To escape the winter this year I went to Europe to embark on a river cruise from Passau, Germany to Budapest. First stop was Paris.

As I was only away for a few weeks, I decided not to take the easel and treated the trip as pure reconnaissance . Apart from being a tad cliche, setting up the French easel on the streets of Paris would no doubt attract a few tourist and would have been rather distracting, as I am a Plein air painter and not a street performer , taking notes and doing small thumb nail sketches sufficed.

As the year draws to a close I look forward to the summer holiday season and like most people, I guess, we may reflect on the ups and downs of the past year. The upside for me this year was a two month (June / July) working road trip across the States, with the main intention of participating in a painting workshop with the great figurative painter, Kim English.

Based in the historic fishing village of Gloucester, just north of Boston, Massachusetts, Continue reading 2018 U.S. ROAD TRIP →

A selection of new works , oil on linen at the Frances Keevil Gallery. Veiw exhibition online at

www.franceskeevilgallery.com.au/ex-details.php?exhibitionID=191

A recent  ‘ Plein air’ workshop held by John P. Lasater IV and Jason Sacran on the Hawaiian island of Maui was a timely learning curve and welcomed break for me. Continue reading Painting in Maui 2017 →

Since my recent article for ‘Artist’s Palette’ magazine (see full article under ‘PRESS’ on this website) , I have had several emails regarding some of the gear I use and how to obtain them. So beneath the following ‘DEMO’ is a brief description . Continue reading materials for Demo →

The “Ridge” situated just a stones throw south of the QLD/NSW border and about 800km inland from the east coast, is as rich in subject matter for the artist as it is for its intriguing inhabitants.

Continue reading Lightning Ridge. Australia →

In July 2003, I flew into the U.S.A for my first time, for a painting road trip across the States. On my arrival at LAX, I purchased an old ford from a smooth talking Hispanic used car salesman in Venice CA. I threw the easel and suitcase into the boot and headed off first to San Francisco. A few weeks and a few paintings later, it was back down along the West coast via Carmel and Big Sur to San Diego, painting a few seascapes along the way.

Continue reading American painting road trip →