meldrum art
Every Thursday I run my own life drawing class here in Stockholm and this means I need to create a drawing or a watercolour to help publicise the event. So yes, some weeks I am quite desperate to paint a model. Deadlines, deadlines – even artists stress sometimes.
My life drawing is streamed live because of the pandemic. If you would like to join please go to this page: https://www.meldrum.se/lifedrawing/
Please click the thumbnail below to see the full-sized image.
Yes, it was the premiere for Meldrum Watercolour Demonstrations yesterday evening.
It went well I thought even if the sound wasn’t 100%. I have already solved that little technical problem.
A full video of the live demonstration is available to my supporters on Patreon.
https://www.patreon.com/meldrumart
I hope these videos help those of you who want to develop as watercolour artists.
Just playing around, trying to put a bit of nerve into my nude studies.
Click the thumbnail below if you would like to see the full-sized image.
It’s always difficult to know when to stop painting a watercolour. Maybe I should have stopped already after the first wash. It doesn’t matter, it was just a sketch, I was playing with some paper I haven’t used for years, Fabriano Artistico /S, it’s really difficult to paint on. The blending of colours is difficult. It’s not paper I like but I have lots of it so I’ll just have to enjoy it even if it’s not a favourite. Which do you like best, the finished painting or the halfway stage version? Let me know in the comments. Cheers 🙂
Inspired by my summer watercolour sketch above, I am sending original watercolours to my supporters today. A patron who contributes $5 or more each month is entitled to one. There is other stuff on offer too, for just $1 there’s the weekly vlog and very soon – exclusive watercolour videos on Patreon.com only.
Join the Meldrum Art Supporters Club 
https://www.patreon.com/meldrumart
Last Sunday I spent a lovely afternoon with my friends at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. The weather was truly awful outside so it was so nice to socialise indoors in these Covid-times. My approach for this sketch was not to try and achieve a perfect likeness of the sculpture but to practice my watercolour tonal skills. I will return another day and try and catch her likeness. 
In this episode I take myself to a small island called Beckholmen where I sketch another little island called Kastellholmen, both are very close to the centre of Stockholm. It became a grey day and so it was a challenge to make the sketch interesting. Follow me step by step as I paint and hope for a watercolour that satisfies.
It is interestesting how people who used to be new friends are now old friends.
I have been life drawing since 2011 and along the way I have got to know many new people who share a love of trying to capture what they see in front of them. We would meet for coffee after each life drawing session and show our sketches and voice our frustrations at being so clumsy or just down-right awful. We all supported each other, never a bad word was said – just lots of positive vibes that have lead to the forming of great friendships.
The pandemic has affected our life drawing classes and we have not met so often this year which meant it was wonderful when we actually did meet last weekend. It was a grey day at Waldermarsudde but it didn’t matter to us, and besides, we had the promise of waffles afterwards at the café with outdoor heaters to keep the chill of autumn away.
I didn’t really care what I was going to sketch that day, I just sat close to the others. I sit alone and paint most days so no need to do that when the point was to socialise. I am happy with my sketch. In the background there is an old windmill without it’s sails. In the foreground is the statue of Carl Wilhelm Scheele by Carl Milles. My watercolour didn’t want to dry in the humidity of fall but luckily I had my blowtorch with me. It turns heads but I get the job done. It was a good day.
Please click the thumbnail below if you would like to see the full-sized image, 13 x 17 cm
We sailed for the whole month of July this year. It was windy almost everyday and it was important to find some good protection for the evening. Ironically the winds usually died down but it was not guaranteed. This watercolour is the view from Sadelöga, NE of Utö in the Stockholm Archipelago.
I originally painted a small sketch of this scene from the cockpit of the boat, now that it is the season to paint in the studio I decided to have a go at a large version. It’s 70 x 50 cm in format, I haven’t painted this big for a year at least. I really enjoyed the challenge and I am happy enough with the result.
I have a few tubes of paint that I basically don’t really like and have been trying to use up for years. Antwerp Blue, for example. I took the opportunity to use it for the sea and I used Neutral Tint over it to try and calm it down. Like I said before, I am satisfied with the final result but I will be happy to see the end of that tube of 37ml Antwerp Blue.
