Spring Flowers

As we are now in April the garden flowers start with Camellias, daffodils, Anemone blanda and the first early tulips Scarlet Baby and Red Emperor. In another two weeks the garden will be a mass of tulips so please pop in to see the display opened up with Scotlands Garden Scheme

Looking for summer flowers

While waiting for winter to arrive I got on with several winter landscape paintings, but all from memory as there has been no snow anywhere near Dundee. However since we seem to be having another mild winter, (apart from several storms) I thought I would change ideas, so a summer scene on an allotment plot up at City Road Allotments, An Old Shed, was put on canvas size 36 x 24 inches.

Winter landscape paintings

Life can be hard for an artist that just loves to paint snow scenes and winter landscapes. We are in mid January, half way thru winter and there's nae sna. So to get motivated I pulled out a few older snow scenes and hung them up in the studio. Two of them are in ornate gold frames and the Templeton Old Railway Line got a fair bit of repainting to add warmth and strength to the colours. Now I can get on with the next winter landscape painting on a box canvas showing Alyth Den.

A Sunny January Day

Brilliant day today. Sun came out all day, and you could feel the heat, so had a day in the garden and allotment. January is the best time to prune the grape vines both outdoors and under glass. Cut back all shoots to one or two buds. The first crocus and aconite came into flower, and a red rose looked great in the sun. Seems no-one told him it was winter. Plenty fresh veg up at allotment including kale, leeks, sprouts, cabbage, swedes and Swiss chard. Pruned rasps, brambles and saskatoons and took wood up to skip for shredding. Some idiot lacking basic gardening knowledge dumped about twenty huge pots of compost. so I got two wheelbarrow loads for my compost heap. Anna has been busy in kitchen cooking baby beet and the last pumpkin which got sliced and roasted.

Art Classes in Dundee Winter session

The winter session of art classes in Dundee starts Monday 17th January 2022 at 7pm in my Studio. This session lasts for 12 weeks ending just before Easter. a few places still available so enrol now. Contact John to book a place.Classes run for two hours with a coffee break at 8pm. All subjects and media chosen by students with guidance from John.

Back to work after the festive holidays

Christmas and New Year have gone and its back to the day job at the easel. As we make an early start to the new year the paint brush has been very busy so I have several new works to show plus a few other older paintings that have been moderised with added colour. However we have had a few cold but sunny days so I spent some time in the garden transplanting shrubs, spring flowers and repairing fences blown down in the storms.

Last winter landscape painting for 2021

Christmas has just passed and 2022 is fast approaching. The last three paintings completed in 2021 are shown below. Had to do some winter landscapes as it seems this is the only place to find a wee bit of snow, as global warming takes hold and our winters turn grey and wet, but still warm. Still running with my festive bonus of £100 off these £400 acrylic winter landscape paintings. Contact me by phone or email from my website at www.johnstoa.com #winterlandscapepainting #snowscenepainting #scottishwinter

Winter Exhibition SMALL PAINTINGS FOR CHRISTMAS

I am putting on a two day exhibition in my studio next Saturday and Sunday 18 and 19 December 2021 open each day from 11am to 4pm.The theme will be on showing my range of small paintings covering winter landscapes, Scottish towns and villages, allotment plots from City Road Allotments in Dundee and several figurative studies with my Scottish models. Exhibition held in my Original Art Studio at 17a Menzieshill Road.Check website

for more details. Since we are all in the festive mood ahead of Christmas I am having a special offer of one free limited edition print(your choice)with every purchase.

Dundee Art Society Winter Exhibition

Dundee Art Society Winter Exhibition has now started and runs every day from 11am to 5pm in their Roseangle Gallery till Saturday 11th December 2021. Visitors very welcome to see a wide range of brilliant paintings. Plenty free car parking at bottom of Roseangle. I have added my three images below. They are Contemplation, then Lady in Red at the Bandstand, then Winter has Arrived.

Small Paintings for Christmas

Art Lovers are very welcome to pop in to see the Broughty Ferry Art Society Christmas Exhibition at Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort in the Braw Berry Box. Our Small paintings for Christmas starts on Sunday 21 November and then every day till 5 December open each day from 10am to 2pm but extended hours the last two days till 4pm to coincide with the Forbes of Kingennie Christmas Market.