Tag: david meldrum

Categories
watercolor Watercolour

I don’t have artist block, I have something a lot worse

Ferry at Finnboda
Ferry at Finnboda

I have been suffering badly from depression (SAD) since September. I’m not going to go into detail but anyone who suffers from the same ball and chain affliction knows it isn’t easy to achieve anything of substance. So this little painting, although a bit grey, is a ray of light as I have been able to complete it. It makes me very feel good.

I am returning to the doctor this week, the current approach hasn’t worked. Hopefully a solution can be found soon. I so do want to enjoy life, smile and paint, paint, paint.

Click the thumbnail below if you want to see the full sized image

Ferry at Finnboda
Ferry at Finnboda
Categories
Uncategorized

Revisiting my summer sailing adventure

We sailed to the NW of Åland close to the Finnish border during the month of July. It always feels pretty exposed there when the winds blow and it tends to blow often. There were a number of occasions when we had to shelter in small harbours which gave me the opportunity to do some watercolour painting.

I did this small sketch below when we were sheltering in Seglinge, it mentions on the back of the watercolour that the winds were 8-15 m/s and blowing from the north and that more favourable wind was coming the next day. Nice memories for sure.

Seglinge 17 x 13 cm

The main featured watercolour was started the same day ( 2021/07/22 ) but I ran out of time or maybe it was passion, who knows. Anyway, I finally finished it yesterday. I found the unfinished watercolour in a pile beside my desk, … my studio is such a mess I really need to clean the place. I gave the watercolour a grunge type feel, I wanted the painting to feel moody, atmospheric, something like that. I’m happy enough with the result but now it’s time to move on to the next watercolour. Have a nice weekend.

Click the thumbnail below for a full sized image.

Seglinge 36 x 26 cm
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

“Don’t paint pretty sunsets”, they said.

Sicilian sunset
Sicilian sunset

Wise painters stay away from pretty photographs of ocean sunsets. I know this is true as I tried years back and yes, I failed. The watercolour turned out to be cheesy, a classic motif to sell to tourists maybe but not a work of art that I was proud of. Nothing I would wish to show to others.

William Turner, he painted many sunsets, he had a certain attitude, he was a rebel, a hero to many, an inspiration to me.

I snapped an evening photo while sailing off the coast of Sicily, I thought to myself, this is not your typical sunset. So dramatic. It’s badass. I had a go at trying to capture the moment. 36 x 26 cm.

Click the thumbnail below for a full sized image.

Sicilian sunset
Sicilian sunset

Categories
Uncategorized

A tourist’s watercolour

I was recently lucky enough to be sailing along the coast of Sicily not far from Palermo. There was this beautiful town called Cefalu that hugged an impressive rock. It just had to be painted. 36 x 26 cm

Categories
exhibition

Water Colour Society of Ireland exhibition begins, it’s a big moment for me

The Water Colour Society of Ireland’s 166th exhibition begins and I am very proud to be included for the first time. It’s such a pity I cannot be there for the opening but I am just delighted to have been accepted into the fine room of Irish watercolour art.If you are in Dublin the exhibition opens on the 25th of September and runs until the 10th of October. Farmleigh Gallery, Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park, 10am – 5pm daily.

Categories
Sketches Watercolours

A collection of my summer sketches

donaghadee harbour
Donaghadee harbour

I am finally back in the studio. So much to deal with after almost three months away from my desk. I just thought I’d rescan these images, most I’ve shown before but I’d captured them on my old iPhone, nice to take proper photos of them here in the studio while listening to Tom Waits.

donaghadee harbour
Categories
watercolour video

A new video at last. From sketch to watercolour Ep17

After a little break I am back again producing watercolour videos.
In this episode I travel to Gustavsberg which is 20 minutes from where I live. You will see how I develop a watercolour from simple outdoor sketch to the final painting.

If you would like to support the making of these videos visit my Patreon page at, www.patreon.com/meldrumart
Thank you.

Categories
Uncategorized

Not the whole watercolour

Stadshuset
Stadshuset

Yeap, I wasn’t totally happy with this watercolour so I was forced to chop it up so that I could enjoy it. I’m a happy butcher now. It’s best to love a whole painting of course but sometimes one has to be brutal.
Click the thumbnail below to see the full sized image.

Stadshuset
Stadshuset
Categories
Portrait Watercolour

Watercolour portraits

10 minute pose

One of my many New Year Resolutions was to improve my figures in my watercolour paintings. We all basically always look at the head first and so it’s not very good if the face feels amateurish. This is why I am going to portrait classes every Tuesday now, I wan’t to improve and I don’t want my paintings to look amateurish!!!!!!! 🙂

These watercolours are about A5 in size.

  • 35 minute pose
  • 35 minute pose
  • 10 minute pose