The weather here has been pretty dismal; lots of wind and rain and of course it's now a little too dark to get any after-work sketching done :( However, I have been trying to get some reference photographs to keep me busy over the coming blustery autumn and chilly winter months. This one is based on a photo I took on a recent dog walk with that now infamous show-stealing canine model himself :) It started life as a watercolour which I subsequently ran under the tap - twice! At this point I decided to give up with watercolour and get out the Kremer and Sennelier soft pastels to see where that took me. But that looked awful too lol, so I dissolved much of the dry pastel with water and then finished off a few highlights in the foreground with dry pastel and some of the tree branches with dry and wet watercolour pencil. A true multimedia experience ... or perhaps a bit of a mess. You decide :)
Happy painting, be it wet or dry!
Happy painting, be it wet or dry!
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| Autumn woodland walk, mixed media on Arches 300gsm/140lb Rough, 23cm x 31cm/9" x 12" |
First, I can't see anything of the treatments you gave this painting. And in my opinion for a good artistic result anything is allowed. :) And the result is beautiful! Lovely autumn colours, and interesting composition, your eye is drawn to the curve of the path. Pet for Louie! :)
ReplyDeleteSome of your works have such a difficult history, like this one... ;-) yet the result appears so pleasantly balanced, as if it was the consequence of an accurate study! I love the colours of autumn, especially the yellows you chose for this work! Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteLucia
Well Michael, when my efforts don't work out right and I try to rescue them all I get is mud. This is a wonderful multi-media painting and no one would know the various route changes you took to get to the final destination. It's a lovely painting that sings out 'autumn'. Love it!!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's what you call perseverance! I would have given up! It's a good thing you didn't because you are left with a sketch well worth showing off :0)
ReplyDeleteFor all that you did it doesn't look overworked. It's the end result that counts and this is a lovely scene and composition. Have you ever looked at Ann Blockley's work? She is an English watercolorist that uses other mediums to get the results she wants. Check out her website at http://www.annblockley.com/ I think you will enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteJean
No mess at all Michael, it is so beautiful, lovely tranquil autumn colors. It's funny how sometimes good comes out from bad...gives hope :-)
ReplyDeleteWish you a great weekend.
Well, you were determined and I know the feeling of running a painting under the water... but I never went all the routes you took and for all that, it turned out pretty well,, I'm not an autumn person at all.. I don't think I've ever even wanted to do a fall color painting.. although I do like others work.. I can't believe you did all that smooshing (can't think of a better word ) with the pastels.. lol ! I still like your watercolors the best..
ReplyDeleteI really like the result! It has strong colors, good contrast and texture. I particularly like the sunlight coming through these yellow branches in the middle. Good experiment, Michael!
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for your lovely responses. It's interesting to read your varied comments and to get a balanced view :)
ReplyDeleteJudy - yes, I agree, anything is allowed to get to an artistic result. I'll make sure Louie gets his pet :)
Rose - I do dabble with mixed media occasionally but pure watercolour just does it for me all the time :) xox.
Lucia - some of my paintings do have a bit of a history lol. I'm a lover of yellow too so I'm glad you like this one.
John - yes, it's so easy to just end up with mud and I very often do - but you won't be seeing any examples of those here ;)
Sandra - perseverance is my middle name - although I'm sure that, all things considered, my wife may have other thoughts on the matter lol :O)
Jean - yes, I do know of Ann Blockley and was a big fan of her dad John. He was the showcase artist for W&N when I started painting and I just marvelled at the effects he got. I will check her work out a bit more, thank you.
Jane - as you know so very well, watercolour is a tricky medium, with happy accidents and stinkers along the way, so I think it's good to keep something away from the bin sometimes.
BJ - I love all the seasons but autumn colours are just so lovely. Don't worry, I'm not going to have an affair with pastels like the one I had with oils a while back; watercolour is the one for me ;)
Blaga - yes it was a good experiment and a good learning experience too. I suppose it was a watercolour really, although some of it is still raw dry pigment.
Morning Michael.
ReplyDeleteNo Michael, definitely not a mess, the dead opposite infact. It`s a lovely solid painting, and so automnally, Well done my friend. And you gain extra points for not giving up on it. All the best.
Vic.
Morning Vic. Thank you very much my friend for your lovely comment. Can I use the extra points in Tescos? LOL. Best wishes, Michael.
ReplyDeleteI like that you are mixing different media, it widens the borders so much. I have to do it too.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Irina. I like to try mixed media now and then.
ReplyDeleteHi Micheal, I would say that in spite of the troubles you had during the painting, the final results looks very interesting and absolutely beautiful. I like it! Ciao.
ReplyDeleteHi Tito. Thank you very much. It was a bit of a troublesome painting but I'm glad I didn't give up. Ciao.
ReplyDeleteMichael once again you have proven yourself to be an exceptional artist. This is lovely.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you,
Joan
Thank you very much, Joan. That really is such a lovely encouraging comment :)
ReplyDeleteNo you can`t use those extra points at Tescos Michael, Sainsbury`s only, sorry.
ReplyDeleteVic.
Thanks, Vic. Every little helps! I prefer Sainsbury's anyway. Best wishes, Michael.
ReplyDeleteDespite that it is not that went as you wanted to have, this is become a really wonderful painting. Beautiful depth and bright colours and are really the autumn colours.
ReplyDeleteHi Renske. Thank you so very much for your lovely comment. It nearly became a pure watercolour but I'm glad I changed to pastel because it was better for the subject.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful Mike!
ReplyDeletegood for you michael .. the yellows sing ..no mess lovely atmosphere .
ReplyDeleteHi Sue and thank you! The website is looking good :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jane! Thank you for your lovely comments.
hello Mike... Finally got a minute to track back your blog and saw some nice pieces.Glad you kept painting...
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, your stuff does not show up on my fickr stream, even though you are on my contact list.
Any clue?
Hello Chris and thank you. I am a little behind with my Flickr but I do try to keep it up to date with my blog. Nethertheless, you should get an email with a list of any new items from your Flickr contacts. I get one every few days that shows any new stuff from any of mine including you! You could also follow my blog via email using the widget at the top.
ReplyDelete