News Articles

I have included an extract of my news articles on this page. This could be new paintings or updates to the website. Click on the titles to see the full article.

You can also see the latest paintings here.

  • Compare Colour With Black and White

    In the news article regarding the accessibility settings I mentioned the there is an option to see the website in monochrome. This article demonstrates how some of my paintings look in black and white.

    If you prefer to have a monochrome painting . . . just add a note when ordering.

  • New Features for October

    I have added a few new features to the website this month, and some improvements to existing features.

    These include:

    • Accessibility Tools
    • Black and White Paintings
    • Virtual Tour
    • ‘How To’ Archive Page
    • Select Paintings by Season
    • Galleries and Latest Paintings
    • Newspaper Style

  • Some Gift Ideas

    The time for coming up with unusual gift ideas is fast approaching.Standard Cup View 3

    Paintings in the conventional format may not be within budget. So I would like to offer a novel alternative . . . print a painting on different objects and materials.

    MyPictures offers several different formats on which you can print pictures or photos. Some novel and affordable ideas include cups, jig-saw puzzles, or mouse mats. See other formats below.

  • Virtual Tour of the Castles

    The video shows how to access the gallery of castles in my portfolio.

    The video provides a virtual tour of these paintings, with some commentary.

    Best viewed by maximising the YouTube video. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

  • Two New Commission Paintings

    I have finished two commissions these last two months that filled me with encouragement.

    Ardoe House

    Ardoe House took some time to sketch and with the ultimate washes added, has resulted in a watercolour that I am proud of.

  • What’s New in September, and in the Pipeline

    Changes to my style

    To accommodate the detail required for the Ardoe House painting I had to increase the paper size from the usual A3 sheet to 50 x 40cm. This will become a more common canvas size for future paintings.

    I am also introducing new paints using watercolours in Tubes rather than half-pan solid colours.

    An increase in canvas size also allows the introduction of new brushes. Some will offer better coverage and others fine detail. I can then experiment with different techniques to increase the skills in my toolbox.

    So, be bold, try new techniques, use good quality materials and see the difference.

    In The Pipeline

    I have walked Loch Kinord and ventured up the Burn of Vat with my camera in Aberdeenshire and taken photographs of that wonderful scenery that I hope to paint.

    I have a few ideas for paintings in this area, and I am sketching these out; but there are issues I need to overcome before I take these ideas forward to a final painting.

    Some Inspiration

    The summer is hanging in there with September its usual calm warm presence. Perfect autumn conditions for capturing heart-warming colours of harvest time that gives an abundance of subjects to paint.

    Whether a conditioned artist or someone in their infancy to painting, you don’t have far to go to photograph, sketch, and paint the colours you see.

    The art of watercolours brings out an excitement within us when we just sit down and put brush to paper. When coupled with land and seascapes we treasure, it can inspire us to produce paintings that fill us with joy.