DRAWINGS & PAINTINGS: June Edition
- Reece Bell
- Dec 5, 2025
- 2 min read
A word from Harry
"The more you look at and learn about painting, the more pleasure you get.”
— Harry Holland
Thanks for joining me for this month’s studio newsletter. I’m glad you’re here - it means a lot to connect with others who see drawing and painting as a valuable way to observe and represent the world we live in.
What I'm Working On
I’ve always made studies for paintings I am planning, firstly to see if I want to make it, and then to foresee any possibilities or problems that might arise. Also helps to determine size etc. Also, any unforeseen changes one wants to make can be tried out on the study first.
When the painting is finished and gone, the study gets binned or painted over, including ones that didn’t get made into full paintings. Over the years many visitors and friends have commented how attractive they thought the studies were, which I dismissed, interested as I was in the physical properties of depth and form the finished paintings offered. Having said that, I have always enjoyed the looseness and speed of working of the studies, much closer to sketching from life, and less exasperating.
Anyway, lately I’ve been much more interested in enjoying my work, and closer to the manner in my studies. There are still finished paintings that I want to make, so we’ll see what happens.
Here are some examples: |
Harry Holland - Drawings
If you haven’t yet had a chance to explore Harry Holland: Drawings, the book is still available - signed versions are still available.
It brings together sketches and drawings that span years in the studio. Each page offers a window into the visual thinking behind the paintings |
One of my favourites
“Circus Matinee”, by Laura Knight, in the Pannett Art Gallery, Whitby
It depicts performers waiting to go on and is one of the best “behind the scenes” paintings I know of. The acrobat in red and the girl conversing don't seem to notice the clown wanting to join in. The richness of the costumes and the magnificence of the horses all for the benefit of a time yet to come. All so lovingly painted. |
A Detail Worth Noticing
In this self portrait by Stanley Spencer look at how the dots on the wallpaper wriggle and swerve, mainly on the left side of his head. The right side, stabilised by the unidentifiable painting, the dots are beginning to waver. The difference echoes that in the eyes, one so black and direct, the other beginning to wander, indicating not insanity but multiplicity of experience. |
Whether you’re a collector, fellow artist, or simply an admirer of art - thank you. I hope this newsletter is a way for me to share the process, and thanks for being here..
Until next time, – Harry |
Commission or Enquire About Art
Interested in a private commission or got an enquiry?
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