Furness Abbey in the snow

I've just spent the morning at Furness Abbey taking a few photographs, I should have done a spot of painting too but am afraid that I wasn't quite able to cope with biting Siberian wind for long enough!
I'm so lucky to live just around the corner to this beautiful place, it really is one of my favourite places on earth and as an added bonus I got to see the two resident buzzards flying overhead at very close range, worth every minute of braving the arctic chill!

European Wolf in oil

I've been playing around with oil paint for the last couple of years now. A totally new medium for me as previously most of my work was completed in Acrylic paint as I thought it involved far less fuss than oil paint, just a splash of water to make it pliable and away you go!
Thankfully I tried oil and yes it does need a degree in alchemy to work out the additives and fat over lean and do's and don'ts but got to say I love it!

I thought I would post a couple of stages of my painting 'European Wolf' which is now in my exhibition 'Into the Wild'. No doubt I might change my style and the mediums I choose as I progress but at this stage am quite happy with the effects I'm getting.

The first picture shows the early lean stages after working out my basic composition, I'm just trying to look at the big shapes but can add or take an element here or there to strengthen the composition.
The second picture is the finished painting, obviously there are quite a few layers before I build up to this stage but I am constantly looking for which areas to keep loose and which to tighten for my finished composition.

'Into the Wild' New Exhibition at the Dock Museum

Well, my new blog is up and running, finally!
As well as my new blog, my latest exhibition has just opened at the Dock Museum, Barrow-in-Furness so I thought I would post one or two pictures from the preview night, thanks to all who came!