Blyth Beach WatercolourBlyth Beach On New Years Eve I received a telephone call from a new client in Canada. They wanted to Commission a Painting of various family members, including themselves on Blyth Beach in Northumberland. Although the client had photographs of the family on the beach, the composition of the figures wasn’t suitable for a painting. Also, the day they were there was very overcast and dull. I took a trip to the beach to gather reference material. From the reference, I was able to produce a small A5 watercolour with a grey sky and I included the family on the beach. I also ad ..read more

Portrait of EdDog Portraits I was recently commissioned to paint a portrait of a clients pet dog. It was a surprise 50th birthday present. They supplied me with several photographs for me to work from. All I had to do was make the most suitable selection. Needless to say, the recipient was delighted with the painting of his faithful friend. I enjoyed the process of capturing the character of the dog so much that I decided to paint a portrait of Ed. Ed was our second German Shepherd who passed away last year. He was over twelve years old and was very much part of our family. Our grandchildren l ..read more

Newcastle Quayside on Gold Leaf Newcastle Quayside on Gold Leaf is one of a number of painting commissions from a new client. To begin with, they purchased an original oil painting of Arabian Dhows painted on gold leaf. They really liked one of my watercolours available as a limited edition print title “Tyne Bridges, Summer Sunset”. The question was, “could it be painted oils on gold leaf to match their one of Arabian Dhows?” The answer was, of course, yes. Newcastle Quayside on Gold Leaf Painted in an Art Deco style, it depicts the Newcastle Quayside and many of its iconic landmarks. The Mil ..read more

Oil Painting by RossoArtist Support Pledge I’ve recently acquired my third original painting through the Artist Support Pledge. I spent a while waiting for the right painting to turn up before seeing the work of an Italian artist who goes under the name of Rosso Art.  Rosso had posted an original painting on her Instagram account rossoartist which was available through the Artist Support Pledge. I would have bought it but it had just been snapped up 20 minutes earlier. I sent Rosso a direct message to see if she had any other work available. She showed me this lovely portrait of a yo ..read more

Interior of a Chateau kitchen dining roomArtist Support Pledge I hadn’t come across the work of Aldo Balding until I started selling my work through the Artist Support Pledge. The concept is a simple one that cultivates generosity. Artists post images of their work, on Instagram which they are willing to sell for no more than £200 each (not including shipping). Every time an artist reaches £1000 of sales, they pledge to spend £200 on another artists work. Aldo Balding After selling my 10th painting, I was looking through Instagram to see who my next purchase would be. Adebanji Alade had just b ..read more

Portrait of Ed Dog Portraits I was recently commissioned to paint a portrait of a clients pet dog. It was a surprise 50th birthday present. They supplied me with several photographs for me to work from. All I had to do was make the most suitable selection. Needless to say, the recipient was delighted with the painting of his faithful friend. I enjoyed the process of capturing the character of the dog so much that I decided to paint a portrait of Ed. Ed was our second German Shepherd who passed away last year. He was over twelve years old and was very much part of our family. Our grandchildren ..read more

  Newcastle Quayside on Gold Leaf Earlier this year I received a number of painting commissions from a new client. To begin with, they purchased an original oil painting of Arabian Dhows painted on gold leaf. They really liked one of my watercolours available as a limited edition print title “Tyne Bridges, Summer Sunset”. The question was, “could it be painted oils on gold leaf to match their one of Arabian Dhows?” The answer was, of course, yes. Painted in an Art Deco style, it depicts the Newcastle Quayside and many of its iconic landmarks. The Millennium Bridge is the first of several ..read more

Tyne Bridge It’s not often that I post photographs of my paintings that are unfinished however I’m so pleased with the progress of this new oil painting of the Tyne Bridge that I couldn’t resist sharing the current status. Last week the Tyne Bridge was deservedly upgraded to Grade II* listed. For many it is symbolic of the North East, representing the industry, design and creativity that the region is known for. Indeed, these are all themes that the Great Exhibition of the North have been showcasing over the summer months around Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside. I have painted the Tyne Bridge ..read more

Oil Painting of the Tyne Bridge In 2017 I received a commission to do a very large oil painting of the Angel of the North which you can read about in an earlier blog post.  The Angel’s wings were coated with 22 carat gold leaf. My client loves his painting of the Gateshead Angel and once I’d hung it for him we discussed a second commission to go alongside, this time a Tyne Bridge Painting. After bringing the Tyne Bridge Painting close to completion I decided to add a little extra gold leaf and make a short video of the process which you can see on YouTube. First I applied some liquid ..read more

Angel Print Hand Embellished with Gold Leaf The 17th February 2018 marks the 20th Birthday for the Angel. Created by Anthony Gormley, the “Gateshead Angel” or “The Angel of the North” has become an icon for the North East, often featured on television when a reference for the region is needed. Opinions are divided about the Angel but I’m in the camp of those who are in favour of this huge sculpture that welcomes those travelling on the A1 to the north. I recall painting the Angel for the first time back in the spring of 1998 after visiting it on a very wet and muddy day. The site looked like a ..read more