ON THE STREET WHERE I LIVE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Well it’s actually a Drive where I live – but Alan Lerner apparently lived on a street- so you do what you have to, to make the title work.

I was putting the bins out the other day and looked up the Drive to see the autumn sun piercing the remaining leaves on the sycamore trees and patterning the pavement. I thought that it would make a good painting.

I added the dog walker as a focal point. There are plenty of them about as evidence on the pavement abounds.

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

FINAL FALL – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I have a pile of paintings in my studio that await the resurrection. I have misgivings about them and they wait, hoping that one day I can better resolve them. The first version of this was near the top of that pile. I put it on this blog in April 2018. In that one I felt the the leaf shapes were a bit repetitive and I had them going under one another and coming out the other side, so things got complicated. I also felt some of the panels were a bit dull.

So here is the born-again replacement. The new, more varied, leaf shapes were harder to arrange to get the paneling I required and the greater detail in the nature panels, though more satisfying, might cause confusion.

I have resolved the shortcomings of the first one but may have created new ones – you can but try.

Other townscapes, landscapes and seascapes – but unfortunately no factoryscapes – are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

HOPE STREET, LIVERPOOL – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This painting follows on from the one on my previous blog, which was of a cafe just at the end of this street, off to the left. The sun was out on our visit last week, giving great contrasts. This view is with my back to the Catholic Cathedral, facing the looming tower of the Anglican Cathedral ahead. Hope Street connects the two.

I like this scene and have painted it before, but from a higher angle, up on the steps of the catholic cathedral. This one is at street level, capturing the full weight of presence of the Anglican cathedral; glowering at us sinners – well it was just one drink, honest, governor.

Other Liverpool paintings 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

LIVERPOOL SLICE 2 – ACRYLIC PAINTING

Having got the exhibition up and running on Wednesday I tidied up my studio and got myself back together and decided on what to do next. This painting, below, had been hanging around and I felt it needed changing. I posted it in November and had misgivings about the left hand side.

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I am certainly happier with it now and may exhibit it later.

As for the exhibition: I took 30 paintings for the show with 3 for reserves. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief after getting everything sorted out.

Then, yesterday, as I was quietly working on the painting above, I got a call to say one lady had just purchased 9 paintings. It made a bit of a hole in the exhibition as they are allowed to take them away with them. So I have been scrambling around finding more paintings and frames. I went around to my framer, but he’s got to order more wood. Anyway I was able to replace 6 paintings , so the hole isnt quite so large now. It’s a problem, but a good one to have.

Below are some snaps after I set it up, and before the shopping spree.

THE TRAFFIC PAUSES ON THE STRAND AGAIN – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

The repeat season continues with this offering. I posted a sketch of this before Christmas and now a more considered attempt. At least I got the buildings upright this time and achieved the smokiness you see in this contra-jour view. This is the waterfront at Liverpool and The Liver Building casts a shadow over the procedings.

Other scenes of Liverpool are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com