I was trawling through my images as I prepared an update to my website when I discovered this small watercolour I completed a couple of weeks ago. It was an imaginary scene based on recollections from my travels. I have painted a similar subject before using the same title. At the time it was just a bit of playing around, looking at textures and techniques – painting with no pressure. I hope you enjoy it.
Other landscapes are avilable for purchase on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
A long-sold painting from 2006, of the Leeds to Liverpool canal in the north of Liverpool at Lydiate. Due to painting birthday cards and a visit by my daughter, my normal output has been curtailed of late.
Also, there is a bit of apathy after being told, on Saturday, that one of my exhibitions has been called off as the owners want the facility for other purposes. It came out of the blue, as we had been discussing the exhibition since July and only last week, I submitted a press release with images to them and also signed and returned their agreement document.
I have expressed my disdain and pointed out, that based on our agreement, I had ordered 5 new frames and turned down an offer of participating in another exhibition. I still have two more exhibitions from November until January, but it is extremely annoying.
Still, on the upside, the painting I presented on my previous blog – which was painted specifically for the cancelled exhibition – was spotted by someone who lives close to the scene depicted and frequently runs along the canal path you see in it. He has said he will come around tomorrow to buy it, So I had best get on and frame it.
Other canal scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
Regular readers will probably know I have been banging on about revisiting old paintings in preparation for upcoming workshops and demos I have been asked to do. Trial runs leave you with a painting that you can exhibit, which is a great side product and one I am certainly in need of. This is because I have overcommitted to two solo exhibitions and a group show from November onwards, which at times are running concurrently. I need frames and more paintings. The frames have been ordered and I am making some late additions to the paintings.
Here is one. I’ve posted a version before, but this time I did it in a long format – mainly because I have a few spare long format frames and not much to put in them. It is of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal at a small town called Burscough – north of Liverpool.
It was a lovely morning, well worth getting up at 5am for and I remember doing a couple of paintings in the warm sun before being regaled by a musician who complained for a good half hour, as I worked, about payments for gigs – or the lack of payment, as I recall. I told him to take up painting: then he would really have something to complain about.
Other canal scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
Another reworked image, this time of the beach at Formby, and the reason for this is that I am also preparing for a pastel workshop, along with some demos.
A lady, from a local art club had seen a beach pastel on my website and asked whether I could do that as a demo. Despite never having demonstrated pastel before, I accepted the booking. I wouldnt even call myself a pastelist. I just started using them in life sessions. I found you get form and colour down very quickly with pastels. From there I used them in my landscapes.
However, I use a different style with life work than with landscapes and seascapes. With the latter I blend a lot, probably because I am working flatter, rather than on an easel in a life session.
After that surprise booking, I received two more requests for pastel demos and one for a pastel workshop. I dont know if there has been some culling of the pastel fraternity around here, leading to a lack of choice and then on to me, or maybe people just talk amongst themselves.
So I have been investigating possible subjects. I have settled for the one above. I did try a couple of others, one of them is below:
This is another old subject, done before in watercolours. I feel, though, that with watercolours, I got a much subtler finish and this was a reason why I am selecting the first one for the demos and workshop. The first demo is in October.
Also, by doing these trial pieces, I get a painting that I can put in to one of my upcoming exhibitions. A little icing on the cake.
Other beach scenes and seascapes are avilable for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
I was asked by a painting club in Formby to run a paint-along workshop in watercolour texture next month. The problem for me is that it is to take place over one afternoon. So time is of the essence, as the format is: I will do a bit and the attendees will then have a go, before I move on to the next step etc etc.
I selected this old favourite of mine as the subject.
So over the last few days I have been working out how to do this. I will focus on the road surface and puddles. Initially, though, we will quickly wash in the sky and fields to provide context and then set about painting the roadway. How long this will take is anyone’s guess – but the aim is to complete the road. If time is left over at the end, we will try and complete the painting, which is pretty simple.
To check how this approach will work out, I set about doing another painting. I didnt do the original in this order. The result is above and seems ok. It gave me timings and areas where I could speed things up.
I decided to complete the painting – the one you see above, and it may prove useful for an exhibition I am planning in November.
Other landscapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
For me how light interacts with a subject is important. Initially, faced with this pose I saw very little that gripped me. Just sitting the model on a stool like this induces a very boring pose. I walked all around the model getting more despondent as I went and it was only when I went around the rear that I saw the light on his back. It wasnt much, but enough to develop the form of the body with a few highlights.
Later, another pose was struck, but here there was no compelling light and shadow to raise any interest, so I finished up withis this rather flat rendition in acrylics.
It’s good practice – but that’s about all.
Last Saturday I revisited an old club in Liverpool ( the second oldest in the country). I hadnt been there since well before covid. I gave up as they had moved into a small, dark studio where you couldnt dispose of paint. My complaints were ignored so I voted with my feet.
I had heard that they had moved to a different room in the same building, so I decided to give it a try. The light was a bit better, contra jour, which I like, and the room bigger, though disposing of paint is still an issue. I certainly dont want to take acrylic brushes home to find them brick hard?
On this occasion I took my pastels just to keep the peace..
Around here many people do line drawings, so cast and form shadows arent that relevant, but there must come a time when they want to add shadow. It seems that this time hasn’t yet arrived.
Life paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
Sometimes a painting eludes your initial vision and this one certainly has, so Finishing Line may be inappropriate as a title – there could be future versions. I wanted a triptych but thought that I could intertwine the images more, instead of just three rectilinear boxes that the subject finally dictated. I also found the greens started to dominate as the piece progressed.
Like all projects that cause consternation, this has taken longer, as the enthusiasm dwindles.
So I am pausing and taking stock.
So why show this? Well, my blog is a diary, and this is what has occupied me over the last few days, brought to some sort of conclusion. And there are a few bits I do like.
Other animal paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
Four colours were used on this imagined scene. A hot and cool red and a hot and cool blue. I could have got away with dropping the cool red, but I did need both of the blues to emphasise the recession. I liked the way a yellow seems to emerge between the second and third hills (from the left) .
It has a Lake District feel, but it is all pretty much made up. I wanted a calming and simple image and hopefully I got one.
Other landscapes, some of the Lake District, are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
I’ve missed some good opportunities to get out painting recently. A few times the forecast didnt look promising but the next morning you are presented with a glorious day. Too late to assemble everything and select a location, leaving me to rue the missed opportunity.
Last week the opposite was true – good forecast, but I awoke to a hazy morning. As I was up and prepared, I decided to make the most of it.
At my selected location they were harvesting and the bales added interest to a fairly plain subject.
Then, I walked up and sat down on a few you see on the right and painted this view of the church and vicarage.
Perhaps a few wonky sheep, but by then the sun had broken the haze and I was in better spirits.
I could be criticised by my reluctance to seize any opportunity. But last minute opportunism can carry penalties. Last Wednesday evening I went to a life session. Setting out my equipment in the studio, I opened my glasses case to find it empty. Life is hard enough, but as the light faded it became almost impossible. On this occasion I’d prepared everything before departing, yet still forgot this vital accessory. Grabbing all my kit at the last moment only opens me up to many more omissions.
Still, hopefully, there may be one or two opportunities to paint outside left this year – I just need to be ready.
Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
I painted a version of this many years ago and was very pleased with the outcome. So, it appears, was someone else, who bought it. The original version played on the lightness of the scene and I wondered whether a more punchy painting was to be had by extending the darks and focussing in on one plant. So here it is, a trifle late as, around here, summer slips to autumn.
Though, hopefully, it zings for you too. My original which I posted in 2015 is below.
Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
graham mcquade 