Spring is on it’s Way

Hello, and welcome to you all on this 1st March, St David’s Day.

March signals a move into spring with the awakening of our surroundings from what has been a long winter. Ideas and subjects to paint have built up in the winter months. Spring brings with it an excitement to bring these ideas to fruition and paint.

Recent article

In my February article, I discussed the challenges of painting the sea and landscapes. These include sketching and capturing the sky, buildings, grassland, and rocks. And the most problematic is painting light. I cannot stress enough the importance of sketching.

McBey Exhibition

This week, I attended Aberdeen Art Gallery to see a magnificent exhibition by a local man. James McBey was from Newburgh in Aberdeenshire. He was a renowned painter and war artist during the First World War, and he and his wife later moved to Morocco, where he died.

In the main McBey used pen and ink, watercolours, and oils on canvas. It is astonishing to see that his watercolours are now worth around $30,000!

The exhibition is open until May and is definitely worth the visit, and a coffee in the Gallery Cafe.

Recent painting

To decide on painting subjects going forward I considered the content of the website. I weighed up each section to ensure equal attention throughout. I noticed villages were falling behind hence my latest painting – Collieston Village.

My current work

The subject of my latest work is a waterfall at Luib on Skye. It is well underway and should be available soon.

Changes in my technique

My main work this year has focused on techniques and experimenting with paper sizes. I found the A3 canvas was limiting what I could achieve. Sketching and careful placing of the subject on a larger canvas have worked well. Ardoe House and Lochnagar are good examples.

The use of Pen and ink is becoming important in my painting. It provides strength throughout and leads the eye around the paper. In Collieston Village the structure of the buildings and rocks are key to the painting. They must be correct as no amount of paint can cover any mistakes. Sketching was essential, and the use of pen and ink enhanced the detail in the painting. I discuss this in this post.

I am tending to tone down washes leaving quietness to the pictures. I have been using only three or four colours with black and white to construct each painting. Lochnagar and Collieston are good examples.

Commissions

Last year I worked on various paintings as commissions. Apart from that honour, it has been my delight to spend time with the people and to hear their stories. The result is a bespoke painting that has special meaning to the people concerned. Presenting the completed painting, and seeing people’s reactions gives me pleasure. For that privilege, I extend my thanks.

Watercolour paintings can be an excellent way to commemorate a special moment in your life. Commissioning a painting is one of the best ways to ensure that you get a piece of artwork you will be proud to hang. Watercolour paintings provide a unique way to capture memories. It can be a thoughtful and unique gift for a loved one.

Please let me know if a commission would interest you and we can discuss a way forward.