On Location – Page 5 – Roy Connelly

Oi! No painting in the Street

Leave a Comment / Advice for Artists, On Location / Roy

Ken Howard, Roy Connelly and Peter Brown Above: Ken Howard, Peter Brown, Roy Connelly – click to view

This is a recent interview with Ken Howard RA in which he talks about the difficulties encountered when painting on the streets of London. The problem is not one of perspective, capturing the light or changing weather but of being moved on under the spurious excuse of ‘health and safety’.

I was pleased to get a mention in the article, along with Pete the Street – Peter Brown NEAC.

The Health and Safety Executive saw fit to respond with a letter defending common sense:

“Real health and safety is about dealing with risks that are likely to cause serious harm or even death to those in workplaces. I would urge you to challenge those jobsworths who persist in devaluing the real and important stuff by using “elf ‘n’ safety” as an easy excuse for spoiling everyone else’s enjoyment.”

In a humourous response to the original story in the Telegraph, The Guardian newspaper found 10 ‘serious menaces’ in Trafalgar Square that were apparently missed by the wardens.

Oi! No painting in the Street Read More »

London’s looking good

4 Comments / On Location, Paintings / Roy

Painting in The Mall a day before the Royal Wedding, London is looking great with so many flags flying and the sun shining. Some people were camping out to get a view on the big day.

A message of congratulations on the window at W H Patterson in Mayfair.
(far left is my 20x16in Regent Street painting, on the right is a very nice view of the palace by Peter van Breda)

Regent Street flags, 10x12in. The smaller of two views I painted while standing on a traffic island in the middle of the road.

I had been painting the Union Flags and noticed this red white and blue pattern had appeared in my dipper – almost a French tricolour.

London’s looking good Read More »

Spring in Oxford

2 Comments / On Location, Paintings / Roy

Spring in Oxford, oil on linen, 20 x 24 inches (50 x 60cm)

Above: the painting nearing completion. As usual, this picture was painted entirely on location. There was a gap of two weeks between beginning the painting and going back to finish it. You will notice that when I started (photo below) the trees were bright pink with blossom. When I returned for the second session they had turned green, fortunately I had got far enough with the trees to have got away with it!

Spring in Oxford Read More »

Move along!

1 Comment / Advice for Artists, On Location / Roy

Ken Howard has been in the news this week. He has been moved on twice recently while painting the streets of London. Details in The Telegraph.

Ken Howard painting in Richmond

I also paint in the streets of London. In my experience most people are very happy to see artists at work. It seems to be private security, under the direction of CCTV controllers, that try to move you.

I usually try to stand my ground. After a polite chat they will often relent and I can carry on with my work.

The South Bank however is a wonderful place to paint. I have found the management and security guards of The Southbank Centre have a friendly attitude to artists. The buskers, artists, skate boarders and the Golden Carousel all add to the wonderful atmosphere and nothing beats a walk along the river on a sunny afternoon or evening.

Above: The Golden Carousel on the South Bank by Roy Connelly.
Oil on board, 10×20 inches. Private Collection.

Move along! Read More »

Spring is on its way

4 Comments / On Location / Roy

One advantage of working outside throughout the year is being aware of the changing seasons. It definitely feels as if spring is here at last.

I thought I would share a few of the photos I have taken while out painting over the last few days.

Clockwise from top left: The Chess Valley, Richmond Bridge, A friendly heron at Richmond, a tiny bee that settle on my painting kit.

Spring is on its way Read More »

Strand on the Green

4 Comments / On Location / Roy

I worked pretty fast on this 24 x 30 inch canvas to try and catch the light before it changed. The whole scene became gradually more blue as the sun moved around and I stopped work just before lunch. After a bite to eat with friends at a nearby cafe I returned to my easel just before the rapidly rising tide reached it. I will go back to the location tomorrow to finish it off – light permitting.

Update:
I returned the following morning hoping to finish it off but the light was totally different. I worked a little on the foreshore then left it to finish another day. I am now waiting for a day when the tide is lowest at 11am and with a clear sky but before the leaves come out on the trees. Hopefully that is not too much to ask for. Below you can see the picture as it is at the moment.

Strand on the Green Read More »

Artist at Work

Snow at Marlow

1 Comment / On Location / Roy

Snow at Marlow. Oil on linen, 20 x 36 inches.

This series of photographs was taken over a period of two hours on 21 December – the winter solstice.

The first stage was to apply an imprimatura of raw umber and ultramarine blue to the canvas. Then I very roughly marked out the composition with thin paint – also using a rag to draw into the wet paint. A glaze medium was used to ensure the thinned paint was not underbound.

I was lucky that the quality of light changed very little through out the afternoon so I was able to keep painting for a couple of hours. I will look at it again in a few days but I think it is finished.

Snow at Marlow Read More »

More Snow – A painter’s guide to staying warm.

6 Comments / Advice for Artists, On Location / Roy

I have been painting out in the snow again so thought I would pass on a few tips to keep you warm on your winter plein air painting trips.

The key to staying warm when you are painting in the cold is to dress in layers. Several thin layers will trap more warm air than one thick layer and can be easily adjusted to suit changes in temperature. Start with a synthetic (or silk) base laser with long-sleeves – I use Paramo‘s excellent and seemingly everlasting thermal clothing. Next, a number of thin mid-layers, fleece jumpers etc, and finally a water/wind-proof outer layer.

A lot of heat is lost from your legs, so fleece-lined trousers like those made by Craghoppers and Rohan will really help to keep you warm. Otherwise, get some long-johns. A pair of waterproof over-trousers can be useful too if it is raining or windy, or just as an extra layer on very cold days.

Don’t forget to wear a hat! Mine is fleece lined and waterproof, with a peak to keep the low winter sun out of my eyes. Most importantly it has ear flaps!

I usually wear gloves to paint in winter. I use thin liner-gloves. These are designed to be worn inside mittens or over-gloves but they are warm enough to be worn on their own and thin enough not to interfere with brush handling. If it is very cold I will wear another thin pair over the top.

A thermal neck warmer is a great asset. If your neck gets cold you tend to hunch up your shoulders – making it difficult to paint. Avoid scarves if you don’t want the end to dangle in your paint!

The secret to warm feet in the snow? Make sure your boots really are waterproof. If the damp gets in your feet are going to get cold. I use Muck Boots which are completely waterproof and have a good solid sole. Avoid ordinary wellies, they might be waterproof but they are not designed to keep you warm. If you wear leather walking boots make sure they are regularly treated to maintain their waterproofness. Thermal socks are essential and it’s important to make sure your boots are big enough – you should be able to wiggle your toes even with a thick pair of socks on.

As well as having the right equipment it is also important to make sure you have food and drink with you. A flask with a hot drink can be a life-saver, but don’t forget that even just drinking water will keep you hydrated which in turn will help your circulation and keep you warm.

After an hour and a half working on this picture my feet were just as warm as when I started and if it wasn’t getting dark I would have carried on with another painting.

More Snow – A painter’s guide to staying warm. Read More »