sky gardens

maybe its the solstice,
the clear starry skies of portugal
or the spectacular lunar eclipse we saw

or maybe its this cosmic rose link


but i have been painting sky gardens

combining painting and old textiles bought at estremoz market

a new direction for my work...combining recurring themes in a new way

its going be interesting to see the reaction to them

i wonder what do you think?

introducing a fellow painter...

today i have a guest blog post! a first i think

i'm very pleased to introduce you to laura wright

Hi, my name is Laura Wright. I am a painter based on the South Downs, nr Brighton, UK. I take most of my inspiration from my immediate environment and/or coastal towns I have recently visited in UK, south of France and Andalucia, Spain. I usually visit Cassis in the south of France every summer and completed an artist’s residency in Competa, Andalucia which had a big impression on the colours I now use in most of my paintings. I am drawn to coasts and live on the South coast. I believe there is always a better quality of light.

The paintings below are the first three in the series I have been working on for the forthcoming show at Corte Real Gallery, Paderne, Portugal (starting 16th July) with artists: Sally Stafford and Beth Richardson. The colours are typically Mediterranean.

Sussex Townscape

Norfolk Coast

Cornish Coast


Working towards the exhibition at Corte Real has given me free rein on using these vibrant colours, which I often tone down for the UK market and tastes. I prefer to use bright bold hues - which doesn’t necessarily reflect the British landscape. My palette is predominantly made up of coeruleum blue, lemon and naples yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, and burnt sienna. I also use lots of zinc white and touches of Paynes grey. I finish the work with a gloss varnish to give a slight sheen and more vibrancy to the colours. The varnish also protects the paint which is quite dense - having been worked in layers. This, I think, is also a safeguard for long distance transportation.

I have so far made three of the six paintings (above) for the Corte real exhibition, these first three are all 61x61cm and I am in the early stages of the three larger canvases (100x100cm)
The images below are in the primary stages of two of the subsequent three large canvases of this series and they are also based on coastal views of UK, using a bright Mediterranean palette. I am organising a visit to the Corte Real Gallery to see this work en situ and take away some inspiration from the trip.




Early stages of Fowey Harbour (top) and Looe Harbour, acrylic on box canvas, 100x100cm


To see more of my work visit my website: www.laurawrightpaintings.com

thanks very much for this intro to your work laura...i hope we actually get to meet in portugal, sally x

images of heaven?

ludger here at OBRAS took this photo
its a detail of my latest painting

doesn't it look like a medieval star map?
almost a feel of last nights amazing lunar eclipse

you can read a bit more about the painting here
its the blog of uk artist laura wright

more about her here soon

cork oak morning

a cool spot on a morning walk

obras evenings

i’ve been at obras for 4 days and already there is so much to record and show
where i’m staying is a centre for artists and for scientists....more about it here

on friday night we had a shared evening
show the work of installation artist annemie bogaerts (from the netherlands)
and theatre company director miira sippola (from finland)

the installation was made from local materials...earth and marble dust
the whole thing looked beautifully ethereal in the evening sun
here’s a very short video so you can hear it too





collaborations especially between different disciplines interest and excite me....very much a direction i want to move in

and actually am! more about that soon

below is 30 seconds from another obras evening
sunset, bird song and bells

to ing and fro ing

yesterday i arrived in portugal

it feels be good to be back at obras
among friends
with this view from my terrace



and this familiar rose garden


and these two beautiful creatures

no painting today but i am thinking about writing
thank you to beth for sharing some of my writing here
on her inspirational 'do what you love' blog

bluebell island

i live in a valley
a valley in the heart of the forest of dean
just behind my cottage (and to the front and either side is the forest)
its a mass of bluebells during may
this year has been particularly wonderful
the photos above are just outside the back garden in an area i call my island

ian took this portrait of me there last year


there's more of my bluebell island in the video below
including some of the paintings it inspired