Painting titles

I think I'm nearly finished, but will have a another look tomorrow, I'm chuffed that it's all painted in watercolours and sticking again with a limited palette. The dog caused a bit of a commotion this afternoon, when it resembled a chimp on a lead, you don't get many of those to the pound up here in the woods in Keswick.So I'm thinking of a title:

 'A Walk in the wood' maybe 'Walking the dog' I quite like

'The falling leaves of red and gold' from and Eva Cassidy record

'Forever Autumn' I like this!

Or I could go for a classic U2 HIT 'October'

Definitly not going for 'Funky Gibbon'

'Ooo, ooo, ooo

Ooo, ooo, ooo, the funky gibbon'

Sorry for getting you to sing along!!!

I won't have too much Cadmium red tomorrow.

Lost in the wood

Started this piece yesterday, decided to use watercolours, then thought about the colours Winsor Blue, Cad Red, Permanent Rose ( this girl likes pink!)Aurelin and Burnt Sienna. Started with a piece of sketching paper, trying to get a composition going, but to no avail! So I skeched a line about 1/3 of the way up and this was my composition. I am working on a piece of stretched Arches 140 not paper using the Ken Bromley stretcher. So I threw some colour down gave it a bit of a spray and then tried to find my way through the wood! So today I'm hoping to find something magical in the elusive bottom left hand corner. I'll keep you posted.

Sketching walks around Keswick

Derwent Island perfect colours for an Autumn painting.

After grey skies and low cloud over the weekend it was great waking up to Blue skies and sunshine.What a joy! walking down to the lake with rucksack packed with paints and camera and no coat! It is an easy walk down to Calfe Close bay along the Lakeside and back along the Borrowdale Road walking along a tree lined bridleway and then up into Castlehead wood.

I love this little bay, with Stable hills cottage acting as a great little focal point.

I settled myself down at Calfe close bay for a quick sketch of Catbells with the Millennium stones in the foreground.

This is what inspired the sketch above and it was where I saw the Otter one day, but not today.

Fantastic colours, beautiful light and a few shadows all thrown in, I fancy having a go at this tomorrow.

This is the fourth Ashness Bridge in, I think 2 weeks.

It's also one of my online course projects so if you fancy having a go check out

http://www.watercolourcourse.co.uk/

Windy days

Weekend weather in Keswick has been very Autumnal, I've twice walked up towards Walla Crag, and had to turn back with driving rain making it's way from Borrowdale. It is quite energising watching the rain blanket the fells, and make it's way towards you! So no painting was done, I'm hoping for a couple of dry days this week. I would like to go Tarn Hows but with the gusting wind blowing all those golden leaves off the branches, Tarn Hows may not be in all it's glory! Lets see.

 

Before the rain came, the path up towards Walla Crag.

Keswick Launch used by Lakeland art courses

A greyish day today in Keswick. I had a little walk up towards Walla crag, wished for a touch of sunshine to bring the leaves to life, but as you can see below the rain clouds came quickly from down the valley. Moving to Keswick from a biggish town made me appreciate watching the weather change. A favourite saying in Keswick is 'if you can see Skiddaw it's going to rain and if you can't then it's raining'.

Rain clouds approaching

The rain is coming!!!

Can you make out the Launch on Derwentwater(click on photo to see the Launch).I love going on the Launch it's a great way to see the beauty of the Lake and surrounding hills.I try to always use the Launch on my Keswik courses to go to different painting locations.You can get a round the lake ticket or just get off at one of it's 6 stops and walk along the shore or venture up Catbells. It leaves Keswick every 1/2 hour and even runs through winter on a weekend. Father Christmas even goes for tour round a few weekends in December.We went to a wedding celebration once which was great fun.

This is the same view 1st day of June, but it's great seeing different moods and days.

Autumn Watercolour workshop

Derwentwater by Jane Ward

A great day on Saturday in the Lakes the sun shone and the leaves are turning beautiful shades of gold, red and yellow.Rain showers and low cloud Sunday and Monday.The watercolour workshop was a great sucess, it amazes me when people who have barely painted before produce a lovely watercolour. I'm finding that the weekend workshops are proving popular, with small groups it's quite one to one tutition and going over the techniques throughout the weekend  builds up lots of confidence. I'm organising another weekend for Feb 2010 it seems ages away but I'm sure it will soon come round!

Matilda in Italian

Here is my perfect breakfast, I'm getting to be a bit of a coffee snob, or maybe it's just that I've found a great place that does a cappuccino the way I like it, not too hot, nice and strong the milk stays frothy to the end and served in a feel good mug! Oh and a tasty pastry to go with it! I've been trying to learn the wonderful Italian language for a few years and at the moment I'm reading Matilda in Italian but with the English version close at hand. I'm hoping by the time I finish the book I will be Ronald Dahl Italian proficient!!

I had an easy morning, I've a Watercolour workshop this weekend which I've been preparing for this week. I'm going to demonstrate the painting below, as you can see it's got that Autumn feeling! Everywhere you look at the moment here in the Lakes is a joy of colour.

Stage 1 tree

Autumn Leaves watercolour by Jane Ward