meldrum art
Every autumn the canal on Djurgården here in Stockholm becomes spectacularly beautiful. I noticed that the left hand side of the composition was cool and the people were in the shade. The trees on the other side of the canal were flaming reds and yellows. I tried to capture it, the impression I feel when I visit each year. I’ll probably paint the scene a few more times until I feel satisfied. I think this is a good start though.
Djurgårdsbrunnskanalen 52 x 34 cm
I met up with my sketching friends and had coffee (fika) at Gretas café. Wet snow, grey sky and a bleak town square. It was nice to sit indoors and watch the world through glass windows. All seven of us sketched, it was lovely. ( 12 x 18 cm )
I spent a few hours on new year’s eve with my dear sketching friends. It was too cold to meet outside so we sketched in the Central Station. My little painting is 18 x 11 cm in size.
Finally, finally, I have managed to complete the editing of this video. It was originally filmed in October 2023 on the island of Utö in the Stockholm archipelago. There was plenty of wind, rain and frustration. 
A wonderful day at the Natural History Museum in Stockholm with Daniel Luther . Daniel Luther
When the weather becomes too cold to paint outdoors, then museums are a great alternative. Ironically, one can’t escape the darkness, my headlamp helped.
This was the second and final painting of the day. It’s basically the view towards Finland from Sandhamn which lies in the Stockholm outer archipelago. The water was flat calm, and the colours were just beautiful as the sun set. The temperature dropped as it got dark, which was just after three o’clock. Nowhere was open on the island, so I sat on a bench and did my best to keep myself warm until the ferry came at five. I had a beer on the journey home, I felt I had earned it. 😁
I spent the day in Sandhamn on Monday. It was under 3 degrees all day. Challenging, especially trying to get the watercolours to dry. But luckily I had my heat gun with me. It takes a certain amount of practice not to burn the painting. This was the morning watercolour. I painted in the afternoon too. It was a great day, but pretty cold.
For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of this fine harbour. It’s in the south of Dublin, Ireland. If you recognise where it is, please let me know. 🙂
This watercolour was painted in the studio using a photo that I had taken a while back. I find it very hard to paint at home. It’s much easier to paint when I’m outdoors. I wonder why this is?
Click the thumbnail below to see it in full size.
Stockholm reflections 29.10.2024. The weather is still relatively warm for this time of year. 🙂
