Painting No 14 - Troutbeck

Oil on canvas board 16" x 20"

I do like to make things difficult for myself. I was looking through an old 1930's guide to the Lake District when I saw this scene in a small monchrome photograph.  The overall composition really appealed to me. 

There was obviously no colour so I took a look on Google Streetview and immediately found the house.  Unfortunately I couldn't get the view into exactly the same position and it was a winter shot.  It also looks like there's a lot of foreshortening in the original photograph. 



 So, I had a go anyway.  I left out the dog as I couldn't make it out in the original and didn't want to risk spoiling it.  I'm relatively pleased with the overall result but am a little disappointed that I still can't relax the detail.  The result is a mixed bag of styles (compare the tree trunk and the house) but then again it's all subjective hopefully some will like it.

Painting No 13 - Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man

Oil on Canvas Board 16" x 12"

Well this one was a surprise.  As I was doing it I thought is was going to be a complete disaster but it suddenly all came together and I quite like it now.  I thought I was going to have to come back to it (never a good idea) but I'm going to leave it as it is.  The more I look at it the more I think it looks like me.  Not a pretty sight I know but we can't all be pin-ups and ,yes, my ears really are that big.  Not bad for a first portrait.  Think I'll do some more.