Saatchi Online Abstract Showdown

Reflection ©Fenfolio2012

Recently I submitted one of my photographs in an online competition and I need your support to get through the next round. Could you please take a moment and cast your vote before the 27th of March? Click here to judge my photograph "Reflection". Thank you in advance for your help!

The 50 submissions with the most community votes move on to the second round alongside 250 submissions selected by Saatchi Online curators. The 1st and 2nd place works will go on to be shown in the Saatchi Gallery, London! Fingers crossed then...

Kayak paradise on our doorstep

Spring has finally arrived and temperatures even sored to 16 degrees along the North East coast on Sunday. With hardly any wind or swell forecasted, it was time for us to do a local kayak trip again. This time we chose to start from Cove, south of Aberdeen, where I never had set off before. Lucy, our neighbour who introduced us to sea kayaking in 2008, joined us. It was a magnificent journey and it was hard to believe that this beauty was so easily accessible with just half an hour's drive away! We saw many razorbill, guillemot and gull pairs settling in on the cliffs, explored a few big caves and enjoyed practicing our rockhopping skills.

Here's a picture story of our adventure on the sea. I hope you now understand why I love sea kayaking so much!

Starting from Cove Harbour, lunch at Portlethen beach and then back again

Leaving Cove Harbour

Fabulous rock features

and inspirational textures for my new paintings!

We found some amazing caves

Exploring the inside of one of the caves

Easy in the afternoon with high tide (shown here), more challenging in the morning with low tide

Peaceful sea

Artistic Explorations: Relief (1)

In my previous article about Layers & Lines I showed a portfolio of images inspired by the tide and dunes. During my holiday in Poolewe I selected four images to create a relief study in plaster as preparation for the commissioned painting for my friends.

Tide and Dune shapes ©Fenfolio2012

After receiving some useful feedback from the art teacher at Gray's School of Art, I was able to finish the relief study which will be exhibited at the school for a week as part of the short course exhibition. More details can be found under Exhibitions.

The Tide & Dune relief study was made on a 45 x 45 cm MDF board with B & Q powder filler, gesso, palette knife and shapers and then finally sandpapered. For the part on the bottom right real sand from the estuary has been used.

Tide & Dune relief study ©Fenfolio2012

The next and final step will be the real mixed media painting which I will start soon so watch this space!