Oil Pastel Drawings

Having looked through some of my previous oil pastel work I would like to share a few examples to bring a little bit more colour to my posts. The first subject is a building in the middle of the High Street, Reigate with its tall brick arches and shops behind. I drew this mainly on location and continued the drawing at home. Drawn with oil pastel as well as soft pastel onto cartridge paper.

Another small sketch drawn from a position halfway up Box Hill in Surrey. I used to work as an Art Technician in the City of London Freemen's School in Ashstead, Surrey and on finishing work I would drive out of the village toward Dorking and look for interesting places to sketch. I liked the expansive view of this landscape and the rich colours.

Portnadler Bay near Looe, Cornwall

Really enjoyed creating the warm colours in contrast with the cool blue of the sea in this painting of Portnadler Bay near Looe in Cornwall. Painted with oil on panel board.

Landscape Paintings of Bodmin Moor

Stowe's Hill viewed from the south west painted 2004

'Drifting Fog Upon Stowes Hill', Bodmin Moor 2009

Fowey Festival

I have always enjoyed this simple painting which is just round the back of Fowey Church. I just let loose on   the warm colours and it seems to have worked. Starting tomorrow is the Fowey Festival with an art trail and see if you can sneak a peek behind the church.

Sibblyback Lake

Just try a walk around Sibblyback Lake near Liskeard in the evening as the sun goes down and peace can't   help but descend

The Bear That Stayed The Night In Liskeard

A story found in a wonderful book called 'Liskeard Bygones' by Jack Haworth led me to begin a drawing about a lodging house in Higher Lux Street and its unexpected guest. The lodging house was owned by 'Bat' Rowe who had the pleasure of offering lodgings to two frenchmen who had neglected to mention their profession and  unbeknown to 'Bat'  had a performing bear. On the night in question the two Frenchmen retired to bed and left the bear in the downstairs passage. Old 'Bat', returning home late and in a tipsy condition, stumbled over the bear in the dark and thinking it was a drunken lodger shouted "what the deuce.... Why don't you get your boots off and go to bed like the rest ?". Suddenly, the bear angrily rose to its feet, at the sight of which old Bat took a flying leap out of the house refusing to return until the animal and its owners were well on the road next morning. My drawing shows the moments after Bat had fled and a local neighbour is investigating what all the commotion is about.

I have seen old photographs by J.H and C.H. Coath from the period around 1906 of bear performers on the beach front at Downderry in Cornwall. One can just imagine the pain and discomfort the poor bear would have experienced so in the drawing I chose not to show the head harness or the sticks for beating the bear.

The smartly dressed man with top hat is furious with the bear handler in the centre of picture as he neglected to keep the head harness on the bear. The bear tamer fellow in the centre of picture is doffing his hat at a mistress on the top landing who is out of picture and completely oblivious to the drama. 

I feel quite pleased with the drawing as it feels more or less complete. Possibly need to define the hands of the man on the stairs otherwise we are there. I used a little artistic licence when it came to the view through the doorway as the shop on the left is 'Oughs' the butchers which is at the bottom of Lower Lux Street. I felt the shop front composition works well as it leads the eye beyond the doorway. 

Leap of Faith at Cannon Hill, Liskeard

Have been wanting to base a drawing about a Doctor Eastwell, who in the 1800s had a practice in Liskeard. The story is based around the top of what is now called Cannon Hill with the junction of Church Street in Liskeard. Long ago there was a wall at the top of Cannon Hill where we now have metal railings just outside a shop called 'Broads'. You can see in this black and white photo during the late 1800s with the wall still intact on the lower right of picture.

Here again you can see more clearly the wall in front of the shop as seen from Church Street. Ancient House can be clearly seen on the left but the steps leading up to a door with what looks like a shop below have been demolished. 

The area of the wall was popular and was often occupied during the evenings by navvies, gypsies and loafers. The regular gathering continued year in and year out until the Salvation Army came to town -but that's another story. Returning to our Doctor Eastwell; whom it is said enjoyed more than the odd drink or two and 'lived in the saddle', became so enraged with the gathering hoard of loafers that one day he came riding down Church Street at a furious rate and whether 'top heavy' or for a bet or whatever, he rode his horse through the throng and his horse clean jumped the wall, landing on her haunches as the old mare slithered down the hill', much to the relief and amazement of the onlookers.

I included a few frantic chickens and the blind man holding a stick together with his friend who seems to have the look of a monk about him.