Spring Update

Welcome to my Spring update! Where has the time gone?

It has been a fabulous start to the year with so much going on. My art practice is really developing this year, particularly with the addition of much more sketching alongside my plein air work. Sketching in watercolour outdoors is helping me build a rich body of observational source material to take back to the studio.

The year began on an exciting note with several exhibitions and workshops. It kicked off with the Royal Watercolour Society Mini-picture Show, which ran through December and into January.

In January, another highlight was my involvement in the Pastel Society’s Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries. Having one of my works selected was thrilling, especially as it was displayed alongside some truly illustrious pieces. Attending the Private View was a special moment, topped off by the joy of seeing a red dot appear beside my artwork. It’s always wonderful to know your work has found a new home.

Shoreline I, Pastel, 18×61cm

I have also recently taken on an exciting new role as a guest tutor with the Winslow Art Center, a fantastic platform offering online courses for artists of all levels and mediums. My first course sold out, and I loved the lively participation from all attendees. Over three workshops, I demonstrated techniques for painting loose landscapes, each session featuring a different approach.

As February arrived, the improving UK weather allowed me to head outdoors with my pochade and sketchbooks. When the weather was more cooperative, I particularly enjoy being able to get back out and explore my local landscape up on the South Downs.

This Spring, I've been lucky enough to have my work included in the Arundel Contemporary Gallery's Spring Show, hanging alongside a fantastic range of contemporary works in all mediums.

Violet Skies - Oil 20x25cm

Blustery Day - Oil 25x30cm

Do visit the Arundel Contemporary website to learn more: www.arundelcontemporary.com.

And the pace isn't slowing down! The Royal Watercolour Society Spring Show is now open (through until April 26th) at the Bankside Gallery. I have three works on show, each inspired by favourite locations and brimming with the anticipation of spring. You can browse all the artworks by clicking here.

Building on the success of my first workshops, the Winslow Art Center invited me to lead their Spring Fling event—a three-day online festival featuring artists from various disciplines. I'll be running a short introductory event on 10th April at 4pm UK. It is completely free to attend. You can find out more at www.winslowartcenter.com.

Then, later in April, I'll lead my second workshop series at Winslow, "Painting Loose Landscapes in Three Different Mediums." Over three Thursdays, from April 24 to May 8. We will paint the same scene using Oil, Watercolour, and Gouache.

The goal is to encourage artists to embrace freedom in their preferred medium, experimenting and discovering new possibilities. You can find all the details and sign up here: Lucy Marks – Painting Loose Landscapes.

And finally … if this was not enough, please do head over to you-tube and see this and more in my latest Spring Update Vlog - just click here.

There is already plenty more planned for late Spring and Summer, so watch this space!

Winter Update

I hope you are all keeping warm! Winter is upon us. I can’t believe it, only yesterday it seemed like I was getting ready for my solo show.

The winter months have been busy so I thought I’d send you all a little update about what’s happening!

Read More

July and August

This month has seen me finishing the final works needed to make this a true Times of the Day show and, of course, doing everything that is needed to create a complete exhibition.  The show is less than a week away now!

Read More

June

June opened with an exciting evening painting at the ROSA Magazine Summer edition launch party at the wonderful Moncrieff-Bray Gallery.

I was invited to paint alongside a number of other artists and sculptors. It gave me a great opportunity to catch the evening light over the Sussex landscape. It was a rare dry and sunny evening in which I produced two en plein air works.

A trip to Richmond Park on another truly lovely day gave a real taste of Summer.

This time, I chose to paint a larger watercolour en plein air.The day was made by close encounters with the deer herd. It is such a natural setting, so close to the City where you can lose yourself in your work.

As I said last month, I have had to put in many hours back in the studio to start on some larger work.

I have some works at 120cm x 120cm and also over 2m in progress. It is not a quick process to build up the layers needed to create the work that I really want to show you in my Exhibition.

To reflect Times of the Day, I have been mixing my landscapes with some urbanscapes.

Not only is this a very different subject, but also, the city environment holds light and shade in such a unique way. I want to use my own observation to contrast the light on the static and muted colours of the buildings that form the frame of the painting, with the array of colour brought by the movement of people and vehicles within the scene.

As ever, I start with a plein air work, and that leads on to larger studio works.

Initial painting en plein air

Work in progress

Close to the finished work

All of this would not be possible without the right materials and support from the makers of those materials, many remaining true artisan businesses.

Thank you to Rosemary Brushes along with your personal note, and the team at Michael Harding who made such a generous donation of both oils and watercolours.

Please click here for a short video of me out and about in June.

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

Location:  Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, 3-5 Whitcomb Street, London
Show dates:  7th to 15th September 2024

May

View of the studio

May has been a month of working in the studio on the larger paintings for the show. And I wanted to paint all the smaller work first for this show and focus on the larger works later on.  And this works for me.

All the larger works are based on much smaller plein airs which were painted in situ and I really enjoy the challenge of scaling the works up and still keeping the energy, mood and flow of the original plein air.

This way, the larger paintings really keep the feel of the originals and through that, the overall theme of the show as well.

I’ll be in the studio working on more of these and even larger paintings for some weeks to come.  The show demands larger works and the space I will have in the gallery provides room for a wonderful mix.  Normally, it is hard to find a place to show much larger work.  

I also really enjoy the fun and challenge of working larger, whilst still working to the theme of the show.  It is important that when I have finished a larger work, I feel that it holds the same energy of the original plein air painting, even after it has been painted away from the original environment and over a much longer period. 

Please click here for a short video of me out and about in May.

I am getting very excited about the show now.  I hope you are too!

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

Location:  Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, 3-5 Whitcomb Street, London
Show dates:  7th to 15th September 2024

April

So, April was a mixed weather month.  Being a predominantly plein air painter my work is weather dependent more than most people! 

I have got very used to being able to paint in all weathers and have all the gear in terms of wet weather and cold clothes. 

But you never really jump out of bed and rush to paint on a bad weather day … but needs must. 

Twilight over the Sand - Gouache, 23x30cm

When the sun did shine, I really made the most of it!  I was very lucky to have a short break down in the Roseland Peninsular on the southern coast of Cornwall near St. Mawes.  I had been invited by the Harbour Gallery in Portscatho to paint a collection of works for them. These works are now hanging in the gallery and you can find them by clicking here.

Fortunately, the weather for the short trip was excellent and light was amazing.  It was like a little splash of summer!  While I was down on the peninsular, I went out in the evening and early morning to really make use of my time and to capture the ‘times of the day’.  These times are so special over the coast in that area. Looking across to St. Mawes one evening, as the lights came on above the harbour was an experience I will not forget and I hope my painting reflects that. 

Moving forwards I am beginning to think of the larger studio work.  In practical terms I have been painting all the oils first as I really need them to dry.  The larger works take many layers and leaving time between each creates a far better painting. That means that I will start painting the watercolours later. Anyway, I am still awaiting my [extra] large watercolour paper delivery, so those paintings can’t be started yet.  I hope that I will be able to show you some of my watercolours next month.

Please click here for a short video of me out and about in April.

I am getting very excited about the show now.  I hope you are too!

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

Location:  Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, 3-5 Whitcomb Street, London
Show dates:  7th to 15th September 2024

March

Well, this month the rain has continued in the UK.  It really feels like it is never going to stop raining.  The odd dry, if not sunny day we have had seems a rare treat. 

However, I was incredibly lucky when I escaped the rain for two weeks on a trip to South Africa.  I took my paints with - both oils and gouaches – along with a very small pochade (which I’ve had for years and love) and went out and painted a very different landscape in very different weather and light.

I tended to paint early in the morning.  This was mainly due to the heat.  I found both the oils and gouaches dried so fast.  I was glad I had my little spray bottle of water for the gouaches and my medium for the oils.  

I painted the mountains with early morning mists still be wrapped around them (and they change to an amazing golden brown at sunset).  I painted vineyards and of course the incredible South Atlantic coast.  The water is freezing by-the-way and the waves are big!  Sharks add to a good reason why I chose not to swim!   I haven’t painted sea scenes for a while as I’ve been focusing on other subjects and I had forgotten how wonderful and evocative they are to paint.

This was also an opportunity for me to take a departure and paint the hustle and bustle of the many local markets, using both gouache and oil.  This has sparked a new interest for me and I have since painted more markets back home.  The markets tended to be painted around lunchtime when the sun was high and the heat was highest!  It was an interesting challenge to paint the bright light.  I’m not a dark painter by any means, however I struggled with the intense bright colours all clashing in the sun, the deep shade under awnings and, of course, lots of moving people all of which were a great challenge.

Please click here for a short video of some of my work and locations in South Africa.

Work from my journey this year will be shown in my solo show ‘Times of the Day’ later this year. My aim is to paint around the whole cycle of the day, focussing on the atmosphere, mood and the light. It would be great to see you there!

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

Location:  Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, 3-5 Whitcomb Street, London
Show dates:  7th to 15th September 2024

February

It’s been a very rainy, windy and dark month here on the South coast. Soggy is the word that comes to mind!

I had hoped for a crisp and cold month with beautiful clear light; you know, one of those gorgeous winter months where it’s cold and most importantly dry! However, that was not to be. It has not stopped me making headway towards my solo show, though.

When I have been able to and it has not been too wet, I have gone out painting, of course. The weather has given me a range of soft light at different times of day. I am always searching for different and interesting light to paint. And the recent storms in the beach have helped me to produce some good stormy work in oil and also gouache. For these, I went down to the beach early in the morning.

Lot of the places I went to paint have been nothing but flooded fields. Most years these fields do flood a little, however this year the flood seemed bigger, wider, deeper and the water has been on these fields for longer. Normally I would go and stand and paint in these fields but I’ve had to perch at the side of the road or on a raised path and paint the view from there. There is definitely change in our weather that will have a knock-on impact all year on the ground, I am sure.

With the rain, I have spent some extra time in the studio. This has allowed me to give attention to my palette for the show. People often ask what colours I use. And I’m so naughty because I don’t really stick to one palette. I also mix a great deal. I have some key colours that I do use regularly. But the rest I switch in and out as I like. Not drastically changing the colours but maybe using different darks or lights. Or switching up or out a yellow. So after a lot of deliberations, I’m not going to set my palette too much. This is how I work. I change colours from the lights and darks and I think if I change how I work with my palette it really won’t work for me. As I will be painting throughout the day (and night!), I will have to adjust my colour choice and I will share my palette process with you all further down the line.

Outside of painting I have been working on my website and YouTube. These are important steps to the show as they are the ways in which I am journaling my show diary. With short vlogs and blogs on my website and longer video content on YouTube. Here is February’s video update. I have already had some lovely feedback from you all and it seems that this is something you are enjoying. Thank you all of you, for connecting with me, sending me messages, and general DMs. I always answer everyone and it’s great to hear from you.

One of the areas that I need to get better skills in is my videoing. I’m hoping that by the end of the show I will have really improved. To this end I have purchased an extra tripod to take out with me for timelapse videos. I’ve only just got it and had a ‘trial run’ in the studio which you can see here along with my February vlog. It proved very good. So, I’m hoping to take this out with me and have more footage to share with you guys!

Next month is going to be an exciting month and an opportunity to paint different times of the day with very different light as I will be somewhere hot! So, keep your eyes on my social media for that!

Look after yourselves. Stay dry! And thank you for coming along the journey with me.

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

January

So this is the first of my diary blogs about the journey to my solo show “Times of the Day.” The diary will aim to capture my thoughts and progress as I paint for the show and also include other process and key steps needed to put the show on.

The diary blog will be monthly and will be posted to my website, my YouTube channel. To be assured that you will get the diary blog then click here to receive my newsletter or here to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

I can’t wait to have you all on my painting journey with me and I look forward to all your support along the way.

January has been a slow month. I always find the dark months with the low light hard. These days I have daylight bulbs all round my studio which helps. As I like to start early in the morning. It has also been so wet, it has been hard to get out and have the usual fun I have when painting en plein air. As an early bird, it is even harder!

In terms of actual painting this month, I have been around the South Coast and also had a few days in South Wales. It has been important to ‘turn the brush’ this month. To start getting focussed on the times of the day that I will be painting and thinking about the broader theme of the show.

In addition to keeping my usual sketchbook notes, I am being specific about when I paint each work as it will be important to have a record of that time when I come to put on the show itself. I also think that it will be interesting for viewers of my work to know what time of day it was painted. These times will feed into and be important when it comes to the show.

I can see already that as the days lengthen, the light at same time of day will be so different in terms of atmosphere, light and mood. I can’t wait to see the body of work develop and to draw out this kind of change.

i am also planning to add some show video clips alongside my monthly diary blog. They will include works on the pochade and will inevitably bring some of my process to life. I suspect that my video skills will get better as I discipline myself to capture works in progress each month. It will also give you a flavour of what I’ve been painting each month and the different places and weather I’ve been painting in. Here is my first one!

I am also thinking about the shape of the show, in terms of the paintings and times of the day. And with this comes thoughts around my palette and colours both in oil and watercolour. I do know already that I want the palette in both oil and watercolour paints to be similar. Always a challenge as those of you who paint in both mediums know that the names and colours vary across the two mediums. However, this is key to be thinking about at the outset and I will keep you informed as i go.

I am also thinking around size, surface and framing. Yes all those big key questions. However, at this point just thoughts.

I hope you return to follow me on my painting journey to the show! Of course, if you have already signed up for my Newsletter you will be getting these updates anyway.

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

Location: Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, 3-5 Whitcomb Street, London
Show dates: 7th to 15th September 2024

Solo Show - Times of the Day

I will be putting a solo show on in London at the Royal Watercolour Society Galleries, just off Trafalgar Square in September.

I know it is early to be sharing this with you all. However, for this solo show I want to take you all on the journey of making my show. This will be through a monthly diary about the making of my show, videos, blogs and my new YouTube Channel.

For those of you who follow me regularly know that I like to paint for a solo show every other year or so. I like the big challenge of painting to a theme. Really getting engrossed in a large body of work. It focusses the mind. You get into another whole dimension of mental awareness of your painting when painting a large body of work.

I will be painting in the two mediums that I use; both oil and also watercolour. Most of the paintings will be painted plein air. I will, however, also create larger works in the studio using the plein airs as a base. If you came to my last solo show “Constable’s Walks” you will know that I do paint large and small.

This time round I thought it would be good to create a short monthly diary blog alongside my actual painting and prepping for the show. The diary blog will be posted on my website. Alongside the blog, there will be videos of my work and progress during each month. I have also created my new YouTube channel where you will also be able to follow my journey to the show. The aim is to give a flavour of what I will have been doing each month in the making and run up to the show. Here is my January video diary.

I hope you all enjoy following me on the making of my show over the next few months. I am very excited to be having you along with me on my journey. And hope that you will all support and engage with me as I progress.

I have been thinking about the shape of the show, the theme of the show and how I will want to present my work. It’s an evolving process. However, I do know I am incredibly excited about the theme I have chosen. I have been inspired by Camille Corot for a long time. Corot painted The Four Times of Day in about 1858 to decorate the Fontainebleau studio of his fellow artist Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps. It is the largest decorative cycle by Corot to remain intact. The charming panels show four landscapes representing Morning, Noon, Evening and Night. My aim is to paint around the whole cycle of the day, focussing on the atmosphere and the light. From this, the theme of painting across all times of the day is going to be core to the show’s body of work.

My work is always observational and based on atmosphere and light and the mood the of the place. So, I feel this theme will be really inspiring for me. I aim to paint nocturnes, dawns and at any time right across the 24 hours of a day. The show won’t be location-specific, which is great. I don’t plan to visit the same locations at different times of day – or I might! The aim is to create lots of freedom to paint where and when I like. The result will be lots of atmosphere generated from each of the works and every location. I am very excited about the work I will be creating and I hope you are too!

I am a landscape painter however this will also include some of my urban scenes as well. I have been developing these recently and have been drawn to landscape within the urban scene and, of course, the energy, light and feeling of an urban location. And in reality, it can be hard to find a landscape devoid of urban elements these days.

The show is going to be titled ‘Times of the Day.’ This is the working title. It may change, but for now, this is my goal for the next few months.

I hope you return to follow me on my painting journey to the show!

If you want to stay connected with my news and updates, then please click here and share your email address with me.

Thanks all for now and I hope you will enjoy being part of my journey to the show!

Lucy x

Location: Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, 3-5 Whitcomb Street, London
Dates: 7th September to 15th September 2024









EXCITING NEWS

I am thrilled, delighted, proud and honoured to have received a call from Adebanji Alade (better known as @addictivesketcher), the President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, to say that I have been elected an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters!

A dream come true! It’s like Christmas before Christmas and winning the Golden Ticket all at once !

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters are my oil heroes! I am so humbled to be amongst such oil painter greats!

It has been a long time dream of mine to become a member of this prestigious Society. And to be recognised for my paintings in oil and to have the letters AROI after my name.

Frost on Glastonbury High Street, Oil, 25x20cm

Thank you all for your support

Thank you all for your support of my 2024 Calendar, ‘A Year in Paint’. Yet again it proved to be a big seller! They flew out the door and off around the world. Just a few left! So grabs yours while you can.

2024 A Year in Paint - Paintings by Lucy Marks

Thank you for all your support this year. Many of you also follow me on Social Media and are supporters there as well, which is wonderful.

I do hope that you continue to be part of my painting journey with me next year. It’s great to share my joy of painting with you and 2024 is already stacking up to be a busy year.

Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition

Delighted and thrilled to have two paintings selected for this year’s Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual exhibition. The show will run from 29th Nov to 16th Dec at the Mall Galleries in London.

The show is always very special. The best of the oil painters currently painting right now. It is a celebration of oil paintings! Always a treat!

Shoreham Harbour, Oil 40cm x40cm

A river runs to the sea, Oil 30cm x 40cm

Location: Mall Galleries in London
Dates: 29th November to 16th December

Royal Watercolour Society

The RWS Members’ Autumn show is now open at Bankside Gallery, in London. It’s right next to Tate Modern so very easy to get to.

I have three pieces from my ‘Cornish Nights’ mini-series. If you follow me on social media you will have seen the progression of this series. Based on beautiful Cornish nights from several of my trips this year. Painted in gouache they capture the lights of harbours and towns at night. Cornwall felt magical. I have tried to convey that in my paintings.

Mevagissey Harbour, Gouache, 25 x 35cm

You can browse the artworks in the show here.

Location: Bankside Gallery, London (next to Tate Modern)
Dates: The RWS show called Risk runs at until 4th November
Details: Admission is free, dogs are allowed and all works can be purchased off the wall.

Royal Watercolour Society Open - Launch Party

This Art Party will take place on the 12th of October 6 – 8pm at the Whitcomb Street gallery, just off Trafalgar Square. It will be in conjunction with Art After Dark, a new arts and culture initiative for the West End which showcases free late night gallery openings and a public art trail. There will be a Cass Art stall for visitors to try out water-based products, a Winsor & Newton stall where their head chemist, Mark Cann will demonstrate how their watercolours are made.

Blue Horizon, Watercolour, 20 x 25cm

Several of the Associate Members will be there from 6-8pm to show and discuss their work. I will be there and may even have a demonstration underway! So, do pop along and see my sketchbooks and maybe a demo.

Location: RWS Gallery, Whitcomb Street, just off Trafalgar Square.
Dates: Thursday 12th October, 6-8pm

The Geedon Gallery Autumn Show

I am thrilled to have been invited by the prestigious Geedon Gallery to take part in their Autumn Show. The list of artists showing reads like a who’s who of the art world including the amazing Maggi Hambling.

Across the land, Oil, 70 x 70cm

Cornish Skies, Oil, 50 x 50cm

Location: Geedon Gallery, Fingringhoe, Colchester
Dates: 14th - 29th October and thereafter by appointment until 15th December.
Details: The Private Views are on the 14th and 15th October. Do check the gallery website for timings.

Chelsea Art Society Autumn Members’ Show

The CAS Autumn Members Show - the ‘A-Z of Chelsea’ - will be showing a selection of Members’ works. And we have been asked to take the letter of our surname and paint something in Chelsea that starts to that initial. It was M for me! Maxilla Gardens really inspired me and has such a long history.

Maxilla Gardens, Oil, 13 x 30cm

In addition to the A-Z works, members will be exhibiting an array of their normal work.

Location: 340 Kings Road, London
Dates: 4th - 12th November

A Palette of Artists

I am delighted to have been invited to take part in a show with a superb group of plein air artists. Each of us will be showing over ten works each in the show and it is one not to be missed.

High Summer, Oil, 20x25cm

The other artists include Amanda Coleman, Robbie Murdoch, Penny German, John Killens, Roger Dellar, Lesley Dabson and Chris Robinson. If you are aware of their beautiful plein air work you will know I am in superb company.

Location: 340 Kings Road, London.
Dates: 13th - 19th November
Details: I will be stewarding on 13th, 15th and 19th Nov. The late-night opening will be 16th.

Earthbound Women at Colyer Fergusson Kent University

I am delighted to have been invited to take part in this wonderful exhibition hosted within the performance area at Kent University. If you know the space you will know it’s amazing. The theme of the show is ‘storms and elemental drama’. I mean that’s right up my street! I will have six paintings in this show.

Location: Performance Area, Colyer Fergusson Kent University, Canterbury.
Dates: 30th October – 1st December

A Year in Paint 2024

Last year I produced my first calendar “A Year in Paint 2023”. It was a huge hit. They simply flew out the door. So, I will be launching my “A Year in Paint 2024” calendar very soon. Look out on my website and also on my social media for the launch date!