Which is best? I think the sketch is that I did earlier in the week. It’s more free. I like the studio piece too but it hasn’t the same energy. What do you think?
The Studio art is 36 x 26 and the sketch is 28 x 19 cm
Have a nice weekend!

This watercolour was inspired by my trip to Little India which is in the southern suburbs of Singapore. I walked down the busy Serangoon road and found this scene, I didn’t have time to take out my sketchbook just then, instead I took a bunch of reference photos.
Singapore is so fascinating. It’s cultural contrasts make the city so vibrant.
I very nearly threw this painting in the bin. If you are curious to know why look at my latest vlog on YouTube.
I don’t remember if the band were playing ragtime, I don’t think so actually – it was jazz standards like Blackbird and stuff. I’ve titled the painting, Ragtime Band anyway because I like the sound of it and I think it suits the watercolour. It’s my painting so I can call it what I want, he he.
I took some reference photos and did a few sketches last December together with my Urban Sketching friends here in Stockholm. We had a great time in a pub I wouldn’t set foot in normally. It was totally nice though and I’m glad I was brought to the venue to discover a little gem in the blandness of a train station shopping mall.
Ragtime Band – Lilla Wien pub, Södra station 26 x 36 cm
I produced a final painting of this scene from Paimpol in Brittany today. The watercolour looks a lot better in reality, I wish I could take professional photographs but I just can’t. I lack the skills necessary. Still, I am happy enough with it, now it’s time to think about the next watercolour and try to improve on previous mistakes.
It is beautiful here in Brittany. I am staying at my mother in law’s house in Ploubazlanec which is not far from a Paimpol where I painted this plein air sketch. I come here every year and love it every time. The weather can be unstable but I am used to that growing up in Ireland. It is actually hard to create a successful watercolour when there is a blue sky, this is something I have learned over the years.
I was asked to do a painting of Ulf Ohlsson, Catch-Driver of the year 2017 back in January. The deadline was tight and I had 24 hrs to paint a watercolour and get it framed. I succeeded and the client was happy, ….but that is not the whole story. Because of the tight deadline I elected to paint 2 identical watercolours at the same time. This is the reserve, it’s smaller and I finally finished the last few touches the other day.
www.patreon.com/meldrumart