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PAP / Gallery News

12/03/14

Okay so they don't all work out. Forecast said sun, but there's no sun to be seen in Margaret's Buildings. No sun, that is, until I've committed myself to a grey day painting. I make a corned beef hash of it, but maybe I can come back another time and sort it out.

Maybe.

On the plus side, I bump into Jim:

"Are you...?"
"Don't I know you...?"
"Jim!"
"Er ... what's your name?" (It has been over five years)

Unfortunately Charlie has gone to the great doggie kennel in the sky, but Jim is okay and I guess my painting is as good a testament to his canine buddy as any.

Here's a reminder:

And, coincidentally, this leads neatly into .... wait for it ...

PAP

Saturday 1st March

Some things that make this a good painting day:

1. The weather - it's sunny, not too cold and not windy! Mmm just right.
2. NO VAN in the way :)
3. I get chatting to a passerby who lives on Henrietta Street. He then goes home to bring his wife to see my painting and they commission a similar picture from a slightly different angle.
4. Two ladies walk towards me and pass by. As they do so they turn to look at the painting and make some approving noises. They continue to walk on and the next thing I hear is one of them saying, "We just walked into a lamppost looking at your painting!" This could be the ultimate compliment.  I laugh a lot, which is okay, because they are laughing too.

Still not finished though - I just noticed the figure hasn't got a shadow - gotta watch those shadows.

Also, I make progress on Henrietta Street painting no.2:

Still some work to do and I had to cheat slightly by starting it in the studio because of the figures, but I think it's going to be okay.

Happy day. 

PAP

Friday

First PAP (plein air painting) session of the year (because of the weather rather than the temptations of a warm and dry studio you understand). At least four months since I was last out on the streets of Bath, so it's been a while, but ... no worries, what could possibly go wrong? I've got a commission to paint Henrietta Street from Laura Place - which is good, but ... ha ha ... no pressure then.

I lug all my gear from the studio only to find they've started some road works right in the middle of the agreed composition. Dammit. I figure I can just work around it and I can come back another time to finish the painting - the builder guy reckons they'll be gone by the end of the day.

So I make a start only to find I haven't bought my tube of white paint - how many times can I forget something crucial? DOOOMED! It's turning into a farce - and there's only a solo exhibition by Pete 'PAP legend' Brown just around the corner from here (cue manic laughter HA HA HA).

Still there's always tomorrow ...

Saturday

... NO THERE ISN'T! BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER *!*@?* VAN PARKED IN THE WAY!

and ...

breath ...

Regardless, I did bring the white paint and progress is made.

PAP

I like my house. It's a lovely house, in a lovely city. And, facing west, it has a fantastic view ... almost ... if it wasn't for that house opposite. There's a hint of the view from the bedroom window, but it doesn't really cut it. So when the woodwork on the front gable started falling off and we had to put up some scaffolding to get it sorted, the extra 10 feet made all the difference - the view was revealed. Getting over my fear of heights I spend far too much time painting the woodwork so in the end all I manage is this quick sketch before the scaffolding has to come done.

Mmm nice - if only we could convert the loft and build a balcony ...

PAP

26/06 The Bath Prize has morphed into the Bristol Prize, but the premise is the same and the location I've been given to paint is ... Welsh Back. A tree-lined (in part) cobbled street with riverside restaurants and houseboats galore it's got a lot going for it so why am I painting this pug ugly office building? It's even got a big 'To Let' sign so there's not even a chance of selling it to an occupier. Why indeed, Mr Passerby? The answer lies over 30 years ago, before this building was here, when there was a construction that actually went with the surroundings, when it was Mail Marketing (Bristol) Ltd - a company owned and founded by my Gran and where, as a child, me and my family would drop in on occasion to visit said Gran, where I had my first holiday job stuffing envelopes, where I worked with my brother one summer staying in some flat in Clifton and drinking beer and Umbongo.

Both Gran and building are long gone now, but not forgotten and so here I stand painting this pug ugly office building. Is that okay? WELL, IS IT MR PASSERBY?!! IS THAT A SATISFACTORY ENOUGH EXPLANATION FOR YOU!!!

Huh, sorry, where was I, ah yes, the Bristol Prize and how this might not be my year ...

Porthleven PAP

13/05/13 no.4

More PAP, more wind, PAP wind, wind PAP. It's driving me crazy and yet, here I am, still painting - what's all that about? It's so windy I can't do a straight horizon and the dazzling colourful play of light across the waves is proving well beyond me. Maybe tomorrow it won't be so blowy, maybe ...

Porthleven PAP

More Porthleven PAP - yes, there is more!

13/05/13 no.2. It's so damn windy and cold. Hindsight and just a static visual representation diminish the effect, but believe me, it was howling. Regardless, I'm here to paint so I trudge along the coast path to somewhere called Loe Bar - a sand bar that forms a lake. I've heard it's picturesque, but after a mile long walk I'm disappointed and heading back along the path set up on the cliff tops to paint some gorse blossom. I've still got the lightweight easel so I try and weigh it down with bags and stuff. This works, but only for so long and eventually the wind wins and flings the whole thing over - or it would have done if not for the fact that I stop it with my paint brush loaded with bright pink paint - you can see the effects in a little pink comet whizzing through the air on the right of the picture.

I'm not sure what I was looking for with this painting and I'm not sure I found it, but moving on ...

13/05/13 no.3. There's a bit more sun when I get back so I drive on down the coast to Kynance Cove, by which time .... the sun has gone back in. It's still blowing a gale so I have to try and find a nook behind some rocks to make a fist of any painting. I'm rewarded with a small window of blue sky that lasts just long enough for a small square, which I quite like.

Porthleven PAP

Still working my way through the PAP trip last month. In order. Here's the next one and arguably the best (painting - not blog. No way the best blog - look at those meagre notes, I've got no idea what's going on. Suffice to say the weather was very different just a few short weeks ago.)

13/05/13 - No.1 - Early start - 6.00 alarm
Still cloudy, but painting by 7.30
A bit of sun!! - could be best day of the week, but damn it's windy.

Porthleven PAP

Porthleven PAP 3

Later the same day…

More mud. It's a bigger picture and I've got this unfinished thing going on on the right which I don't know if it's working or not. On the plus side it makes the whole picture vaguely do-able in the time I've got. Also, I get the church in.

I've got sufficient layers to combat the cold, I've got my cap to stop the rain from getting on my glasses, now, if only I could hold back the tide …

Verdict: hmmm, needs some work (both the painting and the holding back the tide).

Porthleven PAP

PAPping in Porthleven

 

 

The Bath Prize Plein Air Painting Prize - a week B&B for 2 in Porthleven with studio facilities: Fantastic!

 

The reality doesn't quite live up to expectation as Yolanda couldn't come and the weather for the week is looking pretty rubbish. That said, it's still a week in Cornwall with free lodging and let's quit with the whinging [steady, let's not totally break with tradition] and get on with it:

 

12/05/13 pt1 - I set the alarm for 5.30 planning an early start - what was I thinking? It's a god awful time and there isn't any sun so I go back to sleep. I do find myself standing painting by the harbour at 7.30 which is still pretty impressive. It's all a bit different - grey skies (well not that), bobbing boats and constantly moving water and .... dammit, I've misjudged the temperature. It's fine to start, but then the wind picks up and it's bitter. [Think about the cooked breakfast, think about the cooked breakfast.] I think about the cooked breakfast and I just about make it to the end. Throughout it all I'm worried it's going pear shaped, but in the end it doesn't turn out so bad.

 

I make it back for the well earned (!?) cooked breakfast (although it turns out you can have it any time before 2 in the afternoon, which is more accomodating that your usual b&b). Sausage (am I still allowed sausage?), bacon (I'm sure there was something about bacon), fried egg (let's not start on that) and toast - every day for a week? - what the hell. 

 

PAP

3/5/13 pm

Can't stop now - it's still sunny. Well, almost. It's sort of clouding over, but the sun peeks out every now and again. I try Margaret's Buildings as a location, but [gasp!] the Lime Lounge has gone! The lovely bright splash of colour half way done has been replaced by some sombre grey cafe. I'm sure it does a lovely cup of coffee, but it's not working for me compositionally so I head back to the crescent.

The tree guys have finished. All that remains of the drumandbass guys is a plastic bag full of empty beer bottles. Ah, lovely. Just the occasional thwack of a football and a "pass the ***ing ball you ****er, you ***** ***** *****" - an idyllic scene. 

I have to remember the sunshine most of the time, but it seems to come out okay and at least I brought my brushes.

PAP

3/5/13 - am

It's a sunny day - exclamation mark. And it's a painting day - double exclamation mark. This could be the summer, so I've got to make the most of it - a three month hiatus from PAP is inexcusable. In my haste to get going I leave all my brushes in a nice little pile in the studio. I only remember this after I've walked up the hill and set up my easel and paints. On my way I pass Mr Walkanddrawbath who I've never met before, but have heard of through the wonder of the web. He sets up over there in the middle of the grass while I am standing on the road in front of the Royal Crescent. Without lifting a brush (because of course I haven't brought any) I have to pack up and slink away - 1-0 to Mr Walkanddraw.

I go back to the studio and get my brushes (all neatly in their pile) and return to the scene. This time I do actually paint a picture and it doesn't turn out too bad. Mr Walkanddraw packs up before me and comes over to say hello. He seems quite nice, we have a bit of a chat, he's going to message me. While distracted the wind picks up, and blows my easel over. I try to rescue it with one hand (the other clutching my palette and brushes) only to smear the painting across my jumper. Mr Walkanddraw politely leaves me to it - 2-0 to Mr Walkanddraw.

I make some attempt at repairs, but the light has moved too much. Godammit.

Other things:

• There's loads of flies on the walk past the allotment - must be the first warm day for ever that's brought them all out at once or there's a big pile of manure the other side of the hedge.
• There's some tree guys chopping down a tree.
• I get stopped by some school girls doing a survey about Bath - the last question is, "what do you think would improve Bath?". I struggle with this one, knowing that their survey is going to make all the difference and finally, unhelpfully, come up with, "Better weather."
• The yellow lines by the crescent must have been repainted they seem particularly vivid today.
• Some older boys (students?) arrive in the park and sit down just near me. No problem, but for the hardcore banging drum and bass tunes they start blasting out. What with that and the chainsaw from the tree guys there is no peaceful vivaldi moment. 

Regardless, spring has definitely sprung.

PAP

It's one of those painting days where nothing seems to go according to plan. It's my own fault - I just grabbed my bag and ran out the door, forgetting the 1st rule of PAP: ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STUFF.

So I get to the Crescent (yeah, yeah, I know I've done it a million times already, but I've got this idea see ....) and I find I haven't got all my paints and I've only got my reject brushes. On top of this there's a bitter wind so I almost give up before I start. But I don't and you can judge for yourself what painting with sticks looks like without any cadmium red. I guess it could have been worse. I say that of course, but that's ignoring the guy who stood behind me for five minutes - way too close (he doesn't need to stand that close. why's he standing that close? is there something in my ear?) and ... humming! Grrrr

Roll on spring.

PAP

Let me take you back to a world of snow, a world not so long ago .... last week in fact ....

The snow's going, going, gone from most places, but the allotments still have an air of wintery wonderland. The gates are locked and it doesn't look like much allotmenting has been going on for a while. I am not fooled by this, because only last night, just by chance, I was watching a programme about allotment shenanigans and I know that I risk being arrested for trespassing, seeing my equipment smashed and/or having my carrots stolen. Undeterred, ninja like, I leap over the metal mesh gate. Oo, aar, there goes my ninja hip. Still, I made it and no one has appeared to witness the scene so I tramp around until I find an okay spot to paint.

Surprisingly the painting appears to go okay, until, it had to happen, I'm rumbled. A lady arrives (by car) to tend her veg (or other such allotmenty thing).

"Did you climb the gate to get in?"

"Er, not that one." (bizarre, slightly evasive response)

"Is anyone else here?"

"Er, no."

She lets me live and goes about her business. I set about my own business and I nearly finish by the time she passes again on her way out. Another conversation as she gets out to close the gate and lock it behind her:

"Will you be okay climbing out?"

"No worries." For I am Ninja...

PAP

First dose of PAP this year. I have been shamed into action by the bubbly fresh faced enthusiasm of PAPper extraordinaire Tom Hughes (no relation). [Check out his work at www.tomhughespainting.co.uk.] Whereas I have been gloomily looking out the window, thinking it looks really cold, he has been out revelling in the PAP opportunities. [Check out his blog here www.tomhughespainting.co.uk/category/blog/.] Well, dammit, he's right and better late than never I make the effort and try and find some snow to paint.

It's rapidly diminishing, but the building site over the way from the studio has been pretty much left untouched and (again inspired by a Tom painting) I can put some diggers in for a bit of colour. It all sounds great, but I get lazy and try and use the old paint still on my palette from last year (a mistake) and any detail required escapes my worn brushes. I leave off the name of the hire firm - there's no point in trying and who is P Hickey anyway? (Apart from being the only person who might be interested in buying the painting.)

Walking around trying to find this spot I saw an inappropriately dressed man in a sharp suit and leather soled loafers. He's slipping and sliding over a sheet of ice carrying something to his car. He's trying to be so careful with the object that I think he must be holding a baby, but then he opens the boot and turns around and he's only carrying a large load of toilet paper. Crazy, I think, why's he risking a life time of bad backs for a bumper load of loo roll? This thought returns to me as my boots turn the snow beneath my feet to ice and I struggle with the picture.

I manage to get the painting to some sort of reasonable conclusion before I get too cold to continue. At least I'm back on the PAPping horse again.