Friday, 27 December 2024

Vintage Fan

 

Still life oil painting of a 1960s era blue Mistral brand pedestal fan
At the beginning this painting was a breeze, but the complexity of the subject soon became tedious.  I must admit, when it comes to complexity like this, I'm not a fan.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Sunday, 8 December 2024

The Cascades, Metcalfe

 

Landscape oil painting of a eucalypt beside a creek surrounded by boulders
I knew when I was driving towards this body of water that I was heading for a fall.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Sunday, 1 December 2024

Sunday, 24 November 2024

Still Life with Tea Towel and Gooseneck Jug

 

Still life oil painting of a linen tea towel draped across a table containing a number of objects including a green enamelware jug
Towel puns are a particularly dry form of humour.

Oil on canvas board, 20" x 24"

P.S. Incidentally, this is the largest painting I've done for over three decades (32 years ago I did one over four times the size -- I might have to work back up to that).

Wednesday, 6 November 2024

Rose Study

 

Still life oil painting of a rose in an antique glass bottle with another rose lying beside
Unfortunately I had a limited period to paint this subject -- if time had allowed more rose, perhaps I wouldn't feel so morose.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Wednesday, 23 October 2024

Skull Study

 

Still life oil painting of a plastic skull
This painting started life (pun intended, of course) as a student demo.  As morbid as the subject may be, it's a great way to work on painting skulls.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Monday, 21 October 2024

Talbots Lane, Taradale

 

Landscape oil painting of a road with cast shadows leading up to a poplar
Talbots Lane works a bit like an "I am human" checkbox -- it's used to tell bots from humans.

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Pears with Antique Whisky Bottle

 

Still life oil painting of two green pears beside a dark glass bottle
Gird your loins and pre-pear for bottle!

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Monday, 30 September 2024

Windmill Farm, Near Kyneton

 

Landscape oil painting of a stone tower near smaller trees and buildings
The mental game of realist painting always involves a certain amount of tilting at windmills

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Bone Handle Knife with Lemons and Biscuit Barrel

 

Still life oil painting of a bone handle knife with lemons, a small copper vessel and a biscuit barrel
It was difficult to name this piece because, visually, it has a number of competing priorities: will the viewer buy a lemon, stare down a barrel or pick a bone-handle knife?

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Saturday, 14 September 2024

Wednesday, 4 September 2024

Still Life with Old Books

 

Still life oil a painting depicting several items including old books and apples
Including books in a still life painting is hardly a novel idea; or is it?

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Monday, 5 August 2024

Sunday, 4 August 2024

Sunday, 28 July 2024

Towards South Kyneton

 

Landscape oil painting of a eucalypt with distant farm buildings
The degree of difficulty for this painting was greatly increased by the almost freezing conditions -- it was always in danger of going south.

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Former Morgue at Old Kyneton Hospital

 

Landscape oil painting of an old Victorian-era building
Once morgue for good measure

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Sunday, 7 July 2024

Portrait of Gino

 

Portrait oil painting of a man with long dark hair and a bear wearing a blue jacket
This was painted as part of the Victorian Artists' Society Portrait Painters in Action day 2024.  I was suffering from a wee bit of jet lag, and towards the end my progress slowed somewhat -- a condition known as portrait painter's inaction.

Thanks to fellow artist Gino Severin for being such an excellent sitter.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Outbuilding at Château de Campagnac, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 

I don't think I offended my fellow painters, but I did find myself on the outer.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Tower at Château de Campagnac, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 

Landscape oil painting of a medieval French tower
Painting many castles kept me on my châteaux.

Oil on gessoed board, 6" x 8"

Gateway at Château de Campagnac, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 

Landscape oil painting of two sandstone pillars with a path, a low wall and vegetation
Although entirely uncontroversial, the activity I engaged in on this day was known as painting gate.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Monday, 24 June 2024

Dordogne River from Domme

 

Landscape oil painting of a river and trees viewed from a height
This was painted from the medieval village of Domme, from a high vantage point -- the river was a long way dogne.

Oil on gessoed board, 6" x 8"

Looking North from Domme, Dordogne

 

Landscape oil painting of distant hills and buildings
This scene was a long way in the distance and I deliberately simplified it as much as possible -- you might say I Dommed it down a little.

Oil on gessoed board, 6" x 8"

Sunday, 23 June 2024

Houses at La Roque-Gageac

 

Landscape oil painting of houses surrounded by vegetation
This is a 30 minute sketch of some houses at the village of La Roque-Gageac.  Maybe I succeeded, maybe I flew like a Roque.

Oil on gessoed board, 6" x 8"

Château La Malartrie, La Roque-Gageac

 

Landscape oil painting of a river with sandstone buildings and trees on either side
A scene similar to this is typically depicted on La Roque-Gageac tourist brochures.  You might say it's classic roque.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Sunday, 26 May 2024

Malmsbury Viaduct

 

Landscape oil painting of a stone railway viaduct beside water
This is my final piece for the VAS 9x5 Exhibition done today at the Malmsbury Botanic Gardens. It was a glorious late-autumn day with no sign of rain: not such good weather for ducks, but great weather for ducts.

Oil on plywood, 9" x 5"

Tuesday, 21 May 2024

Self Portrait in the Studio

 

Selfish portrait: A portrait that looks a bit like the artist

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Saturday, 18 May 2024

Still Life with Mandarine and Assorted Flowers

 

A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a mandarine cannot live without love (apologies to Max Müller).

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Sunday, 12 May 2024

Wedge Street, Kyneton

 

Landscape oil painting of a road with shadows cast by trees and telephone poles beside
You might say the necessity to paint on plywood for the VAS 9x5 Exhibition drove a wedge between my normal approach to painting and the approach followed for this picture.  You can definitely say I drove on Wedge as I took a little jaunt in my car looking for subject matter.

Oil on plywood, 9" x 5"

Autumn, Kyneton

 

Landscape oil painting of a eucalypt with autumn colour in the middle ground and distant blue hills
This is the first painting I've done directly on plywood, as per entries into this year's VAS 9x5 Exhibition.  It was certainly a different way to ply my trade, though I'm not sure I'd trade my canvas for ply.

Oil on plywood, 9" x 5"

Monday, 6 May 2024

Mandarines with Enamelware Jug

 

Still life oil painting of three mandarines with a white enamelware jug
A man is judged by his deeds, and a mandarine is judged by its seeds (or lack thereof).

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Monday, 29 April 2024

Onions with Enamelware Bowl

 

Still life oil painting of three brown onions beside a green enamelware bowl
Usually when I paint onions I'm reasonably happy with the results -- I'm not, however, enamelled with these.

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Quinces with Enamelware Jug

 

Still life oil painting of three quinces with a white enamelware jug

These quinces make a good subject, but are also for eating; if they were merely for display they'd be mannequinces.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Saturday, 6 April 2024

Still Life with Lemons and Linen Tea Towel

 

The towel saved the citrus by providing lemon aid; otherwise they might have dried of natural causes.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Saturday, 30 March 2024

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Still Life with Large Squashes

 

I had to paint these squashes of unusual size on a larger canvas -- I didn't want the scene to be too squashy.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Monday, 18 March 2024

Off Dan Hallorans Lane, Pastoria

 

Having nominated a location for a paint-out with my friends Paul and Hiro, I said, "See you in Hall-orans Lane".

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Tuesday, 27 February 2024

Colour vs Skull

 

Don't be bored out of your skull, add a little colour to your life.

Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"

Saturday, 24 February 2024

Near Kyneton Station

 

Landscape oil painting of a brick chimney beside an array of buildings an two eucalypts
Trialling the 9x5 format in preparation for the VAS 9x5 Exhibition.  I quite enjoyed it, though I'm not sure I could do it 9 to 5.

Oil on canvas board, 9" x 5"

Monday, 12 February 2024

Still Life with Garlic Bulb

 

The cloven hoof in the depths of allium.

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Monday, 22 January 2024

Ripening Tomatoes with Enamelware Bowl

 

Still life oil painting of orange and red tomatoes beside a green enamelware bowl
A subject ripe for wordplay (or not quite, as the case may be).

Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10" 

Thursday, 18 January 2024

Sunday, 14 January 2024

Still Life with Fruit Spectrum

 

Richard of York before the battle (or ROY for short).

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Sunday, 7 January 2024

Bosc Pears with Bottle

Still life oil painting of two pears and a bottle
Keen observers may notice a subtle echo of the pears in the bottle glass; you might say it's two Bosc in reflected glory.

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"