Watercolour, 15" x 11".

No, unfortunately I have not been to Lake Como for a Workshop.  This was a painting done as a demo in a recent Workshop in the UK.  I was present with some sample photos to paint, and I chose this one because it suited my style and I thought it would make a great subject for watercolour, having those darks and lights.  Also what I think worked okay was the cool sky, then coming down, the warm buildings and then the cool shadows - plenty of cobalt!

If you are interested in any of my workshops, please contact me for details.

Bath, England, 15" x 11"

The approach towards the Theatre Royal in Bath, and a loose one focusing on a large group of people - and lots of abstract shapes with their connections and shadows intermingling with each other.  Figures in shadows present a few challenges - are they lighter than the shadows or darker.  Generally it's a good idea to understate the legs and feet, which also can help the feeling of movement.

Here's my latest video up on my YouTube Channel, and this one is featuring painting animals (well some goats wandering around the famous Avebury Stones) in a rural landscape..

Saint Jean de Luz, France, 15" x 11".

Saint Jean de Luz in South West France on the Atlantic coast.  Thanks Jean Luc for your reference photo (if anyone has any photos, please send them to me!).  Superb subject for a watercolour with light and shade.  The chance to do some loose stuff in the bottom left corner.  Quite a tricky picture with the light almost behind, which is a bit of a challenge.  Also nice to use many watercolour techniques on this - wash, negative painting, dry brush etc..

Madrid, Spain, 15" x 11".

Just down from the Plaza Major in central Madrid is this narrow street lined with restaurants.  Maybe these guys could be leaving from their lunch appontment.  Hopefully I got the feeling of a hot mid summer day here with strong shadows and big contrast of the light figures against the dark background.  Also those shadow lines along the building, try to help the feeling of the direction of the light being maybe early afternoon and still strong.

Porlock Weir, England, 22" x 15"

A class demo of Porlock Weir.  I have done this scene before, but not at this larger size.  From a composition point of view, I have the water's edge at the bottom mirroring the sky line and the sweeping curve of the ground as it dips in the middle.  A nice bit of unintentional granulation appeared in the background hills (mainly ultramarine blue and burnt sienna).

My latest watercolour demo up on my YouTube Channel, this time a scene of Chipping Sodbury and contre-jour.  

Watercolour, 15" x 11".

Wednesday sketch night at the Bristol Savages, and the topic for the night given to us by the Chairman - Bristol, past and present.  Quite a challenge if you are not very familiar with some of the landmarks around Bristol and its key buildings.  Anyway, I painted a scene down on the waterfront - the Hotwells area looking towards the Suspension Bridge in the background and a few boats moored up along the cottages.  And I threw in some balloons - Bristol is quite a popular place for Hot Air Ballooning.

Watercolour, 15" x 11"

The second demo I did for South Wales Art Society.  I just had enough time in my two hour slot to do a quick "boats at low tide" composition.  One I have done a few times before, but change some details of course.  This one is good from a watercolour demo point of view because it's all about painting from light to dark and negative painting around the boats, figure and stones on the harbour floor.

Bristol, England, 15" x 11".

Another of my submissions for the Bristol Savages Exhibition 2017 in Bristol.  This one is a local scene (I must do more local scenes!) of the railway bridge over the main road that leads into Bristol from the north.  Almost abstract in the road area with traffic, movement and reflections here and there.  Also done with a limited palette of 3 colours and a neutral tint to get those darks.