Learning to See

Inspiration and practical advice for aspiring realist artists

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Lavender and Hay Bales in Sault, Provence

August 16, 2018 By: Paul23 Comments

Lavender and Hay Bales, Sault, Provence – oil on panel, 7 x 5 inches Click here to bid. This was one of my last paintings from Julian’s workshop in Provence last month. As usual, despite spending ages deciding which view to paint, I made a few mistakes during set up. The main mistake I made

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Don’t Stand in the Sun! Second Plein Air Painting

August 10, 2018 By: Paul9 Comments

I thought I’d picked a good spot.

There was slight shade on me, keeping the full Provence sun from baking my head, and I had good light on my panel.

The other workshop attendees were mostly in front of me, in my field of view and obscuring some of the scene. But I thought I’d be able to edit them out as I painted and make up the bits I couldn’t see.

Shaded Track in Provence

August 8, 2018 By: Paul35 Comments

So here is my first ever plein air painting!

Well, I suppose that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

When I was on my foundation year at art college (post-school, pre-university) I spent quite a bit of time wandering around the North Yorkshire Moors, where I lived, doing little studies that then became very large paintings of rocks.

So it’s not quite the first. But it’s the first time I tried to to make a finished piece completely en plein air, and the first time I’ve painted outside for, erm, 30 years. I think.

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Hi, I’m Paul

I'm a (mostly) self-taught artist. I paint realism in oils, mostly still life. I share my work, my evolving process and what knowledge I've gained on my own learning journey here, in the hope that it might help you on yours.
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