GOUACHE ITALIAN SKETCHES

I went to a demo recently organised by the Norwich Art Circle when David Mynett demonstrated pastel landscapes. He brought along numerous sketchbooks from his travels and everyone (including me, Denise and Marianne I went with) was bowled over by his sketching technique. He was happy to share with us the fact that he covered all the white pages with gouche (created from watercolour and white mix) and then when he was out working he would choose a page colour suitable for the scene he was painting. They were very striking and most inspirational.

So much so I came home and had a try, covering some half dozen double spreads in my Derwent 5"x 7" leaving a small border of white around for notes. Here is part of my very first attempt - I cropped the image as the figures on left were completely out of scale and looked hideous but this central section gives you an idea of how the light and dark background gouache affected the result. !

This one of the Spanish Steps in my Italian practice sketchbook was a little better although I felt I needed to add pen at the end to sharpen it up and I know it is wonky!!

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... but the third attempt was much more pleasing of the Trevi fountain and I could see how the different ground colours could really enhance the painting if chosen carefully. I needed to put a number of layers on in various parts.



It was necessary of course to add white to my watercolours in areas otherwise the paint just acted as a glaze and the base gouache came through too dominant.

I sourced all three Gerald Brimacombe photos I took the sketches from in an internet gallery on Italy. As they are only rough sketches in my own little book I could not see a problem with copyright and of course the colours were determined by the gouache background with his photos providing a realistic reference to the subject.

It was fun and I certainly plan to try some more and maybe use this technique as a contrast to my stabilo sketches when I eventually get to Italy (in May).

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.

HYACINTHS IN THREE MEDIA

My lovely neighbours brought me in a basket of six hyacinth bulbs for my birthday and now a week later they have grown into the most beautiful looking and smelling blooms. So on Thursday I painted them in watercolour when my ladies came round for an afternoon session of painting together.

Here is the watercolour afternoon effort:


Inspired by Penny creating a lovely work in pastel pencils, I created a study in watercolour pencils in my garden flower sketchbook when they left. Then this evening I decided to spend time doing another study in Inktense pencils to see how different they would turn out.

Here is the double spread: (which can be enlarged sepately)

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.

COLTISHALL LADIES GROUP

Last Thursday we restarted our Coltishall Ladies weekly group and two of us worked with pastels. I had another cyclamen plant in full bloom and it seemed a good subject to play with lots of colour.



Drawn in briefly with a cream coloured pastel pencil on an almost gold coloured 360 g/ms sheet from my Clairefontaine Pastelmat 30 x 40 cms pad with interspersed wax paper to protect each work from smudging, I then used my box of 72 soft Ashby pastels. At the end I used a natural sponge to wet over the background to see if it helped the main image come forward. Not sure it made much difference!!

Of course, I think you could say its not really finished as a piece of artwork but what I achieved in the afternoon involving tea, cakes and lots and lots of chat catching up on each others' news.

FRESHENING ACRYLIC ROSES

Stuck indoors due to wintry weather, decided to check out some work I had started many moons ago to finish for a prospective client interested in roses.

This canvas is 24" x 30" and I freshened it up with new raindrops and highlighted edges of some petals created with my silk gutta outliner tubes. I glazed areas with smokey blue (mixture of white and king blue) thinned down to create feeling of moisture in the air and over the bud and distant blooms.

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This is one of a series of 16" x 16" macro flowers, which I have freshened with more highlights and stronger shadows, then added a cobalt acrylic wash to the background leaves and stalks to send it back further.

Finally, I was comfortable with the original working of this third rose, so simply gave it a light semi permanent protective matt varnish.