Tuesday, 12 July 2011

The Weak Bridge

This is a quick sketch, completed on the spot in pencil on the way home from work, with watercolour and a little BrushPen added later at home. This is a very old stone bridge that crosses the River Great Ouse between Huntingdon and the neighbouring Roman town of Durovigutum (or Godmanchester as it is now known). The bridge can only take light traffic and so there is a 'Weak Bridge' sign on the approaches to it. My wife and I always laugh and make groaning sounds whenever we cross over it. You'd just have to be there to appreciate the joke ;)

My blog has now come of age and so I'd like to say 'Hi' to my latest followers, Maggie and Sharon, who have pushed the total up to twenty-one this week. I'd also like to say a big 'thank you' to all of my lovely followers. You all make it very worthwhile :O) !

The Old Bridge, Huntingdon, watercolour, 8" x 5.5"
Posted by at 22:05
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20 comments:

  1. Judy12 July 2011 at 22:40

    Beautiful painting, Michael! I love the joke, it looks like a very old bridge. Congrats with your new followers and goodnight!

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  2. Unknown12 July 2011 at 23:04

    Thank you Judy! Wow, it's on Wikipedia - apparently it was built in 1332. Now that is old. Goodnight!

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  3. Barbra Joan13 July 2011 at 00:03

    You can 'play ' with all the meduims you want, but your a watercolorist at heart... sorry watercolourist.
    BJ

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  4. Unknown13 July 2011 at 05:48

    Good morning BJ and thank you. You're absolutely right about my real artistic passion. Some of my blogging friends, who are professional artists (unlike me!), were discussing this very subject recently i.e. straying away from your normal media, the advantages and disadvantages. My mum always said 'variety is the spice of life' :)

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  5. SharonWrightArtist13 July 2011 at 06:06

    I've never stopped to see the bridge from this viewpoint.....or stopped to look at it at all! Didn't know it was that old.
    Brilliant depiction....love the colour.

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  6. Unknown13 July 2011 at 06:39

    Good morning, Sharon and thank you! One of the advantages of being a lifelong pedestrian and cyclist I guess :)

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  7. SharonWrightArtist13 July 2011 at 06:51

    Ah, knew I had a bike for a reason!

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  8. Pat13 July 2011 at 07:43

    Lovely piece of work! You paint great feeling into your watercolour - and I love that! xx

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  9. Unknown13 July 2011 at 08:52

    Good morning Pat. Thank you, I'm delighted that you see feeling in my work :O)

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  10. Lisa Le Quelenec13 July 2011 at 09:49

    Good morning Michael, we have similarly structured bridges down this way that I've often tried to sketch. I get really stuck on the perspective of the arches. You've done a great job here - what is your secret? I really like the colours you've used too. It's a great sketch... maybe waiting to be a painting?

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  11. Unknown13 July 2011 at 10:15

    Thank you Lisa. I shall be googling 'old bridges Dorset' very shortly! Circles and arcs in perpective are tricky. I have no secret really, just lots of practice sketching boring engine parts at school! It can help to put in vertical and horizontal construction lines first using normal linear perspective and then connect them with a nice continuous arc. As you get better you can do it without the lines.
    Yes, this is going into the big painting queue, but I need to get some Jurassic Coast in my sketchbook first - only two more weeks to go :O)

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  12. Sandra Busby13 July 2011 at 13:51

    Another gorgeous sketch! Love it! I am SO glad you finally got around to blogging! It took you long enough ;0)

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  13. Unknown13 July 2011 at 14:24

    Thank you very much Sandra. If it wasn't for your initial encouragement, I'd still be an observer NOT a blogger, and of course your constant encouragement since keeps me sketching and blogging. Thank you :O)

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  14. Lucia B.13 July 2011 at 21:10

    Beautiful sketch, it looks like an interesting page of a carnet de voyage! This bridge deserved the attention of an artist!

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  15. Anonymous13 July 2011 at 21:43

    Beautiful painting. Funny joke. joke that I do indeed. LOL The bridge is really old, from the Middle Ages itself. Thank you too that we can enjoy on your drawing and painting.

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  16. Unknown13 July 2011 at 23:29

    Hi Lucia and thank you very much - your comment has made me feel very proud - to be called an artist by an artist has made my day. I love looking at other artists' carnet de voyage - those of Delacroix are so special :)

    Hi Renske. Thank you very much for your lovely comments and glad you liked the joke. Yes the bridge is mediaeval and we should enjoy it. Here is a photo taken near to where I actually sat to sketch! The Old Bridge

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  17. Unknown14 July 2011 at 06:50

    This is lovely Michael. I think variety keeps everyone's art fresh, but do love your watercolours.

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  18. Unknown14 July 2011 at 08:31

    Hi Sue, thank you! I think you're absolutely right about the benefits of variety, but I will always return to watercolours, so I'm delighted that you love them :O)

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  19. jsicignano2.blogspot.com16 July 2011 at 11:52

    Well done Michael. You will be having many more followers. Your work is truly wonderful in any medium you choose to paint. You are very talented.

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  20. Unknown16 July 2011 at 13:13

    Hi Joan and thank you very much for those lovely reassuring comments. They mean a lot to me :)

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No silly verification words here - all comments are appreciated! Thank you :)

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