Tag: plein air

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Sketch sketching watercolor Watercolour

Four interpretations of the same scene

Watercolour #2

While out sailing in the archipelago we would sometimes take a day off and just hang in a beautiful spot. This would give me the opportunity to paint. The four watercolours here are of the same scene on Själbottna island painted over two days.

I realise that my first watercolour is usually rushed and therefore not so good. I guess it’s a necessary evil, a process to slow down and really see what is in front of me. The third watercolour was an attempt to capture the advent of rain and dark thunderous skies. Finally the last watercolour was painted the next morning just before we lifted anchor and sailed off in some direction I cannot remember.

The watercolours are 18 x 13cm in size and were painted on the 16/17th of July, 2022.

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Sketches sketching watercolor Watercolour

My first post in almost a year!

I became very ill with depression last October and it’s only now that I am starting to feel good again. The summer repairs but in recent years the seasonal window has been getting smaller. I’m seeking treatment and in the worse case I’ll probably need to move south for the winter, let’s see what happens.

So while I’m all depressed my website crashed in November 2021, and I wasn’t able to fix it due to a scrambled brain – trashed by antidepressants. I’ve ditched the medication, it was impossible for me to be creative. It may work for others but it’s not the solution for me.

So, this is my first post for a while. I haven’t been so productive so nothing missed really. I am so happy that I’ve started painting again. I began in May, I visited Ireland, stayed with friends and sketched for a week. It was so beautiful, the weather was just wonderful. Recently, I was on my annual sailing adventure with my wife. I painted a lot of watercolours of the Stockholm archipelago.

These featured watercolours were painted one after the other on the 7th of July in a natural-harbour called Norra Gränholmsviken, Gällnö. 18 x 13 cm in size, it’s a quarter of a quarter sheet for those of you who paint watercolour. It’s really interesting to paint the same scene several times. I discovered new patterns, new shapes and new compositions each time. A really good exercise when trying to improve.

Nice to be back. See you again soon. 🙂

Gällnö
Gällnö, the first attempt.
Gällnö
Categories
Plein air Sketch watercolor Watercolour

Sketching at Waldermarsudde with old friends

Waldermarsudde sketch
Waldermarsudde sketch

It is interestesting how people who used to be new friends are now old friends.
I have been life drawing since 2011 and along the way I have got to know many new people who share a love of trying to capture what they see in front of them. We would meet for coffee after each life drawing session and show our sketches and voice our frustrations at being so clumsy or just down-right awful. We all supported each other, never a bad word was said – just lots of positive vibes that have lead to the forming of great friendships.

The pandemic has affected our life drawing classes and we have not met so often this year which meant it was wonderful when we actually did meet last weekend. It was a grey day at Waldermarsudde but it didn’t matter to us, and besides, we had the promise of waffles afterwards at the café with outdoor heaters to keep the chill of autumn away.

I didn’t really care what I was going to sketch that day, I just sat close to the others. I sit alone and paint most days so no need to do that when the point was to socialise. I am happy with my sketch. In the background there is an old windmill without it’s sails. In the foreground is the statue of Carl Wilhelm Scheele by Carl Milles. My watercolour didn’t want to dry in the humidity of fall but luckily I had my blowtorch with me. It turns heads but I get the job done. It was a good day.

Please click the thumbnail below if you would like to see the full-sized image, 13 x 17 cm

Waldermarsudde sketch
Waldermarsudde sketch
Categories
Sketch watercolor Watercolour

This is a favourite watercolour

I painted this as the the day came to an end, we had found a safe place for the night in Ålöfladen, south of Utö on the 10th of July. I had no high expectation, just started painting, a boat in the calm. I had to use my gas burner to dry it, the evening had become humid. I was and still am very pleased with the result, I find it has a calming affect on me.

Categories
Sketch sketching watercolor Watercolour

Another day another sketch

I still feel so lucky to be able to enjoy nature as I do. The view from Nedergårdsö. 9th of July, 13 x 17.5cm

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Uncategorized

A late evening sketch

A late evening sketch from the boat on Nämdö, Skärvassa. I use my gas heat gun to dry the watercolour. It’s been a cool July so far. It means the archipelago isn’t as crowded as I thought it would be, that’s a plus. 13 x 17.5cm

Click the thumbnail below to see the full sized image.

Categories
Sketch watercolor Watercolour

Holiday watercolours

Grisselholmen
Grisselholmen

We are currently sailing along the east coast of Sweden, taking it easy as we always do – which means I have time to do some watercolour sketching. Here is a sketch from when we visited Grisselholmen on the 3rd of July. More watercolours to follow! Grisselholmen 13 x 17.5 cm

Click the thumbnail image below to see the full sized image.

Grisselholmen
Categories
Sketch watercolor Watercolour

Inspired by Turner

It was early Saturday morning, I broke the plastic sealing wrapper from around a William Turner book I had purchased – The ‘Skies’ Sketchbook by David Blayney Brown. Once I had studied it for a while I had this enormous urge to get outside and paint some clouds. Luckily the sky was very beautiful during the weekend, the soft pillow type cushions sailed past quickly which meant the scene in front of me changed completely every few minutes. I sat in my new camper van at Nacka Strand protected from the cool wind, I was inspired and I enjoyed every moment of it.

  • Cloud study #1
  • Cloud study #2
  • Cloud study #3
  • Pencil sketch
  • Protected from the wind
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

Plein air in a cold climate

Finnboda hamn
Finnboda hamn
Plein air in Finnboda
Plein air in Finnboda

I took myself out during the week to paint plein air. The sun was shining and it might even have been 10 degrees but I’m not sure. I brought extra leggings which I put on quite quickly as it was very cool in the shade of the building next to the water’s edge.
It was interesting how the paper and watercolour pigment behaved in the cool conditions, it was very different from my time in India or even the studio. I found that the pigment was not absorbed by the paper as easily. It wasn’t a big deal, I adjusted quickly and enjoyed my two hours by the water.
Sweden being Sweden most people left me alone which is good considering we are in the middle of a pandemic. A few were curious but they kept two metres away.
I am so looking forward to painting plein air more often now as the temperature is rising and the sun is higher in the sky. The days are much longer too.
I have bought a van that I am going to convert into a studio plus camper. I will publish a post about this exciting project during the coming week.

If you would like to see the full sized image please click the thumbnail below.

Finnboda hamn
Finnboda hamn
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