"Ed's Diner, Soho" sold

I have just sold "Ed's Diner, Soho" on Artfinder. I hope there are more as it has been a bit quiet on the sales front...apart from Illuxcon of course!

Me at Illuxcon

Here's a photo of me at my stand at Illuxcon taken by Dave Seely. It looks like I'm floating in mid-air only supported by my elbow....
And here is a photo taken by Vince Natale of an interesting line-up (left to right):
Vince Natale, Wayne Haag, Me, Jim Burns, Don Maitz and Chris Moore.

Sold at Illuxcon

Now that the jet lag is wearing off I am beginning to get my brain into gear and do things like this, post up some news. Three paintings were sold, "Approaching The Citadel" was sold to  Patrick and Jeannie Wilshire, the people who organised the show. A collector in Hawaii bought "Arrival of the Concubines" and "Ruth" (after sending jpeg's to his wife for approval and who said yes but they were not to go in the house!). Also part of the deal was that he is going to send me an Hawaiian shirt, I think because he didn't think much to my Balinese shirt and felt I needed something better! Interestingly (or not) it was the last three paintings that I did for the show that sold, I guess it took a while to get my eye in.....

Off to Illuxcon!

Starting to pack

As the world gets more messed up by the minute I am off to Illuxcon to hopefully lose myself in a world of art, good conversation and drink for a week. Unless I can get my Facebook app working there will be no more posts on this blog or indeed Facebook until I return on the 22nd. My travelling companion will be Jim Burns and I forsee some wide-ranging conversation and possibly a good number of drinks. I actually fly off tomorrow morning but due to unviable early morning travel options to Heathrow from Brighton I am staying overnight at Jury's Inn Heathrow, not too bad at £65 the night considering where it is.

"Approaching Rain, Devil's Dyke" shortlisted

"Approaching Rain, Devil's Dyke" has been shortlisted for the International Artist magazine Challenge No 84 Landscapes competition. This was based on a plein air study that was cut short by the approaching rainstorm in the picture! Myself and Rich Newman managed to pack up and run to the car just in time before it started pouring.

Moonlight Encampment

This is a small picture that I have done in between sending the paintings to Illuxcon and me getting there next Monday. I intend to take it along with me on the flight in my hand luggage and putting it on the table unframed, hopefully on a small table easel as an extra picture to sell and indeed to fill up the table a bit as I don't have much else to put on it! 
On a moonlit night by the Taj Mahal a small group of men sit around a campfire, their tied-up boat floats on the quiet river in the foreground. This picture is all about mood and lighting, based on a blue/orange complementary colour combination, most of the colours being mixed from Prussian Blue and Burnt Sienna. Oil on linen 16" x 12". There is a step-by-step progress through this painting on earlier posts on this blog.

Flyers for Illuxcon

Picked up my new flyers to take to Illuxcon yesterday. Hopefully they will all go to good homes and tweak some interest from from future buyers/commissioners!

Moonlight Encampment - stage 3

I had originally planned for the buildings to be in silhouette but decided it wouldn't work so I have put some subtle detail in. This keeps it as a nice strong shape but now a semi-silhouette. All colours so far have been based around the Burnt Sienna/Prussian Blue combination with a few judicious additions of Permanent Orange. I intend the background to remain sketchy and hope that I don't get tempted to work it up!

The paintings are on their way to Illuxcon

Boxing them up took longer than expected but Rich Newman kindly spent a day and a half making them up in his studio (OK we were chatting a lot) before they were taken to Mail Boxes Etc to organise for FedEx to courier them to the USA. It cost less than I was fearing (Ha! only £525.00.......) and decided to send them by one day Priority Service so they should be there tomorrow, customs willing. Here is a photo of the finished boxes in Rich's studio.

Moonlight Encampment - stage 2

Got down some colour today to give me an idea as to how it will look. Most of the colour is based around mixes of Burnt Sienna, Van Dyke Brown and Prussian Blue. Unfortunately I won't get anything done on this tomorrow as I will be spending most of the day finishing the boxing up of the paintings going to Illuxcon and then getting them to the courier's.

Moonlight Encampment - stage 1

This is just a small painting to get on with while I get things ready for Illuxcon which I am hoping to finish in time to bring along as an unframed painting for sale to put on the table. My plan is to take it over in my hand luggage in a bag as it is easily small enough. The painting is of the Taj Mahal mostly in silhouette with a moonlit sky behind it, a boat is drawn up to the river's edge, a small group of people   sit around a fire on the shore, an orange glow from the firelight complementing the blue in the sky. This is my usual wash-in with a rag using a mixture of Burnt Sienna and Dioxazine Purple thinned with Liquin and turpentine.

Not long now!

Well I have my framed paintings ready to pack up into boxes for FedEx-ing to Illuxcon! God knows what it will cost to send them but it has to be done....I am flying over with Jim Burns which should be fun and from what he has told me about the event, it also should be good fun. I just need to sell another couple of paintings to cover all of my costs and start to make money......