Two paintings in progress

A productive day allowed me to spend some time working on a couple of paintings I started over the summer and that have been scowling at me in my newly cleared art corner. The first is a rough oil of The Blue Lake near our cottage in Wales. It began life as a pencil sketch, followed by a very rough water colour both done at the location..

The oil painting below is starting to approach the more rougher impressionistic  style I want to develop for my oil landscapes. Started with brush work and then with a layer of palette knife work. I worked today on the water trying to get some reflection into it. I think it is still too reticent. I need to have the courage of my convictions and use bolder colours and rough it up some more. However, the three separate elements work well and the composition is reasonable. The foreground rock is staring to zing a bit, (losing some of its texture and contrast in this not very good photo). However, I plan to return with more paint and more colour. It may disappear, but it might end up like sludge, but it is worth the risk.

And then I returned to a monochrome self portrait which I started from a photo. All the usual battles with eyes and the dreaded mouth. But I am pleased with the burnt umber monotone and some of sculpting is starting to look better. It makes me look like a glum bugger, which I usually do especially when I am struggling with a painting. It was inspired by a couple of dark portraits I saw at Charleston by Duncan Bell I think. It has gone its own sweet distorted way. However, it is a step forward and maybe I will return perhaps with a glaze.(Note: it doesn't reproduce very well. Too late in the day for natural light and the flash did it no favours)