LIFE IS TOO SHORT – ACRYLIC PAINTING

We recently went on a walk along the Regent’s Canal in London, strolling in leafy peace from the west end into the east end whilst the city roared overhead and around. At Islington the canal disappeared into a tunnel and we braved the streets to find its resumption. I managed to get the family past the shops without too much money being lost.

This scene in the narrow lanes of Islington was predominantly black and white but I warmed it up on the sunlit pavement and with other splashes of colour and I loved the fellow sitting in part shade on the left.

Other townscapes are available on my website grahammcquadefineart.com

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THE FRUIT SELLERS OF HAMPSTEAD – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

We went to London to visit my daughter and had a look around Highgate Cemetery and then on to Parliament Hill to look over the city. By that time a late winter sun had come through, bathing everything in evening light. Making our way back I came across this fruit stall and the light picked out highlights on the wares and on passers by and vendors, I thought that it would make a challenging image to paint. I think I could improve the contrast on it which might give it a bit more power, but for now I thought I’d put it up and get on with another one.

Other paintings are on my website grahammcquadefineart.com

AFTERNOON IN ISLINGTON – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Another view of Upper Street from the other Saturday. I struggled with this when setting up the background buildings. I wanted to get some details in such as windows and varying the tones of the stonework that can be seen in the centre section and then I washed in some shape on either side with different hues of blues and purples. When I got the foreground actors in I realised that the areas where I did the least work, ie the sides, came out the best and the middle is a little forced. Still I love the different architectural shapes and the busses really set the thing off.

More watercolours and other media can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

AFTERNOON ON UPPER STREET, ISLINGTON – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Last week I went down to the London Art Fair. It is a good event to see work by contemporary artists which are a little less off the wall. I like to have a look around and seek out things which could give me inspiration. You can take photos of the work so I came back with lots of ideas. Now I need to review them and use them in work of my own. After around four hours I decided to go down to the Tate Modern and made my way to the Angel Underground station. It was a glorious winter’s afternoon and the light coming down the high street was magical on a busy Saturday. I took a number of photos. This painting was an amalgam of three of them. There are a few more left, so you never know…

I will be posting this onto my website: grahammcquadefineart.com