At last back into oil painting!

I have to have at least three painting finished to display for a joint exhibition as part of the Taranaki Art Trail.

I want to try to finish the Awakino road scene on left and the bush painting at rear, the latter based on my own bush track. The Paritutu painting on right is one I quickly painted yestrday -  it may turn out OK with more effort.

Painting is a great metaphor for life once you get started which is, for me, a major problem, you are never sure how it will work out.  Every time you add a stroke of paint things change. Progress is a process of enlightened trial and error. The last few days I have been busy painting so I am pleased with myself. 

I have previously done a series of Taranaki drawings based on Maori settlement of the province and   their conflict with the early settlers.. The above painting  features two pre European Maori pa sites. The above was completed in a few minutes after an afternoons painting other canvases. It is at best half finished.

The small bush painting is all but finished but the bird  painting ( a tui) has a lot of work to do. At least it seems a simple task. I have previously completed lots of bird drawing and a couple of paintings. Birds are an image I like.

This is a very large canvas ( for me). It is based on water lying on the land  after heavy rain, a river and Mount Taranaki in the distance. I am looking forward to finishing it. The above was also quickly blocked in after a days painting.

Another roughed out painting showing the collapse of the cliffs/caves at Waverley Beach. The caves are a favourite place to draw and I have completed a few paintings I like.  A little bit of Don Binney's influence. Haven't touched it for months.

These two figure painting have been half finished for months. I love drawing seated females forms - a little bit of Matisse?