Week 6, 2017 Colour sketch challenge

The sea off Southwold

Typical cold February weather with a brisk easterly wind of the sea. I managed to sit inside a shelter out of the breeze but more importantly also out of the sleet that was steadily falling. Although part of my colour sketch challenge  it was a day where colour was not on display and the sea and sky were all muted tones. Despite the lack of colour it was even more important to get the subtle colour biases of he greys and to get the right emphasis on warm and cold into the colour.

The sea off Southwold week 6

 

Week 5, 2017 Colour sketch challenge

Apologies for the re post but I have been hacked and the post was replaced. So here is the post again

Down on the Blackshore
A cold blowy day to be outside painting and I must admit not my favorite time of year for this. But this is why it is a challenge and I am finding value in it for myself, the discipline of just getting out there. A least on this day it was not so dull and the forecast for the next few days wasn’t great.

As so often I have ended up in Southwold down with the fishing boats on the Blackshore and I have tucked myself out of the wind as much as possible.

The boards I am painting on are about A4 in size, so not too large, this one however I primed and the surface came out in a very rough texture. I struggled to begin with fighting with the surface until suddenly I realised I could use it to my advantage and keep the brush strokes a little more open than usual for me. So the end result I have surprisingly found quite pleasing although maybe not quite how I intended it to be. And no surprise the odd seagull flying round.

Blackshore week 5

Week 4, 2017 Colour sketch challenge

Blythburgh Estuary

On a crisp afternoon with the sun low in the sky. It was a day when in the shadows the frost never melted and the temperature reached a chilly 2 degrees C, however there was no wind so in the sun before it dropped behind the branches of a tree it was quite pleasant.

The estuary is beautiful at low tide when the vast expanses of mud glimmer and are covered in all sorts of birds. Best of all is the calls of the birds especially Curlew that kept me company. Plenty of Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Redshanks, Godwits, Dunlin, Avocets, Dabchicks and gulls.

Blythburgh week 4

Week 3, 2017 Colour sketch challenge

Josephine on Beccles Quay

It was nice to be able to get my sketch this week done before the weekend. This was mostly thanks to Mike Liggins who phoned and asked me to meet him at Beccles Quay to do a follow up piece for BBC Look East for last years challenge and for this year. I am not sure when this will be shown it was done too late in the day for tonight’s programme so hopefully sometime this week. It was a rare sunny afternoon with the light already starting to fade when I sat down to sketch this fine boat called Josephine which moored in the Quay.

Josephine Beccles Quay week 3

I think this must have been an old barge but is now someones home.

Mike Liggins and Kate

 

 

Week 2, 2017 Colour sketch challenge

Dunwich Cliffs again

I have still been suffering with this virus and getting out to paint is difficult. I first tried the car park at Dunwich by the cafe and did have my paints out on the beach ready to start, but before I could I could see the snow clouds approaching from the North. All the fields around the car park are deep in water after last nights tidal surge breached the shingle bank.

So back into the car and up the road to Dunwich NT to take advantage of the Lookout building where  I could be dry and out of the weather. Having painted the view South out of the window last week I turned my attention North towards Southwold. Although at first I had to deal with the snow that was beating on the window and the condensation that rapidly appeared on the inside. While painting, over the sea there were flocks of Scoter ducks, Grebes and Cormorants were flying past. One of the rafts of Scoters on the sea were appearing and disappearing as they dived had a solitary Long Tailed Duck accompanying them.

So in the background are yet more snow clouds approaching while I tried to capture the brief moment of brighter light, the buildings in Southwold illuminated against the dark clouds. In the foreground I liked the light that was being reflected off the icy roof of the Sea watching building.

Dunwich cliffs North week 2