LORD STREET EVENING – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Another view of winter sunset on our main street. I’ve not had much time for my normal painting as it’s been a busy week including setting up another pop-up exhibition in town. This was one of the paintings I hung there the day before yesterday – a view I saw around Christmas when I came out our last exhibition we held there. A similar view is hanging in the main art gallery, over the road opposite, in another exhibition, and yesterday I was told it had sold – so maybe there’s hope for this.

Today I’m manning the pop-up show which now, because of absences, seems to be our opening day. Anyway, Friday is my elected day for gallery duty.

Last night I was in Blackpool doing a watercolour demonstration of roses for a painting club there and on Tuesday I did a speed awareness course, having been caught in a speed trap earlier in the year ( which, according to my wife, was long overdue)

The perils of life in the fast lane…

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

THE BUS ARRIVES ON LORD STREET – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Another in a long series of paintings of my town’s main street. There are a couple of exhibitions coming up that are held on this street, so it is useful to have something of local interest to display. Add that to the fact that I am a sucker for the winter sunsets here – a painting is inevitable. There may be another to come.

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

EVENING SHOPPERS ON LORD STREET

I have painted and posted a version of this scene before, in 2019. It is of our main street in town on a winter’s evening, just as the sun is going down. I was never completely happy with it and it never sold – always a sign -yet I did like the basic concept. Now there is less detail in the upper buildings, lights in the shops under the arcade and a whole new crew of pedestrians. I also tried to do it in single washes, mixing paint on the paper to prevent muddiness.

So even though there still are some minor issues – but what painting doesnt have them – I am much happier with the outcome and we will see if this version sails off to someone else’s wall.

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

SUMMER’S DAY, LORD STREET – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Regulars may be tired of this subject, but it shows the heart of my town, Southport, and the subject is still popular at exhibitions. For me, I like the challenge of the architecture and the figures. On this one I battled with the shop windows, as on my main source photo the windows were obscured by a figure and on the other shots, with the focus on the street, they were too dark to be meaningful. I was pleased with the outcome. Abstract marks, some on damp paper, others on dry gave the reflective qualities I was after and made a good contrast to the brightness of the street. They also feel right.

I also wanted a view without much of the traffic. For me it is a busy thoroughfare and cars are part of that, but a lady who bought a painting of the street earlier in the year, made the comment, that there was too much focus on the traffic on paintings I showed her. This comment made me think that for many, the focus is really on the buildings, pavement bustle and the shops under the arcade. So, here is my attempt at redressing the balance. Hope you like it.

Other Lord Street paintings and townscape paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

SUNSET ON LORD STREET – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

A view I’ve done before, but this time I thought I would make more of the sunset and it’s effects. I’ve used the woman crossing the road with her shopping bags in another painting, but she fits in well here.

I think I’ve mentioned before, in earlier blogs, how the sunset in winter months is quite spectacular on Lord Street, the main street in Southport, where I live. I also spotted the light reflecting off the surface of a puddle in the gutter and, if nothing else, that was reason enough for me to do a painting.

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