Henry Jones • Artist

New York, so yellow they named it twice. Sketches and, for a change of medium, a couple of acrylic paintings made in preparation for a commission.

It is said by some, that you should never return to a watercolour painting and rework it. This follows the idea that watercolour should be fresh and precise on the first go, which is satisfying and represents watercolour at its purest. However ... some paintings which would usually be thrown away (I destroy about 70% of my work) seem to want another try. It's impossible to lift out and regain the white in most cases, but the darks can be darkened creating contrast, and the spare use of body paint (yes, it worked for Sargent) can really lift a painting. Here are three paintings I revisited last week.

After a lull in studio activity, I've been back this week with a commission and an attempt at a Japanese snowy street scene.

Another visit to the Alps in February offered more subject for my wintery painting scenes. First amongst the reference was the railway (photos below) which I shall work into some paintings over the coming weeks. The second was a town called Bard, about halfway between Aosta and Turin, which presented a number of fine painting subjects, one of which I painted and sold this week. 

For the second time, after failing to get a painting accepted into a prestigious open exhibition, I put it up for sale on Twitter and within an hour, found a buyer. Loose and win, and in many ways I’m pleased with both outcomes, both gone to homes where they’ll be seen and hopefully enjoyed.

We are in the middle of winter here in England, not the coldest place on the planet but chilly enough. Luckily, or perhaps not so as it was by design, my studio is well insulated and warm, allowing me to concentrate on painting rather than jumping up and down to keep from seizing up. My latest paintings are a combination of small works for the gallery in Cologne and some preliminary works with a winter theme for a large painting planned later this year. New York also features in a series of small sketches specifically for a commission. Busy times, and venturing into the world of oil paint and acrylics.

Returning to a very cold England from a pleasantly warm Sydney was a shock. Looking back through the sketches and paintings I made offered some suggestion of remembered heat and bright sun.

Here are a few sketches I’ve made on my visit to tropical Australia, most are from the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Here are a few ink and wash sketches done on. sample paper from St Cuthbert's Mill, makers of my favourite watercolour paper. A mix of Waterford (the best), Millford and Bockingford. The ink was applied with a bamboo kebab skewer which is enormous fun to use.