Now that 2023 is over, we should use this as an opportunity to review how it went and what we can do to make 2024 our best year yet. What Went Well What Didn’t Go Well Three Things to Focus on in 2024 Here are three things I want to focus on in 2024, excluding … Read more
I recently put the finishing touches on my painting Montville, Lush Greens, Rainy Day. This was a tricky one with all the plants, leaves, flowers, and trees weaving in and out of focus. All up, it took about five hours spread over several sessions. The last couple of hours were just spent tinkering and adjusting … Read more
I wanted to share a painting that my grandmother gifted me earlier in the year. It was done by her mother (my great-grandmother). She was self-taught and only ever considered herself a hobbyist, but she was passionate about it. I’m told she would spend many weekends painting the landscape from her caravan. Whilst she may … Read more
A few years ago, I tried Ampersand Gessobord as the surface for my oil paintings. I had only ever used canvas up until that point, but I wanted a more sturdy alternative that wouldn’t get damaged by my sometimes rough strokes. Gessobord has since become my go-to surface for most paintings. This is my detailed … Read more
(My “On the Easel” posts give you a behind-the-scenes look at what I am working on, what went well, what went wrong, and lessons learned.) Below is one of my recent paintings, Montville, Red, Yellow, and Green. It depicts the beautiful landscape of Montville, Queensland, Australia. We spent a few nights there around the end … Read more
I recently published a video walking you through my painting, Perth Gardens. You can watch it below. The painting took about four hours spread over several sessions. The video shows you some of the broad steps and decisions I made along the way. If you don’t have time to watch the video, you can read … Read more
In this post, I’ll share what my subject selection process looks like and the questions I ask myself in determining if a subject is worth painting. This is an important topic that doesn’t get enough attention. Most of my “painting” time is spent searching for inspiration and interesting subjects to paint. Overview of My Subject … Read more
“Paint what you love, and love what you paint” Tom Roberts Let’s take a closer look at the iconic Australian painting, Sheering the Rams by Tom Roberts. When I think of outback Australia, this painting comes to mind. I’ll cover: Dimensions: 48.2 x 72.1 inches (122.4 × 183.3 cm) Year Created: 1890 Medium: Oil on … Read more
A student emailed me earlier with a question about light and color. She had done some small flower paintings outside and they turned out well. But when she took the paintings inside and hung them up, she was shocked to see the colors looked completely off. What appeared as warm and luscious colors outside now … Read more
In a recent email titled Revisiting a Familiar Subject, I shared two of my paintings featuring the jetty at Kingfisher Bay, Australia. One was done many years ago when I was a beginner, and one was done earlier this month. The biggest difference between the two paintings is in my handling of color. In my … Read more
For your inspiration today: Anna by Swedish painter Bruno Liljefors. (Click here to download a high-resolution photo of the painting.) What I love most about this painting is the interesting mix of realism and loose, painterly brushwork. Liljefors painted the subject (Anna) with fine rendering and clarity whilst the rest of the painting is more … Read more
I came across this stunning painting the other day titled La Chula by María Sorolla: At first glance, I assumed it was by THE Sorolla. But turns out it was by one of his daughters, María. I went down a few rabbit holes regarding her life and work, but I’ll save that for another day. … Read more