EARLY MORNING DOWN CARR MOSS LANE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I sold quite a few of these wide format paintings and the stock of frames ran low so I ordered another batch and since then I haven’t painted anything in this style. With a few exhibitions coming up I decided to rectify that and here is the first one. This is of the low flats that run inland from the sea where I live. I am a sucker for the powerlines which run along the raised roadways and the low mist that hangs over the grassland in the mornings. Once again sticking to the three colour palette.

Other local paintings are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

FLOWER SKETCHES – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

Meagre pickings today. I had to do another watercolour flower demo and thought that some roses might be worth trying. I had seen these climbing roses in France the other week and had a notion to try them. I really wanted to get some loose forms coming down the frame ending with perhaps one which was more defined, but was aware that following the demo I will be running a workshop next week when the class have a try, so I needed to approach it more formally and methodically. Well here it is, but in doing it, I also realised that it might be too much for the less experienced – I certainly had a tussle with it.

So back to the drawing board. Instead I went for the old fallback, the hellebores. Well, in the end all I want is to build confidence in loose washes and mixing on the paper. So here was what I did this morning as the demoo piece. It will be interesting to see what the class produce next week.

Other floral paintings for sale  are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

 

 

 

EARLY MORNING AT FORMBY GOLF CLUB – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

There is a track connecting Southport with Formby which I frequently cycle down that cuts across Formby golf Club. I was down there earlier in the summer and sat and painted the scene which I posted on this blog. I decided to do another version in the light of some local exhibitions which are looming just before Christmas. So here it is with a couple of golfers who were way back in the distance and who I captured on the camera,  dragged forward to add to the interest.

I loved the light and shadow across the fairways which recede into the distance and the light which picks out facets on the clubhouse.

Other landscapes are available for sale on my website grahammcquadefineart.com

GREEN LANE FORMBY – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I was dropping off a painting to a client when I went down this lane- a part of the town I do not venture down usually and I was taken by the sweep in the road and the red brick against the leaves. Once again I used three colours, but in the relatively flat light the greens could have done with some brightness which a warm yellow and blue fail to deliver. So much for dogma. Still I feel I captured the dowdiness of the scene which may have escaped with more punch.

Other paintings of Formby and Southport are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

MORNING IN CHURCHTOWN, SOUTHPORT – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I liked the light coming in from behind the trees in this old part of Southport. Perhaps the buildings are a little too light and could go down half a tone and the lighted portion of the road could be warmed up. Again just three colours.

Other paintings of Southport can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

MORNING IN HESKETH PARK, SOUTHPORT – WATERCOLOUR

This is a local park in Southport I visited early one sunny morning. The glass-house has  been restored and I have exhibited paintings there over the years. The painting was done in three colours –  red, blue and yellow all on the warm side.

I decided to try a painting using  three primaries,  but on the cool side: winsor yellow, alizarin red and Prussian blue. This was of a farm near Little Crosby on a bright evening.

 

As the colours were more staining and not pigments which contained heavy metals I noticed that they moved about much more readily on my first wash – which is very loose. In fact there were some areas which lost their pigment completely – so I had to go back in. I then made heavy work of the ragwort ( well I think that was what it was) in the foreground. In hindsight I should have used more masking fluid and got the lit surfaces to sing  against the shaded areas. Maybe one to try again.

Other local scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

BOATS AT BANKS, SOUTHPORT – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

The area here, to the north of Southport,  is very flat and subjects can be hard to come by. Even so  I went out on my bike one morning and did some on site painting and took a number of photos. This painting  was from one of the photos. I need to get a collection of local paintings together for a couple of up-coming exhibitions, so all other projects have been put on hold.

Other local paintings are available on my website grahammcquadefineart.com

FIELD’S CORNER, SCARISBRICK MOSS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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Out on my bike one morning and cycling along the flat lanes that bisect the rich agricultural land which lies behind Southport, I turned to see the light coming in from behind the trees. The images I photographed were quite dark, but hopefully I got the essence. Once again done in three colours. I do like the effect that they give. I also must give three other colours a go – the cool yellow, cool blue and cool red. These were done in the warm red, yellow and blue.

Other landscapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineaart.com

CAMBRIDGE ROAD, SOUTHPORT – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Whilst out cycling the other morning I got some lovely contra-jour shots. This was one. I again used three colours, cad yellow, French ultramarine and winsor red. There was a lot of dark foliage in this and I had to fight to keep it lively.

Other paintings of Southport are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THREE FIGURE SKETCHES – ACRYLIC AND PASTEL

I haven’t put many figurative paintings on the blog of late, but I’m still churning them out. Here are three of the latest. The first and the last are acrylic whilst the middle one is pastel.

Other figurative work is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com