Sunday 6 December 2009

LUXEMBOURG CITY FLOWER MARKET WATERCOLOUR

You may remember I recently posted about a visit to Luxembourg to see our family and noted that when we were there Karen and I went into the City to the Saturday flower market - plus the usual clothes and vegetable stalls. I promised my daughter in law that I would send her a watercolour of our visit having taken my lovely Lumix camera with me that morning. Here are the results.

My first composition did not please me, as the cathedral with the lovely long spires was half hidden by the trees from the photo I first used. I also was not happy with the number of people I had sketched in ... so this first attempt was abandoned.

This next image shows where I re-drew the composition bringing the cathedral building and spires more to the right and a little larger. I was happier, as it meant the two paths between the trays of flowers lead not only to the back of that open delivery lorry but on and up to the spires.
Here is a close up showing the detail of the trays of flowers in progress and the improvement by leaving out the figures near the centre I had in the first composition. This final image is of the completed watercolour put behind a small double mount, so that it was protected but not too big to post. I must have used at least 4 photos to arrive at the final composition and throughout there was decision making as to how much to leave out!!! - the usual bane of every artists - and the artistic licence of moving things about .

Only hope Karen does not decide to have a look at my blog before Christmas presents are opened!!

10 comments:

cathyswatercolors said...

Hi Joan, A lucky daughter-in-law you have. I always feel that I would love to live in you paintings.

Vicki Greene said...

Well done and what a wonderful Christmas present this will be!

Sandy Maudlin said...

Beautiful results of your trip. And such a lucky daughter-in-law! My daughter-in-law is also a Karen. Have a wonderful holiday season.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Thanks for your comments friends. Can't believe Christmas nearly on us but after a planned shopping spree with my daughter Laura this Wednesday, hope to be able to say I have purchased all my gifts.

RH Carpenter said...

I liked the first one but see all the changes you made that made the second painting even better and draw up in and up! What a wonderful gift this is going to be!

Sandra Rowney said...

Well done Joan, how about painting the flower market here in Norwich?
Sandra

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Great idea Sandra to use the flower stalls at the bottom as the main subject with all those coloured striped awnings behind.

Candy said...

Joan, when I looked at the first one, it looked like snow had just fallen and someone had driven through it - maybe the first snowfall of the season. If you didn't pitch it, maybe you could turn it into a winter scene.

Of course, I love your final watercolor, but I like the first one, too.

DJ said...

Wow...who would have thought I'd find a wonderful watercolorist by clicking on "next blog" ???
I'll be back...

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Candy - I never thought of it as being snow, but |I can see what you mean by the wheel tracks. Sad to say I tore it up!!

DJ - popped over to see your blog and left message. Glad you clicked on 'next blog'.