THE TWELFTH AT ROYAL BIRKDALE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

A week or so ago I was engrossed painting the dunes and beach on a fine summers evening. As I worked I heard voices behind me and, naturally inquisitive, I investigated to find I had sat myself close to a tee on the links course at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. This is one of the premier clubs in the country where they hold the British Open every few years.

I think this is the 12th, I could be wrong, and it looks short enough for even me to get in under double figures. Once I had found the cause of the disturbance I took a few photos and went back to my task.

When I got home I thought that it might make a decent painting so here it is.

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

HOLE IN ONE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I have just completed this small commission for someone who has bought paintings from me before. His sister hit a hole in one and he wanted a momento of it for her birthday. He supplied me with some dark and very green photos of the hole in question.

I had the idea of her walking to the green to see her good fortune and asked for a photo of her after explaining my thoughts. I got a family photo with her looking directly at the camera. Also, the mass of greens filled me with apprehension. Fortunately the photo showed her in a red top and I thought that if I made the figure bigger it might pacify all the raging greens. So I decided to have her right in the foreground, teeing off.

Another slight problem was that I was asked to put more in detail of the putting green and show the otherwise concealed bunkers, but as if the viewer was stood at the tee. This put some strain on the depth of field, but in the end it seems ok – I was told it was a short hole.

So here it is: my client is happy with it ( after asking me to change her driver for an iron) and he even thinks it looks like her – a good estimation of her side profile from the photo. Now we can only hope his sister likes it too – if it goes over the mantlepiece we know it’s a winner.

Other landscapes are available for sale or golfing commissions undertaken. See my website for details: grahammcquadefineart.com

EARLY MORNING AT FORMBY GOLF CLUB 2 – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Getting ready to go on holiday, I got an email from someone wanting a painting of a local golf course for a present. Unfortunately I had sold it some time ago, but suggested I could do another version. The client seemed to be happy with the result above.

And the pressure continued as I also agreed to change my small exhibition at the framers. It’s only a few paintings but you need to reframe and sort out labels etc. The photo I took is marred by reflections, unfortunately.

When I get back from holiday I have quite a big exhibition at the back end of March so I was putting paintings in what frames I had left, though I will need the frames from this exhibition and some that I have ordered to put on the exhibition – 30 paintings in all. With all the running around at least I am fairly well sorted and have sold a couple of paintings this year to boot – so we are off to a reasonable start. Now Thailand beckons – hopefully I will be able to paint a few pictures to put on the blog.

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

ROYAL BIRKDALE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

The final painting of my local series on Birkdale is of the main golf course ( one of many around here). It had to be included in a series on Birkdale. I had painted it before, but from the outside and the 1920’s modernist style with its angular shapes is really set off in the morning light. This time I did it from the ‘playing’ side – so it had to be from photos – they dont allow riff-raff  like me to trample over their lush greens. I wanted a long format to complement the previous painting I did of New Cut Lane, I posted last week and thought that the long clubhouse would fit the bill, but as you can see below, halfway through I didnt feel it was working and turned to a landscape format. Not too sure about this even, but that completes the series. I now have 14 paintings – so that should be enough. The exhibition isnt until December, so I have time to reconsider and change. Now on to the next project…

Paintings of Southport and Birkdale are available for sale 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