sea blue sky abstracts

Here's a bigger painting for August rendered in oil on Arches Huile paper.  Now at St Ives Society of Artists Christmas Open Exhibition. Well worth a visit, this bumper show is open daily admission free and all are welcome. 'Wet Sand and Water, Gleaming Light' oil on Arches huile cold pressed paper, framed, 50 x 41cm. Click image to enlarge. Copyright Lesley Ninnes St Ives, Cornwall.

Such glorious weather in St Ives today, in fact, the weather has been good all week - what a difference it makes.  Trees are bursting into life and bright mornings are full of birdsong. Here are my latest paintings.  They can be found at Art Space Gallery, St Ives right now. 'Inviting Breakers' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Surf, Wind and Some Blue Sky' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Windless Porthmeor' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Seascape, Special Light' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Blue Sky, Godrevy Lighthouse' oik on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Lively Seascape' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm.  SOLD 'Cold, Bright Beach' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD 'Sand Channels' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD Click pics to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes St Ives, C...

At last, my blog is up to date! These first three paintings are displayed at Art Space Gallery, St Ives 'Low Tide Contemplation' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm.   SOLD 'Sky Bright Seascape' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm.  SOLD 'Coast, Autumn Weather' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm.   SOLD 'Shore Rollers' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm.   SOLD is currently hanging at St Ives Society of Artists Mariners Gallery (until 22 November 2016) 'Godrevy Lighthouse, Across the Bay' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD   'A Day of Promise' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD  'Recalling Summer' oil on board, 13.5 x 13.5 cm. SOLD The following paintings are mounted and can be found in the browsers at St Ives Society of Artists Mariners Gallery 'When You Paddle' oil on board, 11.5 x 26 cm. SOLD 'Stor...

A busy but enjoyable time has been spent producing the nine small paintings below. There's an interesting story behind this first which is rendered on what was the back of a green painted board - see the part it plays in the painting which appears on this post !    The board was liberally coated with PVA glue but proved too weighty for the canvas, so I had the bright idea of peeling the painted layer off the backing. The paper covering of the backing board was wet with glue and a residue of green paint could be seen around the edges.  I moved the wet paper around a bit and pushed on some paint, which was absorbed by the porous surface, giving a soft, chalky appearance.  Soon the paper shape was saying 'cliff/headland'.................and the creation of what was to become 'Gwithian Impression 2012' had begun. 'Gwithian Impression 2012' mixed media on board, 17.5 x 17 cm.  SOLD 'Gwithian, Rough Weather' oil on board, 12.5 x 12.5 cm.   SOLD 'Tiny S...

Last Thursday found me at a workshop held by Michele Wright and Marie Keeling at the Porthmeor Printmakers premises in Back Road West, St Ives.  There was an opportunity to produce a drypoint print before moving on to create collagraph prints - the first example of which can be seen below. With collagraph, all sorts of materials can be stuck onto board to create texture and imagery.  My board has some sort of fibre thread, bracken fronds, anaglypta and at the top, pieces of an absorbent paper that's often used to wrap flowers, all glued down with PVA adhesive.  The entire surface of the board is then sealed with Shellac and when dry is put through the printing press.   (Now I've slipped up here having not photographed the prints before painting on them at home - my favourite part!) The first was very inky - there's even a splodge at the bottom.  The bracken has been painted over with watercolour and gouache with pink gouache over the light area around...

So tardy, nothing's going to change there - yes it's true - a week has passed since Carolyn, Andrea and I got together.  Plus, unlike the others, I didn't think to bring a camera, so have used a publicity photo of the restaurant we visited and harbour photos from my archive to give an idea of our day.  They're not really necessary though because Carolyn has recorded everything already in this wonderful post .  There was plenty of glorious sunshine - and also a very stiff Easterly breeze blowing. Andrea, click here  to visit her blog (users of Google Chrome will be able to translate the German to English) travelled from Switzerland the day before, making a long awaited return journey to St Ives and the three of us enjoyed lunch at Ocean Grill  before going down onto the sand and heading for West Pier. The tide was very low, so conditions were ideal for a spot of beachcombing, with Carolyn leading the way to one of her 'hunting grounds'.   ...

This little oil painting on board, which measures 12.5 x 12.5 cm, is a typical example of those that I frame and sell at Art Space Gallery   and usually display on Picture from St Ives Although it may seem surprising, this little picture is the result of many hours of work:  starting with a sketchy idea and then allowing the subject to expand and evolve, not really knowing at first whether the sky will be grey or blue or the sea choppy or calm - whether there will even be rocks.  Perhaps the fact that the outcome is unpredictable is what makes these paintings so interesting and fun to do?  'St Ives Bay & Godrevy'.   SOLD ' Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes. Have a good weekend everyone. x

A selection of original paintings on board in various sizes - which have already been taken to the framers to be float mounted.  Unfortunately I forgot to measure them first!  They're quite a bit larger than the usual 12.5 x 12.5 cm square paintings though, with the exception of the last one, that is.  Currently to be found in the browser boxes at St Ives Society of Artists.  'Morning Moon'.   SOLD  'Evening Approach'.   SOLD 'Porthmeor - Blue & Grey'.   SOLD 'Sea Fury'.   SOLD 'Red Sky Seascape'.   SOLD 'Sunset Orange Sky'.   SOLD Click to enlarge.  Copyright Lesley Ninnes.