MEN AND WOMEN – PASTEL AND ACRYLIC SKETCHES

Some more images from recent life sessions. I have cut down my attendance to these lately as I feel am getting into a bit of a rut- though the sessions always test your observational skills and the restricted timeline pushes your workrate.

I have intended to use a few of the sketches at home to develop some fresh approaches. Not much progress on this at the moment.

Though I did get my old sketch books out and had a look through the other day. Every journey starts with a single step…

Other life drawings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

AFTERNOON, BEXHILL PROMENADE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

The other side of the De la Warr Pavilion complex in Bexhill, East Sussex, at the opposite end of the day from my last post. The hot afternoon light coming in over the sailing club and the and the yacht masts adding to the visual commotion of chimney pots, lamp posts and flagpoles. On windier days you can hear ghostly ringing as rigging ropes slap against the hollow aluminium masts.

Other townscapes and seascapes available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

MORNING, BEXHILL PROMENADE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I did this scene plein air and posted it a few weeks back. The field of view was much wider on that one as I am a sucker for chimney pots and thought those buildings provided a good coda. This one is much tighter and focusses on the area which really got my interest. The light on the sea in the background also caught my eye when I was strolling along the prom on an earlier occasion. However, when I sat down to paint, the sea was dark, the lighting effect only came out later. Anyway, I included it on this one.

Other townscapes and seascapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

JAZZ NIGHT – PASTEL PAINTING

We went out to a bar in Liverpool the other night with some friends and enjoyed a few drinks and a little music. I thought that I would paint the scene and here is the first go. I may yet make some of the background colour more definite as it looks like a yellow mist is descending as it did after the fourth bottle of wine.

Other Liverpool scenes and figurative works are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THE MIST LIFTS ON THE MOSS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

In June I awoke to a glorious morning, gathered my paints and cycled to a spot where I knew at least a couple of good paintings lurked. When I got near, I dropped down onto the low lying marshland behind the coastal belt and suddenly could barely see in front of my nose because of the mist.

I stayed close to the coastal belt and painted the image below which I posted in June. I wouldnt have bothered normally. It was a fight from beginning to end as the paint took ages to dry because of the cold and humidity. As I packed up to go the sun at last broke through. The light on the grasses and nettles threw up interesting patterns and I took a few photos.

This one may be green but with all the activity it isnt calming. Now I’m thinking there may be too much green.

Other local landscapes and landscapes in general can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

BLUE HYDRAGEAS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

I have a number of hydrangeas in the garden but they are predominately pink despite adding buckets of aluminium salts to to turn them blue, the colour I prefer. Someone recently told me that the soil also needs to be acidic, so that may be my next approach, but the other day as I was crawling amongst the undergrowth I discovered I actually had a small blue hydrangea which I think was a gift from a visitor. So you got a painting. There may be more of these if I discover the trick of turning the rest blue.

Talking of more: here’s another attempt at my lush gladioli, the subject of the last post. There were a few issues with the first one, despite the overall effect of the main blooms that I was very satisfied with.

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

LUSH GLADIOLI – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

My gladioli have started flowering so I have been tempted to paint them. I have not been satisfied with earlier attempts. This time: well its a bit nearer where I want to be. I started with a simpler background – though I complicated it towards the end. Also focusing in on a few blooms helped. There may be more attempts, though the winds and the rain have taken their toll on the flowers. Still, at least the lawn looks a little healthier.

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

SEGARS LANE MORNING – PASTEL PAINTING

Another calming painting – well that’s the intention. I did this quickly just to see how it would work out. It comes from a couple of photos taken on an earlier outing when I did some watercolour paintings on a quiet summer’s morning. Hopefully there will be a few more to come, but not this week if the forecast is to be believed.

Other landscapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

MORNING AT BEXHILL – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

Down on the south coast as we empty my mother’s flat of a lifetime of nostalgia, I started the day by doing a bit of painting on the seafront. Here the beach at lowtide looking towards Hastings.

And on the promenade by the iconic De La Warr Pavilion with the early morning joggers, dog walkers and strollers.

Other townscapes and seascapes available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

NATURE’S RETURN – PASTEL PAINTING

Another one from the Cotswolds. I liked the sculptured, majestic quality of the Yarrow growing tall between the dewy pathways and the tumbling walls. It seemed nature was reclaiming what it had lost.

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