BLUE BECKONING – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

After this dose of waveforms I will return to dry land on my next blog – promise. The handing in day for the exhibition is this Thursday, so I am still looking for a painting to replace the original wave I was going to submit, as I mentioned in my previous blog. After doing this one above, I realised that a simple waveform could convey more energy than the more complex one in my last post. I was certainly pleased with this and the serenity it conveyed but I wanted to have another go at the one with rocks and here it is, below.

So one goes into the exhibition, well to the selection panel, anyway.

Other seascapes and sea related subjects are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefine.com

BREAKER’S THUNDER – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I  was assembling some paintings for the town’s big exhibition which takes place in the main Art Gallery. I had a few lined up for submission but last Saturday  I got a call from my framer who asked if I still had my painting of  a wave. This was going to be one of my entries. I  took it around to my framer who duly sold the painting to a guy who had seen it when it was displayed there in March and who  waited until now to make some enquiries.

It was a nice problem to have and  I thought I would do another couple and see how they turned out. Above is the first one. A second is in progress. I included some rocks on this one and really like their warmth against the cool colours of the sea.

It may be a bit over complicated when compared to the one I sold ( and displayed in February on this blog). I certainly liked the first one’s simplicity, which is  maybe why it caught the eye of the buyer  – see below.

Other scenes of water and the sea are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

SHORELINE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

The last of the seaside paintings – well at least for a while – I promise. This is from the sketches I posted earlier.

I also did a painting of the water surface sketch I published in my last blog.

Other seascapes and beach scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THE WAYS OF WATER – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

I enjoyed loading up a large mop with masses of dark colour and floating the tip over the paper’s surface drawing out random patterns in this sketch. It will be worth trying again and getting the density of paint stronger. I had prepared a light underpainting first on this one, to try and get the swell and roll of water before going in with the reflections.

The second one is a half imperial sized version (52x36cm)  of the sketch I put on the blog on the 12th February. I decided to go in even closer on this version. I was quite satisfied with this one, so hopefully you wont see this again.

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

SCENES OF THE OCEAN – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

When I was on holiday I took many photos of waves in order to paint some seascapes on my return. I had these images on one of my memory cards which I placed inside my computer case for safe keeping. It didn’t work: I lost the card and with it many photos of my holiday. Fortunately I had two other cards full of images, but not many of the sea. Anyway I have a number of images from other stays by the seaside and a few on the other cards so I tried out some sketches.

Here are a few of them. I will try working these up to bigger paintings, in fact I’ve already started on one.

The last one is mixed media which is what I wanted to explore, but I was happy with the straight watercolours so I have decided to stay with that.

So there will be a few more paintings of the shoreline in the coming weeks.

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

BEACH DAYS – ACRYLIC PAINTING

In the end I plumped for something upbeat to start the new year with; the summer days to come – well at least for us poor northerners. This was taken from a place where everyone is currently luxuriating in hot summer holiday days.

It was either this painting or one of a hyena. I might keep that for the Chinese new year, well it is the year of the dog.

I did like the way the primary colours of the sunshade blaze out against the dark sea and the shaded figures contrast against the dry,  hot sand.

Happy New Year.

BEFORE THE SWALLOWING TIDE -ACRYLIC PAINTING

One from the veranda of my dad’s old flat. I sat in the sun as the tide came in and took photos with a zoom lens of the people on the beach below. This was a combination of about  five photos.

Other beach scenes can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

BOAT PEOPLE – ACRYLIC PAINTING

I was thinking about entering the marine artists exhibition in London. I had a couple of suitable paintings but wanted something a little different so that I could judge what it is that they are looking for a bit better and worked up this idea. Now that it’s complete I’m a little underwhelmed by it. I have got tighter than I would have liked. I’ll prop it against the wall and have a look at it over the next week or so  and make my mind up. I have used motifs that I have used as subjects before, in case you are wondering whether you’ve already seen it.

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

RED SEA – MIXED MEDIA

Ever taken on a project that has turned into long running saga? Here’s mine – after months of work. I wanted a large piece for a stairwell on a sea theme. I  was intrigued by the structure of waves in water where, within each wave, there are other levels and wavelets – the notion of fractals and ever repeating patterns and forms.

As I built the piece I  was taken by the anthropomorphic array  of the blocks, reminding me of serried ranks of Chinese warriors or in this case the throngs who try to cross seas in search of some form of a normal life. The colours perhaps reflect the failure and success of these individuals.

The wooden blocks were made from a couple of gates that I replaced. My neighbour didn’t want any more of the wood for their stove as the paint on the wood generated a lot of ash, so I took to cutting it down into strips to make the piece. It had an extra kind of resonance that the work is made from a gate.

After all this time, and having been able to mount it on a wall, I think it could be modified further, for better impact, so I fear it could be a few more months of work yet.

Other abstract paintings and sculptures are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com