This week I finish my seascape of Dunstanburgh Castle on the North East Coast, prepare for a commission and frame some high quality giclee prints for Rydal Mount and Gardens, and the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery.

This video shows me out and about gathering information and sketchbook work for future paintings. I visit several locations, and make preparatory studies in my sketchbook en plein air. Looking at colour shape and form, I use the work done in the open air to inform my final original oil paintings with a geometric pattern underpainting. From a lake in Lincoln, to a Sculpture exhibition in Doddington Hall, from a meadow in Oxfordshire to a garden in Solihull - I might not have been in the studio but I still managed lots of time to paint outdoors. I have also added a gift card option to my website, so if you don't already subscribe to my mailing list - hop over there now https//www.helenalicejohnsonartist.com and take advantage of a 10% discount this week in celebration of my new gift cards and updated website courtesy of Kalkidan Legesse at https://www.kalkidanlegesse.com

Pattern in my oil paintings has always been important and the use of the golden section as well as geometric design is shown in all three of my hand stretched canvases this week. I also try to paint en plein air for the starting point of all my art work and spent time this week at the North East coastline near Dunstanburgh Castle in readiness for my next painting. And finally, I have been painting a small watercolour of a gosling for my grandson.

This week I show you how I also have giclee prints of all my paintings and how I mount them, as well as hand finish them with gold leaf. I have also started another painting for a commission of a garden and have been getting out and about to see my exhibition in the hills. Having been out shone by the England football team last week, I am having a re run of my preview at the exhibition and will be there from 2pm to 5pm to meet visitors to the gallery. NE47 8JP

We are ready for you and can’t wait to see you there.

Postcode: NE47 8JP. If you’ve not been to the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery before, you might think you are lost! But keep going - it’s called The Gallery in the Hills for a reason!!

If you watch this week’s video blog, you’ll see what I mean as I show you where it is!

There is a really eclectic mix of my art work on show, ranging from 2019 right up to work finished in June 2024. Exhibition runs until 25th August.

And don’t forget if you are in the South of England, The Old Cinema stock a range of my larger paintings and have even more online.

AND Gigi’s Dressing Room has some of my smaller works too. E17 3HX

This week I use the time travelling from Northern France to Cumbria with a visit to Walthamstow in London to check in on Gigi's Dressing Room where some of my small abstract paintings are on sale. I also brought back three finished oil landscape paintings. Two of the paintings are inspired by Jocks Bay in Kirkcudbright and the smaller landscape oil painting is inspired by Cow Green Reservoir in Teasdale. Back home, I have framed the paintings with a wooden box frame and they are now ready for my solo exhibition at the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery in the Hills from 6th July to 25th August.

This week I finished one painting and got well on with two more. Using a pattern inspired by stained glass at Chartres Cathedral as an underpainting, I then paint over the top to create a landscape inspired by Jock Bay in Kirkcudbright, Scotland. This large oil painting on canvas is the same size as the one I finished which is inspired by Cow Green Reservoir in Teasdale. This also uses geometric pattern first as an underpainting and then showing through the final painting.

If you’re interested in the painting process - my video blog is definitely for you this week! I have been flat out painting and now have three unfinished canvases on the go!

Which is super exciting because that means I will have three new paintings that will all be revealed for the first time at the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery from 6th July to 25th August.

This one above is the second painting I have made inspired by Cow Green Reservoir - as yet unfinished - I have some unresolved issues with the reservoir itself and then some details to add to finish it off, but it will definitely be ready for the 6th July!

Larger than the first one  this one is 80cm x 129cm and the Lapwing sits on the Golden Section. It will be for sale for the bargain price of £1050 so make sure you save the date to see it before it gets snapped up!

If you can’t make my exhibition at the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery don’t worry - we will be opening up The Old Police Station again for Open Studio Art Sale for 24th, 25th and 26th August for the Bank Holiday

And if you are in the South of England, The Old Cinema stock a range of my paintings and have even more online.

In Northern France in June, it would be remiss of me not to visit the beautiful gardens of Giverny - home of Claude Monet and the site of his famous Waterlily paintings. And as this is so close to Chartres, one of my favourite places in France, I went seeking inspiration from the beautiful stained glass at Chartres Cathedral. This inspiration will be used for my next two paintings at least, which will be shown at the Dennis Kilgallon Gallery NE47 8JP from 6th July to 25th August