Last week I discarded the last crutch and the doctor gave me the ok to drive, so I started to return to the life sessions. I eased myself in with some charcoal drawings.
I might even have a look at a portrait group which meets weekly, now that I can drive again.
Other life drawings and paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
I’ve done scene before and posted it, but I came across it the other day and wondered if I could try it in the three cool colours I use, following on from the previous post where I used three warm colours. So this was done with lemon yellow, alizarin red and winsor blue. I have tried this combination before and found it quite difficult, when compared to using the warm colours – maybe it’s the more staining effect of the winsor blue and alizarin which can quickly overpower the painting . I must try a few more to see if you get a different feel to the paintings with the cooler colours.
I wasn’t completely happy with the original painting which you can see below and applied the paints on this one in a much looser way.
Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
I suppose it was the early morning mistiness and recession past the trees which interested me as much as the horses. This was done with three colours cad. red, cad. yellow and ultramarine and mixing a lot of them on the paper.
Other landscapes are available on my website grahammcquadefineart.com
I was watching some TV about seabird colonies in Scotland and the scenes of the wild sea made me want to try some techniques I saw in a book by Nita Engle. There is no brushwork in this painting except to use them to flick paint onto the paper and a little bit to finally render the seabirds. She actually uses an applicator to squirt the paint onto the paper so that you can get regression with the waves – a degree of control that you cant achieve by flicking.
I did a second painting – Headland – which more reflected the programme, although the headland just appeared out of the marks so I did use a bit of brushwork to bring it to prominence .
I might use some pipettes I have to mimics the spray application and gain a bit of control with the waves. However I do love the wildness that this approach brings. So I might bore you with another one soon.
Other seascapes and landscapes available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
Temperature inversions on the low lying land behind Southport causes mist to hover in the morning. The fields drop because of the drainage, but the buildings and roads remain at their original height on their foundations – well most of the time – so you see buildings and roadside trees popping up like figures in a mirage surrounded by haziness.
Other local scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
In our house you don’t stay still for long and you certainly don’t fall asleep. I couldn’t resist it even though it might be the end of my marriage.
Other figurative paintings are available on my website grahammcquadefineart.com
I joined a new group who put on exhibitions in the area as working on your own limits the things you can do, particularly if you have to man the exhibition. In that case you need others to do a few days to allow you to get on with some painting. So for the next exhibition I thought I might do a few flower paintings and here is one. The exhibition is in a vacant shop in the centre of town and the group are celebrating the life of one of their members who has recently died of cancer.
The poster is below if you want to come along.
Other flower paintings are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
Working on a handmade canvas I thought that I might revert to a style I once adopted. Ironically I used more colours in this painting than in many of the watercolours I paint and it took a lot longer with all the preliminary sketches and the assessment of the marks and then there were the corrections – it fair wore me out.
Other abstracts are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
With the equinox turning I thought I might ponder on things to come, well at least for us in the northern hemisphere.
Though no doubt we’ve got a few more good days to come before winter grips it’s pull.
Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
My mobility is rather restricted at the moment so I haven’t been to any life sessions – its bad enough lugging an easel to them so the added restriction of crutches just makes me stay at home. What I thought I’d do is have a look at some of the quick 2 minute sketches and see if I could make anything of them. This is the first one I tried. It is rather plain, but I did intend a stark image – perhaps even starker – but I did like the calmness of the pose. In this one I included a hint of the face.
The original sketch is below, done without measurement, so I think the top of the arm is a little short. I might have a go at another and try a different style.
Other life paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
graham mcquade 