Sometimes I make a watercolour sketch of a subject which then informs an oil on the same subject. The paintings (above and right) were both painted outside.
I consider myself to be primarily a tonal painter and work in both watercolours and oils. However, the ways in which I approach each medium are quite different. I find the use of different media energising and plein-air painting certainly frees me up and enables me to take advantage of happy mistakes.
When I resumed painting after many years bringing up a family and doing various jobs, it was to soft pastels that I first turned. I didn't have a studiointensity or accuracy of the colours I was seeing in nature.
