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Month: April 2019

  • Abandoned Caravan watercolour

    Abandoned Caravan watercolour

    I wandered around the caravan park I was staying on the last day of my painting trip. The park was pretty empty, it was a day after the Easter weekend. I discovered this abandoned caravan tucked away in a corner, I thought the composition was wonderful so I took a few shots with my phone. I stumbled across the images again this morning when I was wondering what to paint. I decided to do a sketch first and I’m happy with the result. I must do a larger version of it very soon, I still feel it is a great composition.

    I stayed at the Moby Dick Caravan Park very close to the centre of Calella. It was quiet and the family running the park were charming.

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  • Watercolours from my trip to the Costa Brava, Spain.

    I had an amazing week staying mainly in the town of Calella but I also visited, Pals, Cadaqués and Girona.
    Here are my watercolours from the trip. The great thing about painting outdoors for a week it that you gain such a connection with the landscape you are in. A photograph is only ever an image.

    • One of the many beaches in Calella
      One of the many beaches in Calella
    • Llfranc watercolour sketch
      Llfranc watercolour sketch
    • First sketches from Calella
      First sketches from Calella
    • A sketch from the medieval town of Pals
      A sketch from the medieval town of Pals
    • A study of a tree in Cadaqués
      A study of a tree in Cadaqués
    • Cadaqués
      Cadaqués
    • Waves in Calella
      Waves in Calella
    • A study from Calella
      A study from Calella
    • Calella sea view
      Calella sea view
    • The rocks of Calella
      The rocks of Calella
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  • Photographs from my visit to the Costa Brava.

    It was wonderful to meet Angela Barbi while I was in Spain. I drove to Girona and spent the day there, the weather wasn’t so great but meeting Angela for lunch filled the day with sunshine anyway.
    For those of you who don’t know Angela is, she organises watercolour courses with some of the best watercolour artists in the world. I can warmly recommend a week in Girona learning from a master. I spent a week in 2016 with Chien Chung-Wei.
    https://epc-artcourses.com/

    Here are some photographs from my trip. I slept in a tent in the Moby Dick Caravan Park which is very close to the centre of Calella. I camp for two reasons, it’s cheap and I enjoy it. It also means I can afford to rent a car and zip around the Costa Brava.

    • Watercolours from Cadaqués
      Watercolours from Cadaqués
    • Looking out to see at Calella
      Looking out to see at Calella
    • Painting in Pals
      Painting in Pals
    • First sketches at Calella
      First sketches at Calella
    • The beach in Llfranc
      The beach in Llfranc
    • Sketching in Calella
      Sketching in Calella
    • My film gear
      My film gear
    • Camping
      I like to camp while on a sketching holiday.
    • I use my field easel as a table
      I use my field easel as a table
    • Camping life
      Camping life
  • Weekend watercolour sketches of Stockholm

    Weekend watercolour sketches of Stockholm

    I am continuing to experiment with light and shade. It is also interesting to try and find exciting compositions from the streets of my home town. In everyday life we stress and don’t study our environment, we should from time to time I think. There is a lot of beauty out there is we take the time to slow down a little and look around.
    These watercolours are from my Saunders Waterford Sketchbook which is 28 x 38 cm

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  • Clocking up my ten thousand hours

    Clocking up my ten thousand hours

    I have been told that it’s going to take me 10 000 hours to master watercolour. That’s okay, I am enjoying the trip.
    This is another painting of Stureplan, Stockholm.
    I am exploring a lot at the moment, I wonder about form, tonal values and overall composition. I find it fascinating, a watercolour is more likely to succeed if one keeps these in mind while you paint.

    Have a nice weekend!

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  • What’s in my Sketch Bag?

    What’s in my Sketch Bag?

    In this video I show you the contents of my sketching bag. It amazes me how much I actually squeeze into such a small space, I don’t need everything and you don’t either. It’s best to be prepared for all eventualities though, that’s my philosophy. I hope you find this video informative.

    I reveal what is inside my Sketch Bag
  • A Sketch is so important

    A Sketch is so important

    I am talking to myself when I say, “Sketches are so important”.
    It is so easy to just be lazy and start painting directly with a photo that is in front of you. We rarely succeed when shortcuts are taken, a photo needs to be interpreted, analysed and broken down. It needs to be simplified and elements moved or removed. So this is why doing a quick sketch beforehand is so important, we discover what should be done to achieve a good watercolour.
    In the perfect world I would prefer to sketch outdoors but that not possible here for a large part of the year, it’s minus degrees and windy here in Stockholm today.
    Next week I travel to Costa Brava in Spain for a week of sketching. More about that in an upcoming post.


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  • Watercolour of Kungsgatan, Stockholm

    Watercolour of Kungsgatan, Stockholm

    I am finding this street scene a real challenge. I am enjoying it though, I basically have to paint kungsgatan several more times before I can be fully happy. This isn’t a bad watercolour, I just want to do it better. I guess that’s the artist’s curse, never totally content – always trying be better.

    For Sale: €350

    Title: Kungsgatan
    Technical information: Painted on the backside of Saunders Waterford Rough. 26 x 36 cm. I use W&N, Holbien and Daniel Smith paints.

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