Stormy sky, Cockenzie

Stormy sky, Cockenzie

Oil on canvas
16x16 inches

Painted from sketches and reference shots I made the warmth of my car on the way back up the coast. I liked the energy an colours of the sky over the 'ugly' power station at Cockenzie.

In the distance further round the coast is Edinburgh with Arthurs Seat visible. Wanted to keep these elements subdued and secondary to the sky.

Ryan

Self Portrait in Profile

Self Portrait in Profile
Oil on canvas
20x28 inches

Had a real learning curve with this, portraits are tricky to get right and the head in profile can be trickier yet! Getting the shapes and angles right take a fair amount of observation. This one took a while as I waited for layers to dry inbetween painting sessions.

Ryan

The White Cup

The White Cup

Oil on canvas

16x20 inches

I've been doing an evening class working on still lifes in oil paint, picking up a few tips here and there. I do find still lifes a great training exercise for painting. Its a real challenge being presented with a new object and working out how best to render it in 2D.

The copper pot had great colours and shine to it and the different cloths and the weathered slate were also a challenge. I opted for the white cup being the focal point as for me it stands out from a busy set-up.

This took about 5 hours to complete over three weeks. We're now looking at more abstract work and will be working up another finished oil. Abstraction will be a departure for me so I'll see how it goes....

Ryan