meldrum artI spent a week in Northern Ireland last week visiiting my family. During the stay we drove to Newcastle and spent two wonderful evenings in the Slieve Donard Hotel. I had an amazing view of the Mourne Mountains from my window which compelled me to do a quick sketch.
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| View from the Slieve Donard Hotel |
I paint whenever I get the chance, the autumn being a very busy period means those moments are few, So I squeeze watercolour painting into my lunch breaks, I heat up my food, eat in front of the computer and then spend half an hour practising. It’s not a very social habit but what to do? Wish I had more time to paint, I dream of creating masterpieces…
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| Archipelago in a lunch break. |
I hadn’t used it for a year, my Moleskin watercolour journal. I have several, this one is for practising my skin tones. I needed the practice, …I always feel I need to practice.
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| Moleskin watercolour sketch, 13 x 20.5 cm |
I have been ill for a week and so I haven’t been able to go to life drawing which I find tough on the soul, more painful than a sore throat even. But now I’m starting to feel better and so I can start painting and sketching again. 🙂 Here is a watercolour I did last week just to get the wheels of art-production going again.
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| Lighthouse. Arches fine grain, 300g/m2 , 26 x 18 cm |
Watercolor Painting Lessons – Special Effects:
Here are two watercolours that I did during my lunch breaks earlier in the week. My daily routine is to eat my lunch (quickly) and then spend 40 minutes painting. I usually have two watercolours on the go at the same time so I don’t have to hang around waiting for pigment to dry. I find it’s a great way to learn, I have to be quick and so I don’t fiddle around, I just apply the paint and see what happens. I’m having a 50/50 success rate at the moment. I really want to improve my technique so squeezing in some art-time during the working-day is uplifting, I find it so frustrating when I don’t find space in my life for watercolour.
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| Archipelago sunset, 25 x 16 cm, Arches gf 300g/m2 |
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| Archipelago mist, 23 x 16 cm, Arches gf 300g/m2 |
I enjoyed painting this, it was a real challenge. I darkened the sky and sea to make the boat stand out. I did this a day after I had ennitinally finished. It’s important to stand back a little and let some time go by before one finally decides that the painting is complete.
Brig Tre Kronor
“Four gentlemen with a passion for beauty, navigation and sailing vessels launched the Stockholm Brig project in 1993. The first drawings were presented in 1994, and in 1997 the Brig’s keel was laid on Skeppsholmen, Stockholm.” Read more about this beautiful boat here.
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| Brig Tre Kronor. Arches gf 300 g/m2, 36 x 26 cm. |
Painted during two lunch breaks last week. I am focused on improving my water impressions. One would think it’s easy because I’m working with watercolour, – not!
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| Reflection, Arches gf 300 g/m2 27 x 26 cm |
I managed to squeeze a watercolour into my lunch break last Monday. It took 30 minutes, I am pretty happy with the result considering the time-window. I used Fabriano Artisico GF, 300g/m2 and it’s 14 x 20 cm in size.
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| View from Stadshuset (The Town Hall) 14 x 20 cm |