Pen and Wash Demonstration for Burnham Art Club

I chose this beautiful white weatherboard house as the subject of my recent pen and wash demonstration for Burnham Art Club.

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My painter’s eye was drawn by the symmetry, bold outlines and interesting shapes…and also by the weatherboard bin store!

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Many thanks for the invitation to share my tips and techniques, and for such a kind and attentive reception from all the lovely art club members who came along.

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It was my first demo so I was a bit nervous beforehand, but once I got going I really enjoyed it.

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Swan Hotel Custom Print

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This Swan Hotel custom print was an 80th birthday gift for an ex-landlord of the iconic Maldon establishment from his family.

I may have mentioned before that Marc Bolan, David Bowie (Jones at the time) and Joe Cocker all played gigs in the back room in the 60s!

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A3 prints of my Maldon High Street series parts 1-8 and any of the individual buildings included in those paintings are now available to order. Please drop me a line.

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Maldon House Commission


maldon, essex, town house, house, illustration, landscape, commission, architectureDelighted to complete this pen and wash commission of an elegant Maldon townhouse for its splendid owner.

Please get in touch if you’d like a portrait of your own beautiful home.

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Little Totham Church Commission

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I was commissioned to make a drawing of Little Totham Church for a wedding anniversary gift. It really is a beautiful building.

Burnham Bungalow Commission

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Very pleased to complete this pen and wash commission of a lovely Burnham bungalow for a lovely person.

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Please get in touch if you’d like a portrait of your beautiful home!

 

Pen and Wash Portraits of Maldon High Street

I was born in Maldon (as was my dad), and I lived there until I was 18 so I feel a very strong bond with the place despite having lived away for 30 plus years.

 I decided to paint some of Maldon’s most beautiful buildings. 

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While I was taking reference photos I got the urge to paint all the façades from the old police station in West Square down to the Rose & Crown on the corner of Butt Lane. 

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Part of the loveliness of buildings comes from their relationship to their neighbours; that’s something we could also say about ourselves.

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That stretch of High Street was too long to fit onto one piece of paper so I divided it into eight sections and started making rough sketches. Then I challenged myself to finish all the paintings in a year and exhibit them at the Maeldune Heritage Centre, which is one of the buildings included in the series.


kathryn hockey, artist, illustrator, art, exhibition, maeldune centre, maldon, high street, pen and wash, pen, watercolour, drawing, paintings, illustration, buildings, architecture, essex, art for sale, moot hall, fine art prints, maeldune heritage centre, exhibition, mrs salisburys, coles, timpsons, kate lifestyleThe exhibition is called “Looking Up” because it occured to me, while I was taking the reference photos, how rarely I take the time to stop, stand still for a while, look up and really appreciate my surroundings. Perhaps you’re the same?

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And since I’ve painted these buildings I’ve notice that they’ve become more vibrant to me. I mean that when I walk or drive past them now, they seem brighter and more alive. It’s as if by getting to know all the little details of their faces I’ve made friends with them!

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The exhibition runs from 17th August to the 5th September 2023, do drop by if you can! There’s an low tech interactive element – please do some colouring in and share your High Street memories on the large black and white print in the centre of the gallery.

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Fine Art Prints

I’ve had some beautiful fine art prints made which capture the essence of the original paintings at half their size. Click here to buy prints.

The ink is lightfast, so it won’t deteriorate over time and the museum quality paper is Hahnemuhle William Turner 310gsm, which has a texture and weight similar to the watercolour paper on which I painted the originals.

Exhibition

Read about my summer exhibition at the Maeldune Heritage Centre here.

Summer Paintings

The Olde White Harte Hotel

burnham art trail, art on the quay, the olde white harte hotel, architectural, illustration, quay, burnham-on-crouch, pen and wash, watercolour, painting, drawing, landscape, hotel, public house, traditional pubI made this pen and wash piece over the two Sundays of Art on the Quay, which were part of the Burnham Art Trail. It was the first time I’d participated in the Art Trail and it was an excellent experience. Click here to read more about it.

Steam Tug Brent

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I made the pen and wash piece above for this year’s exhibition celebrating this iconic vessel in Maldon. Read more about the exhibition here.

 

Burnham Art Club – Spring 2023

Grapnells Farm, Wallasea Island

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 Just as the spring weather became gentle enough for open air painting I ventured out onto Burnham Quay. Those two black headed gulls kindly adopted a stylish pose on the post for just long enough for me to sketch them. Got to love an Essex gull.

Sharings’ Wisteria

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Struck by the glorious wisteria adorning Sharings cottage one spring morning, I quickly snapped a photo hoping to make a painting of the scene at a later date. I worked from that photo to make the pen outline and then went back to sit outside the cottage and paint the watercolour washes. Quite suddenly a cloud of bees appeared and started settling on the cars parked behind me. “Keep calm and carry on,” I said to myself before scarpering sharpish a couple of minutes later as the swarm intensified. Such drama for a calm spring morning.

Burnham Art Trail 2023

Both these pen and wash pieces are on show in my Burnham Art Trail venue: Holicity Health, 140 Station Road from 24th June to 2nd July 2023. That’s number 12 on the Art Trail Map.

They are framed and priced at £100, please contact me for more details.

Riverside Trilogy, Ulting

I received the application form for the annual art exhibition in Langford and Ulting Village Hall as a friend and I were planning a kayak trip from Hoe Mill Lock. It was the perfect opportunity to take some reference photos of the beautiful Ulting countryside along the banks of the River Chelmer as we paddled to Paper Mill Lock and back. 

Being so low, sitting on the surface of the water, lends an unusual perspective and, as my kayak buddy pointed out, these pen and wash landscapes actually have the orientation of portraits.

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It was the striking silouhettes of the towering teasels I noticed first, I love the way they frame this little rural scene. water, langford and ulting village hall, art exhibition, countryside,ulting, river chelmer, riverbank, riverside,silhouette, landscape, essex, burnham art club, pen and wash, drawing, painting, illustration, watercolour, watercolor

I was struck by the lush green of this riverside field in contrast to the backlit branches, still bare, on the cusp of spring.

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And lastly, the beautiful old church appears to grow out of the vegetation on the riverbank.

The exhibition will celebrate local artists and raise money for the village hall:

Langford and Ulting Village Hall, Langford Road, CM9 4SS

Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April 2023, 10am-5pm

Burnham Art Club – Winter 2022-23

Happy to present the remaining pen and wash paintings I made between December 2022 and February 2023.

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Above and below, a couple more attempts to capture the colourful sky as the winter sun sets behind our neighbours’ poplar trees.

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And since I’m partial to a silhouette, here’s Asheldham church backlit by a January sunset.

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While taking a short, time killing wander around Maldon one December evening I noticed these illuminated leaves still clinging to a tree behind the Blue Boar pub.

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It never ceases to amaze me how winter pansies can continue to bloom after being repeatedly frozen, aparently solid. 

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The two beauties above live in the neighbourhood.

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My mum bought this beautiful Singer for £32, 12 shillings and thruppence in 1962 which is worth between £658 and £873 depending on your inflation calculator.