HARBRON Plein air

I finally broke out of the studio to participate in a plein air event at Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham. I felt a bit tight because I'd spent the past several months getting carried away with my portraiture studies and life drawing, so I was a little nervous about it. Could I remember how to paint? What didn't help was the intimidation of trying something I'd not done before: buildings!       My plan of action was to be methodical and paint fast, think slow. I had five hours after all. If you are unfamiliar with plein air competitions, it works like this: turn up with your surface, get it stamped to confirm you haven't painted it outside the competition time frame, find a spot within the boundaires of the event location, expressively interpret what you see by the allocated deadline, submit for judging, mingle with other artists to share experiences of the day whilst the judges make their decision, then enjoy the prize giving and hope you get some appreciation for yo...

This special Platinum Jubilee weekend, I will upgrade all items ordered by midnight, Sunday 5th June, to First Class Signed For with Royal Mail. Remember, postage is FREE to all UK customers. I'll dispatch your items first thing Monday morning and email you a tracking number as soon as it's done.  For Overseas customers, I am offering half price postage. Contact me for postal rates. Have a great weekend.  Alex Almost gone! Last few panel boxes  (sizes 5x7in and10x12in)      

  "When you get the opportunity.. plant your feet and just look" Just back from viewing the International Watercolour Masters exhibition at Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire. You'll note in the photo above that my jaw has dislocated from the wonder of it all. Looking at the original work of artists reminded me how limited social media can be for viewing and showcasing art. I like instagram, it's good for inspiration and making connections, but it does not fulfill me. I am frequently overwhelmed, compulsive and shallow. In the gallery I plant my feet and spend time with each painting. I feel a deeper, more intimate interaction going on. I observe the paper, its surface, the paint and how it has moved there and shifted here, the marks defined by brush and, er, not brush. The layers, the depth, the light refracted there, absorbed here, how this becomes abstract, how that pops with sharp explosive colour. Everything showcased with utter clarity in the absence of lens and screen...

Dear Artists, I have signed-up for the plein air competition at Monpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, in June. This has prompted me to shift some attention away from the studio and get out into the glorious spring with my Harbron plein air kit. Expect more frequent blogs soon. I am also preparing to dip into YouTube. I am a massive fan of the platform and I have benefited so much from talented artists sharing their skills there. Some of my favorite channels include James Gurney, Oliver Pyle, Paul Clark, The Danish Painter with Marie louise, and Imperfect Paintings with Albert van de Zwart. If any of these names are new to you, do check them out. Recently I have been thinking about the future of Harbron Plein Air. Initially it was just a small lock-down project to supplement my art, but the success of the Harbron Ultra-Compact Tripod Easel and Harbron Tripod Shelf has really given me a boost. The positive feedback I have been getting has spurred me to continue building my range of accessori...

Throughout January I have been participating in the 30 faces / 30 days challenge with Sktchy . I joined because I wanted to boost my work output during a difficult month of short days, and prolonged, uninspiring weather. I also wanted to continue developing my skills for rendering people into my art, and I had made this my winter project. The format is simple: each day, over thirty days, a photo is posted on Sktchy, accompanied with a video of one of eight artists demonstrating their own techniques for interpreting the photo. Naturally, each artist has their own style and process which adds to the interest. I opted for the pen and pencil version of this course (there are also pencil and Procreate versions) and although it's up to you which medium and style of expression you choose to create, I chose to follow the processes of each artist quite closely because I wanted to experiment and get out of my comfort zone.  The days alternate between pen and pencil, with some examples incop...

I have recently been working on a new design of the Harbron 'Miniatures' Panel Box and I am very pleased with the results. The new boxes have an improved flush-fit catch system on the lid, which gives the box a cleaner profile. I have also managed to economise on production, which allows me to bring the price down. You can find the NEW Harbron 'Miniatures' Panel Boxes here . This continues to be a handmade product, crafted by me, mainly using hand tools. They are not really a viable income stream for me to be honest, as each box is constructed over two days and take between one and two hours to complete. But I enjoy making them, and I get a kick out of serving my fellow artists, so I'll continue to make them for the time being.  Seconds on Special! In the meantime, I have some old design 'seconds' left which can be obtained for the special price of £24.99. This includes three 5 x 7 inch canvas boards and postage. I have listed them on ebay where I have deta...

Harbron easels can easily be adapted for watercolour painting. Here's how... To work with watercolour on a Harbron easel you will need an additional support in the form of an easel board. This is simply a rigid surface upon which you can mount your paper before placing into the easel as you would a panel or canvas. Here are some suggestions to make an easel board: Recycle an old canvas board. I have repurposed some old Winsor & Newton canvas boards by carefully removing the unwanted canvas, scraping away any glue residue, and lightly sanding the surface to finish. It is a ten minute job and provides a good surface that is robust enough to resist warping, and can be used time and again.  Source a hardwood drawing board When I was a young teenager, my grandparents gave me a lovely A3 portfolio with a hardwood drawing board inside. I continue to use the drawing board today, whilst the portfolio contains the lovely watercolour sketches they left behind. The board is 6mm thick and d...