Tag: david meldrum

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Video watercolour video youtube

I kept my mouth shut for this one

I visited Utö during the month of September to spend two days camping and painting. The island was so quiet, the evenings can be cool but if you are lucky you can still get a beautiful warm day.

This video has no dialog, instead I thought I’d let the sound of the lapping water and the beautiful view speak for themselves. The film is short, 7 minutes long.

I have included a description of the gear I used in the film down below. I hope you enjoy it, please do send me comments and let me know what you think – be it good or bad. You can support the making of these videos, visit my crowdfunding page, there you can follow my weekly vlogs, see bonus material, and even receive original watercolours as thanks. https://www.patreon.com/meldrumart

Here is a list of my most important watercolours that I use while sketching outdoors. In this watercolour I mostly used – Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Verditer Blue, Jaune Brilliant No1, Yellow Ochre and Vandyke Brown. My easel is no longer for sale on Amazon unfortunately. My camping chair is a Swedish brand called Walkstool Comfort 45cm/18in. (www.walkstool.com). The hammock tent is by Hennessy 4 Season Expedition Zip. (https://eu.hennessyhammock.com/products/4season-expedition-zip)

While sketching I use a Winsor & Newton Field palette My watercolours (tube) :
– Holbein Titanium White
– Winsor & Newton Cadmium Yellow Pale
– Holbein Jaune Brilliant No1 .
-Winsor & Newton Naples Yellow
– Winsor & Newton Yellow Ochre
– Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna
– Winsor & Newton Cadmium Orange
– Winsor & Newton Cadmium Red
– Daniel Smith Alizarin Crimson
– Winsor & Newton UltraMarine Violet
– Winsor & Newton Cobalt Blue
– Winsor & Newton French Ultra Marine
– Holbein Verditer Blue
– Winsor & Newton Cobalt Turquoise Light
– Holbien Vandyke Brown
– Winsor & Newton Neutral Tint.

The view from east Utö. September 2022
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

Painting plein air locally

Danvikshem

I try to be out in the Stockholm archipelago as much as possible. But sometimes the weather isn’t kind and I’m forced to stay home. This was the case last week when there was gale force wind with heavy rain. It wasn’t raining all the time though so I was able to nip out and paint a scene close to where I live.

The building I chose to paint is called Danvikshem, an Art Deco old folks home, it is a dominant feature on the local skyline. I sat myself down outside an apartment in Finnboda and had a go at capturing the scene.

Danvikshem
David’s easel
Danvikshem
David
Danvikshem
Danvikshem
Danvikshem

Categories
akvarell watercolor Watercolour

The advantage of painting small

If you have been following this blog, or my Patreon page or even my Facebook page you’ll know that I suffer from seasonal depression (SAD). It has held me back enormously over the last three years. Thankfully, I am now getting the help that I need and therefore feel pretty positive.

This is where the small paintings come in.
It is way too much for me to paint a large watercolour right now. I’m a person in recovery and so my ability to focus is pretty shot. This is why I think small. 18 x 13 cm usually. If you know about painting on quarter – sheets then you’ll understand when I say, I paint on quarter – quarter – sheets. For the rest of you, it’s about A5 in size.

This little watercolour is from a reference photo I took a few years back when we visited Trosa in the southern Stockholm archipelago. I’ve painted it before, I like the composition. Yes, it’s 18 x 13cm in size.

Take care of yourselves.

Trosa
Categories
Sketch sketching watercolor Watercolour

Four interpretations of the same scene

Watercolour #2

While out sailing in the archipelago we would sometimes take a day off and just hang in a beautiful spot. This would give me the opportunity to paint. The four watercolours here are of the same scene on Själbottna island painted over two days.

I realise that my first watercolour is usually rushed and therefore not so good. I guess it’s a necessary evil, a process to slow down and really see what is in front of me. The third watercolour was an attempt to capture the advent of rain and dark thunderous skies. Finally the last watercolour was painted the next morning just before we lifted anchor and sailed off in some direction I cannot remember.

The watercolours are 18 x 13cm in size and were painted on the 16/17th of July, 2022.

Categories
watercolor Watercolour

I don’t have artist block, I have something a lot worse

Ferry at Finnboda
Ferry at Finnboda

I have been suffering badly from depression (SAD) since September. I’m not going to go into detail but anyone who suffers from the same ball and chain affliction knows it isn’t easy to achieve anything of substance. So this little painting, although a bit grey, is a ray of light as I have been able to complete it. It makes me very feel good.

I am returning to the doctor this week, the current approach hasn’t worked. Hopefully a solution can be found soon. I so do want to enjoy life, smile and paint, paint, paint.

Click the thumbnail below if you want to see the full sized image

Ferry at Finnboda
Ferry at Finnboda
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Uncategorized

Revisiting my summer sailing adventure

We sailed to the NW of Åland close to the Finnish border during the month of July. It always feels pretty exposed there when the winds blow and it tends to blow often. There were a number of occasions when we had to shelter in small harbours which gave me the opportunity to do some watercolour painting.

I did this small sketch below when we were sheltering in Seglinge, it mentions on the back of the watercolour that the winds were 8-15 m/s and blowing from the north and that more favourable wind was coming the next day. Nice memories for sure.

Seglinge 17 x 13 cm

The main featured watercolour was started the same day ( 2021/07/22 ) but I ran out of time or maybe it was passion, who knows. Anyway, I finally finished it yesterday. I found the unfinished watercolour in a pile beside my desk, … my studio is such a mess I really need to clean the place. I gave the watercolour a grunge type feel, I wanted the painting to feel moody, atmospheric, something like that. I’m happy enough with the result but now it’s time to move on to the next watercolour. Have a nice weekend.

Click the thumbnail below for a full sized image.

Seglinge 36 x 26 cm
Categories
watercolor Watercolour

“Don’t paint pretty sunsets”, they said.

Sicilian sunset
Sicilian sunset

Wise painters stay away from pretty photographs of ocean sunsets. I know this is true as I tried years back and yes, I failed. The watercolour turned out to be cheesy, a classic motif to sell to tourists maybe but not a work of art that I was proud of. Nothing I would wish to show to others.

William Turner, he painted many sunsets, he had a certain attitude, he was a rebel, a hero to many, an inspiration to me.

I snapped an evening photo while sailing off the coast of Sicily, I thought to myself, this is not your typical sunset. So dramatic. It’s badass. I had a go at trying to capture the moment. 36 x 26 cm.

Click the thumbnail below for a full sized image.

Sicilian sunset
Sicilian sunset

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Uncategorized

A tourist’s watercolour

I was recently lucky enough to be sailing along the coast of Sicily not far from Palermo. There was this beautiful town called Cefalu that hugged an impressive rock. It just had to be painted. 36 x 26 cm

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exhibition

Water Colour Society of Ireland exhibition begins, it’s a big moment for me

The Water Colour Society of Ireland’s 166th exhibition begins and I am very proud to be included for the first time. It’s such a pity I cannot be there for the opening but I am just delighted to have been accepted into the fine room of Irish watercolour art.If you are in Dublin the exhibition opens on the 25th of September and runs until the 10th of October. Farmleigh Gallery, Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park, 10am – 5pm daily.