Tea Tree Bay Noosa Heads Queensland Print by Chris Hobel Daily painting

Tea Tree Bay Noosa Heads Queensland Prints and cards now available on red bubble and fine art america. 

This  is a famous iconic surfing beach which I walk buy often as Im lucky to live close by

Australian buyers will find red bubble a saving on freight. 
The original was commissioned for a local surfer

Crazy Patchwork Painting

After a year of blogging I was amazed at the followers I have , optimising search engines is something I try to do occassionally but my limited knowledge stifles me after a few hours. What is it all about painting or blogging? It is sometimes hard to find enough time for both.With the weather cooling Im more motivated to paint as well as indulge in a little patchwork. This week my crazy patchwork carried over into my painting /drawing where I did go a bit overboard but did have fun with coloured pencils,oil pastels, water pastels, acrylic paint , graphite on cartridge paper

I have to share my photo of a recent sand crab catch with gorgeous colours,  the chili crab that followed was gorgeous too

new computer

At last a new computer,but as the old one totally died, I have a lot of work to do restoring programmes etc

Took a walk down to Main Beach Noosa to see all the action at the long board festival after the huge swells created by the cyclones up North
Lots of colour and action

 Hopefully some inspiration for future paintings. My classes are back to normal tomorrow with a full day of painting ... waves of course

Traditional Painting in Oils First Prize Winner, Noosa Beach by artist Chris Hobel

Noosa Main Beach Oil on canvas
I was thrilled to receive a phone call on Friday informing me that I had won First prize in the Traditional section of the Noosa Show.
As an artist it is a great feeling to receive recognition for your efforts. I love to paint in many styles but traditional  seems what Im best at .
The  John Wilson  Master workshop Im attending in a few weeks will give me more skills in oils so the win give me a real boost as I have been feeling a bit of the artist doldrums lately and have had difficulty focusing on the direction I want to take with my painting
This is the beach I swam at today and is very beautiful. I painted it from a photo I took  early in the morning

Daily Postcard sketches from Noosa by Chris Hobel

Noosa River looking North

A Quick Sketch Noosa River looking toward Mt Tinbeewah I did today

A great way to improve your observation and drawing skills is to carry a small 6x6 inch A5 sketch book  along with a a few pencils, felt pens,a small #3 sable brush and pocket water colour box, plastic water jar. I take this on hikes, camping and around town. Ive recently discovered a white charcoal pencil which is good for highlights , branches, and tree trunks. Working on a small scale forces you to pick out the most important bits and not get absorbed with detail. Give it a try

I start with the pencil, then work a bit with the felt pen to add darks, the touches of water colour are usually done toward the finish. When the paint is dry, I sometimes add more felt pen. It is also good to take a picture of the same spot. I took my camera but forgot to do it. The first photo was taken earlier in the year

My sketch kit