The best of 2014

I think this will be my third "best of" post, a collection of may favourite paintings for the last twelve months.

I think my personal highlight without doubt was my success at Cawood Art festival, First prize in the Oil Painting category, First and Third in the any other media category and a First in the pencil category with Jimi Hendrix.

The other great highlight was having the first ever Carlton and Snaith art club exhibition, it was a great success.

I started the year with this painting to welcome in the New Year.

I then completed this one of "Mother's Wartime Help" which received the first prize in the Oil painting Category.

 This is the Headmaster from "Educating Yorkshire"

 Some Apples in the style of Carol Marine

 One of my colleagues retired , A keen Huddersfield Town supporter

 My "Sticks and Stones" pastel which may yet be one of my entries for Next Years Cawood Art Festival

 Two cute Kittens

 Two Cherry Blossoms

 A Commissioned (which I no longer do....kind of) Pet Portrait.

 T'Grand Depart

 "Mesmerised"

 "Ballet Girl"

 A Tuscany Villa

 Sad Child

 Two Pet Pooches (I still don't do commissions!)

 Carol Marine inspired toddler

 I did this from an online photo I found and it captivated the Photo owner who became a firm admirer.

 Oil Sketchy "Prince"

 Jeremy Mann inspired figure

 Very happy with this Commission....( I don't do commission, have I said !)

My Cawood triumph...Oh you heard about that did you ?

 Third Prize, "Run to the Sun"

 Needs no introduction ,(but I will)  Monroe

 A Little Tree

 Lady of the Foot

 Time Traveller, based on the 50's clothing and mobile phone.

 My Big finish , Bob Marley and Ali , left me jumping puddles in delight....

Roll on 2015 !

Rain

Some people feel the rain, others just get wet ! 

Bob Marley 

Ali

Not quite finished version of Ali in charcoal. 

Been off work with a bug type chest infection and didn't have the energy to get any paints out.

Not the best photo either as it's under artificial light. 

Marilyn Monroe

Two tone sketch of the blonde bombshell.

What I get up to late at night when I can't sleep due to constant coughing , wheezing , sniffling , you get the idea , a man chest infection. 

Please don't reply with some health advice ! Yes you know who I'm talking to Ms B ! 

Bob Marley

My latest painting the legendary reggae Jamaican star Bob Marley.

As I've developed as a painter and as any painter develops you have to find your style and have one instantly identifiable as yours. 

Well although I'm not saying I've totally got that yet but when I compare this painting of Bob Marley I can definitely see a likeness in style to an earlier painting of the African lady.

Photo taken outside in dull sunlight.

Photo taken indoors in dull sunlight.

An earlier photo of the painting in progress about 3 hrs in. 

The African lady I have now titled , "Contemplation" 

Art exhibition today Carlton a Village Hall

These are just a selection of what I'll have on display this afternoon at Carlton art club exhibition. 

Now I must get to bed ! 

Repose

Pencil sketch in process, when I can't get to my paints ! 

Time traveller complete

Not the best photo. 

Time traveller

Is she texting in the fifties or wearing vintage clothing ? 

Just got that leg to fnish. Did this as a painting a while ago but fancied it as a pencil sketch too. 

Keeps me active when I can't get the paints out. 

Marilyn in pencil

I recently finished an oil painting of Marilyn Monroe but before I did that I had started this pencil drawing of her , not looking her best as she'd just got out of the water.

It's not finished because nearly everyone who saw it said it was very good and looked just like Debbie Harry ! 

It's all about the hands and feet

I posted some weeks ago about a piece I'd done to supplement another , it was called "sister piece" if you wish to scroll back and look for it. 

However I wasn't happy with it , so I've done it again. 

Look out for yet another version in a few weeks when I say I'm not happy with this one ! No doubt.

Mystery woman

Quickly done this in charcoal. 

It has a slight slight resemblance to who it's supposed to be. If I spent another two hrs on it , I might get there. 

First one to guess who it is can have it ! 

Teaser

A commission I'm working on ! 

This is going to take months and months and months. 

This is just a teaser of the initial drawing 

A kite flight seascape mini painting chores escape !

I should be doing the washing up but the paints called me. Little attempt at a seascape type thing. 

Just 7x5 inches.

Probably the cleverest thing about it, is the title ! 

New England was awesome

Awesome was the word I probably heard the most during my ten days on holiday in New England , Washington , Boston and New York. They were right though !

Loved it. Not the jet lag however. 

I forgot to gve the credit here for some of these photos. We were slightly too early to see the best of the fall colours but luckily we met a lovely lady who promised to send us some as she was going out to photo them the weekend we came home. 

Thanks Lillian.