I had intended to do a second watercolour, again based on a photo I had of one of the local village churches. However, I often feel that, for me anyway, painting from photographs tends to make me tighten up my work and so instead I decided to paint a similar kind of scene, but this time from imagination. I lost my way in the reflections a little but managed to recover the situation with the aid of a pencil scraping knife! Happy painting to you all :)
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| Village church, watercolour on Saunders Waterford 300gsm/140lb Not, 145mm x 210mm/5.75" x 8.25" |
Wow! Brilliantly captured light again..and distance. I know what you mean about painting photos....just see 'Needs Must'!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you painted this from imagination! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteStay safe from Katia! We had terrible thunderstorms yesterday evening. Autumn...
Sharon, you're being hard on yourself. 'Needs must' is a superb painting with a very clear message! Thank you for your comment, it's very much appreciated - I know you're very busy ;)
ReplyDeleteJudy, thank you! Yes, it is from imagination - but of course taken from just over 50 years of visual memory! PS thank you for the wishes - hope your foul weather goes away too! At least autumn brings the beautiful colours for us to paint :)
Beautiful watercolour - captures the peace of the English countryside beautifully . Well done xx
ReplyDeleteMorning Pat and thank you. Yes, it's where I like to spend as much of my time as possible :)
ReplyDeleteGoodmorning Michael. I would say, let us enjoy with all your landscape memories over the years you have stored in your memory. This is really beautiful painted.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Renske and thank you for your very kind comments. I just hope I can remember enough to keep posting until the weather is better and I can go out painting again ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely painting, Michael! I'm impressed by the fact that you have painted it from your imagination, in fact it shows a great balance of light and tones, as if the scene was in front of you! According to me, also the reflections are good.
ReplyDeleteDid you also create the architecture of the church with the bell tower, or did you take it from your memories or from a place you had in your mind?
Michael, this is a brilliant imaginitive painting. No way could I paing an imaginitive painting anywhere near as good as this. Wonderful painting my friend. All the best.
ReplyDeleteVic.
Hi Lucia and thank you very much for your super encouraging comments. The church is just an impression of what I remember as the typical English village church. I know very little about architecture - unlike yourself of course :) - but a quick google tells me this one is about 14th century. Church architecture is a bit regional too: some counties have just plain square towers, some have short spires and some have much longer spires like my imaginary one.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Vic! We must have crossed paths on the internet there - Just been over to your blog to read your reply :) Thank you very much for your lovely comment. Your work is superb and a great inspiration so perhaps some of that is finally rubbing off on me!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful landscape with a very calm and serene atmosphere. Your composition is perfect - another advantage of working from imagination :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Blaga. Another advantage is that you are free from judging colours, tones and shapes and just paint what you feel is right.
ReplyDeleteMorning Michael, there's lovely light on the building and I like the (scratching?) into the roof tiles. It's just a tiny suggestion but I'm wondering if there was a touch of purpley dark shadow in the foliage under the church and on the left just above your signature if it would pop out just a bit more. The recession in the land behind is beautiful and delicately done and I like the interlocking shapes of the fields that lead to the church. I hope it's not too windy down your way, take care.
ReplyDeleteMorning Lisa and thank you very much! I used quite a bit of lifting out with a flat synthetic brush and scratching out with a Conte pencil knife. As I'm sure you know very well, the secret with scratching out is timing - much too early and the paper comes up, a little too early and the scratches fill with pigment (but good for suggesting woodland trees) and too late and it's a struggle to get the pigment to move! Your suggested improvements are very welcome - thank you!
ReplyDeleteYes, take care down there too. The wind is building up a little over here. We went for a long dog walk in the local country park yesterday to get some conkers for our youngest to put in her room - she's absolutely terrified of eight-legged things too. We do have some monsters here thanks to all the ivy. Like His Nibbs, I have to run around the house with a suitable trap. Yay, the leaves are starting to turn so it's time to get out and sketch the fleeting colours of autumn :)
Wow, Michael I've been catching up on your last few entries. You've been doing some fabulous works. I love this one in particular it reminds me of the villages in Germany. Just beautiful!! And your greens are so bright and fresh and tour atmospheric perspective is perfect!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Carrie, and thank you for catching up and leaving such lovely comments. I think I'm starting to get there now thanks to all the blogging and the encouraging comments I've been getting!
ReplyDeleteGreat imagination and painting Mike.
ReplyDeletebtw just about to post some photos for you (yeah for British libraries & free wifi)
Thank you Sue! Glad you got the wifi connection sorted, I'll be looking out for your next post :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful piece Michael! I LOVE the way you paint from your imagination, it always results in the most stunning pieces. :) I do hope you all are safe from the hurricane over there.
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal and thank you very much! I think if I can channel the same feeling I get when painting from imagination into the work I do plein air, then I will be getting there :) Lots of blusteriness and a few broken branches but thankfully we're largely unscathed by Katia.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant watercolor Michael. Love this painting you are a master of capturing mood and light. Please do stay safe in the event of the hurricane reaching your area. Nature can be quite beautiful or very cruel. Stay safe. I will be busy and not be able to post for a few days. I am so sorry I wasn't able to post sooner.
ReplyDeleteTake care
Joan
Wow, that is amazing, it is so believable and fresh looking, it is if you were right in front of the scene - love it!
ReplyDeleteWe survived Katia intact up here, it wasn't as bad as expected, thank goodness and today seems to have started off beautifully.
Hi Joan. Thank you very much for your comment and for popping by at a busy time. Hope you're getting sorted after the visit from Irene. No significant damage here, just very blustery for the last couple of days but it's settling down now :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rolina. Thank you for your lovely encouraging comments. I do seem to get better results this way, so perhaps what I need to do is just 'see' as much as I can and then turn away to paint! Very pleased to hear you got through Katia ok. Clear and blue here at the moment too :)
This is absolutely gorgeous Michael! I reeeeeally like it! It has such a tranquil, calm feel, in complete contrast to the recent weather! Down South it was extremely windy for a couple of days - not bad enough for any damagethankfully, but still VERY unpleasant! Up your way I believe was worse. Well, I guess Autumn has really arrived - Still, there will be some wonderful colours to be painted :0)
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra and thank you so much for your lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteYes, it has been a bit blustery recently hasn't it. I cycled through the local park on Monday and the river looked amazing with the wind-blown ripples, The Mallard ducks were clearly enjoying getting a free ride on the swell. I'm looking forward to the Autumn colours too :)