Watercolour work

 

I have finished the two watercolours I started last week as you can see from the opening photo and the one below. Both the bridge and the cottage ruin are located at Latheronwheel Harbour Scotland. The colours of the images are a bit off as they were taken a bit hurriedly.

Progress photos of the work and a couple more of the completed work follow.

Every now and then as artists we need to pause and sort our materials etc. This week I sorted my Daniel Smith watercolours into two tins; and then did new colour swatches to identify which colours were in which tin and on which line. As you can see from the first photo below  I had done this in the past; but with new colours it all needed to be done again.

The last photo below is of some of my watercolour paper that I had tested colours on as I worked - bit messy but interesting in their own right. These sheets were discarded to make room in my watercolour art box.

More for the Pop Up Art Show

 

A mixed bag this week. I managed to start two new watercolours; finished one watercolour; and made two sets of fungi forms.

First the new watercolours - you can see in the photo below I first did the outlines and the opening photo shows I got to setting down glazes.

The following photo shows the finished watercolour of the rusty shed at Kirtomy cove.

And the following images are of the second set of fungi forms I completed yesterday. 

The fungi form bowls are based on fungi that grow on fallen logs in the forest areas around our town

This and that

 

In the lead up to our upcoming trip to the cottage in Scotland I'm busily making product for the Pop Up Art Show in the Armadale village hall (29 and 30 August). 

I want to take a set or two of my fungi form bowls with me. These would be similar to the trio in the opening image. However, I sold the last set this week - so back to the workshop to start making another couple of sets.

As you can see from the photos below I have selected, marked up and cut circles - a good start made. I'm using salvaged silver-plated brass metal from round placemats.

Scotland inspired postcard sized watercolours will also feature in the Pop Up Art Show. On Thursday I managed to finish a couple as you can see from the photos below. 

The barn in the first watercolour is located in Strathy and at the time I took the photo for the watercolour the barn was surrounded by gorse in full bloom hence the rich yellow!!!

I know that jumping from one task to another will be a feature of my art making over the next few weeks - but it is good to be creating and also have a purpose in mind.

Stone bridges and a boat

 I have decided to try my hand at recording a few very old traditional stone bridges in my postcard sized watercolours. But as the title says I have included an unserviceable fishing boat to make up the four you can see close to being finished in the opening photo.

The flooding photo is a close up of the small stone bridge that was part of the original road that goes past Armadale village. These days the bridge it totally overgrown by gorse - very intense and dense yellow flowers.

Some progress photos follow.

I will finish these four in the next week.

Not much to share

 

Whilst there has been a lot going on art wise there is not a lot to share apart from completing 4 wee watercolours of and for Scotland - opening photo and other below. The watercolours will be part of the Pop Up Art Show in the Armadale Village Hall at the end of August.

I have also been working away on two more A7 sized 16 page booklets of poetry - one titled What Remains and the other Farewelling the Light. These two booklets will have a similar format to my Flow Country booklet. Each booklet includes four original fragmentary poems that are my response to four photos I took; and the photographic images are also presented in the booklet.

Preparation for the jewellery workshop is almost completed - all the tools are put aside, all the metal elements for participants cut and findings, such as jump rings, leather necklaces and earring hooks, packed. 

Many projects on the go

 

At the moment I seem to be jumping from one thing to another including: finishing watercolours for a friend (see opening photos; progressing watercolours for Scotland (see below); doing a How to Use Tools document for my jewellery workshop; finishing examples for the workshop; and negotiating the finalisation of my repair work on the Montville footpath.

The watercolours for the friend reflect the colours and subject matters she likes.

I successfully test printed the 16 page A7 sized Flow Country poem booklet on different weight and colour photo inkjet paper. Fiona and I selected some threads to test sewing heavy weight paper; and today Fiona sewed the booklets for me. As you can see from the photos below I think at the tests have worked and I'm good to print booklets for sale at the Pop Up Art Show in Scotland. The thread is a heavier gauge and the colour reflects the bog country - loose threads are deliberate!!!

I'll get around to blogging on the tools and finished jewellery samples soon.

Four for Scotland and two for a sick fellow artist

 On Thursday I returned to Megan's Thursday morning art group - managed to progress 4 wee Scotland inspired watercolours I had started whilst in the cottage. Today I managed another hour to further progress the four.

I was informed that a fellow artist is very ill and a few folk are going to give her a concertina book of small artworks. I started two today - got the under washes done.

The opening photo shows where I got to with the six works today. Some process shots of the four for Scotland follow. The order is a bit random - I'm sure you can work it out!!!!

A couple of process photos of the art for a friend follow.

Hopefully I will get close to finishing all six in the coming week.

A new start

 Yesterday we finished our maintenance tasks for this trip - just in time before the rain sets in for the next week. This meant I have been able to start s few more watercolours (see above); based on the photos taken over the last couple of weeks (see four chosen and printed out below).

A few preparatory sketches follow.

I'm not sure how much progress I will make on these; but given the rainy weather forecast I might get a couple of painting sessions.

Four finished

 

A you will see in the above and following photo I have finished four wee watercolours. They still need the critical eye of Megan run over them; and maybe a touch up with my Daniel Smith watercolours. 

A few miscellaneous-process photos follow.

Good to add these four to my contribution too the planned Pop up Art Show in Armadale Hall later this year!!!