More latest paintings

This second post featuring latest paintings shows my usual subjects and compositions, plus a few new ideas.

'Fairground'   6 x 8 inches, oil on board.

A colourful fairground painting, again loosely painted to achieve the feeling of such a busy scene.

'Fish for Dinner'   6 x 8 inches, oil on board.

This simple market scene was painted in a quick and lively fashion, the intention being to avoid detail and show the fast pace and movement of the indoor market stalls surrounded by customers.

'Summer Lane'   8 x 12 inches, oil on board.

Perhaps a more usual subject and composition for me, a country lane winds into the distance with cornfields and trees either side. Rosebay Willow Herb adding a splash of complementary colour to the scene.

'Grazing Land'   8 x 12 inches, oil on board.

A loosely painted work, painted on site in one speedy session. As with most paintings that look as if they were painted quite quickly, much time was spent studying the scene both before and during the painting process. Capturing the fleeting moment, working outside quick and loose can be both exhilarating and tiring! I like to leave the brushwork with an unfinished, unfussy feel, building up the painting with quickly applied untouched strokes. The movement and atmosphere of the scene can so easily ruined by fussing with the paint surface, better I think to leave things be, forgive a few mistakes and allow the viewer to 'feel' the landscape portrayed. It should not need to be described with over fussy detail. Still, I do love paintings that are detailed, its just not my preferred way to work.

I like to leave enough for the viewer to complete the painting with their own imagination.

Actually, the next day when I viewed this painting back in my studio, I was very tempted to 'finish off' a little, but I soon decided to leave it alone. Which bit would I alter? To rework or add detail to one section would probably result in my eventually reworking most or all of the picture. For example, 'finishing off' the grazing cattle might lead me to adding more detail to the trees behind, then the field in front, then the clouds etc etc. I knew, from many spoilt paintings over the years that I should leave it alone. I am always amazed that by simply propping such a painting into a suitable frame, it can immediately look finished, a frame seems to hold it all together! So, if in doubt, leave it be.