I have just added two more new paintings to the first page of my website www.alan-oliver.co.uk
 Blakeney is a delightful small village on the English Norfolk coast and one of my favourite painting areas.

A watercolour sketch of the harbour at Blakeney

Royal Academy Summer Show

As you probably know, the Academy have devised a new digital system for selecting paintings etc for the Summer Show. As a result of that I decided to have a go, thinking that is easier than taking a painting down to London only to have to go down again to collect it back after it had been rejected.

To my amazement they want to see my painting in the flesh, so to speak, so I now have to take it down on the 11th April for the second and final stage. It it gets passed that, it will be in the show. I will let you know what happens. I am not banking on it!

My larger acrylics (2ft x3ft) have been causing a bit of a stir and I have sold a couple recently. 

'Mousehole Harbour'

I have become fascinated by beach scenes this year and can not stop painting them.

'Hastings beach' 38cm x 28cm. Gouache.

'Staithes Harbour' 36cm x 26cm. Mixed media.

'Wells Beach Huts, Norfolk' 38cm x 28cm. Gouache.

New website changes

I have just changed the design and content of my website. I have reduced the amount of images and changed the background colours. Let me know what the think of it.
The address is 'alan-oliver.co.uk'

Venice

Venice is my favourite city. I have been there many times and can not wait to go again. I love it for its peace and total lack of road vehicles. There are the boats of course with motors but not that many once away from the Grand Canal. I take a stool bag which contains my drawing and painting kit which includes a sketchbook, pens, and charcoal. I usually take a small box of watercolours and paper. I paint small scale, 7"x5". If I am lucky I come back home a having painted at least 10 watercolours and maybe 15 to 20 sketches. I take a camera as well and take hundreds of images. Usually at least two thirds are rubbish.
I will never tire of that wonderful water bus trip along the Grand Canal. It has to be the best short bus trip in the world. I doubt much has changed along it for hundreds of years.

This is my first blog. I was encouraged to start one by my good friend Peter Barker the artist.
His paintings are fantastic. Go to his blog to see for yourself.

I paint in watercolours, oils, pastels and acrylic in a loose impressionist style.I have always been inspired by the great Turner as well as John Singer Sargent and contemporary painters like Ken Howard and Bernard Dunstan.

My Favourite subjects are landscapes, beach scenes and buildings, Venice in particular.

Watercolour

 Oil. 20"x16"

There are more paintings on my website - www.alan-oliver.co.uk

I am showing a general collection.