Brief flashback No.1

Back in April when I was on my holiday back in Czech Republic I brought up my gouache sketching set to record my visit somewhat differently than just with a camera. I think that to record things from life with paint or pencil improve one's appreciation of any given moment - because this sketching usually takes some time not like a mere fragment of a second with a digital camera.

Here's some of my sketches of my family and home surroundings:

Mom - pencil portrait  4th of April

Father sleeping 06th of April 2017

In our living room 6th of April

Pilská nádrž (date unknown)

My mother's cat

Mother sleeping 

In the cellar 

Enjoy your summer wherever you are. Petr

Recent oil painting from paint my photo pages - Turban fellow

In May I found a nice and interesting photo of an old woman from east Asia at "paint my photo" web pages when I was seeking some photo reference:

https://pmp-art.com/john-warren/gallery/170518/seated-chinese-lady

I began with an unstained canvas with rough charcoal sketch and proceed with a colour transparent wash after I'd sealed it with some spray fixative. After the transparent wash I started to apply paint opaquely with the most difficult area - face, just to get it rolling. Once I was happy with the face (apparently more mannish in my opinion than in the reference) I put some effort in the collar. The rest of the painting leave some space for breathing of that initial wash and I think it helps to keep a main focus on the face. Since I converted a woman to a man I won't try to deceit that so the name of the final painting is Turban Fellow. (I must admit that from very beginning I thought that it is the man) 

 Initial sketch + wash (I put that transparent wash after sealing the drawing with fixative - I think it was pastel fixative)

Turban Fellow (oil on canvas 10x11 inches)

This is one of the few paintings that will make it's way to the party of paintings for sale - Once It's completely dry and in a frame.

Regards, Pete 

Plein-air in June's hot weather

One lovely Saturday - on 17th of June to be precise, I set myself out with my french easel because it was unbearable in my apartment - In England attic apartments lack isolation so in the winter its super cold and in the summer red hot. No worries, at least I'm forced to go out!

It was a sunny afternoon and I was looking for some lovely view of a simple landscape where I would not be burdened with heavy drawings demands - I wanted to avoid any architecture or any geometric shapes because in that case it would be possible that I would not start to put colours at all :-) And the main purpose of painting from life is to observe colours so I wanted to start mixing/putting colours in as soon as possible. 

I set my easel after 2 hours of walking around the landscape near Aberford, which is the rural area of Leeds. I was not satisfied with the view and I had to alternate the shapes to my liking. I made a curvature of the nearby road little bit more stronger and I trimmed some of the trees as well. 

After initial struggle I felt in love with all the colours that the landscape provided me with and I spent lovely 3 hours of painting this piece. 

Aberford Landscape plein air (oil on canvas 11x14 inches)

Have a nice summer you all,  Pete