Stones

From photos from Killiney, Beara Peninsula and Lake Tahoe (photo by Uma Kelkar), done in a Saunders Waterford Hot Press sketchbook. I don't normally paint on hot press. But for stones, it seems to be the best surface. I can paint wet in wet without losing too much definition!

The first ones on the left were too diagrammatic, painted without really looking. Then I did the two stones at the bottom left, and felt that the wet in wet worked really well to show the lit side vs the dark side, but without too sharp an edge - most natural stones are curved rather than chiselled.

So I did I few more at the top right from photos from the Beara peninsula. I was happy with the result, but felt I needed something faster. Painting one stone at a time is never going to work for me in the long run. Still, I need to start learning somewhere. So will definitely attempt this on Cold Press paper. Lots of Sennelier Warm Grey and Sennelier Grey.

The one at the bottom right is from Uma Kelkar's Lake Tahoe painting. I can't quite get how she painted it in an abstract way, and yet it still looks three-dimensional. And to me the shadow colour is a green mix.

From the same painting of Lake Tahoe by Uma Kelkar, done in a small Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook. I decided not to paint the decking that was in the original. Learning a lot from copying maestro Kelkar!

Previous explorations

And while I'm in that frame of mind:

Bigger Wave

Well, the wave is the same size, but I'm moving from A5 to A4, to see how I can manage the change in scale, particularly for the softening part. Am I methodical enough that I remember to soften edges before I move to another part of the painting? If this is successful, I will move to a quarter sheet, and maybe, who knows, a half sheet. I haven't painted in ages, but today, I really wanted to paint, and I got completely absorbed in the process.

I need to tidy up the top of the rolling wave, and also I want to think about the temperature of the pebbles. Maybe something warmer? But otherwise I'm pleased with how this has turned out. I will post an edited version if I go back and fix these things. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

This is from a photo I took in Killiney beach. I have so many of them. It must have been after a storm, as there was a lot of greeney churn in the water. 

Here is the fixed version. Is it any better? Yes, I think so, but there is still progress to be made.

Wave in Killiney

Another one in a small sketchbook. The photo is a bit washed out, but it was that or too dark. I have taken hundreds of photos of waves at Killiney beach over the years, particularly when we used to take Timber there for his walks on Sunday mornings. So it's about time I started painting these lovely waves. No big rocks on that beach, but lots of pebbles, and a shelf that gives the waves their energy.

Wave curl (with new colours!)

I was experimenting with my new colours (DS Raw Sienna Light and a few Sennelier colours) and with the flat brushes. And learning from Poppy Balser's videos, which are amazing if you want to paint the ocean. We're now at the time of the year when it's not practical to paint the sea en plein air. You'd be forever waiting for paint to dry. So I used some photos I took the last time we were at Killiney Beach. And I'm quite happy with how this worked out, although it's unfinished at the front where the water shines onto the pebbles that make that soothing sound that I would like to fall asleep to.

crashing waves

You can see I've been watching Poppy Balser videos! I know I keep going back and forth between all the things I want to paint better, clouds, sea, rocks, all together now. And cars too, but that's a different story!!

I'm slowly getting back into painting, although I have to say I haven't painted anything really for probably 6 weeks. Which is not me at all. Which is not good. So I will take this as a baby step in the right direction. What can I say? My attention isn't focused at the moment. There is a lot going on.

But watching Poppy Balser's wave videos was very interesting, and I will keep practising, without trying to make a painting just yet. I need to acknowledge the fact that I need to build up the skills for now. Without too much expectation.

I did these two separate attempts on the one page in a watercolour sketchbook.  For the second one, I actually drew the general shape of the wave before adding paint. That was useful Painting a rolling wave (as opposed to a crashing wave) is the next thing on my list, clearly!

Waves and rocks with masking fluid

Well, I got masking fluid, so now I have to use it. So I revisited that same view and explored ways to express the sand and the waves. It took a long time to lift the masking fluid, but the result made me happy. Although I have to say that the little postcard-sized attempts were my favourites. Need to think of something more dramatic for the sky! Because the foreground is quite abstract and the sky is too standard watercolour. I want my paintings to go more towards abstraction, not completely abstract, but that is something I need to work on and something that I think will suit me better, to be honest. But it's so hard to do, moving away from what comes naturally to me.

On top of the hill

A quick sketch before an appointment. It was great to walk to the top of Killiney Hill and enjoy the view. I must do this more often. My soul needs beauty. And if you see a mouse in the hill at the back, I do too, but that's life!! It was a quick sketch after all.

Killiney Hill

It was raining. And the only view I could get from the car was to the left, so this is the view I painted. Which is a nice change, as I normally would be more attracted to the view to the South, with Bray Head and the Sugar Loaf.

'BLOOM: What railway opera is like a tramline in Gibraltar? The Rows of Casteele.
(Laughter.)'

Killiney beach

Despite having done a colour test in my sketchbook, I'm on my second version of this view of Killiney bay on a winter's morning. I can really feel that I'm not painting in watercolours as much as I used to. It feels quite laboured. It's like I don't have the same sensitivity to the medium as I had a few months ago. That will come back with practise of course, I'm not too worried. What I really need to do is go out there and paint en plein air, enjoying the light, the sky, the sea, and not worrying about the end product!

In the first version, I used opaque pigments which granulated too much in the rough paper, Buff Titanium, Lavender, Moonglow and Monte Amiata Natural Sienna. And some Rose of Ultramarine I think. All gorgeous colours and pigments. But weren't the right quality for the effect I was trying to achieve.
So when the sky and sea were not great, I didn't really care and slapped the paint on for the grasses at the front. That certainly didn't help.

So for the second attempt, I moved to more transparent pigments: ultramarine, PV19, Quinacridone Gold. And cold press paper instead of rough. I started with a light loose wash, which I let dry completely before doing anything else. And I practised the grasses to figure out what brush will work best for me (Rosemary & Co Kolinsky Sable, SER 33, size 6, closely followed by a Winsor&Newton Pointed Round, size 7). And I used and old credit card to scrape grasses in the foreground hill. And I added a mountain in the background. It's no longer the real Killiney, but it's a much better balanced painting, don't you think?

And I should also try a more "out there" version for the sky, à la Uma Kelkar. I really love her bold style of painting.

Stones

I know it's InkTober, but I find it much more fun to play with watercolours! So I'm back #FollowingTheWhiteRabbit exploring negative painting, lost and found edges, splattering and shading. Painting three items like this is relatively easy. But for me, when I try to create a full composition, it's like I forget everything I've learned and I revert to hard edges everywhere. Maybe what I need to do is slowly increase the number of pieces and slowly learn how to cope with the increasing complexity. Will I be patient enough to do that? Mmm... I would love to do a full painting with stones, from photos I've taken on Killiney Beach, and using some of the actual stones I've picked up over the years (not that many, I promise). That would  be fun! Which approach do you think I'll take? Slow and careful? Or Jump right in and make a mess of it?

PS: colours used are all Daniel Smith watercolours: Lavender, Moonglow, Monte Amiata Natural Sienna, Buff Titanium, Transparent Red Oxide. I think they are my favourite colour mix!

Wave at Killiney

Been working on this little watercolour for a while. I had to use gouache for the top of my waves. Next time I try the same subject, I really want to reserve my whites better!
We take our dog for walks on Killiney beach most weekends in the winter season, so I never run out of photos taken with my iPhone to inspire me! Some day I might even take my easel there! But for now, with the good weather, it will be busy with families, so dogs are not welcome, unless we get up really early. Which is something I aspire to every summer. But it never seems to happen!

Looking towards Bray Head

I'm fed up with winter! I really want to get out there, sketch and paint. But it's too bloody cold. I did get a good day when I went to the beach that time. I didn't stay out very long. And I didn't capture the brightness of the sky and the sea. But I got out with my sketchbook, pen and paints.
It's not going to happen this weekend. I'm currently looking out at a grey grey sky, with the same forecast for tomorrow, and rain.
Easy to tell myself "no excuses". And the weather is definitely not a good excuse. It's just the waves of creativity, with their peaks and troughs. I knew I would have to pick myself up and dust myself off. I just didn't think I would find it so hard to get back into the routine.

And in case you're wondering why I have those James Joyce quotes in my sketchbook, it's that I'm taking part in the Bloomsday sketchbook project. And rather than having a separate sketchbook just for that, I've decided to make every sketching outing into a Ulysses moment. There's very few locations in Dublin that have no Joyce connection. And if I need to stretch reality a tiny tiny little bit to make it fit, well, that's allowed! Sometimes, the connection will just be in my head.

"—Then what is it? Buck Mulligan asked impatiently. Cough it up. I’m quite frank with you. What have you against me now?

They halted, looking towards the blunt cape of Bray Head that lay on the water like the snout of a sleeping whale. Stephen freed his arm quietly.

—Do you wish me to tell you? he asked."

Low tide

Another snow day (a little over a week ago), another painting

Lavender, English Venetian Red, Moonglow, Buff Titanium, and a touch of Naples Yellow (which I should have left out!)

Or should I crop it and make it a portrait view?

The view is originally from a photo I took on Killiney beach at really low tide, but somehow my clouds on the horizon have turned into distant hills, hence the more generic title!!

Killiney bay

I had the opportunity to sketch on Killiney beach a few weeks ago, before the recent cold snap and before my flu. I had great fun applying some of the things I've learned through Liz Steel's Sketching Now Watercolour online course!

Killiney beach is one of my favourite parts of Dublin. I used to live nearby and would often walk the beach early on a Sunday morning, all by myself. Nowadays, we have to drive to it, but I have my husband and my dog with me, so it's a lot more fun. And always beautiful. Killiney bay has been compared to the bay of Naples. I've never been there, so I can't confirm. What I can say though, is that some of the roads have Italian names, the Vico road, Sorrento road, etc.

The beach is pebbly and difficult to walk at high tide. But the sandy stretch appears at low tide, so we time our Sunday walk to the tides. Sometimes, after a storm, or if we haven't been for a while, we find that the configuration of the beach has changed completely, full of pebbles, no pebbles at all, pebbles and sand alternating in loops that match the waves.

There is a Dart station just at the beach, which is very handy, but nothing else nearby, except for a little coffee shop in the station itself. I still remember the first time I got there, many many years ago. It was a strange feeling. All this beauty. But no village as such near the beach (the village is on top of the hill, well at least that's where the pub is). There used to be a beautiful old hotel there. Sometimes you'd see Bono and The Edge having a quiet drink in the bar. Bono still lives nearby. Developers tore the hotel down and built apartments instead. It's a shame really. Many happy memories there. Work parties. Second date with BB.

Anyways, it's a place I never tire of. It will always be in my heart. And my sketchbook.

Killiney beach

I was going to post a few photos, but this short video is all that's needed, I think. Killiney Beach - the best place in the world for a winter walk!

On mature reflection, I can't resist adding a few photos. If I don't put them up here, they'll just disappear in my Pictures folder, never to be looked at again. And they deserve a better fate. Plus I might want to paint some of these scenes!

Killiney beach in September

Now that the day trippers and swimmers are gone, us dog owners can reclaim Killiney Beach! I've missed going there in the summer months, but I fully intend taking our Sunday morning walks there as much as possible over the winter. Last Sunday, I overslept a bit - I actually got to listen to World Report on RTE1 radio, a program I hadn't heard in years. But we still managed to make it. I had to cut short my weekly Skype call with Shinobu, but we'd had a good chat the previous week, so I didn't feel too bad.

And of course, Timber loves the beach. Actually, I should say he LOVES the beach! A big open space to run around. Plenty of other dogs. Seaweed (he's not allowed to eat it, but he can trade any bit he picks up for a piece of kibble by responding to the Drop command, and he probably still gets to eat a little bit of it anyway). The chance of a piece of crab, or fish, or, on one occasion a sheep carcass. There is one thing he doesn't like, though. And that's the water. He might be ok with getting his paws wet, but there is no way he will go in swimming. That's the half Malamute in him, definitely. And probably confirmation that the other half is not Labrador.

And I love the sea. One of the reasons why I couldn't live anywhere else. I can drive to Killiney beach in 12 minutes (at the weekend, early in the day), and walk the beach, feel the breeze, smell the air, chat with my husband. And then go home and start my day.

What else would I be doing on a Sunday morning? And every week it's different. So much inspiration for paintings. Not enough hours in the day, not enough years to live!! But I'll keep collecting the memories.

2017 Kilmacud Art Group Exhibition

Update 2: thank you all for your support! It was a wonderful weekend!

Update: a good bit of early interest! I love red dots! 4 sold so far!! Thank you to all of you who came by to say Hi! We're still open on Sunday until 6pm!!

The year has gone so fast. Time for the 2017 Kilmacud Art Group Exhibition. The exhibition is opening on the 26th of May in the evening (let me know if you want an invitation) and the show will be on view all day Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th of May at the St Laurence's parish centre, between the Mill House and St Laurence's church on the Lower Kilmacud in Stillorgan.

Here are the paintings I will be showing this year (all watercolours). I would have liked to show a few more, but it's not the Marie-Hélène Art Exhibition after all, so I had to choose 8 paintings. I am quite prolific!! I will try to get pictures of some of the other artists' work to post here over the next week or so.

Entry is free. And there is absolutely no obligation of purchase! But if you are interested in buying, let me know!

Mountain - Glenveagh National Park 

Sky - Killiney - SOLD

Rain on the Horizon - Inis Oírr - SOLD

Beach - Derrynane

Sky and Mountain - Gap of Dunloe - SOLD

Sunset - Gap of Dunloe

Big poppies - Airfield

Small poppies - Airfield - SOLD

And here are a couple that won't be in the show - they might be added on the Sunday if a lot of paintings are sold. Otherwise, I will have to find another venue for them:

Water - Venice

Water - Baros - SOLD

And I won't be showing my monoprints, which is a shame, as they are really beautiful - I would like more people to see them:

Boulders - SOLD

Hope 3

Hope