RIGHTING WRONGS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

I have mentioned a pile of problem paintings I have in my studio – paintings I like, but have a few issues with. This one directly above was an example. Mixing images and subjects resulted in the figure being too small for the railings and the colourings on the Bexhill Pavilion and the promenade being too dark and light respectively. So I had another go and produced the one at the top. I also took the opportunity to rearrange the figures.

I had similar issues with the painting looking the opposite way in the afternoon ( as opposed to the morning in the one above)

This one below was the first attempt;

The painting was odd in that I wanted to get the full width of the background buildings which consequently made for quite an expanse of foreground which was left a bit empty.

I hope this time the foreground has more presence and the figures aren’t as stiff. I also wanted to get more detail into the background to imply the jumble of structures there.

Lastly, there was the case of leaning Lord Street that I put out a few days ago. I thought that as I was on the topic of buildings I might as well round them all up. The one below was the original post.

So I set about it again and also tried to be a bit more subtle with the washes.

Hopefully I have got a more believable painting.

Other townscapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

ACROSS THE BAY – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This was a painting of washes in three colours. One was the staining winsor blue, green shade, which sometimes has a mind of its own – so there was some trepidation as I applied the paint. I wanted the calm that a wash can, in my opinion, create.

Looking at this now I might give the man a bit more of his head, though he could have his collar up or be looking down and I did ponder footprints in the foreground but decided that the reflections might cover them up anyway, I think the calm lead-in is crucial.

Other seaside paintings are available 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

MORNING AT BEXHILL – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

Down on the south coast as we empty my mother’s flat of a lifetime of nostalgia, I started the day by doing a bit of painting on the seafront. Here the beach at lowtide looking towards Hastings.

And on the promenade by the iconic De La Warr Pavilion with the early morning joggers, dog walkers and strollers.

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

THE BEACH AT COODEN – WATERCOLOUR SKETCH

With family issues dominating of late I have had little time to paint. The day before yesterday we sat on Cooden Beach in Sussex and I sketched this scene with part of Beachy Head in the background – rather a sparse scene, I’m afraid, but time constraints pressed.

I also manage a couple of abstract pastel landscapes. I was just playing around with a loose idea, but when I reflected on the outcome, I was disappointed to see a woodland scene had evolved. Hopefully I can build on this – it certainly wasnt the vision I had in mind when I started. It never fails to amaze me how the mechanics of the process can take over and lead you away from where you wanted to be.

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

IN BETWEEN THE SHOWERS – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

On Monday morning the forecast was for a clear start so I got up early hoping to take advantage of the light as we have had some mixed weather of late and are about to get some more rain this week.

I’d decided to cycle to the moss, a low lying, drained area, now mainly now used for agriculture, which is behind the sandy coastal strip where I live. Arriving soon after 5am, to my surprise, the whole place was shrouded in mist.

I decided to make a start near the higher coastal belt, and set up alongside one of the many drainage ditches.

As I worked the mist slowly dispersed and the trees in the background appeared – I thought that they were clouds at the start- and then houses also came into view – though it was too late to include them. The picture directly above was the result. In the damp, cool conditions drying the washes was difficult and parts were still glossy wet when I packed up to leave. I carried the painting open on my bike, hoping to dry it as I wobbled along, searching for another subject. By now the sun was out and I eventually found a path across the fields as a subject shown at the top.

The week before last I was visiting my ailing mother on the southcoast and did some paintings as I sat around beside the sea in between preparing lunch and tea.

The last one is my stepbrother’s cafe in St Leonards, Sussex which I might work up into something more finsihed later.

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

AFTER THE STORM – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I put this out in October 2015 on this blog and then entered it into a number of local exhibitions but there were no takers. It also resided on my websites for a year and a half  and with the lack of interest I decided to replace it on my main website, but last week someone saw it on one  of my other websites which I dont update too often and they bought it. It just takes the right person to come along  and see it and you have a sale.

It has made me resolve to check what I do have out there on the web as it might have been embarrassing if I had cut it up and used it as scrap paper which I am prone do when practising techniques or developing paintings.

Other seascapes and watercolours are available on my website. Get them whilst you have the chance : grahammcquadefineart.com

WORKING THE BEACH – ACRYLIC PAINTING

Another in the beach series. I wanted to do someone working on the beach, but I’m not sure about this – probably too much empty space. The guy is sucking up lugworms from their burrows with a pump device. You then use the worm  for fishing bait. In my day we had to dig them out and you had to  dig fast as they went down their holes as you dug. Still, if you dug judiciously you could dig down two holes at once and double your gain. It was certainly good for the biceps.

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

EVENING ON THE BEACH – ACRYLIC PAINTING

Early evening on Bexhill beach I spotted a group crossing the sands and took some photos. I rearranged the figures and added some seagulls for narrative. In hindsight I could have left out the parents and focussed on the two kids chasing the gulls. I might have a go at that version and see how it turns out. The sun coming from the right lights up the breaking waves, which was another aspect I liked.

Other paintings can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com