EARLY CROPS UNDER CLIEVES HILLS – ACRYLIC PAINTING

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This image was developed from a plien air painting I posted at the start of June.

I wanted a bit more colour and punch and also thought that a graphic style could enhance the saturated colours so I gessoed over an old painting on canvas and set to work. I had been influenced by work by Fred Ingrams amongst others and although I havent achieved his brave use of colour it is an early step.

It might be worth producing a small set of paintings in this style and see if they develop. I have plenty of raw material both photos and sketches to draw from.

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

AUTUMN ON CLIEVE’S HILLS – ACRYLIC PAINTING

I have been going through my back catalogue after the surprise sale of nine paintings. My framer should have six more frames ready today and I have some paintings to go in them – so we can bring the exhibition back up to 30 paintings with a few in reserve. However, I didnt have many larger paintings that I felt comfortable showing. I decided to redo a painting, but this time in acrylics, to fill a larger frame. This is a view over the Lancashire Plain back to where I live in Southport, on the coast. Just beyond these hills – and they are only small bumps – sits the town of Ormskirk, which would be behind the viewer.

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

PATH BETWEEN THE BARLEY – PASTEL PAINTING

Out one morning painting,  I spotted this footpath across a field that the farmer had preserved. If I had come across  it earlier I would have used that as my subject, but I had just completed two watercolours, so I took a few photos instead. On the other side of the lane I  I discovered a cherry tree and got a bagful of cherries to supplement the morello cherries on my tree at home. I made three pots of cherry jam yesterday. I love cherry jam on toast – particularly after a tough morning with the paintbrush..

Other landsscapes in pastel, watercolour and  acrylics are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com 

THE TREES ON CLIEVES’ HILLS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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

 

 

THE COTTAGES ON CUT LANE – PASTEL PAINTING

I don’t know what fascinates me about these cottages, just off the road at the foot of Clieve’s Hills as you approach Ormskirk having travelled across the moss, inland  from Southport. I did them  as a watercolour (shown on this blog on September 24th) and have previously painted them plein air by the roadside, although the best view point is in the middle of the road, which isn’t much good.

Perhaps the middle  bale needs a bit of tidying up as I look at is as I write.

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

MORNING LIGHT, CUT LANE, HALSALL-WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This is another from one of my early morning cycle rides. It is a scene which I have painted in situ before, but to get this angle, with the fence posts, you need to be sat in the road, so a photo was the safer option.

I was attracted to the pattern of light and shadows. It was just a shame there wasn’t a bit of light on the cottages – maybe I should have painted some.

As my with my previous painting, this was painted in three colours, ultra marine blue, cadmium yellow and winsor red.

Other landscapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

 

AT THE FOOT OF CLIEVES’ HILLS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

A painting from a couple of sketches I did the other day when I was out on the bike. I was pleased with the texture of the wheat in the foreground. The background lacks the mystery of my previous Clieves’ Hills paintings, but I’ve tried to keep it together with a limited palette.

Other landscape paintings and paintings of Clieves’ Hills are available for sale  on my website grahammcquadefineart.com

UNDER CLIEVES’ HILLS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I took a number of photos when out painting recently. This is from a photo of a view I have painted before, but not in watercolours. I liked the way the grasses worked against the farm buildings and it allows me to explore the depiction of foreground texture.

Other local scenes to Southport are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

SUMMER’S END ON CLIEVES’ HILLS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This is from a photo from last year. I wanted to have a go at foreground texture. I have posted views from these hills before. They are the biggest feature for miles and I do like painting them. I did post a plein air painting from these hills here a week or so ago. Not sure about the middle distance before the dwellings.

Other paintings of Clieves’ Hills area available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

 

A VIEW FROM CLIEVE’S HILLS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Another view from the hills near my home in Southport. The hills are only small, but as there’s not much around this part of the Lancashire plain, people come for the view. You can see the mountains of Wales and Liverpool and of course the Lancashire plain. The trees here which line the lane, overlooking the plain, are wind sculpted from the prevailing westerly winds -although you cant see it from this angle.

As the sun goes down on a bright day it can make for a great picture

Other views are on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com