CANAL COTTAGE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

On my last post I showed two sketches I did on a morning painting trip near Burscough in Lancashire. Here is a scene I saw on the way between those sketches. The old cottage and canal boats caught in the sunshine, contrasting with the shade of the bank I was cycling on. This was the reason why I didnt paint it at the time – being in the shade, the paint would have taken an eternity to dry and I would probably be still painting it.

Presently I am debating whether to go in darker with the overhanging leaves on the near bank: I was taken by the gloominess and darkness of the bank compared to the brightness on the other side. Perhaps a metaphor for life – though it looks like the cottage needs a lot of work doing to it and I’d much rather be out painting.

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

ON THE LEEDS TO LIVERPOOL CANAL- WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

With a new laptop and other issues there isnt much new painting to show you so I am reverting to two old watercolours of the canal sold a long while ago and which have never been put on this blog. The first is a canal mooring in Burscough in Lancashire, close to a long defunct mill which I think they are now converting into flats.

This second is of another favourite haunt of mine at Haskayne, further along the same canal, which is always enchanting on a cloudless summer morning, as this was. Just around the corner there is a lovely canal-side pub, which we used to paint at when I was a member of a local painting group.

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

THE CANAL FISHING COMPETITION – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

When we went for a walk along the canal the other week I looked over the bridge at the start and saw that there was a fishing competition going on in one direction. In the other direction there wasnt anyone, so we headed off on the deserted tow-path. As soon as we rounded the first bend, there they were. It was almost as if they had prepared a trap for the unwary.

The trouble with walking along the canal with a fishing competition, apart from losing the sense of solitude, is the fact that their long poles, which stretch right across the canal, can block your path when they pull them back and put more bait on the hook. Fortunately this branch only spread a mile down the canal and after that all was clear, quiet and unimpeded.

On the way back they repaid me for their intrusion with this view into the low winter sun. Let’s call it quits.

Other canal scenes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

LANDSCAPE IN WIDESCREEN -PASTEL PAINTINGS

Still messing about with pastels. I cut down a sheet into 3 long formats and did a few sketches on each portion. This, above, is a spring scene looking away from the Leeds to Liverpool canal in Burscough Lancashire. The Lancashire plane spread out before you and the new growth pushing upward into the warm, still, morning air.

At the other end of the seasons – harvest time and more of the Lancashire plane, but this time around Little Crosby which is on the northern outskirts of Liverpool, for the second painting in the series.

And finally, one regulars might recognise. I posted a watercolour of this a few weeks back with the sun momentarily glimpsing the rain sodden fields. I must admit the tonal contrasts were easier with the pastel.

Other landscapes are available for sale on my new website ( getting there -though still under construction) grahammcquadefineart.com

THE NEW LANE SWING BRIDGE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Our walk along the Leeds Liverpool canal the other day took us past the swing bridge near the small town of Burscough. I love the line of old cottages in the left background, and have painted them in the past from the other side. I wondered whether the long lead in of the tow path, delineated by the shadows from the bright winter sun was worth a go, particularly as I wanted a long format painting to test on my new website that I am getting built.

And if nothing else, the sight of a canal painting always ignites the bigoted troll – and it can get cold hiding under a stone at this time of year.

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

AFTER THE HARVEST – PASTEL PAINTING

With a recent spell of bright sunshine we went for a walk along the canal a couple of days ago. It was the fields nearby that caught my attention. This one with the light on the top of the hill and the deep blue of the sky setting off what remains of the autumn leaves captured the day for me. I was thinking of putting some crows in it – but so far have resisted.

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

GOING NOWHERE, FOR NOW -WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

The exhibition looms and I was unhappy with some of my canal scenes and decided to add a few more and make a decision from a wider field. This is another version of one I did plein air last May/June and posted. I really liked the light on the tarpaulin and the weeds growing around the boat.

Other canal scenes are available for sale on my website, as indeed is this one, grahammcquadefineart.com

CANAL SIDE AGAIN – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

I decided to work up a couple of my sketches into paintings. I used three colours again for this one of the Leeds Liverpool canal at Haskayne. I feel I could make it more dramatic and may well have another go at this one.

I do like the long format and took a sketch I published earlier and narrowed it out and gave the man a dog. He was actually walking along bare chested – but I gave him a red shirt ( I cant stand nudity at such an early hour). Again it was done with three primary colours and again it was of the Leeds Liverpool Canal between Burscough and Parbold.

Other canal scenes  are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

ONE FOR THE TROLL – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

A troll has landed on my site like some bird-droppings on my shoulder. Making oblique, sarcastic comments, they clearly dont like my paintings and repetitively parrot this distaste. It seems that they particularly dislike canals and narrowboats – or barges, as they put it. So I thought I’d post another one – just for them.

I dont like some of the  stuff either and the last one they commented on had a glaring error which seems to have gone right over their head whilst they focused on their superior taste – yeah they seem to have some hierarchy  reverberating in their empty head at which they naturally place themselves at the top and me squarely at the bottom. Its sad to hear the poor onanist  on full sneer, unable to discern between objectivity and subjectivity.  They may grow out of it, though I doubt it.

I dont know whether any other bloggers have the tedium of these style fascists, but you wonder about their mentality and why, when they see something they dislike, they dont just move on. I mean, I dont mind criticism, and deserve it, but haranguing someone because they dont match your tastes is bewildering at the least.

Anyway enough of this. If you like what you see I have a website of paintings for sale on grahammcquadefineart.com, though you’ll have to form an orderly queue behind the style fascist who will be placing an extensive order.

MORE SCENES OF THE CANAL – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES.

The good weather continues so I have been getting up early and heading for the canal. This one is at Burscough that has a few pleasant buildings along the canal which I have painted in the past.

This one is near the first painting. Whilst I sat in the warm morning sunshine painting away a fledgling magpie hopped over to me and sat on my knee. It then wandered off, probably looking for its nest. Then later it came back and tried to get into my bag – probably the next best thing to the nest.

This morning started off sunny and enticed me from my bed but by the time I sat down to paint the mist was rolling in. I persisted with this one painting, below,  but I do find that when the watercolour doesn’t dry, or dries slowly it gives you problems and I finish up waving the paper around in the air to get it dry. Wears me out!

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