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Sketching Stockholm

Södermalm

This week I am home and I tend to spend too much time in my studio. I therefore make sure I go for a walk or cycle each day. I always bring my sketch bag with me. The weather has been really amazing lately so I am doing a lot of light studies. Watercolour for me is about capturing the light, it’s amazing how hard it is to catch. I just practice and practice and hopefully one day I will master it.
The sketch “Södermalm” is 13 x 17.5 cm on 300g Saunders Waterford paper.

Click the thumbnail below for full sized image

Södermalm

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Painting Outdoors in Gålö, south of Stockholm

watercolour sketch of summer house

I really enjoyed myself painting this little sketch in the early summer light of Sweden. If you would like to see me painting it please click here. https://youtu.be/vWcI0TE8NHw

There is a better description of the video in my previous post, click here to read that. https://www.meldrum.se/2020/06/14056/

If you would like to see a larger image of the watercolour, click the thumbnail below.

watercolour sketch of summer house

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Sketching Outdoors Ep18

A few weeks ago I went on a short trip to Gålö which is 27 km south of Stockholm. It’s a nature reserve, and camping there is relatively easy. It always amazes me how close I actually am to nature even though I spend most of my time in an urban environment like Stockholm.
I wandered around the reserve for ages exploring and enjoying the sights and sounds of early summer. Eventually I found a scene that I wanted to sketch, I had my camera gear with me and so it has become my 18th YouTube episode. I hope you enjoy it. I explain my process as I go along, painting techniques and compositional thoughts etc. You can see a list of the watercolours I use in the description under the YouTube video.

If you would like to support the making of Meldrum Art videos please visit my Patreon page, there you can follow my weekly vlog, see bonus material, and even receive original watercolours. www.patreon.com/meldrumart

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Summer sketching

View from Boda, Värmdö, Sweden

The weather has been so good recently, I made sure I got away from the studio and explored the countryside close to home. The countryside usually means water and islands that are crowned with Scots pine. At least I seem to be always drawn to the sea, I feel best there by the waters edge or better still, sailing in the archipelago.

Click the thumbnail if you wish to see the full sized image.
View from Boda, 17.5 x 13 cm

View from Boda, Värmdö, Sweden
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Sketches from Nacka Strand

I just love driving down to Nacka Strand, which is close to where I live. There I practice my clouds, my reflections and at the same time unwind enjoying the view.

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Follow my weekly vlog plus get bonus material, watercolours even at: www.patreon.com/meldrumart
Cheers! 

  • Fishing at Nacka Stand
  • Clouds over Lidingö
  • Cloudy Djurgården
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Sunday I met more friends!

Yes, on Sunday I met more art friends. This time it was an unofficial Urban Sketchers meetup. We met at Humlegården in central Stockholm and enjoyed the sun soaked day.
I managed to do two sketches, one trying to capture the light in the trees and the other is of the statue of Linné, the famous Swedish botanist.
It was so nice to meet my friends. I know now it is really important to have social contact, I feel so much better for it. Luckily sketching is an outdoors activity and so it’s relatively safe to meet friends in this the year of Corona.

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So nice to be social and painting again

I came to a point early last week when I said to myself, enough is enough, I have to meet friends. Sweden has a very relaxed approach to the Corona virus pandemic so it’s no problem whatever to meet people, it’s our responsibly in other words. All of us have been shy about meeting up. But I met my artist friend Daniel on Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm for a morning of plein air and a lovely lunch last Friday. Thanks Daniel for treating me, my turn next time.

I wouldn’t call the watercolour a masterpiece by any means but just getting out in the early summer sun and meeting a friend made it special.

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A street scene

Piampol

I have been challenging myself to paint better street scenes. This watercolour is of Piampol, Brittany, France – my wife’s hometown. I did this in the studio but I wouldn’t mind being in France for June. That won’t happen of course because of the pandemic. I’ll just have to use my many photo references that I have amassed through the years. Have a nice, and safe weekend.

Click the thumbnail below to see full sized image.

Piampol
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Gustavsbergshamn the watercolour

Gustavsbergshamn

I published the YouTube video of me painting this watercolour yesterday. Here is the final painting. Today I am painting something totally different, life is always interesting for a watercolour artist. 🙂

If you haven’t seen the video click this link here: Gustavsbergshamn – From sketch to final watercolour

For a full sized image of the watercolour click the thumbnail below.

Gustavsbergshamn