meldrum art
It was such a beautiful day yesterday, I just had to go out and sketch. I will paint this in a large format sometime this autumn.
Saunders Waterford 300g 19×20 fine grain
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I am going through a period were my time for art is limited, I have to work as a webmaster for 6 weeks during July and August. I know that in order to be a good artist I have to practice everyday which is basically not easy.
So, is painting for the sake of painting a good idea? This sketch which took 2 hours over two days is a case in point. It’s not a masterpiece but I feel at least I have painted something; I have learned a little, a small step – …on the lonely road to mastering watercolour.
This sketch was painted in a Moleskin watercolour journal 29 x 21 cm, the paper is not cotton but I like the challenge of its inferior qualities.
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I’ve been busy doing other things than art recently like watching my son graduate and helping him move back to Stockholm after 3 years in Karlskrona. I’m working this week but yesterday was Sweden’s national day so I had the day off which meant I could watercolour! 🙂
I hadn’t painted for a week so in order to get going I painted this sketch of Stockholm’s town hall called “Stadshuset” in Swedish. I think it’s a very beautiful building so I have sketched many times and I probably will continue to do so in the future.
While I was painting yesterday, I filmed it using a GoPro camera. I bought one secondhand last year and have found it hard to start filming with it. I think it is like everything that requires some learning, the first step is the hardest. But now I have taken that first important step and I have ambitions to publish short films of myself while I paint watercolours. I am currently studying how to edit using Premiere Pro, so much to learn; one step at a time David, one step at a time.
The sketch was painted in a Moleskin watercolour journal. The paper quality sucks but if forces me to adapt which isn’t a bad thing.
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I am having a summer exhibition at Fylgia, a law firm in Östermalm, Stockholm. The official opening is Wednesday 3rd May 2017, 17.30 – 19.00.
Please contact me if you would like to come to the opening. I can only invite a limited amount so it’s on a first come, first served basis.
It may be kinda strange to have an exhibition at a law firm. The company is situated in the wealthier part of town. They have clients visiting them everyday, who knows maybe they will buy my art … in between suing and being sued. The official opening will be next Wednesday, that’s when I will sell most of the work that does get sold, it’s an important day. Mentally, I have moved on; I’m thinking about the next exhibition. I have started painting for it but unfortunately bad health is hampering me a little, I am over the worst of it now so I look forward to a summer of inspired painting.
I completed 90% of this painting a month or ever two months back, the last 10 % has taken a lot more time. I learned this from Chien Chung-Wei, he might spend two hours on a painting but the final 10% can take many more hours – days even.
Luckily for me the weather is so damn cold here in Stockholm that the snow doesn’t look out of place now that it is spring, it was snowing here today in fact. So, maybe I should rename this painting to, “Spring in Stockholm”. Only kidding, I do look forward to warmer weather though.
Painted on Arches rough 300g, 2017.04.25, 52 x 34 cm.
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I took it really easy today, I’ve been so busy during the last month – I really needed to take my foot off the gas pedal. So, the first thing I did today was go to the central station and sketched the travelers as they waited for trains.
In the afternoon I walked around the town and looked for scenes to photo and paint at a later date. I walked for 4 hours! It was a sunny day and I was hunting the light, looking for scenes that were perfect for watercolours. I found quite a few so I’m happy. Tomorrow I’ll paint in the studio at home, my feet are feeling tired. I have life drawing tonight so I’ll sleep well.
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I forgot to publish this, I met with my Stockholm Urbansketcher friends at the Central Station on the 26th of February. We had great fun sketching, enjoying a chat and a coffee.
Summer is coming soon, well I would at least like to think so. Looking forward to it when it does arrive. I am very happy with these wide scene formats I have been painting recently but they do present a problem, they look very small when I present them on Facebook or even here on my website. It’s a pity because they look real good framed and hanging on the wall. I am considering just showing a 4 by 3 version, cropping the watercolour to suit social media. Instagram is even worse, it is square!
Format: 37 x 12.5 cm
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I have realised that painting in a wide format really suits my watercolours of life in the archipelago. It’s the big open horizon that we all find appealing when we are out in the great outdoors.
69 x 24 cm
The original reference photos were taken by Finish photographer, Erik Lähteenmäki. You can visit his website here.
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