Can I have a look?

There's nothing quite like painting outside,

after a few weeks of relentless rain, it's such a wonderful feeling to get out and do some sketching. Needing only a few bits of equipment a pen or pencil and sketch book and your free to work anywhere, I spent a few hours on my favourite walk around Derwentwater stopping occasionally and capturing what inspired me, luckily my companion the 'duck' was not to critical.

2009 Dates

Can't believe September is here, I've just organised next years courses, It's a enjoyable job thinking of the places to go to paint,imagining the glorious weather we will be having! and remembering courses from this year, funny stories and little mishaps. Painting is a never ending learning process and a wonderful hobby. I'm about to start running an evening class for beginners in Watercolour in Keswick which is always alot of fun.

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.

The Swallows were dipping

Morning showers cleared a trip on a open topped bus and a perfect Lakeland landscape awaits. There was no breeze so pure and calm reflections of Loughrigg and the islands on Rydal water were waiting to be captured, the swallows were dipping around the beautiful waterlilies and the ducks were keeping a watch to check that no sandwiches were been eaten. I decided on a palette of Cobalt Blue, Burnt and Raw Sienna, Transluscent Yellow and a touch of Permenant Rose and the wet in wet technique hoping to apply a one wash approach, my Ken Bromley stretcher and Arches paper worked a treat.

Sunny Days

Nothing beats painting 'en plein' on warm sunny days with plenty of sunlight. Today I was painting with my group of artists at Easedale Valley, Grasmere beside the beck listening to the sounds of Summer while capturing in watercolour distant craggy fell tops, an old farmhouse and wild flowers of foxgloves, purple orchids and sun kissed yellow buttercups catching the light. Making the scene complete was an old green tractor making perfect bales Monet would have loved!