7 of 7 of Roker Sky #1

Here it is. I'm not totally happy with the roofs, I think they look like burnt-out industrial units, which wasn't the intention. But I'm glad I put them in because they were essential, and I could have made excuses for not taking the plunge for weeks. But then I would have been left with a 'pretty' sky, which wasn't my intention either.


Also, the whites in the upper areas weren't white but a very pale grey, the only area of true white was near the skyline where the sun was shining, under lighting the clouds. I won't change the painting at this stage as the paint is still very wet. I may put a slight grey tint over them when the paint's cured more.


In the next one the roofs will be on a smaller scale so that the sky looks even bigger.


The photo has pixilated the colours, but if you send me $5,000.00 I'll be happy send it to you, if you agree to pay the postage.

steps 5 and 6 of 7

Almost there now. Stepping back to make sure I hadn't compromised any proportions, which might result in a contrived-looking scene, I saw that there were greens in the greys and yellow in the whites, so I added these, and suddenly the painting was 'lifted' to another level. I'm definitely going to do more sky gazing, making a note of any colours I see other than blue, grey and white, for future reference.

I built up the depth of oil paint in the lower portion, as I knew I wanted to slice into the paint when adding the rooftops. This is when I started to hesitate. How to add the rooftops. I only had a fleeting urge to leave this one as it was, and add rooftops top the next painting. But NO! They were an integral part of my idea. I must be brave.

You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if I pull it off. here's hoping.

stages 3 and 4 of 7

When running downhill very fast, if you stop to think, then you'll fall over. That was the sensation I had when I was painting this. I think I held my breath for those 2 hours.

I'd take a slug of water every so often, stepping back to judge where I was up to, then I'd launch back in, to make a change, or to move on down the canvas.

I could see that the clouds were lit from below and slightly from behind. This was a sky in the late afternoon, early winter, with only an hour of light left in the day. It rained later that evening.

To think, those clouds don't exist any more. It's not like painting a landscape, where the hills and trees will be there tomorrow, even though the light changes and the seasons advance. With skies, I don't know. But it's different. I know one thing can't me more unique than another unique thing. But skies are. Maybe I just need more coffee.

stage 1 and 2 of 7

I made a start in oils on a sky today, working from the photos I took.

The canvas is about 14" by 20". I decided to work on it as though I was painting a landscape, blocking in the distant blue sky first, getting the general proportions, but keeping it loose. Then I painted over the blues in a wash of white spirit, because i didn't want the texture of the canvas showing through with any dry-brushing in those areas.

Then, starting top left where the deep grey cloud bank was, I worked my way gradually down. I worked with my eyes half-shut sometimes at this early stage to sketch in the areas of deepest greys and blues. I was amazed at how twisting and contorted some of the areas of cloud were.

Whilst I was working on this, I was listening to Mendelssohn's 'Elijah', a very stirring choral work which suited, or maybe even set the mood perfectly.

I have finished this in the one 2 hour sitting, but I think I'll build your anticipation and reveal it over the next few days. I can say at this moment that I'm very excited about this painting. And already I can see what I want to do next.

Here's what's got me excited

This is a photo of the sky over Roker last week. For anyone who's not familiar with Roker, we're on the corner of the River Wear on the North East coast of England, looking east over the North Sea.

Now if I can paint this, without making it look pretty, I'll be a happy person indeed.

Today I hope to get more photos as it's about to rain and the clouds are black and saturated, and there's a bank of cloud hanging heavily in the sky like a scruffy old wet floor-cloth.

These are great!

Actually, they're awful. They're oil pastel studies of the sky over Roker. I could see that the sky is like a landscape, and the further towards the horizon you look, the more compact the formations seem to get, in a way. The cloud banks were grey, with yellow highlights.

What makes me happy with these, even though they fail in so, so many ways, is that they show I've made a start in trying to get to grips with the sky. Hey! Things can only get better, right?