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

MOVING OFF FROM THE SARACEN’S HEAD – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

My last post – a canal scene – caused troll to ouze out from under its stone and lob another tired jibe at my handiwork. Narrowboats, in their opinion are contemptuous and, so naturally, troll’s self bestowed and illogical concept of good art – whatever that means – was affronted and it needed to act.

The upshot of this latest beef is that: I AM DOING ANOTHER CANAL SCENE. So my advice to troll is to slide further beneath the slab as another similar scene may follow this.

I sold a couple of canal scenes recently so stocks are low. This painting shows the gastro pub – the Saracen’s Head – on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal where, these days, more and more narrowboats seem to moor up. It is just a few yards from my last canal-side painting in my preious blog.

Other paintings of the Leeds Liverpool and other canals are avilable for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

HALSALL MOORINGS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I had been working on another version of Shasta daisies I published in May, but things went from bad to worse to unprintable. So last night I started sketching this and it seemed to tumble out. I posted a version of this done on site at the end of May, but the lighting wasnt what I wanted. To get this view – and with it the light – you need to get further back down the canal, so far that the subjects became just dots. So the telephoto lense came in handy here.

Now I might go back to the daisies or then again…

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

BACK TO THE CANAL – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

Another from my early morning outdoor starts. I had spotted this the day before and there was much more tonal contrast when I first saw it. I still like it and there might be scope to work this up into a more finished piece.

Some old cottages spotted across the fields. The power cables in the hedge were a good lead in and I was able to sit painting undisturbed whilst taking in the early morning birdsong and sipping my tea.

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

A SHADY PLACE TO MOOR – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

More paintings for the exhibition. I thought one of the canal might be worth a punt, so I need to chose between these two.

Though I may do a series of canal scenes for later in the year so I could always use the one left over, but – and here’s the good news – I will need a few more to make up a series. That’ll cheer the troll up if nothing else.

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

 

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I wanted to continue with my local paintings but had nothing ready and being out of sorts with a persistent cough, I thought  I’d take a break, have an easy time, and try this scene. I find these vertical extended paintings sell well. Perhaps they fill awkward spaces and this view, with a bit of juggling, seemed to fit a long format well. It also helps me in adding to  the selection  of  canal scenes I am also working on for an exhibition later in the year. I liked the different layers of interest in this with the background landscape, the canal and narrowboats and then the dogwalker – who came in from another couple of photos.

Other canal scenes and landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com or grahammcquadefineart.co.uk 

EARLY MORNING SKETCHES – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

With the light not  as good of late and other commitments, I havent been out early morning  painting recently, though this Friday I woke to a glorious morning, but I was unprepared as the weather forecast hadnt been that good and  I had to let that slip by.

Here is what I have in my new sketchbook, done earlier in the month. The one above was painted  with my back to the canal, taking in the country around Downholland in Lancashire.

Another one looking away from the bridge over the Leeds Liverpool Canal onto one of the many barn conversions.

But I couldnt resist the canal for long, not in this early morning light.

This was a barley field, looking over to Clieves’ Hills. When I completed this I had a ride around on my bike and saw the path cut into the barley and the view was more into the sun. It was this that was the subject of the pastel painting I put on the blog a week ago.

Finally, this was a view of a field I painted that I found when I discovered a footpath on my map I had never tried before. It gave me some other views I might paint later. It started to cloud over as I painted so I returned home, only to find the cloud gone by the time I got back.

Other landscapes are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com  

or grahammcquadefineart.co.uk

 

 

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