New painting: Hallaton, Leicestershire

Just completed an oil painting (click on image to zoom). This is based on an old B&W photograph of Hallaton that I found in a book about Leicestershire villages in the local pub. I guess the photo was taken around 1900. I was (and am) intrigued by this image. There's something slightly surreal about it that hopefully I've captured in the painting. I've used a very limited palette and given a cold but bright Winter feel. In preparing the painting I visited Hallaton and took a photo in the same place. Not much has changed in 100 years - mainly the appearance of motor vehicles, and the disappearance of the tree in the churchyard. Hope you like the painting. Hallaton is famous for the annual bottle-kicking match.

Hallaton, Leicestershire. Oil on canvas board (2010). Mike Todd

Hallaton, Leicestershire (detail)

Hallaton, Leicestershire. Photograph (2010). Mike Todd

Cottesmore hunt painting

Just completed a oil painting based on a Nico Morgan photograph of the Cottesmore Hunt. Canvas size is 40cm x 60cm. Available for sale soon!

Dancer drawings - Stamford

We had a beautiful model at the Stamford Art Centre this week, who is a professional ballet dancer. She held poses for 30 mins. Drawings below (click for larger image).

Graphite pencil on Ingres paper (c) Mike Todd 2010

White conte pencil on green Ingres paper (c) Mike Todd 2010

Carbon pencil on Ingres paper (c) Mike Todd 2010

Charcoal pencil on Ingres paper (c) Mike Todd 2010

Stamford Life Drawings

Started with a life drawing group based at the Stamford Arts Centre , Stamford, Rutland. This is run by Mike Alabaster of the Welland Valley Arts Society. I've posted a few drawings made with this group.

Oxford v Cambridge

I've visited both the Ashmolean in Oxford and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge in the past week, and sketched in both. Both galleries supply sketching stools. I enjoyed drawing the armour - a real technical exercise. See drawings below. Click for larger image.

Oxford

Cambridge

Life Drawing

Drawing from a new term at the Richard Attenborough Centre in Leicester.

Charcoal pencil on pastel paper. (c) Mike Todd 2010.

Nottingham Castle Annual Open 2010

I had the good fortune of having a painting selected for the Nottingham Castle Annual Open 2010 Exhibition. Here it is on the wall.

It looks a bit small next to two large impressive paintings by Sarah R Key (who I voted for to receive the top prize). It's great to be selected however, particularly as this is a very traditional work, and it's given me motivation to be more ambitious.

Boosted by this I took two paintings to the Backstreet Gallery in Oakham. Both were instantly accepted - which was great! They are moving the gallery to within the tres chic Swans of Oakham (upstairs) this week, which should provide greater footfall as they say.

The Nottingham Castle exhibition is on until 7th March.