Wow - what a great start to 2015. This original painting was bought last night. The purchasers had come across my work at Bridlington Spa during our 'Double Vision 2014' exhibition last October. They bought two of my paintings and a print by Merice. However they had both noticed this painting and later contacted me to see if it was still available. Happily it was, so arrangements were made and it was picked up last evening. They are a lovely couple and with three paintings and a print, I guess they are now my latest collectors. The painting was one of three in my "Follow the Leader" series - a series based on the work of the great Victorian artist Benjamin Williams Leader RA - and is the last of the trio to be sold. It's a classic landscape that I painted in the traditional manner starting with the sky and working my way forwards. You can see that the composition is nearly two thirds sky which can be painted quickly and loosely using the traditional 'wet in wet' technique. It's always good when you get the sky right as it sets the tone of the painting and....your painting is already two thirds done! I masked the fence so I could paint over it confident that the strong shapes were protected for later. I used my usual six colours - winsor red, winsor yellow, ultramarine blue, brown madder, antwerp blue and payne's gray - so I knew harmony was guaranteed. I added a little raw sienna for a bit of body (no pun intended!) on the gravestones and flagstones in the path. I settled on the same colour as the sky for the ploughed field so it blended in better. Once I removed the mask, the fence made a strong statement and vied with the yew tree as the main focal point. But it wasn't until I added the shadows that the painting really sprang to life. There is a tinge of sadness that all three of the series have gone so quickly but I am glad they have gone to homes where I know they will be appreciated. I can still enjoy the image though on a wide range of goods from prints and cards to tote bags.
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