I have painted this Groomsport scene before in one of my sketchbooks. Today I felt like playing around with lights and darks so I chose this to basically practice or play, I can’t remember my mood when I started. It’s a weird time with this Corona virus threatening us all. The most important thing for me was just to paint something. I didn’t want to just spend Monday reading the news and surfing on YouTube.
For the watercolour enthusiasts out there this watercolour was painted on Saunders Waterford 300g Fine grain and the size is 36 x 26 cm. Click the image below if you want to see the full sized watercolour.
Category: watercolor
It’s a sign of the changing seasons but I sat in my studio and painted this scene from a photo I took during the autumn.
Saying that, I have just bought a super-warm winter coat and so I certainly do not accept being stuck in my studio until the warmer days reappear in the spring. Nah, I’m going out there and painting real soon, vodka in my water, blow torch at my hip – watercolours will be done whatever the conditions. 🙂
Click the thumbnail below for full-sized image.
I just love visiting Brittany. The place is just so scenic and my wife’s Mum is really nice too.
We visit every year and I tend to spend a lot of time by myself just wandering the beaches and visiting the town of Paimpol while my mother-in-law and my wife spend priceless time together. I sketch and paint of course, it really is heaven.
This watercolour was from my first day, I look forward to many more watercolours in the coming week.
I thought I’d just publish this as it’s featured in the latest watercolour demonstration video. It’s a painting of Riddarholmen in Stockholm. Click the link if you would like to see it:
https://youtu.be/WugTNgl-WG4
It was a real challenge this one. Showers of rain kept interrupting but I am happy with the end result and the decisions I made during the process of painting it.
I have gently launched a webshop which I am building when I have time. I have placed this watercolour and a few other in the store. My goal is to sell my art directly to the people who enjoy my work and not through galleries that take 50%. It’s work in progress so let me know if something is not working or if the design is weird etc.
Cheers!
I cycled into Stockholm and painted a view of Riddarholmen for this demonstration. The day turned out to be quite a challenge because of rain showers that frustrating me. In the end I returned home, I finished the watercolour the next day and was very happy with the result. A nice little painting that can be seen from start to finish on YouTube.
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Last sketch from Åland
This was the last sketch from our month-long sailing trip to Finland and Åland. I finished the painting yesterday but I actually painted most of it at Fiskö, on the 25th of July. I really miss being out sailing, it’s not as much fun sitting here in my Studio.
I actually am going to make a break for it tomorrow morning! I am going to camp on an island that I have been wanting to sketch for years. I’ll tell you more about that in a later post.
Here is my latest demonstration video on YouTube. I spent a whole month sailing around the Finnish and Åland archipelagos with my wife and two close friends. I spent lots of time sketching and taking reference photos for future use. While on the island of Ekskär in the Finnish archipelago I managed to do a demonstration painting which is featured here. The day was incredibly warm and the windbreaker I had behind me made it super hot because it stopped any breeze reaching me at all. It did protect me from the harmful sun rays though.
The painting was a real challenge in the end, I could not get into a comfortable position, I was sitting which I now realise isn’t ideal for doing demonstration paintings. Ah well, lesson learned – next time I will stand which will make filming so much easier.
I hope you enjoy the video, I am happy with it even if I seem to be moaning at bit. Ignore me and watch it, let me know what you think.
Cheers,
David
Painting in a Nordic summer
I am currently sailing to Finland with my wife and another couple. The weather is cool and the winds blow with attitude from the north. Each morning it is just over 10 degrees, it’s humid and the sky is mostly grey. …..But yesterday was an exception, it was a lovely sunny morning for at least 3 hours!
We had been seeking protection from the strong winds in Rödhamn, Åland. It’s a beautiful little harbour.
Randazzo, Sicily
I have lots of nice memories from when my wife and I visited her Dad in Sicily. We spent a week sailing around the Aeolian islands in glorious sunshine. I really enjoyed painting while we were there. My video technique has improved too so I am enjoying that side to my painting too.
This watercolour I did at home here in Stockholm, it’s a memory from the trip. My wife and her father are walking ahead while I tried to capture a Chein Chung-Wei moment. I have a long road to travel before I can reach the level of master Chein, like I’ve said before – I am enjoying the journey, I may never reach such high levels but what the hell, I don’t really care. What’s important to me is that I try my best to improve everyday.