The magic of the moors at Cober Hill

Having recently returned from a fun packed inspirational painting break at Cober Hill (Sunday 5 October - Wednesday 7 October) near Scarborough, the painting break I ran has filled us all with lots on new painting ideas with students eager to return ASAP!

With full day studio painting, evening demonstrations  and outdoor painting directly on the moors, it was a delight to see how everyone enjoyed it so much and with superb painting results.

Exploring different painting media on different papers and surfaces it was really great to help guide and encourage  all enthusiastic students just exactly what was possible when combining different media together - even outdoors!

Knowing the landscape close to Cober Hill had so much to offer with lots of different inspirational views, on the way to Fylingdales moor for our sketching and painting field trip on Wednesday we passed through some superb woodland on the way visiting the highest point of the moors close to Cober Hill to take in this superb view overlooking the valley in the early morning November sun - superb!

Realistically we were lucky to have a window of opportunity to paint on the moors in such changeable weather and experience the dramatic landscape at first hand at Fylingdales Moor for a few hours sketching. This was all we needed and perfect for all to soak up the atmosphere and experience the dramatic light and paint the beautiful colours and textures of the moorland heather in particular. The rising mists through the distant trees over the moor was quite spectacular.

Fylingdales Moor is very unique. Lone trees are scattered through the wide moorland expanse landscape almost acting as sentinels for this remarkable landscape. They made the perfect focus as well for our moorland landscapes later created with acrylic on canvas in the studio adding gesso and pumice to express the textures of the moors still further!

It was really great to teach a class full of really enthusiastic students lots of different creative techniques, share may different experiences, exchange ideas and above all have a really great time together painting some wonderful moorland paintings.

Finally a big thanks to all the staff at Cober hill who really made this art break for us all that bit extra special.

I’m looking forward to teaching again at Cober Hill and with bookings being taken NOW for the next art courses this is indeed great news.

Thanks again everyone. It was just great!

Here are the next three for 2015

1. Sunday 22 March - Friday 27 March ‘15. Contemporary seascapes with pastel and watercolour.

2. Sunday 6 September - Friday 11 September. Expressive landscape techniques with Watercolour and pastel

3. Sunday 22 November - Friday 27 November. Autumn landscape theme painting break with acrylic 

Get your skates on. Bookings are now being taken!

For further details for the above residential art breaks and to book your place on these exceptional art courses (which are superb value for money I might add) at Cober Hill, Cloughton, Scarborough please ring the administration team at Cober Hill on 01723 870 310 or email: enquiries@coberhill.co.uk

www.coberhill.co.uk

Cober Hill Newlands Road Cloughton, Scarborough YO13 OAR

New art career on the rocks!

Well actually, I'm riding the crest of a wave as it happens! My seascapes are pretty popular at the moment in all sorts of galleries which is absolutely great!

Taking advantage of this amazing early Autumn weather we recently headed for the one of our favourite costal spots on the East Coast of yorkshire - North landing near Flambourough.

The weather was spectacular and I just couldn't resist doing a spot of drawing in this amazing cove. 

With the tide rushing in, ideas for later studio paintings were quickly drawn, remembered and put to paper. 

With the crashing, rolling waves being so attractive, Alfie couldn't resist trying to 'tame and control' them again taking the occasional soaking in the process which put a mile on our faces! 

Here are the results of just some of my latest seascapes with reference from Flamborough, Bempton and near Saltburn.

Over the ocean
Mixed media on Saunders Waterford 140lb (300gsm) 'Not' watercolour paper
15 x 21 inches
Available

Heading out
Mixed media on Saunders Waterford 140lb (300gsm) 'Not' watercolour paper
15 x 21 inches
Available

Gannets are really powerful birds and so majestic in flight - a perfect inclusion in this East Coast painting bringing everything to life and one new finished painting to add to part of my 'Wildlife in context ' series for our forthcoming exhibition 'All Paintings Great and Small' from 16 April - 4 May 2015 at North York moors visitors centre at Danby, North Yorkshire.

It's going to be a great exhibition!

Back to Flamborough
Pastel on Canson Mi-Tintes Touch paper
9 x 12 inches
Available

More to come....I'll keep you posted!

Partners with real passion!

Good business is all about teamwork and lots of positive outcomes are the result of working with professional people you can trust. 

As an artist working 'on' a paper you can trust is also vital. The paper you choose has a hugh effect on your final work. By choosing a top quality paper (and not necessarily an expensive one), you are assured from the start that everything possible has been done for you by the mill to give you the best possible start.

This is exactly what Hahnemühle have done by creating their amazing papers I road tested for 'The Artist' magazine recently (for whom I'm proud to write for and contribute to this exceptional, informative art magazine on a regular basis).

Founded in 1584 Hahnemühle is the oldest German paper makers manufacturing papers for traditional and digital artists as well as industrial papers. The ethos of this pro-active company is close cooperation with national and international partners to enable the transformation of extensive research into results creating new and exciting papers for today's artists to paint upon.

The mill produces lots of different top quality papers  for different artists at different skill levels to really enjoy their painting. I most certainly did when road testing  their 300 gsm matt and rough papers, the really strong and robust 'Andalucia' 500gsm matt and rough papers, as well as several other impressive papers. 

To see the paintings created on these responsive papers and read the full review, the October issue of 'The Artist' magazine is out now! 

So grab yourself a copy whilst stocks last - available from most leading newsagents of visit www.painters-online.co.uk to order your copy directly.

Hahnemühle really have created some great papers! All the paintings I featured in 'The Artist' magazine within the article created on their papers are now ready for exhibition. 

Yes, the papers are that good!

Here is one of them...

Moorland textures 

Mixed media work using acrylic, gesso and pumice on Britannia 300gm 140lb matt 

30 x 40 cm 11.8 x 15.7 inch block pad. 

Available

To discover more about Hahnemühle and to see their full range of papers for all sorts of different artists visit http://www.hahnemuehle.com/en/company.html

All at sea!

This is fresh out of the studio - another expressive painting created on the wonderful and responsive Canson Mi-Tientes Touch paper sent to me by the SAA (Society of All Artists) with whom I'm a professional member. I'll be featuring a thorough 'road test' on several colours on this superb, responsive, pastel support very soon but in the meantime here is on painting I've recently created using the Light Blue colour. 

'Riding the waves'
Pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes Touch pastel support (Light Blue colour) A3 pad
297 x 420 mm
Available

This pastel support is superb! The lightest, delicate strokes and the firmest expressive applications - this paper handles them all, perfectly!

Realistically you need to use very little fixative as the pastel support holds A LOT of pastel which is great and I just love it! 

Knowing that Canson have created Canson Mi-Tientes in 14 different colours in two sheet sizes as micro-abrasive, finely textured, sandblasted, lightfast, age-resistant paper, these Canson Mi-Teintes Touch paper sheets allow for easy corrections and excellent pigment wetting, making them perfect for work with pastel, charcoal,  graphite and so much more!

They are also suitable for wet techniques or mixed media - particularly acrylic and oil pastel.

Available as 50cm x 70cm / 1230gsm  and 50cm x 65cm / 335gsm as Grey Flannel, Dusk, Sepia, Indigo, White (wonderful for charcoal), Cachou, Slate, Grey Sky, Lichen, Black, Chinese grey, Light Blue, Dark Brown and Burgundy.


To find out more visit http://fr.canson.com/pastel-dessin-couleur/canson-mi-teintes-touch
Available from all leading art suppliers with different offers.

Pastel perfection at Guisburgh

What fantastic seascape paintings were created by Priory Art Society on Saturday 20 September art seascape pastel workshop with me!

I just couldn't let another week slip by without mentioning just how great the work was. Really stunning paintings all round and with everyone leaving with lots of new skills,  techniques, enthusiasm for pastels and the superb Canson Mi-Tientes Touch paper I brought with me and a painting to be really proud of...well, job done!

A fantastic experience had by all and I was really happy with my own demonstration piece as well. Just a few finishing touches in the studio and home and voila! 

Here it is...

Between the cliffs

Pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes pastel support

18 x 22 inches

Available

The painting was created on Canson Mi-Tientes Touch paper which is an incredibly responsive paper to all sorts of pastel marks and styles. A full class of 16 students at Priory Arts (of all levels of ability) enthusiastically found this out for themselves too!

I'm representing Canson from 7-9 November this year at 'Art Materials Live' at Birmingham NEC using this superb Canson Mi-Tientes touch pastel paper, Unison pastels and the new improved soft SAA pastels too in open workshops for you!

Lots of other Canson top quality watercolour paper will also be demonstrated on (which will appeal to watermedia artists also) With seascape themes throughout (reference provided) you have everything to gain!

If you follow this link www.icf.co.uk this will give you all the info about this very exciting and interactive event. 

It's going to be a great event. come along and see for yourself!

For further information about Canson top quality papers visit www.en.canson.com/

The creative WOW factor!

How great to be thought of as a WOW artist...and especially by 'The Artist' magazine!
http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=837878f911e69783131c39f96&id=a5a0f717c2&e=c9098b993b

Above

Dappled waters
14 x 15.5 inches (35 x 40cm) 

Acrylic on paper 

The most important thing for me though is for you to see the WOW factor in your own work and this can be achieved on any of my courses - believe me (or rather others), I'll be able to bring 'the artist' out from within you!

Here are some WOW dates for your creative diary!

Birmingham NEC and 'Art Materials Live' provides the perfect opportunity for you to learn to paint an expressive colourful painting with me in either a morning or afternoon workshop such as the lilly painting featured.

This link lets you know more and how to book and what a great offer this is - especially since you get £25 worth of art materials given to you when you book! At £35 pp this is indeed a fantastic offer not to be missed!

http://www.painters-online.co.uk/Workshops/PAINT-WATERLILIES-in-ACYLIC-with-ROBERT-DUTTON/_ws134

Above

The official advert for 'Art Materials Live' workshops sponsored by 'The Artist' magazine featured in various publications recently of 'The Artist' and 'Leisure painter' magazines

WOW workshops in North Yorkshire
My own 6 Autumn workshops teaching you lots of different painting techniques with different media and subjects at Follifoot Village Hall, Follifoot close to Harrogate North Yorkshire offer you lots of different creative opportunities too! 

With the first starting on Saturday 4 October and places filling quickly for these popular painting subjects - I'd get your skates on to book your place!

http://rdcreative.co.uk/art_workshops


WOW residential art breaks
The venues and the whole package for any is just fantastic! There are lots of different locations to choose from - Cumbria, Yorkshire and theYorkshire Dales. this link features them all

http://rdcreative.co.uk/art_holidays



WOW! A lot of choices there for you!

If you need to know any further details for any course, please do get in touch. I'm only too happy to help!

You can call me on 0113 2252481 email me at rdcreative@ntlworld.com or visit my web site for further details www.rdcreative.co.uk

Whitby twinned with Manhattan!

It's the people that matter and none more so than the hard working fishermen at Whitby featured in this painting.

Above

Sorting the last days catch, Whitby

27.5 x 17 inches 

Pastel on 'Sait' P500 pastel paper 

You have to look for them - but they are there. Clue... top middle, if you haven't spotted them already that is!

It would have been real easy to have left them out and just left the birds but adding the figures adds scale to the whole scene and that all important point of focus. 

It was a real tricky painting to finish and was reminiscent of a commissioned painting I did several years ago which featured the 'full stretch' of Manhattan which was created for the Northern Regional Chairman at PwC showing every window and every building in scale one next to the other accurate in scale and position.

Above
Return to Manhattan
72 x 17 inches
Pastel on 'Sait' P500 pastel paper 

This was the exactly approach for this painting 'Sorting the last days catch - Whitby' to include the foreground boats. 

It was one of those pieces, started as a demo for an Art Society (I forget which) that just begged to be completed. I'm delighted that now it is!