I did these three tonal studies after a visit to Pittenweem. I referred to my sketch book to capture the feeling of the place. It was after a storm hence the large waves. I used black and white oil paint and two other tones mixed from the black and white. I have to decide which ones to work on for a larger painting. I can’t decide.

Our central heating packed in on Saturday. This morning was very cold and frosty. While it was being fixed I took the opportunity of showing my appreciation for our woodburning stove by sketching it. What you don’t see in this drawing is that I have the kettle heating on top of the stove to make a cuppa. Our cat Xena is snoring in the other chair on the right. On my feet I am wearing my new cosy slippers.

The first image is my study of the Wave. I started the painting using a discarded piece of cardboard. I prepared it with a  layer of gesso, this enables the pastel to adhere to the surface. My idea was to be less precious about the painting. I enjoyed it so much that the painting started to work out. I then went in search of more archival quality support and progressed onto the much larger second painting.

I had to get on and complete my still life as we are having friends for dinner. This is a photo of my set up.

This is my sketch photographed from my large sketch pad. I plan to set up a similar still life in the studio and do a colour version. As you will see from the other photo, the colours are quite dramatic.

I am still thinking of Summer despite the zero degrees last night, it is warm in the studio. I stumbled across this lovely display of wild flowers just outside Balmullo, Fife. They have been in my mind since then and it is good to get my feeling of the  scene on paper.

I enjoy doing paintings of people concentrating on their craft. Chefs are great subjects for this. The Chef was cooking at a market stall in Dundee city centre. This was one very large paella pan!

I was at the Gallery in Broughty Ferry getting some work framed. Afterwards I took a walk to see if there was anything interesting to sketch. There are often Swans down on the Tay and sure enough I saw at least ten of them enjoying  some late morning sun. They were also rather keen to see if I had food for them in my bag. More than one of them wandered straight up to me to the point I had to back away a bit.

I have been away on a short break to Dunkeld. On the Sunday night “The Troot Tour Two” were playing in the lounge. The sketches are taken from my sketch book. It was really enjoyable sketching away to the music. The second sketch was done over an acrylic wash.

This small painting was done as preparation for a landscape demonstration at the St Andrews Art Club.

I did this small study yesterday. I started blocking in mid tones then worked on the dark tones and finished with the lights. This was done on Canson pastel paper on the textured side.