January on Eggardon Hill, Oil on Arches oil paper, 50x20cm

So this is another one of my little oil sketches on Arches oil paper. This is a little study for a commission I did a few years back which is called January on Egerton Hill. You can tell it's January because the sun is setting right over the sea and then coming up to midday— sorry, not midday, mid-year— it then sets over Lewiston Hill which is right in the middle there. Now Arches oil paper is this brilliant French paper which is actually specially prepared for oil. Because with oil paints, why you have to size canvas, otherwise you get this— I think it's like an acidic reaction with the canvas or with the paper. So this Arches oil paper is absolutely brilliant. I can just paint straight onto it with the oil paint. And of course, you know, you can be very expressive with it. This goes right back to my oil plein air sketches of nature, although this is actually done in a studio. But it's still, you know, it's this technique that I love to do, just keeping the marks really bright and fresh and alive.