meldrum art
I just published a video of me painting this view from Kvarnholmen, click here to see it. I simplified the watercolour composition a lot and I really like it. It takes a lot of experience to start seeing what is a good composition and what is not. Believe me, I have made a lot of bad compositions in the past to get to this stage in my development as an artist.
Click the thumbnail below to see the full sized image.
Sailing in the Finnish archipelago. Currently on an island called Birsskär. Peaceful, the wind isn’t angry anymore, not until Tuesday at least.
I am currently sailing to Finland with my wife and another couple. The weather is cool and the winds blow with attitude from the north. Each morning it is just over 10 degrees, it’s humid and the sky is mostly grey. …..But yesterday was an exception, it was a lovely sunny morning for at least 3 hours!
We had been seeking protection from the strong winds in Rödhamn, Åland. It’s a beautiful little harbour.
I try to sketch everyday but of course life keeps getting in the way. This last week has been really busy, mostly seasonal stuff like getting the boat ready for launch and putting summer tyres on the car etc. The seasons are very clear here in Sweden. Half the year is dark and cold and the other half is light and warm(ish), simple.
I continue to do some urban sketching. I painted this from a fuzzy iPhone photo I took while I was walking, I never bothered to stop, I just snapped off a bunch of pictures. It’s not a bad technique really, I got some interesting angles.
I am getting better at just sketching for fun. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to improve which is good but at the same time I know it’s not recommended to be deadly serious all the time. So, yesterday I had some fun. It’s fun having fun. Sounds like I am trying to persuade myself that relaxing is a good thing.
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I was life drawing yesterday using watercolours, I try my best to capture the pose in 5 minutes or whatever the decided time is. I of course run out of time which is okay as everyone does.
I have gotten into the habit of playing with these sketches the morning after, I start the day with a strong cup of coffee and I try to improve the quick watercolours I did the night before. It’s fun and just like kids I learn a lot by just playing around.
Yeap, it was a very grey day in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland. I walked my mother’s dog and then sat in the passenger seat of the car and painted this quick sketch of the boats that were on land for the winter.
It’s been grey since I arrived, I hope it clears soon, it’s quite depressing.
I love to be beside the sea, I like Donaghadee but I never feel at home, I’m uneasy here.
Click the thumbnail below for full-sized image.
I went to Basis on Folkkungagatan (147) here in Stockholm, it’s an art school and every Saturday my old gang of life drawing enthusiasts meet and sketch like crazy under the eastern-European guidance of Gabor.
He starts with a 5 minute pose but the rest of the session is 1 – 4 minute poses, everyone is pretty exhausted afterwards.
What’s nice about going to life drawing on a Saturday is that everyone is relaxed and a big group of us go for a coffee afterwards and have a light-hearted post analysis of our sketches. It was the first time for me this term and it was the last session before Christmas. Next year I will be able to join my friends more as my own life drawing class will be on Thursdays and not Fridays as it was this year. I have been pretty tired on Saturday mornings this term because of working late on Friday evenings.
All features sketches here were sketched between 2 – 4 minutes.
Yes, it was so nice to go to somebody else’s life drawing class yesterday evening. Since I’ve been running my own class I have not really been relaxed enough to draw with any real commitment.
So last night I could get my fingers dirty with charcoal dust and have a ball!
Most sketches were completed in 5 minutes on A3 paper.
