Architecture, art, illustration and more…

I love...

the early stage of a painting as it emerges from the paper surface in front of you. Sadly, this is rarely sustained and as the work progresses I find the result never quite meets my expectations and goes downhill from there on in! Maybe it's to do with the potential a piece of work has and this can never be fully realised. Here is a detail from my latest watercolour study of St Leonard's Church in Sherfield English near Romsey Hampshire. Built in 1902/3 it replaced an earlier church which was pulled down due to its insecurity. The drawing was made from a colour site sketch and photographs taken on the day.

Posted on 28 November 2020

Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower is a Georgian folly situated in the Cotswolds just south west of Chipping Campden. It was the brainchild of the garden designer Capability Brown and designed by the architect James Wyatt and completed in 1798. 290 x 440mm on Saunders Waterford 140Ib Cold Pressed paper.

Posted on 16 November 2020

Hinton Ampner...

Watercolour painting showing the south/rear elevation of the stately home at Hinton Ampner near Alresford Hampshire. Not a particularly noteworthy building which replaced an earlier Tudor house and is noted more today for its gardens. Originally built in 1790 it was extensively remodeled in 1867 and then again in the Neo-Georgian style you see today in 1936. Badly damaged in a fire in 1960 it was restored to its original 1936 appearance. 320 x 470mm on 140Ib Arches cold pressed paper.

Posted on 30 October 2020

Something different...

Here's an artwork commissioned as a company leaving gift. It's of Montpelier railway station in Bristol. Approx. 260 x 400mm on 140Ib Saunders Waterford.

Posted on 19 October 2020

Stourhead House #2

Completed watercolour artwork of the East Front of Stourhead House. 300 x 550mm on 140Ib Arches NOT surface.

Posted on 12 October 2020

Stourhead House

Work in progress showing a watercolour painting of the 18th century mansion house at Stourhead in Wiltshire. This piece was put together from my initial sketch done on location and numerous photographs and online references. 295 x 550mm on Arches NOT 140Ib watercolour paper

Posted on 03 October 2020

Inaugural post...

to celebrate the launch of my new website! Same address - new look! Thanks to Jess and Sajan at the chapel, a.k.a. https://3men2.co.uk/ who have done a sterling job.

Posted on 17 September 2020

Salisbury Cathedral revisited #2...

Showing the finished watercolour drawing. Lots of fine detail here, so much so that I could have made it larger to do justice to this wonderful building. One of the best examples of early English architecture. Main body of cathedral built between 1220 and 1258. 420 x 520mm on 140Ib Arches.

Posted on 10 September 2020

Salisbury Cathedral revisited...

showing the pencil draft ready for watercolour. I've darkened this drawing so it shows up, the original is lighter. Based on an original sketch done in September 2018 with reference photographs taken on the day. 420 x 520mm on 140Ib Arches NOT surface

Posted on 04 August 2020

The New Forest...

and a loose sketch of a fallen tree. Rapid location sketching takes the "preciousness" out of more controlled studio work: the focus here was concerned with the representation of strong cast shadows in order to explain form. 190 x 280mm sketchbook on 140Ib Saunders Waterford NOT surface.

Posted on 01 August 2020

Warnford church...

A pencil sketch and coloured version of the church yard and ruins beyond of a 13th century house. Sketchbook 180 x 280mm on 140Ib Saunders Waterford NOT surface.

Posted on 17 July 2020

Something different...

Two lion statues - watercolour max sizes 180 x 280mm

Posted on 16 July 2020

Strawberry Hill House: Revisited...

Read about how I produced my recent watercolour from sketchbook to artwork entitled: Strawberry Hill Captured in Watercolour on their website here

Posted on 16 May 2020

Lockdown #2...

Here's my formal watercolour together with the original sketch showing a view of The Vyne, a 16th century country house and gardens near Basingstoke, Hampshire. Image size 320 x 500mm on 140Ib Arches Cold Pressed (NOT) watercolour paper.

Posted on 04 May 2020

Lockdown...

and time to self-indulge between illustration commissions. Here is Horace Walpole's Strawberry House in the Gothic Revival style. Top: initial sketch done on location last year and completed in my studio; below: the finished watercolour. 310 x 470mm on 140Ib Saunders Waterford Cold Pressed (NOT) watercolour paper.

Posted on 13 April 2020

Sunrise...

Posted on 23 March 2020

INVITATION...

Posted on 09 March 2020

Exhibition at The First Gallery, Southampton...

I have a few watercolours for sale at the First Gallery in Bitterne from 7 - 22 March in a mixed show representing work by graduates of the Royal College of Art including Sir Norman Ackroyd CBE and Chris Orr MBE. Here are two of my framed pieces and a link to their Facebook page. Top: River Neckinger, Shad Thames; Below: Landscape with River.

Posted on 05 March 2020

Exhibition success...

I'm pleased to say that my recent piece Winchester Cathedral at Night has been accepted for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours' annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in April. This will be the fourth time I have had work in this prestigious show and each time the work has sold so fingers crossed! The last time was 2014 as I've been kept busy on commissioned work and writing my book but it's nice to see my work alongside RI members and other artists' work.

Posted on 13 February 2020

Charlecote Gatehouse...

Page in sketchbook and finished watercolour showing the west elevation viewed from the house. Sketchbook size A4 and painting 320 x 470mm on Arches 140Ib NOT surface.

Posted on 07 February 2020

New build aerial view...

showing the layout of a proposed small residential development in the vernacular of the locality,

Posted on 10 January 2020

Watercolour workshop...

I will be teaching on a one-day architectural watercolour workshop at the Watts Gallery near Guilford on Friday 15th May 2020. I'll be posting information soon for anyone interested and details will be on their website shortly - here's a link - and a quick sketch done earlier last year.

Posted on 03 January 2020