WATERCOLOUR FROM ORIGINAL ACRYLIC SCENE

This is a bit complicated to explain - I needed to create a local riverside summer scene to replace where a pair was hung in a corner on one stone wall at the Rising Sun, as the replacement hurriedly hung after a sale just doesn't look right as the subject, size and frames don't match. Get it? So I decided as it was winter to create a different version of an acrylic painting I did and sold last year. What's been happening is the local river scenes are selling quicker than the floral or Norfolk landscapes pieces that are hung ... so I need really to do and hang more of them but this is not the time of year to create new scenes of boats as there aren't any until the summer season! You may remember, my recent efforts were of the sign post in the snow!!

... so anyway here is a resulting watercolour using a portion of the acrylic boat painting as my reference. They certainly look very different paintings mainly because of the media but also because I went in closer to the boats, added more people over in the pub restaurant garden and did not paint any geese on a much smaller area of grass in the foreground. Oh! by the way Sally has had the pub building painted this lovely lemon for the new season, so I decided to update it.

...and here is the original acrylic work I sold last year that was posted some time ago, so you can see where I got the reference from.

David (my local framer) is framing it now with the same moulding as the one thats still there in the corner and I made sure it was the same size.

SECOND COLTISHALL SNOWSCENE

I took a little stroll down to the riverside this morning to deliver the three new little acrylic paintings to the Rising Sun for hanging.

Deciding to post the new third painting of the boat by the boathouse gate entrance again in the snow, I find I did not have a finished photo, so here it is in progress



The addition of the reds in the Union Jack flag top right and some colour on the two figures, really brings it alive - and of course the finished trees and gateposts. I'll stroll down soon with my camera and let you see it finished.

Meanwhile, here is the completed Signpost in the Snow of which I posted a WIP recently.



They make quite a smart handsome little pair hanging side by side.

PUB SIGN AND FOOTBRIDGE IN THE SNOW

This weeks Thursday meeting of the Coltishall ladies saw me starting the second little 7" x 9" acrylic painting for the Rising Sun. One that had sold was of the pub sign in summer and I decided to replace it with a version in the snow I photographed early December. I liked the couple seated on the wooden fence of the footbridge over to the common and here is the stage I managed during our afternoon together.

Not sure the angle of the house in the background is correct, but I'll wait until I've added the bridge, figures and the geese in the snow before deciding what to do. The dark line of the water running down into the river will make sense once the bridge is in - I hope.

Here's number one finished with lots of amazing colours in the geese from reflected green from the grass to some soft pinks and greys in their plumage. The most difficult section of the painting was the bank supports at the back - nearly drove me mad!

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RISING SUN SMALL ACRYLIC TRIO

I have been spending time recently planning a trio of small paintings just 7" x 9.5" to replace some recent sales at The Rising Sun Public House.

This first painting of the trio is based on winter visits to the river side by lots of Pink Footed Geese. ... and on Thursday ladies group got as far as creating the early stages of the water, the bank and the grass. I started putting in the detail of the first bird yesterday afternoon. I decided not to continue the posts along the back riverbank and, in fact, reduced the number along the main line to make the geese less cluttered. I might add a few small geese off in the distance by the time I finish it, but not sure yet. Still long way to go.

Number two and three will be based on photos I took earlier this winter when it snowed hard. One is of the pub sign with a couple sitting on the bridge behind looking out over the water. The other down by the boat houses depicting the flag, some people playing in the snow and probably a few more birds by the water - no boathouses though - I've done them to death!!!! I'll keep posting as they progress.

AUTUMNS HERE VERY EARLY

Had my first Coltishall Ladies afternoon Group meeting last Thursday and Maggie chose some of the conkers, acorns and rose hips I had collected from the lane to paint in watercolour. So today when I found I had an hour to spare, I decided to have a go in my monthly garden flower book, which I have neglected since July.

I realised how much I enjoy painting in this commissioned Sanders Waterford watercolour paper sketchbook, so have decided to get another one done for my Italian trip. At £15, a 7" x 7" chosen cover, size and paper its a great bargain. Just need to remember the name of the website for the lady in Cambridge!!

Was good to play with watercolour after so long. It is such a delightful medium to work in, putting layer upon layer onto the conker to achieve the strong rich warm colour, followed by a quick flick of the brush with blue and purple for the shadow.

Then I put three acorns in front of me with their little cups that we always called pipes when we were small.

A simple little posting today folks, but I am now enjoying so much freedom without any new oils or acrylic paintings to get ready for shows, as I have everything ready for Wymondham. Yarmouth and Sheringham. I shall definitely put the autumn/winter months to come over to sketching practice... although after another sale of a local landscape work at the Rising Sun riverside pub this week, I may need to do one or two more to hang in my permanent show there.

BOATS, DUCKS AND THE RISING SUN

please click image to enlarge

acrylic on 16" x 16" box canvas

Well, here it is completed. Although in time for hanging tomorrow morning , my friend Brian is not available until Tuesday morning and I need him as the painting has to be hung with mirror plates onto stone walls in the pub.

Clive (my husband) feels the shadow of the front boat bottom left is too dark, but I wanted to give a strong contrast to the boat and area where the two most dominant ducks are located. He also feels the other birds can hardly be seen and I advised him that not everything needs to be dominant and its good for the viewer to have to look around to find additional interest - I already have too many points of focus anyway. Let me have your opinion please.

Its a rather belated replacement for the following piece that sold a little while ago also about the Pub location and birds. (I'm having a problem downloading this image so will post and then edit).

It still won't let me download another image, so may I suggest you go via the river link on the left list of labels and scan down to 4th March . Then you will see the Pub building and lots of Egyptian geese with no boats, so I am pleased to say the works are completely different.

THE GRANARY RESTAURANT COLTISHALL

If you click to enlarge you will see the wonderful texture of these lovely cotton Gerstaecker canvases.

I've been working on my second little 7 x 9 ins acrylic and - as planned - its from a couple of summer photos I took of people eating out on the riverside in front of the Granary restaurant attached to the Rising Sun Pub.

I'm having lots of fun adding little people and tables with umbrellas. It's not finished yet, needing to add lettering (ugh I'm so bad at this!) and a few highlights - maybe even some more people - not sure what else it needs.

I'm off to bed now - night night everyone, pleasant dreams.

ACRYLIC RISING SUN SIGN

When Brian and I had finished hanging my works at the Rising Sun on Wednesday, I saw there was an area available where 3 sets of rawplugs were available for small 7 ins wide paintings. As the walls of the pub are old thick strong stone, I have had to use holes already drilled, so its been great fun fitting works to size and for Brian to fix the mirror plates in the exact spot on the back of each frame or canvas. So I decided to use the new little canvases I had recently purchased to create some interesting aspects of the pub area in acrylic.

Here I have used photos of the sign and separate images of the geese that congregate at the riverside, plus the addition of the little boat houses in the distance and some references to all the little white birds (I think Terns) that arrive every winter. I think it makes quite an interesting little view.


blocked in shapes and the finished work 7 x 9 ins canvas


As the sign on the arm advertises the Granary restaurant attached to the pub, I thought the next one would be of the Granary itself, as I plan to hang them as a pair. Fortunately, no hurry, as I will just get Brian to hang them when they are ready.

SECOND LITTLE WATERCOLOUR FOR RISING SUN

This is the red door leading from the riverside tables to the bar and restaurant of the Rising Sun pub in Coltishall. There have been hanging baskets all through the winter but now they display gorgeous pansies and daffodils in full bloom. There is always the red bowl of water outside for anyone bringing a dog.

In the end, this second little 7 x 7 ins watercolour was painted on Hahnemuhle Quatrro watercolour paper. I used mostly Winsor and Newton tube paints: cobalt and prussian blues, permanent rose and scarlet lake reds, Winsor yellow and raw sienna and burnt umber. You can see my photo I used to guide me in my previous post.

Nearly ready now for the whole exhibition - I have prepared my 'for sale' notices and arranged with a kind local gentleman who attends my workshops to do the hanging for me (mirror plates and lots of drilling!). My local gallery Swallowtail will be framing the two little watercolours and laminating the notices . Unfortunately the large postcards I had printed of the oil painting of the panoramic view of the pub via the internet are not satisfactory. Could easily be the jpg image I used on their website, but its turned out colour saturated making the buildings and roofs bright pink and quite dark to one side from sky through trees to the common. I have'nt much time to sort out another printer.

Once hung ready for Easter, I shall then be able to concentrate on more contemporary work I have to do for other shows.

TWO SMALL YUPO PAINTINGS FOR RISING SUN

When I was at The Rising Sun the other week, there was some lovely winter sunshine coming through one of the windows overlooking the river and I decided to use the idea for a pair of small 7 x 7 ins paintings to be mounted in 2.5 ins mount and framed for my show. This is the watercolour I started, before I added the colour for the poinsettia red leaves. Then I decided to use this as a practice run, and instead create it again on YUPO , as I felt this ground would give me the light I wanted to achieve.

As you will see, I think I made the right decision for the right reasons. Still have to add the window catches, benches and flower bed outside the window, then lift little bits of paint back to white to create the myriad of white birds that arrive alongside the river throughout the winter.

I've decided to use the theme of 'red' for this pair to be hung together. For the second one I will paint the red door that leads into the bar and restaurant from the riverside eating area. Should not take me long this week as it is only 7 x 7 ins and you can be brave when working on YUPO!!> Here is a photo taken this morning. I will probably make more of the flowers in the hanging baskets and possibly go higher to get the pub sign on the wall into the painting.

Wish me luck.

THIRD LOCAL RIVER SCENE FOR RISING SUN SHOW

I'm still working on local river/pub scenes for the Easter opening and this is number three of the larger pieces. I decided this time to use acrylics and its on stretched canvas 20 x 16 ins to be framed to match another acrylic the same size.

I decided to thin the paint with acrylic matt gel medium as it helps the paint to flow and leaves a soft finish, almost oil like. Here's me working on the first layer of blocking in colour

on a pinkish coloured gesso base:

Then I took a photo as I developed the

more natural colours and textures.

Finally I finished the painting last night after working a little most days this week, detailing the trees, boathouses, the boats, their windows and reflections, adding a few people, the flags, and deciding to make the sky recess more near the horizon.

enlarge to see figures and riverside posts, etc.

I'm really quite pleased with it and realise now why so many artists stick to the same subject as you learn with every painting. Have'nt painted so many boats in years!!

Next plan is a couple of small pen and wash of the eating area of the pub - from looking out the window of the bar passed a ponsietta on the window sill and another of the colourful umbrellas at the outside tables or possibly the red door against the white stone wall with hanging baskets either side.

SECOND RISING SUN RIVERSIDE PUB OIL

You may remember some posts ago I mentioned the plan to create a body of work for the local riverside pub THE RISING SUN. Here is the second oil painting I am glad to say I have now completed. Thought you might like to see the different stages.

stage 1 - blocking in on warm underbase

stage 2 -creating colours and reflections

stage 3 - adding Eqyptian Geese

Completed after adding tone, treeline and detail

Just as a reminder here is a photo in my artroom of the two oil paintings together. The square is 16 inches and the landscape 24 x 12 inches, both painted with Michael Harding lovely pliable oil paints on box canvases.

Had a meeting with Sally today and we have agreed to have the work hanging for Easter Weekend, so I have quite a lot to do by then. Don't expect too much blog activity please!

COMPLETED OIL OF THE RISING SUN PUB

Well, here it is completed. I've added the people at the picnic tables, the bridge and posts , softened some of the colours in the roofs, adjusted some of the greenery behind one or two of the chimney pots and made myself clean up the palette and brushes and put the paints all away so that I wont fiddle anymore!!! Oh yes and added the name of the pub on the wall after a discussion with Anita about how she would tackle lettering this small.

Hope it doesnt disappoint all those who kindly commented on my earlier stage post. Afraid the blue has come over rather strong in this photo.

LOCAL RIVER SCENE

Do you remember I started an oil painting of the local riverside pub from a photo I took last May, and now with Christmas and New Year celebrations over, I have returned to it. This is the stage so far. Pleased with the finish of the trees and sky. I still have to add the little wooden bridge on the right, the garden tables and people eating and wandering around, add white for the pub window frames and improve the building on the left with the dark panelling and its reflection.

Hoped to get a few hours with it today but just returned from a visit to the opticians and I have gone very snazy ordering a pair of VOODOO glasses made from a very smooth quite thick surface with a floral motif on the sides to get away from my slim metallic ones which are beginning to make the bridge of my nose sore and feel quite sharp. Cant wait for them to be ready - or for Anita to see them on me !! mad woman that I am - what a choice at my age!!??

Im really enjoying working in oils as a change from all those recent penwork zentangles.

RIVER BURE NORFOLK BROADS

Usually during the winter I make plans and experiment for the new year to come. Whilst at the Holt show recently I spied a new DVD by a local Norfolk artist (Brian Ryder) I have admired for many years and even attended one of his abstract courses when he brought out his book BEYOND REALISM. I could not get home quickly enough to play it and Clive made me a pot of tea, I put my feet up and had a glorious 2 hours watching him work plein air in oils along the Norfolk north coast.

As I presume he is sharing his techniques with his fans, I decided to get out a panoramic style canvas and cover it in a mix of poly filler, gesso and a touch of pinkish acrylic just as he casually mentioned in the DVD. I remember asking him at the course how he felt about other artists 'stealing' his ideas, and his reply was great ....' those who are professional will not wish to and amateurs wont be able to' - Where does that leave me????? Anyway, its the only bit I propose to copy from him.

I have a need to create a number of works along the River Bure by our local riverside pub THE RISING SUN for next Easter, so thought it could be my winter project - albeit from my photos, ie today I walked around (got my feet soaked on the common) with my camera for some unusual shots without boats but inundated with birds as. joy of joys, its been a lovely sunny winters day.

Here's how the first one is going from a photo I took in the summer:

This is the very early stage of adding thinned oil white and cream shapes to the polyfilla/gesso base.

(afraid due to the angle of the photo the canvas perspective distorts the buildings and you dont get the effect of a wide format) This is to show you how I am working on these cold days - not downstairs in my stone floor fully windowed area where my studio easel resides, but upstairs in my study with my lovely warm radiator full blast. Ive covered my two tiered desk with an old orange curtain, and sit comfortably with the canvas propped up on the ledge and equipment all around me. As you can tell, I dont copy my photos slavishly.

BOATHOUSES AND BOATS gesso and watercolour

I've been having a difficult time these past few days working on my third local landscape to pair with the Wells painting I recently posted. I felt it had to be another watercolour on gesso, but the first attempt seem to get all muddy (something I greatly dislike in a watercolour) and I was having trouble trying to make the sky plain and clean to offset the great deal of detail of the trees, river, boats and boathouses. I decided I didnt think it was good enough although by chance it has a sultry feeling of a storm coming.
click to enlarge

So I began all over again with a fresh piece of watercolour with a layer of gesso. This time the drawing came out different, as I had to keep to the same size painting as I already have the pair of gilt frames and double cream mounts. The river got wider, I only fitted in two boats and the boathouses needed to be bigger for where I had placed them. So in the end I didnt finish it!!!

Still not satisfied! So, yes you've guessed it -I started all over again. This time with a basic watercolour and no gesso. This time it turned out sunny. Shows we have no control over our work - it evolves all its own. !!!

click to enlarge

What I want to know is which do you prefer for me to put into my Christmas Show??? Can you be bothered to choose and let me know why - many thanks for those who do. I dont think I'll actually waste the effort as I can always keep the other finished one for a show next Spring.

I must be mad!!! yes??