BREAKOUT – ACRYLIC PAINTING

For us in northern climes, a taste of what`s to come – that is, if they let us out the house .or we stage a breakout.

At this moment we should be cruising down the Nile – a holiday booked well over a year ago and I have been looking forward to seeing the sights of ancient Egypt that seem to be constantly on the television here. I was also eager for some time on deck, in the sun, painting the passing countryside as we cruised down river. So hopefully next year.

With this painting I liked the movement of the front child in the water and the gambolling dog. It looked a bit unconnected so I introduced a second child and pulled the dog into the man, who appears to be texting or reading his emails. In that format I have created a diagonal that hopefully reinforces the energy of waves and bathers.

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

SUMMER ON FORMBY BEACH – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Well for us in northern climes the corner has been turned and summer is on its way, though, no doubt, a rocky (and icy) road lies ahead. So here is a painting of what we’re aiming for. I did this as a pastel a long while ago and wondered whether it would make a watercolour. I love the shadows of the marram grass, the distressed fence, and the way the beach disappears into a hazy blueness. It makes a hopeful change from my recent winter beach scenes.

Here’s to the new year. Have a good one.

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

THE BEACH AT FORMBY POINT – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Maybe the season of repeats. Here is another version of a painting I posted a few weeks ago. I decided the cliffs of sand dunes needed simplifying and enlarging and I removed clutter from the foreground. I also simplified the cloud formation and made them compliment the dunes better. Its a simple scene, but its about the openness of the beach which seems to roll on forever.

Merry Christmas – as its a nice day we are heading off for a walk along the beach on the Wirral. Hopefully there will be a few potential paintings waiting for me there.

Other beach scenes are available for purchase on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

VIEWS OF FORMBY BEACH – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

Last Monday afternoon, goaded by a splash of sunshine, we headed for the beach at Formby. Sunlight shot through through the gathering clouds and made intriguing contrasts in the fading light.

The car park shut at 3pm, and arriving at two, it only allowed for a short walk along the beach. Fortunately I brought my camera.

With the number of storms of late it was noticeable that the dunes had been well scoured by the waves. When I returned I decide to paint a few of the images I collected.

Other paintings of the Sefton beach are available on my website: grahammmcquadefineart.com

MORNING EXERCISE AT FORMBY POINT – ACRYLIC PAINTING

I have sold a number of beach scenes at Formby of late, so stocks of this subject were low and I wanted something not too taxing to paint as I worked on a more difficult painting.

It puzzles me why a local beach scene is such a popular subject but I suppose sunny days at the seaside are always uplifting and can hold happy memories – that is, until you have to paint masses of marram grass and footprints in the sand.

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

BIRKDALE BEACH – PASTEL PAINTING

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With the morning light on the dunes the marram grass glows and glistens and cajoled me into working up this view of the beach at Birkdale where I live. I had forgotten I had done a very similar piece before in April and it was only as I was storing this painting that I saw the earlier work. I had forgotten it, probably as I wasnt too taken with the regularly repeating rows of grass I had managed to get on that one. So I got the old painting out again and gave it a dose of reworking and here it is:

On the top painting I blocked in the dark areas with dark acrylic paint before applying the pastels and that saved a lot of time and layers of pastel in achieving the shadows and darker passages, In the lower painting darks were built up with pastel alone.

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

DUNES AT THE ALT ESTUARY- PASTEL PAINTING

It’s a while since I last had the pastels out and I wanted to do some paintings of the Sefton Beach, so I thought that they might be just right for the marram grasses.

This is the view where the River Alt empties into the Mersey Estuary and in the distance the Wirral, across the estuary. On a good day you can see the Welsh hills. Just around the near headland is Gormley’s, Another Place, which has the figures looking out into the blue of the distance.

Other local paintings are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

MORNING ON THE SEFTON COAST – PASTEL PAINTING

I think this is the beach at Birkdale, but it could be anywhere north of Liverpool from Crosby to Southport as the morning light catches the marram grasses and the birds glisten out on the sandbanks.

I would like to get down there and get another piece of driftwood to modify my fish mobile, as with time on my hands, I have been looking at the mobile I posted a while ago and decided that an adjustment is required, but with restrictions getting tighter that can wait.

Stay safe.

Other seascapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

SET FINE FOR THE DAY – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

As days inch longer some of us northerners start to scent blue skies and lapping waves, so here is a toast of what is to come with a personal glimpse into the future.

Meanwhile I’ll get back to another painting as the rain thrashes the window pane.

Other beach paintings are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

BEACH LIFE – WATERCOLOUR SKETCH

With a house filled with guests, I havent done any painting over the past few days.When I was clearing space in my studio, I picked up a sketch book and spotted something I had done whilst on the beach in August – and here it is – squabbling gulls on the waterline: perhaps apposite in the circumstances.

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