Golfing Brollies

I've spent the last few days sketching and painting in heavy rain showers, but with the help of a golfing brolly it can be a wonderful experience! The brolly is propped on the floor over your knees and the precious work of art, you can work quite easily avoiding the raindrops, but experiencing wonderful atmospheric conditions perfect in watercolour. Derwentwater was calm and reflective and the Otters have been seen again playing and swimming in one of the coves.

Knowing when it's finished.

Worked today on Friars Crag, I'm still getting to know my 'Wallis paper' from USA and I was a little worried that I had covered too much of the tooth of the paper with Acrylic paint, but no it was a joy to work with, I love working with an under painting, I think that you are more aware of colour and colour complementary. I worked so enthusiastically that I finished the painting and managed to frame it up ready for my exhibition at Moot Hall at the end of the week. Knowing when a painting is finished is sometimes a feeling that you just know 'that's it' or it can be a battle as to now when to stop, I sometimes take a digital photo and look at it on the camera or PC or look at it through a mirror but I always put it on the floor with a mount around and view it from about 2 feet away.

Rain showers

Another warm day in the Lake District but rain showers kept me in my studio, I decided to have a go at Friars Crag on Derwentwater, in pastels but with an acrylic base painted onto Wallis pastel card, I had it shipped over from USA which was a change from walking down to the local art shop. Using Hermes P400 for the last 14 years or so it's very exciting to find a paper of equal standard if not better!!! One of the main advantages is putting an underpainting on without disturbing the surface of the glass paper.