A Blog About Oil Painting
Welcome to my blog. Here you'll find me rambling on about all sorts of things related to art in general and oil painting in particular. There's even a recipe for dog cookies hidden away somewhere.
Like the rest of the site, this section is still a work in progress and I will be making it tider and easier to navigate in time. There is a lot of content, so using the buttons below may help you to get around. Newest posts are shown first.
Started on Location
by Simon Bland / 12 Oct 2014
Treeline. 9x12, oil on linen panel. 2014 I started this painting on location at Riverside Potomac Farm in Lucketts, VA. By the time I have completed the block-in I was cold and it was just about to start raining. I packed up my gear and headed home, where I finished the painting in my studio. The bu...
Portrait of Dylan
by Simon Bland / 03 Oct 2014
Dylan. 14x11, oil on linen panel. 2014. I finished working on this commissioned portrait of Dylan today. Like all black dog portraits this was difficult to get right: before starting I changed the curves of each primary color in the original photograph to give me a broader range of hues to use. I al...
Painting on Location Riverside at the Potomac
by Simon Bland / 30 Sep 2014
Potomac Riverside. 9x12, oil on linen panel. 2014. Today was a perfect day for working outside: not too hot and cool overcast light that stayed constant while I painted. The trees are staring to change color, but are mostly in transition so it's very easy to paint muddy brown everywhere....
Where to Find My Work this Fall
by Simon Bland / 27 Sep 2014
Cooley Gallery, Leesburg, VA I have two paintings currently for sale. See my website for prices and details of the paintings. Waterford Homes Tour and Craft Exhibit I have ten paintings hanging in the Red Barn on October 3, 4 and 5. Some parts of the exhibit were rearranged this year and conseq...
Woodgrove Meadow
by Simon Bland / 27 Sep 2014
The Shed at Woodgrove Meadow. 8x10, oil on linen panel. 2014. I started this painting on location and did most of the work there, but back in the studio I felt that the tree on the right was a problem. I reworked it a couple of times before I was happy with it. The areas of bright color in the...
Phillips Farm IV - entry for Waterford Fair
by Simon Bland / 24 Sep 2014
Phillips Farm IV. 20x24, oil on linen. 2014 I painted this landscape as my entry for this year's Waterford Fair art show. I worked on some of the ideas behind this painting over the course of the summer, particularly the effect of light through the trees. The foreground is a mixture of brush a...
Bluemont Fair
by Simon Bland / 19 Sep 2014
This weekend, September 20th and 21st, I will be setting up my tent and exhibiting at Bluemont Fair. This is one of the largest events that I attend throughout the year and I will have 20 new paintings available for sale as well as some examples of commissioned portraits on display.I hope to s...
Plein Air Return to Silverbrook Farm
by Simon Bland / 27 Aug 2014
Pines Trees. 10x8 oil on linen panel. 2014. A small plein air sketch from yesterday's paint out at Silverbrook Farm in Hillsboro, VA. Standing at the bottom of the hill and looking up gave an interesting perspective on the large tree on the right....
Some Work in Progress
by Simon Bland / 27 Aug 2014
Henry and Buzi. 24x30 oil on linen. Work in Progress. Here's the start of a new painting. I worked out the design on paper before starting the block in and I used several photos from the photo shoot to piece it all together. I drew in the dogs gesturally with some raw umber and aft...