Tresaith

With several projects and commissions on the go i was fortunate to get a little escape for a few days down in my caravan in West Wales. I had already painted a scene from down there already, looking across the cliffs to Aberporth. This new one was painted about face towards the tiny village of Tresaith. Whilst the first piece was painted entirely at home from photographs and sketches, this one was started at home and completed on site. I haven't done nearly enough plein-air painting in the last few years but after the experience i had i've no doubt i'll in the field a lot more often

Millenium Stadium

As Esther's paintings went roaring on at an unnatural pace i found myself becoming disjointed with my first piece so to get away from it i began the Millennium Stadium painting.

I must admit the Stadium piece was a lot easier and a lot more satisfying to paint as it's a building i've had experience painting before, albeit not on this scale.

The Parc Hotel Project

This is my first blog entry for a while now. Not down to my lack of activity but quite to opposite. To kick things off is a project that i was gifted to me through my tutor from a request from the Parc Hotel in Cardiff.
They were looking for an artist to paint several murals upon 5 boarded up windows in the entrance to their car park and my tutor felt the subject matter was something i was well suited for.

 The Hotel wanted the 5x8 foot boards to depict scenes around Cardiff, one of them being the Parc Hotel itself. Whilst i accepted the job gratefully i felt i needed the aid of my friend and fellow artist Esther Holley as her experience working with large scale painting and her ability to keep me from going insane may prove useful.

We began by selecting 4 other iconic structures around Cardiff and split them between us, Esther taking Castell Coch and Cardiff Castle whilst i would take on the Millennium Stadium and the Millennium Centre, leaving the Parc Hotel painting as one we could both collaborate on.

Wales Millennium Centre

Castell Coch

Even though much of Esther's work has been revolving around abstraction and experimentation over the last few years her figurative work is as strong as ever.

I was in a rut at this point, i felt that the reflections were quite strong but the Millennium Centre itself seemed a bit cartoony, i was struggling to get the right curve and coloration. 

Coming along nicely, need to slim the mussle slightly and work in the detail once its dry.

Merlin

 A present for my wonderful girlfriend of her beautiful dog, Merlin.