Hardy’s Bay is ringed with mangroves and I can’t resist painting the reflections, stringy trunks and in the second painting, the white canoe tucked amongst the vegetation. #mangroves #ecosystem #hardysbay #acryliconpaper #charcoaldrawing #hardysbay #reflections #tidal #mylocation #landscape #landscapepainting #closetohome #nature #artistsoninstagram #artists #mikestaniford
From field sketches and memory, the mind instructs the hand. With an emphasis on pared down simplified elements, each a key aspect of the story. The natural environment can scream complexity but the challenge is to capture it in simple visual properties without losing its very sense of place. #landscape #landscapepainting #landscapedesign #designelements #complexity #imagery #artistsoninstagram #art# artists #landscapeartists #landscapepainter #artoftheday #thestory #colourtheory #voice #artcollectors #landscapeartcollectors #artgalleries #newseries #mikestaniford
Reference sketch of distant Broken Bay. #fieldstudy #dailydrawing #draw #drawing #drawingoftheday #drawwithdebbie #brokenbay #bushland #sharpiedrawing #sharpie #sharpieart #sharpieartist #isolating #landscape #centralcoast #mikestaniford
Hawke Head high up on the Killcare Peninsula. A south eastern coming across the Tasman Sea from New Zealand, sea eagles watching overhead and for some reason, dragonflies everywhere. #distantviews #outdoorsketching #centralcoast #cruiseships #anchoredoffshore #draw #drawing #greatlocation #mikestaniford
Painting studio on the deck. #messmaking #isolating #studiolife #studios #outdoorstudio #artstudios #artstudiolife #adapting #mikestaniford
From the deck. Whilst the foliage of trees partly obscured our view of the bay, the shapes and scale of the trunks and bought provide a brilliant framework for the view beyond. #hardysbay #treesandtrunks #treecanopy #charcoal #drawing #acrylic #boats #anchorage #landscape #australianpainter #artist #artistsoninstagram #artoftheday #mikestaniford #itsraining
Walking up to the Killcare headland and sketching on the way. Interesting arrangement of rocks and trees. Field study for a painting. #fieldstudy #landscape #nearme #outwalking #exercise #socialisolation #keepingfit #keepingdrawing #scale #formations #australianlandscape #draw #draweachday #drawingoftheday #landscapeartist #lookclosely #differentviewpoint #mikestaniford
Don’t look for new landscapes, just shift your position to see what was already there. Unfinished but on its way, but liking the sense of layering coming through. #palimpsest #rockformations #textures #rocky #landscape #landscapepsinting #landscapes #landscapeart #landscapedesign #artanddesign #designfiles #abstractart #abstractpaintings #abstractartist #artistsoninstagram #art #topography #mikestaniford
Thanks to the @royalacademy in London for allowing me and @debbiemackinnon to join the online life drawing class today. The model is Andrew, an incredible figure who pushed the pose to the limit. #royalacademy #drawingforlife #draw #drawing #figures #figure #drawing #participating #art #artists #mikestaniford
From the deck. Hardy’s Bay in acrylic on paper. The weather’s changing by the hour already today we’ve had torrential downpour and brilliant sunshine. The same broad brush on all of this and straight on to the white surface. I haven’t put a dark acrylic background down first. Crucial that you keep changing the water pots, when they get muddy so does the colour. #fromthedeck #hardysbay #pleinair #raincoming #isolating with partner in crime @debbiemackinnon #landscapepainting #landscape #worksonpaper #acrylicpainting #mikestaniford
Views from the deck. Quick, simple loosening up sketches. 1. Telegraph pole and tide coming in. 2. Eucalyptus and Bangalow palm 3. Neighbour @bernardryan76 garden which is pretty steep. Arrived today for a 4 week stint turning the place upside down to make studios for both @debbiemackinnon and I. Bedrooms now totally totaled!! Sorry no room at the inn. Drawing tip: make the marks you feel as opposed to things you see. Even rearrange what may be in front of you. Keep it simple. I start every day with some 3 minute observation sketches. Take a look at @leighcamilleri her sketches and drawings are pretty cool, abstract yeah but packed with information. #hardysbay #quicksketches #draw #drawing #landscape #elements #observation #keepitsimple #charcoal #follow_me #mikestaniford
Rocks and trunks. Details from the full painting, swipe to see final image. #abstraction #landscape #figurativeart #process #breakingboundaries #landscapepainting #mikestaniford
The Australian @financialreview this last weekend featured the Love, Unmasked online charity auction in support of UNICEF COVID-19 emergency response co-presented by Bridging Hope Charity Foundation and Vermilion Art. I’ve donated these two works, Beneath the Mountain’s Gaze and Kingdom of Shadows to the auction. The fundraising auction for COVID 19 relief is being held online with the support of 23 Chinese and Australian artists and @vermilion_art_au in Sydney. But the bidding ends at 10pm this coming Saturday 4th April. So don’t delay. All bidding details on the Vermilion Gallery website.
50/50. Exploring the contrasting sky with the land. Does the sky have to be true to the reality of the moment...of course not. #Contrast #50/50 #skyline #sky #cloud #cloudscape #skiesofinstagram #halfandhalf #relationship #complex #simplicity #landscapepainting #artist #landscapeartist #mikestaniford
Sunday morning. #landscape #favoritespot #hawkehead #lefthand #drawing #draw #drawingoftheday #pleinair #artists #isolation #mikestaniford
Further work in my new series. I feel affinity with the Central Coast landscape high up on the Killcare peninsula. The more I look at it’s detail, the more I enjoy the geometric structure that initially is obscured. And taking the visual figurative shapes and forms into works of abstraction. #ancientland #rockformations #landscape #landscapepainting #figurativepainting #figurativeassociations #abstraction #artistsoninstagram #landscapepainting #artist #artgalleries #newseries #gouachepainting #hawkehead #mikestaniford
My kind of self isolation. Killcare #2metresapart #needsbe #mikestaniford
I had a bad night’s sleep. #tiredeyes #selfie #lefthand #brushpen #momentintime #mikestaniford
From my sketchbook of Greece and the fabulous island of Kefalonia a couple of years ago. I’m suddenly aware that every drawing is devoid of people which was intentional on my part. I’ve always loved furniture especially chairs. I suspect those tables and chairs are sadly empty today. #kefalonia #cafe #cafelife #greekislands #tablesandchairs #emptyseats #charcoalpencil #agiaefimia #fiskardo #draw #furniture #travellingartist #fromthesketchbook #mikestaniford
You hear me talk about Hardy’s Bay quite a bit, it’s our bolt hole out of Sydney. Here’s some early sketches of the old corner store, the shop in Wagstaffe and of course the magic of boats (left hand, hence the wobbly line). But like everywhere else it’s changing and evolving but hopefully it will never lose its charm. #mygetaway #hardysbay #generalstore #killcarestore #smallcommunity #sketches #drawing #loveboats #boatsofinstagram #anchorage #artistsoninstagram #centralcoast #centralcoastartists #mikestaniford
And a few more from Bali. #armchairtraveller #travelsketchbook #bali #drawing #mikestaniford
Time for a studio sort out and came across some sketches of Bali. We were supposed to be heading there next month but alas it’s not to be. I’ve always liked drawing people and Sanur’s cafes proved to be perfect. #drawingpeople #drawing #draw #drawingsketch #travelsketch #travelsketching #baliindonesia #balilife #balivibes #cafelife #cafevibes #armchairtraveller #studiosortout #mikestaniford
The neighborhood from an earlier sketchbook. Each sketch is A4 and I gave myself 60 seconds on each. A great way of clearing the head, looking hard and not being precious about your mark making. #draw drawing #drawingsketch #neighbourhood #roadworks #buildingsites #change #urbanlandscape #mikestaniford
N’Dhala Gorge. Such a monumental place with the light shifting every hour, throwing hills into shadow. #outback #eastmcdonnellranges #alicesprings #artistsinthewild #artistsintheoutback #artnorthernerritory #artistsoninstagram #australianart #australianartists #australianartgalleries #artgalleries #artcollectors #artbuyers #colours #theoutback #inwinter #acrylic #onboard #mikestaniford
Oil tanker superstructure with left hand. Makes for an entirely different challenge and delivers a far more interesting result. A morning down on the Harbour. #oiltanker #vessels #berrybay #sydneyharbour #charcoaldrawing #charcoal #drawing #draw #draweachday #ships #shipspotting #mikestaniford
It’s my round...#inventive #incentive
Abstracting the memory of what made it as good place to be. It’s a combination of straightforward observation with remembered imagery. My small sketch isn’t related to the painting but represents how I capture a location in quick spontaneous drawing. #landscape #landscapepainting #artist #artistsoninstagram #landscapepainting #australianartist #abstraction #frommemory #simplifiedelements #agoodplacetobe #keepgoingback #observation #mikestaniford
The gallery may be closed but there’s plenty of work for sale. This one sold to a Sydney buyer today and I’m delighted and hugely grateful for your support in these difficult times. Over the next couple of day I’ll be posting drawings still available. #artbuyers #artcollectors #supportlocalartists #drawing #inkandcharcoal #boatsatanchor #hardysbay #mikestaniford
Stepping into the bush. Up close and personal with the complexity of the landscape. Spontaneous and very personal mark making. #markmaking #artisticfreedom #liberation #landscape #layers #draw #drawing #drawingoftheday #boundless #charcoal #charcoaldrawing #pastel #acrylic #workonpaper #brownpaper #abstractart #abstract #abstractexpressionism #mikestaniford
Memories of Venice. I pulled out some of my sketches and paintings of Venice during an idle moment in the studio today and went in to free fall. It’s when I turn my back on current work and start to draw and scribble, inspired by memories and recollections. My drawing of the day. Think San Marco, gondola posts, Il Salute and Venetian architecture. Where do you yearn to go back to?#memories #timeinvenice #venice #venicecanals #draw #drawing #drawingoftheday #charcoal #pastel #acrylic #travel #travellingartist #mikestaniford
