New paintings in the mix this New Year

I’ve been having a whale of a time conjuring up new drawings and absolutely loving being outside (albeit my fingers get a bit cold!). Making the most of sketching and mixing it up with coloured neon inks and oil pastels, then splashing them around with water and acrylics to keep it fast and furious. Just like the crazy weather up in the Lake District this Christmas and New Year.

Half of my new drawings were started in the studio whilst on residency at Paper Gallery last December in Manchester. Playing around with notions of the urban landscape and what’s deemed natural and unnatural, artificial or original. I utilised man-made techniques taken from screen printing and using a roller created repeating patterns in subversive colours. I took these with me to the Lakes where I was able to work with a limited range of paint, ink and oil pastels (whatever I could carry!) to create ‘natural’ studies of the landscape around me. Of course they are abstracted interpretations. These were painted en-plein air and reflect these ideas of the urban and natural competing in our landscape.

I’ve also been experimenting on tracing paper and have to admit that the way the paper crinkles up when the water hits it is mesmerising. I’ve attached some pictures of my find results below. The paper just kind of wilts and repairs itself producing the most lovely ripples which really emulates the appearance of moving water.

So these are perfect smaller “studies” in which to start a new series of canvas paintings. I plan on using more mixed media materials such as moulding paste, heavy gel medium and for the first time will try Pebeo’s resin sets. I’m also lucky to have a couple of new commissions to paint over the next few weeks and I plan on sneaking some mixed media on these too…

Do let me know if you have any cool mixed media products you can recommend!

Here are a few photographs I’ve taken of my new work done over the past month and most of these will be available to buy in my shop.