On Wednesday we met up at the Park Inn for a Jazz Club session, we got there earlier that the musicians so sketched the venue and other artists until the music started. It was amazing, there is so much going on in Southend that one isn't aware of! What seemed like a good place to sit on arrival was in fact not so good once the musicians were playing but, as usual it was fun.
After our freezing session down the pier Paul, Sue and I decided to return to our normal winter venues, pubs. The Railway has been closed for three or four years so we decided to check it out. It is lovely but, the lighting is so low it was virtually impossible to sketch! Paul used his head torch!
On a very cold and blustery Sunday in November @southendpleinair painters went to the end of the pier to sketch the incredible display of over 100,000 poppies that were displayed the length of the pier. The poppies were donated by people from all over the world, including 80 that I knitted and donated through PICCPals, the charity I am working with. I found a relatively sheltered spot but there are large gaps between the wooden planks and the wind was coming up through them, to the point I could not feel my feet. We all landed up leaving earlier than usual as it was just so very cold.
I started this sketch and realised that everything was out of proportion.
One of Southend Plein Air group invited us to paint at the allotments in Westcliff where he has a plot this Sunday.
A session in Churchill Gardens with @southendpleinairpainters on Sunday. It was a chilly, dull day but the rain held off which is always a plus!
Andy Downes organised yet another Landscape Open competition but in Leigh on sea this time. I used a homemade concertina sketch book again. It is a timed session and I have now worked out more or less the number or size of pages I can complete in the time given. St Clements church and graveyard offers plenty of inspiration.
That was last weekend, this weekend the Southend Plein Air group met up in Sutton Road Cemetery.
I went on a three day course with two friends to the Newlyn School of Art. It is a beautiful part of the country that I hadnt visited in at least 50 years. Spending time with friends and being challenged to try new ways of working was a great experience.
The first day we were taken to Cape Cornwall.
Porthgwarra, on our second day, physically challenging as well as a different way of painting.
I knelt on the edge of an outcrop to paint this!
Our final day was at Pendeen Watch, I had help from the tutor with this one!
I was reluctant to use the white gouache but he slapped a load on which really made the painting!
