MALVERN residents who visit the Pochade online art gallery might just find a picture of their home or their favourite view of the hills.

The gallery features hundreds of landscape paintings by Malvern artist Antony Bridge who has been out and about painting the local scenery for the last 255 days, at a rate of one painting a day.

Antony paints everyday regardless of the weather and the gallery includes pictures of the town and the surrounding countryside in all weathers and seasons.

Pochade means quick sketch and all Antony’s paintings are done out and about using a small portable pochade box of oil colours and brushes. Painting in this way enables him to capture the atmosphere and colour of the landscape from the monotone greys of misty winter days to the dazzling colours in the landscape on bright sunny days.

“I get out literally every day, sometimes I have to shelter under a tree or in my car and each painting then goes online so people can share it,” explained Anthony, whose large, dramatic skyscape paintings have been displayed at Malvern Theatres.

Antony is passionate about his pochade painting, which he began three years ago, and his recent paintings of the landscape around Malvern are part of a project studying light on the landscape.

He admits that going out to paint everyday isn’t always as appealling as it might sound.

“Sometimes it is hard to feel motivated but I want to capture the landscape in all weathers so I can’t just not bother because it is cold or raining,” he said.

“I’m currently on 255 days and pleased its getting hotter now as the winter was hard.”

His pochade landscapes are small, particularly compared with some of the large canvases he paints, around A4-sized. The pictures are created using broad confident strokes and rely on simply outlines and minimal detailing. It is the natural colours, captured as he observes and paints in the open air that re-create the local landscape in all weathers and changing light conditions.

Anyone interested can subscribe to the pochade gallery at www.pochadegallery.com and see the paintings as they are added to the collection each day. People can also buy or comment on the paintings or even suggest locations for Antony’s next picture.

“Perhaps they have a favourite view or on a particular day maybe the light or weather makes a place they know or see on their way to work look more interesting than usual,” explained Antony, adding that suggestions can be left on the site.

Antony is keen to share not just his paintings in the online gallery but the experience of pochade painting on location in the open air. If anyone would like to be taught the skills needed for painting on location or who would like to accompany Antony on one of his painting trips they can contact him at antony@pochadegallery.co.uk.

Next month Anthony’s work is being featured in the leading artists magazine Artists and Illustrators and he has exhibited his pochade paintings at the last two Royal Western Academy autumn shows.

Antony is hoping to orgaise a local exhibition of his pochade paintings this summer and is looking for a suitable venue that could accommodate more than 300 paintings.