meldrum art
Last week I attended my first Life drawing session. I am happy the figure drawing season has begun again but a bit sad that the summer is over. I do not usually go to ABF to draw but as my usual venue (Konstnärshuset) has not started yet so I gave it a try. The model was new to me, Alia was her name. Always nice to sketch a new life drawing model. I painted mostly watercolours that evening which I will publish in the next post.
I haven’t sailed all summer but now I am and it’s wonderful. The holiday season is over so the archipelago is quite empty of boats. No motor boats just a few sailing boats and most of them seem to be visiting from Europe. So it’s very peaceful. We have bought a new boat, not new exactly – it was built in 1975. So we are getting to know how everything works. Next week my wife returns to work but I intend to continue sailing as much of September I can. I want to sketch, paint and take reference photos. It’s going to be an experience.
This watercolour sketch was painted at our first stop on the trip, Gällnö is the name of the island, we stayed for a day then moved on.
Click image below for full size image.
It was such a beautiful day yesterday, I just had to go out and sketch. I will paint this in a large format sometime this autumn.
Saunders Waterford 300g 19×20 fine grain
Click the image below for enlarged view
I am going through a period were my time for art is limited, I have to work as a webmaster for 6 weeks during July and August. I know that in order to be a good artist I have to practice everyday which is basically not easy.
So, is painting for the sake of painting a good idea? This sketch which took 2 hours over two days is a case in point. It’s not a masterpiece but I feel at least I have painted something; I have learned a little, a small step – …on the lonely road to mastering watercolour.
This sketch was painted in a Moleskin watercolour journal 29 x 21 cm, the paper is not cotton but I like the challenge of its inferior qualities.
Click the image below for larger view.
I’ve been busy doing other things than art recently like watching my son graduate and helping him move back to Stockholm after 3 years in Karlskrona. I’m working this week but yesterday was Sweden’s national day so I had the day off which meant I could watercolour! 🙂
I hadn’t painted for a week so in order to get going I painted this sketch of Stockholm’s town hall called “Stadshuset” in Swedish. I think it’s a very beautiful building so I have sketched many times and I probably will continue to do so in the future.
While I was painting yesterday, I filmed it using a GoPro camera. I bought one secondhand last year and have found it hard to start filming with it. I think it is like everything that requires some learning, the first step is the hardest. But now I have taken that first important step and I have ambitions to publish short films of myself while I paint watercolours. I am currently studying how to edit using Premiere Pro, so much to learn; one step at a time David, one step at a time.
The sketch was painted in a Moleskin watercolour journal. The paper quality sucks but if forces me to adapt which isn’t a bad thing.
Click on the thumbnail below to view larger image.
I am having a summer exhibition at Fylgia, a law firm in Östermalm, Stockholm. The official opening is Wednesday 3rd May 2017, 17.30 – 19.00.
Please contact me if you would like to come to the opening. I can only invite a limited amount so it’s on a first come, first served basis.
It may be kinda strange to have an exhibition at a law firm. The company is situated in the wealthier part of town. They have clients visiting them everyday, who knows maybe they will buy my art … in between suing and being sued. The official opening will be next Wednesday, that’s when I will sell most of the work that does get sold, it’s an important day. Mentally, I have moved on; I’m thinking about the next exhibition. I have started painting for it but unfortunately bad health is hampering me a little, I am over the worst of it now so I look forward to a summer of inspired painting.
I completed 90% of this painting a month or ever two months back, the last 10 % has taken a lot more time. I learned this from Chien Chung-Wei, he might spend two hours on a painting but the final 10% can take many more hours – days even.
Luckily for me the weather is so damn cold here in Stockholm that the snow doesn’t look out of place now that it is spring, it was snowing here today in fact. So, maybe I should rename this painting to, “Spring in Stockholm”. Only kidding, I do look forward to warmer weather though.
Painted on Arches rough 300g, 2017.04.25, 52 x 34 cm.
Click on the image below for a larger image.
I took it really easy today, I’ve been so busy during the last month – I really needed to take my foot off the gas pedal. So, the first thing I did today was go to the central station and sketched the travelers as they waited for trains.
In the afternoon I walked around the town and looked for scenes to photo and paint at a later date. I walked for 4 hours! It was a sunny day and I was hunting the light, looking for scenes that were perfect for watercolours. I found quite a few so I’m happy. Tomorrow I’ll paint in the studio at home, my feet are feeling tired. I have life drawing tonight so I’ll sleep well.
Click image below for larger version.
I forgot to publish this, I met with my Stockholm Urbansketcher friends at the Central Station on the 26th of February. We had great fun sketching, enjoying a chat and a coffee.
