Top Five Best Selling Paintings Of 2014

As the year draws to a close, thought I'd take a quick look to see which paintings were the most popular this year. So here is a top five countdown of the five best selling paintings of 2014 (except there are actually six!)

In joint fifth place we have 'You Again?!' a painting inspired by a group of Cotswold cows in a field near Cam Peak in Gloucestershire. This picture uses Atelier interactive acrylics which made the blending of the blue on the cows really good fun. The original, which sold to an art collector in Plymouth, is 40" by 30" and now hangs in a house on the site of an old Cornish dairy, quite appropriate!


Sharing place number five is "Ready Steady..." a painting of a new born lamb being steadied by its mother as it takes those first tentative steps. Inspired by a visit to Bicton College near Exmouth during their annual open day 'Lambing Sunday'. The yellow ochre and rust red hues used for the background and straw give this work a really warm feel and make it perfectly suited to the walls of a country retreat.


In at four, a cow on Dartmoor! 'The White Stripe' is a belted galloway cow grazing on the high moorland of Devon's major national park. The unusual and striking appearance of these cows sits perfectly in the almost alien landscape and light of Dartmoor. (The area was used by Steven Spielberg as a filming location for the movie 'War Horse'). The original painting sold to an art collector in Pennsylvania, USA.


Into the top three now, we have 'Come On, Keep Up' with a peaceful summer day in Devon basking a herd of wandering cows in warm light as a young calf looks back to see if its companions are staying with the pace. My favourite parts of this painting are the depiction of the calf and the loose brushstrokes used on the foreground flowers.


'Courage Of Youth' is the second best-selling painting of the year. Since painting this bold young cow that I happened upon near Silverton in Devon many people have commented on the unusual colours used and I think it's the bold contrasts and simplicity of line that make this an appealing image. For me, creating a high impact work in the most efficient way possible i.e. using the minimum number of brush strokes is one of the greatest joys in painting.



Finally, the number one best-selling painting of 2014 is 'Summer Light', a bright and vibrant depiction of some sheep on a hot June day in a field next to the road that leads to Exmouth. The funny thing with this work is that I almost didn't finish it. A few years ago I was preparing for a large one-man show at the University of Exeter and while searching through a portfolio for extra paintings and drawings I happened upon this picture, which at that time was only half finished. The painting had been sat in the portfolio un-viewed for several months, but upon rediscovering it I decided it had potential, finished the painting that day and included it in the exhibition. The original sold rapidly and 'Summer Light' has remained a strong influence in my paintings of sheep that have followed.