Small oil sketches

For the past few weeks I have been working on a client's commission in the studio on large canvases which means I have less time available for plein air. So, in order to feed my need for quick spontaneous outdoor work I have decided to develop a series of small oil sketches. These below were done in my favourite allotments spot in the evening. I made a point of keeping it fresh, quick, simple and lively. 

Traditionally, old masters would do such outdoor sketches to use them later in the studio as a reference for larger pieces. And it is only recently that they are being seen as proper stand alone pieces of Art. I have secretly always preferred these small spontaneous sketches to the sometimes overworked studio pieces. 

Here are below my first 7 paintings of the series. I hope you enjoy looking at them half as much as I enjoyed painting them...

Small oil sketches series - Allotments 1   5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Small oil sketches series - Allotments 2   5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Small oil sketches series - Allotments 3   5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Small oil sketches series - Allotments 4   5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Small oil sketches series - Allotments 5   5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Small oil sketches series - Sky   5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Small oil sketches series - Sunset  5"x7" (13/18cm)  oil on board

Here are below some pictures of the paintings in progress. As mentioned before, I've always loved painting in this serene allotments place. And you never know what will happen. While painting some of these scenes, I got to chat with lovely people, received some rhubarb which I turned into a crumble (my proudest moment of the year - I never bake) and got invited to their annual allotment picnic! Who knows what will be next!

Wedding sunset, Bath

Here is an other study that goes with my current "Gone With The Wind"-type-of-skies-obsession...

Wedding sunset, Bath      oil on board   10"x8"

Last year I went to a friend's wedding and the reception was in the beautiful countryside just outside of Bath and I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunset. I didn't do any sketches though (a bit antisocial to do that in a wedding reception maybe?) and the only pictures I took of the landscape somehow always ended up with my friends in the foreground (how inconvenient, really...) so this is more a memory/imagination type of painting again. When I paint peaceful places like that, I just want to jump in the painting like in Mary Poppins and have a walk in the hills!