Oil paintings for this years Affordable Art Fair, Battersea - 23-26th October 2014

These are some of my oil paintings that will be on the Jack Fine Art Stand at this years show...

Detail from "Bright and hazy morning", Duddington, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021440

 Detail from "RHeavy frost and River Welland", Duddington, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021441

 Detail from "Their home", Kislinbury, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021442

Detail from "The morning ride", Lincolnshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021443

 Detail from "Evening light on snow covered landscape", Duddington, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021444

 Detail from "Bright light and crisp deep snow", Duddington, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021445

 Detail from "Overnight transformation", Padley Gorge, Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021446

 Detail from "Grazing in the evening", Beeley, Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021447

Detail from "Colourful Dawn with frost", Ringstead, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021448

Detail from "Above Farndale", North Yorkshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021449

 Detail from "Bright Period", Bilsdale, North Yorkshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021450

 Detail from "Lathkill Dale - Late evening light", Alport, Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021451

Detail from "Frosty start on the Yorkshire Moors", Bilsdale, North Yorkshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021452

 Detail from "Bright afternoon beside the River Welland", Duddington, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021453

Detail from "Under the edge", Curbar, Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021454

The latest visit to the Lake District

I first came here in the late 1980's on a overcast cold day in mid November on a day out from college. Thankfully for my latest visit the weather was somewhat better. I'm on a walk around Crummock Water. The above looking towards Buttermere with Rannerdale Knotts to the left coming down to Hause Point (in shadow), almost above that (also in shadow) is Haystacks with Great Gable showing above Haystacks. High Crag, High Style and Red Pike complete the distant fells that surround Buttermere. On the right hand side are the lower slopes of Mellbreak.

Above is almost the reverse view to the first image looking from the top part of Hause Point (the part in shadow).

Another trip into Deepdale, this morning with some additional interest with some cloud spilling over the top. It came and went for a good few hours. The downside of the cloud spilling from that side was that the sun was also on that side therefore there were periods waiting for some sunlight. Thanks to a strong breeze it usually wasn't to long and work could continue. The last time I was here I was driven out by a snow storm...

The view back as I leave... showing, well most of what wasn't visible in the first image although Hart Crag (top left) and The Step can now be seen the top of Fairfield is still under the cloud.

It'll be one of those times when mixing a number of sketches of the different cloud formations and sunlight patches together to create as interesting a painting as possible to show how that morning was.... paintings hopefully coming sometime soon.

Some of my latest Lake District paintings now available at Beckstones Art Gallery

Detail from "Looking into Grisedale", Grisedale, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021426

Detail from "Frosty morning above Ullswater - Gowbarrow Park", Ullswater, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021427

Detail from "Autumn near Stonethwaite", Stonethwaite, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021428

Detail from "Last of the sunlight beside Crummock Water", Crummock Water, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021429
 

Detail from "Bright Autumn Morning - Watendlath Beck", Watendlath, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021430

Detail from "Langstrath Rapids", Langstrath, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021431

Detail from "Buttermere and Crummock Water from Hause Point", Crummock Water, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021432 

Detail from "Towards Glenridding and Ullswater", Ullswater, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021433
 

Detail from "Perfect day in Langstrath", Langstrath, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021434
 

Detail from "Warnscale Beck to Haystacks, High Crag and High Style", Fleetwith Pike, Cumbria. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021435

 These and my other Lake District paintings can be seen here on the Beckstones Art Gallery website.

"Water Water Everywhere" exhibition at Lincoln Joyce Fine Art Gallery - starts 4th June - Private View 3rd

Below are some of the other oil paintings that I've put into the exhibition while others can be seen in previous posts.

Detail from "River Wye - Winter", Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021418

Detail from "River Idle - Mid Winter", nr Bawtry, Yorkshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021423

Detail from "December morning with frost and snow", nr Caster, Cambridgeshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021410

Detail from "Sea fret clearing from Farne Island Needles", Northumberland. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021422

Detail from "The climb up Kinder Scout", Kinder Scout, Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021425

Detail from "Crossing the ford - Lower Slaughter", Lower Slaughter. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021416

Detail from "A lovely warm day", Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021424

Detail from "Grazing beside the River Dove", Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021419

Detail from "Derbyshire Stream in April", nr Unthank, Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021420

Detail from "Upper Wharfedale in Autumn", North Yorkshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021421

Detail from "River Welland at Duddington", Duddington, Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021417

More oil paintings for the "Water, Water everywhere" exhibition...

It's been over a year (may well be even longer) since I last visited this location but in the past it has provided some good subject matter to paint. It's the River Welland and this section is the border between the counties of Rutland and Northamptonshire (the middle painting is on the Northamptonshire bank) not far from the village of Duddington.

Detail from "Snow covered teasels", Rutland. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021412

A heavy (for this part of the world anyway) fall of snow (over night) and then clear sky provided the ideal conditions and it took on more than a few seconds to work out what I would be doing for the day... looking for snow related subjects. The snow stuck to every thing which was very nice, hence the teasels in the foreground of the painting.

Detail from "Bright day with Hoar frost and snow", Northamptonshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021413

This view is from the opposite bank but a few mts/ft back. The downside of getting onto the opposite side at this time (winter) of year (increase in water level) is the walk back into the village and then out onto the other bank. In summer, with 'usual' lower water levels and a pair of wellingtons helps with wade across the stream and therefore half the walk.

A quick look, one may think these two paintings were done from the same day but they are in fact a year apart. The above had the added interest of hoar frost covering the trees and vegetation with snow from a few days before.

Detail from "Morning sun on frosty ground", Rutland. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021409

The top two paintings location is just behind the left hand tree. This morning it was very cold, more cold than the snow paintings with a good covering of frost but thankfully as the sun rise into the sky a lovely warm glow enveloped the landscape in front of me. What more could a landscape artist ask for...

The search for the right angle... oil paintings of a Derbyshire stream.

These two paintings are from the same day, although about two hours apart and the reference gathered on the return trip from an exhibition at the NEC (Birmingham) - i.e. making the most of the trip.

I'd planned this visit so that I was at this river as the sun moved across the rivers path and thus allowing me the chance of getting some nice highlights on the water plus the added bonus of dramatic back lighting that I wanted. It was then a case of being on the correct section of the river at the right moment...

Detail from "The perfect afternoon spot...", Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021413

While I haven't placed him in the painting there was a man fishing (about where the 'A' is). He had know idea is was there until I stood up having gathered all the reference material I needed. There was much more dried vegetation alongside the river this year, maybe due to not having been very cold, very wet yes...

Detail from "Sparklers", Derbyshire. Oil.
Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021415

As the afternoon went on the clouds got more dramatic, I half though I may get wet and it's a good half hour walk back to the car. Thankfully that didn't happen and the sun stayed clear of cloud resulting in the above view. The river does a sharp 180 bend in front of the tree... sadly, although I was there for some time the sheep (just below distant tree line) never came any closer even though in the past I've seen them beside the far bank. Can't have everything...

Last two, at least for the now, from the Lake Distict

 Detail from "Skiddaw reflecting on Derwent Water", Derwent Water, Borrowdale.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021406

A great view towards Skiddaw across the almost still Derwent Water. My only concern while painting this was should I paint the right hand side trees with or without the cast shadow from the trees behind me. In the end I went for how it was at the time and adds that extra dimension. Again the water with reflections, shadows and clear so the bottom could be seen was great to paint.

Detail from "Above Buttermere and Crummock Water", Buttermere, Cumbria.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2014 - #AB 021408

Reference for this painting was gathered on my last trip to the Lake District. Having parked at Honister Slate Mine and then walked towards Haystacks (just to left hand side) one is presented with a series of stunning views over Buttermere and Crummock Water and onwards to Scotland. It was late afternoon and only had an hour or so of light left although there were still many people walking in both directions - a nice contrast to some valleys that I head into and know that I'm the only person there.

The only and minor 'artistic' change was to make some of the right hand side clouds slightly larger, they were there so colour reference was available, just less developed and looked a bit odd. The heather is always an interesting subject to paint and I use a combination of techniques to get the effect. Having done the base colours, it's then stippling using a range of brushes (normal art brushes to 1" or 25mm household paint brushes and/or handmade ones using broken up wallpaper paste brushes) and applying the right colour/tone for each area/section. Rigger brushes are then used for the longer grasses or adding more defined edges/details.

All the Cumbrian/Lake District related paintings are now available for sale at Beckstones Art Gallery which is located in the small village of Greystock Ghyll, just off the A66 Penrith to Keswick road.

Two more oil paintings from the Lake District

 Detail from "Towards Buttermere from Gatesgarth", Gatesgarth, Cumbria.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2013 - #AB 021381

This was one of those occasions when it's a battle against nature - sunlight, clouds and wind. I'd left Borrowdale as it was clouding over and climbed over Honister Pass and headed towards Buttermere (just behind the line of trees) hoping for some sunlight.

Approaching Gatesgarth it was clear that I couldn't get to Buttermere (find parking and get down to the waters edge in time) so stopped on the road to Gatesgarth and headed for Gathesgarthdale Beck, a delightful beck that has been the subject in many of my paintings.

The clouds were increasing by the minute and the sun was about to drop behind the fells on the left hand side. It was gather as much info while the sun shone but sadly it didn't last very long and within 10 minutes the whole sky turned grey.

Detail from "Bright Spell in Langstrath", Langstrath, Cumbria.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2013 - #AB 021380

Almost the reverse of the above happened with this day... rather than clouding over, as the afternoon progressed the sky cleared.

The above reference was gathered while a large amount of cloud was still in view, I felt it added more interest than the clear sky that was available an hour later.

Langstrath Beck was doing it's best to clear all the snow melt (from Bowfell (the distant peak) and the Lanstrath valley) and a great contrast to the very low level it had been a few months before having had months of drought.

Three more oil paintings from the Lake District...

Detail from "Crystal Clear Beck", Deepdale, Cumbria.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2013 - #AB 021379

A delightful beck (local name for river/stream) offered this winter view - what more could an artist want... In summer it's blocked by all the leaves and when visiting in the past at that time of year it wasn't as appealing... what's great about all the becks/rivers in Cumbria is how clear the water is. This makes the painting of the water that bit more involved plus add in the reflections (trees/sky) and it gets very interesting. Breaking it down into smaller areas or layers as I've mentioned before in previous post works best for me anyway.

Detail from "Morning sun melting the frost", Glencoyne, Ullswater, Cumbria.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2013 - #AB 021376

The usual superb view over Glencoyne to Ullswater and Place Fell was even more special this morning. With great sunlight, autumn coloured trees, patches of frost, some melting fast as the sun's warmth got to work on it.

Detail from "Langdale Stones and Pikes", Great Langdale, Cumbria.
Oil. Alistair Butt © 2013 - #AB 021377

One of the classic views of Great Langdale with the Langdale Stones in the foreground and the Langdale Pikes in the background.

It was late afternoon with warm sunlight catching the autumn colours while at the same time the shadow from the left hand side crosses the valley floor much faster than I'd hoped but it added a good contrast to the subject.

Thankfully as the sun went behind the fells, it was a short trip to the B&B which is behind by the Oak tree and a wonderful location to stay and to start from the following morning having had the full English breakfast and much talk of locations to visit with some of the walkers staying at the same time.