June has been a very busy month, with events and new printing projects. My new release ‘Too Low…Too Slow’ is doing very well with all the Munro signed ones now sold out. Still artist signed and if desired, remarques left. I am pleasantly pleased about this as having missed it in the proof that was posted to me by ‘Fly Past’, the image was in fact squashed down to fit the ad page as opposed to being cropped. This made the Lanc. Look very squat (compare with home page!) Don't know weather to mention this to them, it was my fault for missing it on the proof, and they have been very good to me!

A most pleasurable event I attended which I think deserves a mention, Wickenby Fly-in, there were some very interesting aircraft on display privately owned, including a couple of Auto Gyros and a very interesting half scale FW 190. More of a manned model really! These small shows take me back to my own days of flying, something which I miss, but I feel if I was to take this up again it would take up too much of my time, I wish there were 48 hours in a day.

You may be aware of the greetings cards selection which is sold as a pack of eight on the website. I am in the process of offering the cards in a far more flexible way. This facility will enable you to purchase any quantity of any subject. This will involve contacting me by e-mail with your selection (this would be far too complex to arrange on the website ‘buy now facility’) Sales from shops, museums and airshows have proved very successful, but not so the website, could this be the answer?

I have just increased the range by having another four images included. The new images depict a new spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster and Hercules.

A new idea in the pipeline is to introduce of a pack of aviation postcards reproducing a selection of my work, presented neatly in a folding wallet. It's early days of the project, so excuse the pun - I will keep you posted on developments.

Art tip of the month

Tip of the month this time reveals how to get rid of that straight from the tube, acidy look of some colours that turn out too bright sometimes. Don't be afraid to use plenty of white to soften the features that are in the distance or at least some distance away. You will still hold the colour, but allow the feature to appear further away. I use Paynes Grey added to the colour on some occasions. This does require the addition also of some white to stop the tonal value going too dark, but always add these additional colours in small measures to avoid over cooking.

Notice, if the opportunity allows, two or three cars in the distance if far enough away, tend all to look the same pale greyish blue, even if they are different colours. This is the effect of the atmosphere filtering out the individual colours and further adds the effect of distance. Any technique that assists in the illusion of distance can only help when trying to catch a 3D image on flat canvas. One of the advantages of oils is the fact that you can work additional colour into an existing colour that is already on the canvas. I use my finger a lot, which leads me nicely onto the subject of my next tip of the month, application techniques.

Meet Robin and see his work:

As I explained in the last newsletter, I would be spending sometime on landscapes, it has been a very productive month which has resulted in a simple beach scene of the Humber Estuary, two Scottish scenes, one of which captures sunlight dancing over the mountains and the final painting of Wastwater (Lake District). I have really enjoyed my time working on them, so the sabbatical from aviation is over and I am back with the aircraft starting with a Halifax flying over Flamborough Head. This is a commission and will also have a Wellington limping home behind and below it. The Halifax is of the RCAF and heading back to Croft after a sortie over enemy lines.

These original paintings are for sale and any enquiries will be welcomed.