Painting Tree Bark

            Sweet Chestnut Bark  by Tessa Spanton
            Watercolour with on paper with Polyfilla (c) 2012

The Leisure Painter magazine for November came out today. In it there is the second of my 'Watercolour Plus' articles. In this one textures are made using Polyfilla, gel medium, cling film with some spattering of paint and grating of watercolour pencils.
The image above shows the amazing bark of a huge sweet chestnut tree in Carshalton Park. There are several of these trees which were planted about 400 years ago when the land was a deer park. This tree is in the park but some of them are stranded outside the boundary in  the pavements of a tree lined road.
This magazine is available from large newsagents or art shops or can be bought on line here
 It is also available as a digital version.
I am looking forward to mine plopping through the letterbox as I haven't seen it yet.

Painting Carshalton

 In my last post I wrote about the Wapping Group of Artists exhibition at the Mine Gallery and their day of plein air painting. click here
Later in the afternoon I chose this scene to sketch. and painted it later at home. The traffic over the bridge was incessant  queuing  up to turn either right past the Greyhound or left past the church and I didn't want the cars in this painting.

The Greyhound Hotel, Carshalton Ponds. (c) Tessa Spanton watercolour

The Wapping Group in Carshalton

Members of the Wapping Group of Artists are showing work at The mine gallery in Carshalton until Oct 6th. This is one not to be missed, click here for more details and some images of their work.

Last week they were painting en plein air in this beautiful historic area. When I arrived they were painting, umbrella in one hand and paintbrush in the other. And talking of hands there are a few left handers among them. Only the next day I spotted this on Squidoo asking whether left handed people are more likely to be artists. The results of the poll are interesting.

Anyway back to  the Wappers as they are affectionately known. Most were painting in oils and a few in watercolour.

Above  John Stillman is painting All Saints church in oils

Below shows one of the  Carshalton Ponds and the Greyhound Hotel. Beyond the pond is the Heritage Centre at Honeywood  Lodge, the tallest tree in London and out of the picture, the Ecology Centre and Grove Park.

I lived in this picturesque area just the other side of The Greyhound for about ten years so know it well and have painted here before. 

  Bert Wright is capturing the scene in watercolour. I returned to this spot later to do my version.

Below Outside the church, Carshalton High Street is being tackled in oils by Roger Dellar and Derek Daniells.

 and below David Penney with Carshalton church in watercolours.

I had a wonderful afternoon watching everyone paint and they were most generous in answering questions so thanks Wappers!
 I shall make my third visit to the exhibition before it closes.