Tuesday 11 April 2023

Wirral Open Studio Tour 2023

 I've been a supporter of the Wirral Open Studio Tour (WOST) for several years as it's an important showcase for artistic talent on the Wirral Peninsula. I took part in my first two tours by opening my studio at home in Saughall Massie and did the next five WOST from the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum in Oxton. 

Following a brief pause due to Covid I'm back on the tour again and I'll be opening up my beautiful garden in Girtrell Road, Saughall Massie to the public where you will have the opportunity to view and purchase my prints or to just talk photography with me.

Fibre Optic Light Painting

Accompanying me this year will be internationally renowned artist Daniel Meakin who is taking part in his first open tour having recently moved to the Wirral from Spain. In 1999 Daniel was awarded an MA in European Fine Art in Barcelona. Check out his profile and those of the other 80 artists taking part from this link to the WOST 2023

Our Studio in Girtrell Road will be open from 6pm - 9pm on Friday 9th June, 10am - 5pm on Saturday and Sunday 10 - 11th June. Thousands of tour brochures will be available to pick up throughout the Wirral or you can download your own brochure from the WOST website and start planning your tour of artists. 

Monday 10 April 2023

Milk, Oil and Paint

During the Winter months I've been experimenting with photography at home. When the nights get shorter I do light painting in the dark evenings in my spare bedroom and shoot macro during the day time. I'm a great fan of Youtube for inspiration and there are quite a few tutorials on macro photography using milk, oil and paint. 

The technique is quite simple and the abstract results are unpredictable and fascinating. A macro lens on a tripod is needed with a remote cable or trigger for the best results. Place a centimeter of full fat milk in a small glass dish. Add a small amount of olive oil or sunflower oil to a cup and mix up some colours of acrylic paint individually with some water to make a solution. Pour two or three colours of paint into the oil, give the cup a little swirl, then gently pour over the milk and watch the results form.


The mixture of milk, oil and watery paint forms a universe of coloured swirls and macro planets. Using a tooth pick you can move the bubbles of paint around to create different abstract patterns and swirls.     


For a different result get in closer to capture the picture within the picture using extension tubes if necessary. There are micro worlds to discover within the macro world.



Change your colour combinations to achieve different results. Experiment with different oil and paint solutions. Olive oil is heavier and thicker than sunflower oil and adding more water to the acrylic paint offers a different result. To stir things up a little add a dab of watery washing up liquid using a cotton bud and watch the coloured world explode and shoot the resulting chaos. 




As a project for a wet Winters day shooting milk, oil, and paint in a petri dish is fun and the results would test the painting skills of the very best artist. Now that Spring has finally arrived my focus is back to the outdoors again.