Winter Sunset in Sibford. £99

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I guess Christmas Eve in days gone by would often look like this? It's actually a deluge of snow which fell in February 2009.

Winter Sunset in Sibford. Oil, 6 x 8 inches £99

Shadows across the Orchard. £99

Continuing with the snow theme, this is another wild and kind of bold painting of the orchard back in France. The passages I enjoy in this painting the most are those in the trees and foliage where brushmarks are free and expressive, I do realise though that a balance with the more quiet areas is essential to make it work.

Shadows across the Orchard.
£99, if you'd like this please use the link below to email me.

Snow on the Malverns. £99

The gorgeous Malvern Hills reduced to an almost monochrome palette under a bright blue sky.

Snow on the Malverns. OIL. £99

Snow Shadows. £99

It looks like we won't be seeing snow through our windows this Christmas - if you're disappointed with that news have a look at the following emails I'll send, I'll be painting some snow with an emphasis on bold loose brushwork, and this year I am determined to move more towards abstraction.

Snow Shadows, oil, 6x8 inches £99

Robin Hood's Bay £99, without frame

An alternative view of Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire, it began as yesterday's workshop demo and I finished it last night. I plonked it in the heavy frame which I like as it emphasises the strong bold colours in the painting.

Oil 6 x 8 inches, For sale for £99 (without frame)

November Light in Taddy. £99

Tuesday's workshop demo after a bit of fiddling with detail back in the studio, something I always tell everyone NOT to do!

November Light in Taddy
Oil 6 x 8 inches, For sale for £99

Last Roses

I spent a few days in my house in France and was surprised to see the front of the building was still covered in red Roses! must be the third flowering this year!

Last Roses. £99
Oil 8 x 6 inches

Bonds End Lane

Late sunny afternoon along 'Bonds End Lane' now there's a name! I've tried to find out the derivasion of this name without any luck

Bonds End Lane
Oil 10 x 8 inches

Under the Oak in Great Tew. £99

It's good to explore the old familiar villages once again...

Under the Oak in Great Tew
FOR SALE FOR £99

After the Rain. £99

Another painting reviewed from a few years ago of a pond in France; after a heavy rainstorm the sun came out and bounced beautiful coloured light all over the water.

After the Rain, OIL. 6 x 8 inches

FOR SALE FOR £99

Blue Skies, Honfleur.

I'll be going back to France next week and I'm reminded of my recent trip along the Normandy coast with a stop over at Honfleur.

This painting is much 'looser' than I usually paint and for that reason I like it so much more, there is an energy and spontaneity about it which my work sometimes lacks!

SOLD

Blue Skies, Honfleur.

THE SIB VALLEY. £270

Out the door down the muddy footpath, over the style and along the edge of the valley you come to this where was able to paint until the light started to fade.

Oil on board, a larger painting - 8 x 16 inches.

FOR SALE FOR £270

York Minster, £99

I was sitting outside a small cafe enjoying a coffee and listening to the musicians playing in the piazza in front of this splendid building.

York Minster. oil. £99

FOR SALE FOR £99

The River Wharfe at Kettlewell. £99

Yesterday's workshop demo which proved to be a bit of a challenge but everyone produced some good work.

The river Wharfe at Kettlewell. oil, 6 x 8 inches. £99

The Pond in Sibford, £99

I held two workshops this week here in Sibford for oil and watercolour everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and some lovely work was produced! This is my demo from the oil class.

The Pond in Sibford
6x 8 inches. OIL
FOR SALE FOR £99

The Bridge at Somerton (£99)

The bridge over the Oxford canal near Somerton on a bright sunny day, looks like I'm actually standing in the canal!

'The Bridge at Somerton' oil, 6 x 8 inches
website: http://www.nigelfletcher.co.uk/cotswold-sketchbook/

Rymells Corner (£99)

I'm quite enjoying making these little studies around and about in Sibford, today's is the bend in the road that leads into the village from Hooky which I never knew was called Rymells corner.

'Rymells Corner'
Oil, 6 x 8 inches
Website:  http://www.nigelfletcher.co.uk/cotswold-sketchbook/

Dry-dock in Southwold. (£99)

From a pic on my laptop this boat in for repairs, is in Southwold Harbour on the East coast on a very wet day - hence the photo!

Dry-dock in Southwold. Oil, 6 x 8 inches £99

Morning in Honfleur (£99)

My last night was in Honfleur about an hour and half from Bayeaux and Port en Bessin, you can't help but be impressed with this gorgeous little town centred around the old harbour, at 8 am I found it difficult to settle but knew I'd have to get on with as the harbourside cafe's would soon be full of people. Once this was finished I had time for a quick cuppa and then off to Calais and the ferry! Click the image to see the finished painting.

Morning in Honfleur. Oil. £99

Mont Saint Michel. (£99)

I am making my way back to the UK and this time taking a slight detour to visit a few places along the way. The first is Mont Saint Michel on the Normandy coast. It was a dull and damp day but I was determined to get the paints out. You can see a better image of the painting by clicking here.

Painting at Mont Saint Michel.

Neighbours en France, £99 each.

These two little houses sit side by side in the old village, they provided a great subject for my painters from Oregon this Summer. Not lived in now but still cared for and there was a bumper harvest of grapes this year from the vine that spreads across them. I think they're gorgeous but too much of a renovation project for me, I'll just enjoy painting them. I've placed them together here and it would be a shame to part them! £99 each.

Neighbours en France. OIL, each painting is 6 x 8 inches. £99 each.

The farm at Puy Trellard. (£99)

A little painting of the farm at nearby Puy Trellard

The farm at Puy Trellard. Oil. 6 x 8 inches. £99

Sakki, Bettina and Jasper. NFS

Another portrait, this one is of my neighbours' horses, they often walk past me in the mornings accompanied by Jasper the Dalmation who is usually on the lookout for any baguettes that have been left on village doorsteps by the boulanger.

Sakki, Bettina and Jasper. Watercolour, 14 x 18 inches

Hooky High Street. (£99)

This is the main road through the village of Hook Norton or Hooky where the delicious beer comes from.

Hooky High Street. Oil, 6 x 8 inches

Last light over the pond £99

Can't resist painting water for too long, this is another view of neighbour David's lake, just after I had caught a small Tench! (and put it back)

Last light over the pond. oil. 6 x 8 inches

Postie in Winderton. £99

I have kind of missed the sight of the little red postman's van tootling around the villages in the UK. Somehow the yellow one's in France don't really have the same appeal!

Postie in Winderton. Oil. 6 x 8 inches

Diana

Tonight is the opening of my new exhibition here in France I'm showing several watercolour portraits this time, something I've always enjoyed doing. Today's painting is of Diana Dabinett who owns the gallery and who will be showing a large collection of her new work.

Diana, watercolour.

Sunlight over the ford

This is where I would take my children on hot sunny days far too many years ago!

Sunlight over the ford. OIL. £99

Sunrise at Honfleur. Oil. £99

Honfleur again, this time a small oil. I'm obviously dreaming of the coast these days. Beautiful sunshine here now so I'm packing my bag!

Sunrise at Honfleur. Oil, 8 x 6 inches. £99

Beside the seaside. £99

With any luck I'll be going to the Ile de Re on the west coast of France for the weekend, trouble is I was woken by heavy thunderstorms this morning coming from that direction!

Beside the seaside. Oil. 8 x 6 

Dame dans le bois. Watercolour

Continuing with the portrait theme this lady lives in an isolated house down a quiet lane on the edge of the woods near my village, she often appears quite unfriendly until you speak to her then her face lights up! She was very shy about sitting for her portrait but allowed me to persuade her to sit for a photo instead. Today I'll show her the result, and later next week when my exhibition opens I'll take her along to see it framed and hanging on the wall.

Dame dans le bois. Watercolour

Jess.

I havn't painted this young lady often enough over the years! Anyone spot a family resemblance?

Jess. Watercolour. NFS

Camille, NFS

Last week I was running a watercolour workshop here in France and by way of a change I organised for us to paint my neighbour Camille. He turned out to be a natural! he sat perfectly still throughout and provided us with an excellent few hours in his sunny garden. After which he invited us for aperitifs with his home made cider...turned out to be a very entertaining morning!

Camille, watercolour. NFS

The Bridge of Sighs. (£99)

After a sunny afternoon wandering around the busy university town... The bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs. Oil, 6 x 8 inches. £99

Harvest time near Brailes. £99

Looking across from Winderton towards St George's church in Brailes Harvest time near Brailes. Oil, 6 x 8 inches. £99

Uncle Bob

Today's painting, my uncle Bob. Everyone should have an uncle Bob like this man!

Uncle Bob, watercolour

Moonlight over Bournemouth, £99)

Moonlight over bournemouth. Oil. 8 x 6 inches £99

Rainbow Reflections. (£99) without frame

A painting from February this year, just thought in the frame it was worth showing you again.

Rainbow Reflections, Oil, £99, comes without frame

View across the Plot. Oil. £99

The allotment plots in the UK are at their fullest at the moment...

View across the plot. oil. 6 x 8 inches £99

Cotswold Thatch (£99)

Honey coloured stone cottages in the Cotswolds

Cotswold Thatch. Oil. 6x8  inches £99

Approaching rain over Brailles Hill (£99)

Harvest time in the UK now and following a sunny Summer the farmers are dodging the showers to gather their crops.

Approaching rain over Brailles Hill. oil. 6x8 ins. £99

November on the river Blythe. (£99) does not come with frame

We have been enduring a very wet and windy day here in the UK today, apparently the remains of hurricane Bertha which has drifted over from the USA, I wonder how it affected Southwold harbour, seen here on another wet and windy day from last year.

November on the river Blythe. Oil. £99 (without frame)

November on the river Blythe. Oil. 8x6 inches

The Shambles in York. (£99)

The Shambles in York in the north of England, so called because of its bloody past!

The Shambles in York. oil. 6 x 8 inches £99

Path through the sunflowers

Looks like a very good year for sunflowers, in most allotments and gardens I see there's always a good showing of these bold uninhibited blooms!

Path through the sunflowers. Oil. £99. 6x 8 inches

Crabbing at Swanage. (£99)

My favourite seaside town where I spent a fun day wandering round with the easel before giving in and taking a plunge!

Crabbing at Swanage. Oil. 5 x 10 £99

Field of Summer. (£99)

There are some of these in the garden at the moment!

Field of Summer. Oil. 6x8 inches. £99

Shadows over the Fells. (£99

A small sheep farm nestling in amongst the Cumbrian Hills in the North of England, a fantastic place to walk and get away from the crowd!

Shadows over the Fells. Oil. £99

December on the Wye. (£99) without frame

One of the mini oil paintings from last year. I find the thick darker frames really help show these mini oils off at their best.

December on the Wye. 6 x 8 inches, Oil, £99 (without frame)

Dappled Light over temple Mill. (£99)

This is the lane running through Temple Mill in Sibford, it's a farm which has been in the same family since 1800, and was run as a mill until 1960. Because of the twisting lane which bisects the farm and the overhanging trees I find that on a sunny day it always provides a dramatic subject for a painting.

Dappled Light over temple Mill. Oil, 6x8 inches. £99

Summer Hedgerows (£99)

There appears to be a profusion of Rosebay Willowherb scattered along the hedgerows of England this year.

Summer Hedgerow, Oil, 6 x 8 ins. £99