PLEIN AIR WORK #2 – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

Back on the bike and into the morning sunshine. This is a cottage on Plex Moss Lane. Further down the lane I stopped on a grass verge and did these farm buildings across the fields,

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They had an incongruousness about them – a ramshackle collection of buildings.

A few days later I ventured down another, parallel, lane that crosses the moss and here are (above) some of the same buildings I painted in the previous image: the two buildings on the right of the painting of the farm across the fields.

And finally I love this cluster of buildings, half in and half out of the shadows with posts and cables sprinkled about – although the barn on the right looks like it could be subsiding.

There might be some things worth working up into a proper painting. It’s certainly good to get out again into the morning sun and the cycle ride gives me some exercise.

Other landscapes 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

MORE SEASIDE VIEWS – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

I had a bit of time to get out and do some sketches in the last few days. This one is a view from Bexhill to Hastings, in the distance, on a bright summer’s evening after the dark clouds had passed.

This is one from Hastings of an old lighthouse ( built around 1850 to replace an earlier one) which stands on the West Hill over the beach where they pull the fishing boats up on. There is also another light below it on the beach. The idea is returning boats line the upper and lower lights up as they approach the beach which means they have a safe passage past the submerged rocks. Now they beach on a different location and this lighthouse is redundant.

Here is one of the fishing boats on the beach waiting for the tide or fish quotas to reset before setting off again.

Paintings for sale are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart,com

VIEWS FROM SEGARS LANE – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

I have missed some sunny mornings of late due to other commitments or sheer laziness, so guilt nudged me from my bed the other morning when the sun was shining bright and early.

I had decided to go to a specific spot as there was a scene that had caught my eye on a previous outing. The trouble was when I got there the effect was different. I suspect the trees had filled out and the light effect had vanished.

Anyway, after searching about I found another couple of spots to sit and paint and I enjoyed a tranquil morning in the summer warmth, serenaded by birdsong and fortified by a flask of tea.

It’s a dirty business, but someone’s got to do it.

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

TWO MORE FROM THE COTSWOLDS – WATERCOLOUR SKETCHES

Painting opportunities were sparse this week despite the scenery. We walked around Slad, where Laurie Lee (Cider with Rosie) lived but had to dive into the Woolpack – his local – for a cider, naturally, because of the rain. The next day, the sun only started to come out as we left Wells – a fabulous town I’ve never been to before, but it lead to a sunny evening in Bath where we stopped for a meal by the river.

So yesterday morning I took ther opportunity to snatch a couple more sketches of Leighterton before we left.

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

CAMBODIAN WOMAN – PASTEL SKETCH

Being a bit tied up with family issues I just had time to sketch out this portrait of a Cambodian Lady I spotted when I paused on a cycle ride by a river near Battambang – the second city of Cambodia. The light on her face accentuated her features as she squatted by some sugar cane that she had collected. I have a few pictures of different people of southeast Asia I took on my recent travels and was considering creating a small collection.

Other figurative work is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CANAL – WATERCOLOUR SKETCH

This morning I was roused from my slumbers at 5-30 and the sun was shining, so I went out to do some painting. It’s still cold here, but I took some tea to drink whilst the washes were drying and all was well with the world.

This was the second sketch of the day. I crossed the canal and ventured towards Clieves’ Hills – an area I paint a lot.

Here are some earlier sketches I did when we had a warm spell in April. They are up on the Cumbrian Coast in the Lake District. It took us an age to get there and on the way back the car started to do some very strange things. We limped home but it wasnt a happy day.

This is a view of the area as we climbed the hills behind Ravenglass.

This was a view over the River Esk as it comes to the sea at Ravenglass. The gorse was in full flower with bright burst of yellow all over the hillside – though from the sketch above you might think that they were daffodils.

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