Year: 2019

Categories
Uncategorized

Revisiting Randazzo Sicily

watercolour of Randazzo Sicily
Randazzo Sicily

Yes, I had a wonderful holiday in Sicily this summer. It seems so long ago now, especially now that the autumn leaves have fallen and the bare trees are almost black in tone.
I paint every morning and so I often browse through my photo reference folder which is full of potential watercolour scenes. And so it was with this scene, it just said hello to me and I started painting it. I never know what I am going to paint before I start, it’s interesting how we get inspired, it can be different everyday.
I am happy with this watercolour, I seem to have found a new awareness on how to tackle a scene, it excites me and I want to just paint more scenes, isn’t life great! 🙂

Click the thumbnail image below if you would like to see it in full-size.

watercolour of Randazzo Sicily
Randazzo Sicily
Become a Patron!

Categories
Uncategorized

Featured in my latest video

GÄlö, Stockholm
GÄlö, Stockholm 36 x 26 cm

This watercolour was filmed when I visited GĂ„lö, a nature reserve just south of Stockholm. It was a damp autumn day and I had to use my gas burner to get the watercolour dry. It was such a beautiful place so I didn’t mind the fight. To see the film click the this YouTube link: https://youtu.be/Xbmed57s_UE


(Click the thumbnail below to see full-sized image.)

GÄlö, Stockholm
GÄlö, Stockholm 36 x 26 cm
Categories
Uncategorized

I play with fire in this episode

Hello, I visited GĂ„lö a few weeks back and painted in sometimes challenging circumstances which demanded drastic action. I don’t how many watercolour artists use a blow torch to dry their work but I do, when it’s just not going to dry.
All in all it was a fun day, I just love painting outdoors.

Painting Outdoors – GĂ„lö, Stockholm ( Ep15)
Categories
Watercolour youtube

Painting Outdoors in Ploubazlanec

It’s episode number 14 and this time I am in Ploubazlanec in Brittany, France.
My wife grew up here and I am lucky enough to visit this magical place once a year. I always find it inspiring. While my wife spends time with her wonderful Mum I walk around Ploubazlanec and neighbouring Paimpol looking for something to paint. I have a lot of time to myself but I also find time to be social plus enjoying the local food and the great hospitality.
I hope you enjoy the video, comments are always appreciated.

Cheers,
David

Categories
figure drawing Life drawing

Not being able to sketch at my own life drawing class

Life drawing by Meldrum #1
Life drawing by Meldrum #1

It’s ironic that I don’t have the time to draw at my own life drawing evenings, I visit other places like KonstnĂ€rshuset (The Artist’s House) and sketch there instead. I don’t mind at all, it gives me a great deal of pleasure organising life drawing sessions, making sure the lighting is good, getting excellent models and making fantastic coffee.
My life drawing session is today (Thursday) by the way at Dieselverkstaden 18.30 – 20.30, a shameless plug 😉

These watercolours where sketched at KonstnÀrshuset last Tuesday, number one and two I spent a few minutes working on the day after. The actual poses are between 10 and 5 minutes long.

  • Life drawing by Meldrum #1
    Life drawing by Meldrum #1
  • Life drawing by Meldrum #2
    Life drawing by Meldrum #2
  • Life drawing by Meldrum #3
    Life drawing by Meldrum #3
Categories
exhibition

Exhibition over, my thoughts

The end of my 2019 exhibition
The end
Gallery RÀÀf
Gallery RÀÀf

With the help of my wife I gathered up all my watercolours and packed them into the car last night. It’s always a strange feeling coming to the end of something, be it a holiday abroad or an exhibition in Stockholm.

The exhibition was a success in many ways but to be honest I didn’t sell so many watercolours, enough to break even but no more than that. On the positive side though I really appreciated the words of encouragement I received from all the people who dropped by. Words of praise like, ‘you have developed so much in such a short time’ to ‘your art is at a real high level’ – this really charges my enthusiasm to keep on trying. One stroke at a time, a little better, a little wiser.

Right now, the way I feel is that I will not be having a solo exhibition anytime soon. I just want to focus on improving, I look forward to getting back into my routine of painting in the morning, I have many ideas on where I want to go with my art. That was one of the good things to come out of the exhibition, I had all my art from the last two years up on the walls, I had time to look and analyse them, to see which direction I would like to go. Some watercolours represented the old me where as a number show hints of where I am heading. Really exciting, I can’t wait to get back painting again. In that way, the exhibition was indeed a success.

Become a Patron!
Categories
exhibition

Two days left to see my watercolours

Visitors looking at David Meldrum's watercolours
Viewing David Meldrum's watercolours

My watercolours are on show at RÀÀf Gallery, Hornsgatan 32, Stockholm. Exhibition ends 25th of September 18.00.
12.00 – 18.00 Tuesday, Wednesday.

Categories
Uncategorized

Summer, I miss you.

Summer
Summer

To be fair, we are having a beautiful week here in Stockholm, it could be summer, it feels like summer on the skin, the sun is so warm – I have to take my jacket off but I don’t put it down. No , I don’t trust this little bubble, I feel it will burst at any moment. We are heading into autumn and soon the trees will be a fantastic orange and I will suffer from SAD which I successfully deal with through light-therapy.

Summer
Summer
Become a Patron!
Categories
Life drawing

The importance of sketching

It is so important to sketch on a regular basis, everyday if possible. I was so busy before the summer, it was quite stressed to be honest so my daily sketching habit got broken. In fact, a whole I missed a whole term of life drawing which is ironic because I run my own classes (Meldrum Kroki), it’s impossible though to sketch well when you are running a life drawing class.
So, this autumn I have promised myself not to stress as much and to sketch, sketch and sketch, …. and to watercolour too of course!
These drawings are from Tuesday evening when I attended a life drawing class at KonstnÀrshuset here in Stockholm.

  • Nude 1
  • Nude 2
  • Nude 3
  • Nude 4