Sketch Blog 2022
Out Sketching in 2022. This time I'm just adding pictures labeled with the day I painted them.
This is the sketch I did on the spot, just as I finished it. It turned out to be the last life sketching I had time for in 2022, so it's a fitting picture to sign off with.
A view from Christchurch, in the park area next to the cafe, looking north towards one of my usual subjects, Twmbarlwm. This was painted at home from a very large rambling paint sketch I did last Friday 28th, which I photographed too. There were a lot of per owners out walking, with dogs usually. But the figures I put on on the left has something different. They were out flying their parrots. I was slightly surprised. I thought the magpies were sounding odd, a bit like parrots, and then I saw a couple of big blue macaws flying around. They seemed to be enjoying themselves.
October 28th
The junction of Kingsway and Commercial Street in the good weather on Wednesday. This is on two pages of my sketch pad - I painted (most ) of the right hand page first, and then decided to sketch the left hand page in pencil, finishing it later at home helped by a photo.
October 26th
Lysaght's Institute on Corporation Road. I had been trying to think of a place to sketch this from for ages- there are so many traffic lights around it's difficult to get a proper view. Then I realised I could get a fairly unobstructed view from one of the traffic islands, so I sat down there.
October 17th
At the top of Oakfield Road by Risca Road. Is this Newport? With its turrets and gables and even a gothic chapel it could be an Oxbridge College, or perhaps a convent. Turns out it was a sort of convent, it was the Mission Children's Home of the Clewer Sisters of St. John the Baptist. Quite a mouthful. Nowadays it's just Clewer Court, a block of apartments.
I didn't paint this from life! But during the rainy weather I worked from some photos I took. .
October 14th
A well know Newport Pub, Baileys. With the former O'Reiley's on the corner in the background at the other end of Scard Street - good street name!
October 13th
On the corner of Bridge street and Cambrian Road. A classic 19th century corner to a row of shops with offices above, at one time known as Tredegar Chambers.
October 10th
Belle Vue Park yet again. I loved the bright red colour of the tree, complimenting the red brick of the pavillion.
October 3rd
You know you're in Maindee when you pass under the railway bridge in this picture. Maindee has a very impressive looking Victorian police station which is, somewhat surprisingly, still functioning as a police station.
September 29th
I like the Imperial Roman look of this crumbling neo-classical fascade on Stow Hill. Who needs original roman ruins ? This was The Stowaway Nightclub, also known under many other names. It had once been a church hall for St.Mary's across the road. But its future is as flats.
September 26th
I was driving along Caerleon Road one day. and I saw the very familiar shape of the Methodist Church on the corner at St.Julians. I realised that it must be a very recognisable sight to anyone familiar with the area, so I had better come back and paint it. Which I did.
September 26th
I have been meaning to do a picture of the Westgate for ages, but it's so large it's difficult to know how to start. But now a proper new front door has been fitted a picture concentrating on the porch ironwork looked a good idea.
September 16th
I just liked the greens and yellows in the Travis Perkins colours matching the early autumn leaves. And also the guest appearance of the Transporter Bridge in the Background.
September 15th
The picture below was painted in the morning. As I was working I became more interested in seeing the the remaing quay at the Orb works a bit closer, so in the afternoon I came back and painted this while peering through a fence as near as I could get to it.
The view south from the imaginatively named Southern Distributor Road Bridge. I do see this view a lot, so I often have an urge to paint it. The tree floated past as I was sketching so I put it in.
September 14th
The day after the Queen died. In a gloomy week heavy rain. I went to paint a favorite scene, Twmbarlwm from Ridgeway, as there were some intersting clouds to paint semi obscuring the hills. What I hadn't noticed was the cloud approaching behind me, which emptied a 40 minute cloudburst, soaking me to the skin and washing out my painting. I reconstructed this at home from the ruins of the sketch.
September 9th
Merchant Navy day is, I discovered, sept 1st. Hence the Red ensign flying on the Transporter Gondola. The colours suited the weather so well I thought I'd do yet another picture.
September 2nd
Timberyard & Alexandra Docks. Its not easy to see into the docks, but I noticed a view from a flyover on the Southern Distributor road.
September 1st
More automotive units, this time on Mill Parade. while cycling through I realised there was a view of the Transporter I hadn't painted yet. so I did.
August 15th
Victorian ironwork details managing to be functional and ornamental at the same time. A rail bridge at the southern end of Corporation Road, on a baking hot August afternoon.
August 11th
Back on Albany Road in Crindau, another garage. These historic buildings were originally the Lovells sweet factory complex.
August 8th
After sketching Somerton Bridge, I went just around the corner to Batchelor Road. When I grew up on Kensington Place this road was notorious for its steepness - hard to cycle up, and you needed good brakes coming down.
August 5th
Keeping the railway theme, a view from Somerton Bridge. Freight trains always make more interesting pictures, so I was glad when this one came through.
August 5th
Waiting for a train in Newport Station. More fiendishly complicated Victorian ironwork, reminded me of trying to sketch the gondola a few days previously.
August 4th
The Skirrid from the canal a Llanover
Boats near Goytre Warf
The Canal approaching Neweport
With so much sunshine & warmth I tried some longer bike rides up the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
July 27th -1st August
The mouth of the Usk, again, with threatening skies. Another little cameo appearance from the Transporter Bridge. The cargo ship Penhar has just passed usual suspect Penfret leaving the port.
July 22nd
The Transporter Gondola was, unusually, on the eastern side of the bridge, where I was able to get much closer than usual to the control cabin area, so I tried a sketch. It's a complicated mass of struts & wires, quite difficult to capture properly.
July 20th
A Typical commercial property on Albany Street in Crindau. Lots of Automotive bussinesses inluding Wildcat Scooters, with an impressive display of vintage scooters outside. I've personally owned four Vespas, and drive one now so I was pleased to paint this.
July 18th
A former infants school, on Powell's Place off Lower Dock Street. Not a well know building but full of typical architectural detail of its age. Now used br Gwent Drug & Alchohol service.
July 15th
The festival on the 9th & 10th was great, as usual. While I was walking past the Hanbury I noticed that the medieval tower might make a good composition, so I came back to paint it later
July 15th
The Hanbury & Caerleon Bridge. I was thinking about Caerleon as I had a stall booked at the Caerleon festival weekend.
July 4th
I never need much excuse for another Transporter picture - it was a nice warm day, but with some cloud to make the sky more interesting.
July 1st
A little alley at the back of St.Vincent Road gives a different view of the former Art College.
June 23rd
This is another picture I didn't plan to paint, but as I came down Griffin Street it looked such a good composition I had to stop and paint.
June 22nd
I've painted the former Art College before from more obvious angles, but I cycled down St.Vincent Street and noticed the monumental brick chimney on its rear elevation, so I thought it might make an interesting picture. Thank you to the householder who brought me a cup of coffee while I sat outside his house and painted.
June 21st
I had noticed that the Angel in Baneswell had shut, and I had read that it is to be sold for conversion to residential units, so I thought I would sketch it while it still looked like a pub.
June 20th
I had another try at the same sort of view, but with the corner of Skinner Street in the foreground. I think the composition was more interesting. But the weather wasn't. I like hot sunny cloudless days, but not for painting. A clear blue sky is much more boring , and difficult, in watercolour.
June 17th
I hadn't done any paintings in Newport for a while. While I was waiting for the National Express to Bristol airport I had noticed this view looked much better now the scaffolding has gone from both the market and the surrounding buildings, so I thought I would try painting it..
June 10th
When HMS Severn left her moorings and maneuvered through the exits to Cardiff Docks I went around, much quicker, to the dock exit and started to paint the scene with the familiar shape of Penarth Head to the west, leaving a space where I expected the ship to be. As she exited into the channel I quickly sketched her shape, helped by having just spent a couple of hours sketching in the docks. But I did have to draw her properly from a photo I took on my phone.
I did try again. So here is HMS Severn alongside in Cardiff Docks. I do like her paint job.
June 6th
Back in South Wales. HMS Severn has been twined with Newport by the Navy. But on the Jubilee weekend she visited ....Cardiff. I went across and made a quick sketch on Saturday 4th - the weather wasn't good and I didn't have much time to spare. But one of the crew told me that she would leave on Monday at about 11.00, so I decided to try again.
June 4th
McIlroys Port with sea stacks looking towards Port Muck and Muck island. We went back the next day, which was a glorious first day of summer.
June 1st
After the rain cleared a bit we went round the corner to a place called McIlroy's Port according to my map. There was no port - but perhaps he was a smuggler. Most seem to have been in this area. Painting here was not such a good idea as it immediately started raining. This is the only picture I have ever painted entirely in pouring rain.
An old quay at Mill Bay, Isandmagee. looking north east this time with Larne Lough and Larne itself in the background. This painting was cut short by rain which arrived from the clouds I was painting.
May 31st
A field somewhere in County Antrim. I did a day in the studio with Ken trying to pick up some tips. Ken makes great use of underlying colours and implied colours, and has a wide repertoire of brush stroke techniques.
May 29th
A headland just south of Port Muck, Islandmagee.
May 28th
Looking north toward the start of The Gobbinns on Islandmagee, County Antrim.
May 26th
A view to the south from the beach shown in the view to the left. Painted on the same day. We were trying out techniqes to paint oils en Pein Aire
Not Newport. Not even South Wales. I took a week in Ireland practising oil painting with my old pal Ken MeKendry.
Yet another tree in the Spring sun. This time the truly awesome beech tree in the churchyard of St. Cadocs parish church in Caerleon.
May 19th
A classic view of the transporter Bridge from the corner of Coomassie St. and Alexandra Road.
May 13th
Another tree in the spring sunshine. This time over the ex-public toilet that is the Phyllis Maud Arts Centre.
May 12th
Cross St. in Caerleon, with the historic Ye Olde Bull Inn.
May 9th
The Royal Oak in Pill also looking good under trees in the spring sunshine. This was on a polling day at the primary school a few yards to the right of this picture. I was canvassed by Labour supporters and an independant Pill candidate. No Tories evident while I was there.
May 5th
St Woolos looking good through trees in the spring sunshine.
April 26th
The Riverfront Centre. On the river front, obviously.
April 19th
The deconstruction of a shopfront on Commercial Road revealed a sign from long ago. So I thought I'd paint it. The Transporter Bridge edges into view too.
April 14th
Another pub. But this one unlike the last few, is happily still functioning as a pub. ThePotters, behind the bus station, on a very fresh windy Monday.
April 11th
The Constitution again. This time from a photo. While painting from life previously I noticed the sun falling on a particular angle of the building which I thought would make a good picture. Its no longer a pub, - I think its a hostel of some sort. Not a youth hostel!
April 8th
This was 'Windsor Castle' on Commercial Rd, Pill. Newport had more Windsor Castles than Windsor.
April 7th
The Transporter Bridge. I revisited a spot which I have painted from before to get an up to date image, from life.
March 21st
Ruperra Lane, and the former chapel which is now Barnabas House arts centre. Where as well as many fine quality paintings and other artworks, you can buy my book 'Devils in the Details'.
March 18th
The Constitution (it was, I think). Right in the 'front line' area of Pill, as dubbed by newspapers.
March 15th
The Talisman pub on Commercial Street. Said to be named from a combination of three former pubs in the area: the Talbot, the Isca and the Cambrian. Unfortunately the Talisman itself doesn't seem to have reopened since the Covid disaster.
March 14th
In the car park of Risca Lidl, looking at Twmbarlwm.
March 7th
The former library, now the Cwtch arts space, on Risca Road.
February 22nd
Steps in Belle View Park, morning light.
February 25th
Steps in Belle View Park, evening.
February 24th
A disused unloading terminal on the Usk, at Cold Harbour Reach.
February 22nd
The Docks from the coastal footpath, at Cold Harbour Reach.
February 22nd
Dawn sun on Twmbarlwm from the Disributor Road bridge. Quickly sketched for composition, but painted in studio.
February 17th
Old jetty by the Transporter Bridge.
February 17th
The new path at the Gaer Fort.
February 17th
The Wave.
February 11th
The Maltings.
February 10th
George St. Bridge at dawn from the footbridge again.... this time painted from life.
February 8th
Canal Lock, with Twmbarlwm in the background. And the M4.
February 1st
Malpas Road, early morning.
February 1st
On the Canal footpath..
January 31st
St. Michael's Pill. With the old riverfront..
January 30th
View down Vicarage Lane.
January 27th
George St. Bridge, dawn, from the footbridge. Drawn from life, but painted in studio (it was very cold!, and the dawn light only lasted a few minutes).
January 18th
George St. Bridge, misty morning.