, no trees; my family lived in Hanover St in Hanley before I was born. Only a fraction of that Street remains today near to The Five Towns Café at the lower end of Hope St. This was the area well known by Arnold Bennet who wrote “Ann of the Five Towns”.
I remember the streets in that area before they where all demolished so this painting is a representation of how I think it would have looked, maybe my brother & sisters can enlighten me, a bit of artistic licence Meakin’s china factory was the other side of Hanley just off Bucknall Old Rd not near Hanover St. Original Oils
A dedication for Robert Minchin Art thanks for your support Robert.
Robert’s site is well worth a visit just click the link above to go there. Apart from being a great web page designer his paintings are varied and exciting ranging from watercolours to oils, Landscapes to Abstract.
Next “Anglers Dream” my third attempt at an oval, I have had an oval cut for me by a local framer slightly larger than the previous ones to allow me more of a painted area on a 16” X 20” canvas and it has given me a more precise shape to work in.
I have asked if he can produce various shapes as I would like to attempt a church window cut out or even a scallop shape, still that’s for later. Bob Ross style
Then on a 16” X 20” canvas is my first attempt at a seascape, I think I made the sky a tad too dark must remember not to go overboard with grey gesso. Also I set the horizon a little too high I added extra highlight to the palm leaves and placed two lots of tide marks other than that it is a Bob Ross clone well I had to have someone guide me through the principles (thanks Bob wherever you are). Bob Ross style
Sunset at Sea on a 16” X 20” canvas was my second attempt at a seascape. Next was Golden Pond, as I stated earlier on my daughter wanted me to do a painting for her, this is the young lady that has already nicked three of my paintings, I didn’t realize that she wanted something 36" X 36" Oil on a Box canvas until the canvas arrived. Original Oils So after she spent £11 on a canvas I had to go out and spend £79.00 for a studio easel that would hold it, I was daunted at first to even attempt something on this scale but now I have got into it is really fun (apart from an aching shoulder and wrist) those 2” brushes really come into there own. If anyone ever feels daunted at a huge painting project don’t be it can be fun. The only constraints I had was that the colours had to match her furniture, typical feminine comment that don’t care what it looks like does it match the curtains!
Well my daughter collected her finished and varnished painting and it has been hung in pride of place on her living room wall and it does match the furniture!!
Visitors have commented a lot on this painting which has got me thinking what if I do the same painting in different colours i.e. a cool blue, a restful green and a sombre night scene, so found a good site (The Canvas Store) selling 36” X 36” canvases and purchased 5 of these which only cost £58 90 inclusive of postage they arrived today so will attempt these soon.
My next works, Winters Thaw on a 16” X 20” canvas and Mystic Wood again on a 16” X 20” canvas, the latter was a little disappointing in that the blue seemed to come too far forward than intended but it did give me good practice on creating Bobs quick boulders in the stream using a filbert with light colour on one side and dark the other these came out quite well. Bob Ross style Now for a bit of experimentation, the Guardians Oils on 16” X 20“ canvas.
This came from a dream I had on painting just this scene, (I know, I am a sad person) stranger still the following morning watching Bob on the TV he starts to paint something very similar Deja Vu? But I wanted more I thought what if I first cover the area of the moon with Contac paper then cover the entire canvas with Black Gesso and sprinkle very small amounts of silver glitter in the sky area.
Not too much I don’t want a Christmas card effect, I then covered it all when dry with liquid clear and a small covering of Prussian Blue then remove the Contac paper a small (and I mean small) “sorry Bob” amount of liquid white before adding the Titanium white.
The effect is as you will see when light catches the glitter it really does look like stars. Bob Ross style
Apologies for the delay in adding more paintings but a severe virus infection leading to a chest infection has laid me low over the past two weeks. I was just fit enough (apologies also to those who had to suffer my hacking cough) to attend Darrel Crows workshop run by Sue Warne’s ayoubart in Caple St Mary.
The result was Poppy with Two Roses oils on a 16”X 20” canvas, I must admit it was a challenge and thanks to Darrel for helping me get the flowers right (he has that knack of creating a flower out of a few flicks of his brush) something I must get to grips with Bob Ross style.
Darrel's web site http://www.darrellcrow.com/
First of all more apologies as I have neglected this blog for a few months the reason being is that I decided to try a new medium, I had dabbled with watercolours in the past and didn’t have much success.
The colours I used where far too heavy, I tried messing with salt and masking fluid to produce different effects, so I started to look into art books for guidance and practiced from memory some paintings of scenes from my childhood in Stoke on Trent, Caldon Canal is a Watercolour 12” X 9” on Cotman 140lb cold pressed paper, Pot Bank is Watercolour on a Langton 14" X 10" 140lb mold made acid free paper. Watercolours
Again on the same paper was Venice an exercise from a book and Margam lodge from a photo I took of this house. So after a while I thought I must have another go so I joined a local art group the Lansawel art group in Britton Ferry a nice group of people with like minded interests that meet every Monday night for two hours and started to practice.
Gradually I have started to get the hang of it as you will notice in my next paintings, I copied two from pictures in magazines the Castle and Boats, I then completed two works Autumn Glory and the Dutch Barn copied from Painting with watercolours by William Newton, Watercolour both 12” X 9” on Cotman 140lb cold pressed paper.Watercolours
I have not given up on my oils, I just needed a new challenge and to try and expand my skills a bit more, the eldest daughter has just given me a request for yet another 36” X 36” canvas this should be fun again.
The local art group will be having an art exhibition on the 10th of November in the Jerusalem church hall in Britton Ferry and again on the 11th of December at Port Talbot’s main Library so I will be displaying what artwork I have left (after my daughters pillaging of what works I have done) and hope to move some of my work to make space for other endeavours, It will be interesting to see if the works are taken up or left gathering dust.
The art exhibition has been and gone unfortunately not many paintings where sold and I need the space in my studio, I did however have a request from a lady that took a liking to my style and asked if she could commission a work of the Steel Works Oil on a Box Canvas 20" X 20". Original Oils
I must state that “to me art is something I enjoy” and getting paid to paint is something I feel a little uncomfortable with so I have painted this work purely for enjoyment and have stated if someone wants to purchase my work well that is a bonus after all it will help to purchase more canvases and paint to allow me to continue enjoying what I do.
Unfortunately the lady never materialized to purchase the painting on completion, but a fellow artist at the art club wanted to purchase this for her daughter so it went to a good home after all.
Winters here so I decided to try more watercolours, the next two watercolours are taken from exercises the Village Street by William Newton and the Winter Farm by Paul Talbot-Greaves. Watercolours
Both measure 16” X 12” painted on 140lb cold pressed paper, I have started to frame these and will place each one on a coloured border to enhance the scene.
Christmas is fast approaching and we have our last art group session next week so this will be my last effort before the festive season starts. I hope those reading the blog have a happy Christmas and New Year, I have given my daughters the list of art materials I need for 2008 let's see what Santa brings, the last work of 2007 is taken from an exercise the Waterfall by Paul Talbot-Greaves.
The watercolour painting measures 16” X 12” painted on 140lb cold pressed paper. Watercolours
New Year new ideas, I started with an exercise from Paul Talbot Greaves book working by splattering of reds and yellows to create the Autumn Colours, Watercolours when framed this really stands out.
It was a first for me to use this stippling technique but it worked out rather well when I was doing it I was a bit apprehensive until it finally came together.
The watercolour painting measures 16” X 12” painted on 140lb cold pressed paper.
I had a good selection of goodies for Christmas apart from paints and brushes I had some mounting board cutters that I am now putting to good use as you will see in the site, some watercolours will show the paintings as a framed pop up.
Time to start being more original I have started a work on a watercolour of a nuthatch on a tree it will be interesting to see how it works out.
Well I have completed it Framed it and placed it on the web site. At first I was confused how to bring out the white plumage until a helpful hint from our resident instructor at the art club suggested use a grey background and use white gouache to highlight the feathers it worked out rather well. Original Watercolours