Watercolour for a miserable April afternoon

Such a typical April day today, cold out with lots of wind and rain. I decided to give put a watercolour wash or two on paper and stay warm inside. Here is the result of my efforts.

The Green Castletown - Watercolour - 42cm x 30cm

Commission No. 2 of 5 - Nore bridge at Castletown

I think that most artists have one particular scene that they paint many times. I could almost make a living making paintings of the bridge, weir and mill in Castletown. Here is another commissioned acrylic painting of the river Nore bridge at Castletown village. This is the second commission in a series of five.

Nore view at Castletown - Acrylic on canvas - 50 x 70cm

  

Commission piece - De La Salle Monastery, Castletown

This acrylic on canvas painting is the first of a series of five commissioned pieces (all 50cm x 70cm) of local landmarks. I struggled with how to handle the large amount of flat painted gray walls in this work but think the end result is not as insipid as it might have been. (The large expanse of gray also makes it difficult for my digital camera to focus sharply).  I've now started on the next painting in the series and hope it causes less problems than this one did.

Monastery Castletown - Acrylic on canvas - 50 x 70 cm

Near Moyanna - plein air watercolour sketch

This is a watercolour sketch painted in about an hour yesterday afternoon during the kids swimming lesson. I tested a small Sennelier watercolour half pan sketch box this time on Canson Vidalon paper. Having Buddy intently grazing the paddock added some life to the overall scene. The Sennelier colours are not as vibrant as the St. Petersburg White Nights (see previous blog entry) but they handle really well and are very transparent. By building up multiple layers you can get good depth of colour.

Near Moyanna - watercolour - 8 X 12 inches

Here is a little bonus, a quick ink sketch of the same location from an previous visit.

Buddy grazing - Ink on cartridge paper - A4 size

A sketch of Buddy on Vidalon watercolour paper.

Buddy - watercolour - 9 x 12 inches

School days & some White Night watercolours

Lately I have been testing watercolour paints & papers from different manufacturers. For a recent significant birthday I was treated to a set of St. Petersburg White Nights paints. Here is my first real effort using them.

School days, Castletown - Watercolour - 10 X 14 inches

 For the most part the painting was done en plein air with just the finishing touches made in the studio. I used 140lb Canson Vidalon cold pressed (NOT) watercolour paper which is a joy and can take some rough handling.

Detail

I love the tinting strength of the White Nights watercolours and was surprised by how nicely they handle. I think St. Petersburg watercolours will become the paints I pack most often in my plein air kit.

Liz

Here is a drawing of Liz using Cretacolor Monolith graphite crayons on  watercolour & shellac toned cartridge paper.

Liz - Graphite on Paper - A3 size

Take me to the river - Glenbarrow

An oil painting from early September done at a meet up of our summer plein air painters group.

Glenbarrow - oil on canvas - 16 X 20 inches

Work in progress

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Ted - A commissioned piece

This is a commissioned oil on canvas portrait of Ted, the St. Bernard. There is glare in the photo as the painting is still wet, nonetheless, I hope you like it?

Ted - Oil on canvas - 12 X 16 inches

The Blame Game - We didn't do it

A painting that has spent an awful long time on the drying rack, so it shows the kids as they looked a few years ago. Parents will know these pleading looks.

The Blame Game - Oil on Linen - 14 X 18 inches

Detail

One from the archives

Still life painted at a workshop given by artist Gemma Guihan a couple of years ago.

Still life - Oil on paper - 20 x 16 inches

Plein air watercolour Salmon Leap Castletown

This mornings watercolour & ink sketch is of the recently finished stepped Salmon Ladder and weir at Castletown. It rained while painting so the picture is not as finished as I would like. Still I saw a salmon running the new ladder so it was a worthwhile morning.

Salmon Leap, Castletown - Watercolour - 20 X 16 inches

Plein air watercolour sketch of the Mill at Castletown

Here is a watercolour view of the Mill at Castletown painted in about one and a half hours yesterday afternoon. It was bright when I started painting though the light faded quickly. Still, it is lovely weather for the beginning of November.

Mill at Castletown - Approx 20 X 16 inches