The St Andrew Blackadder Church Easter Art Exhibition has been a popular event for a good many years, raising valuable funds towards the renovation and upkeep of the stained glass windows and stonework of the church. I am pleased to say that I will be exhibiting several works in the exhibition this year. Details as per the flyer below. A good many local artists are represented.
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What else is there to do on a dreich February Saturday that really wants to be winter but can't quite get past 'the wet stuff with icy lumps' stage, other than stay inside in the warm and finish off a couple more North Berwick street views - one looking back along East Road towards the War Memorial, and the other a reworking of the first Quality Street drawing I did before Christmas, but at a larger size (so that I managed to fit in one of our tulip planters!). Perhaps one day the wee dug will get his fish supper.
Having so much fun doing these pen and inks that this is another view of the end of Quality Street that I have started. Turns out it is really hard to draw an octagonal object wonky and still have it looking like, well, an octagon. Squares and rectangles are easy!
It's only when you start to draw things (even in a stylised manner such as this) that you look at them properly - before now i hadn't even noticed that there was a unicorn at the top of the War Memorial. These monochrome pen & ink drawings are so much fun to do. I have already tackled the view of Quality Street looking towards the harbour, this time we are looking in the opposite direction into the Lodge gardens. It's also a bit bigger than the first one I did. Terrible photo but the light had gone... Here are two photos of Quality Street in "real life", for those of you who don't know North Berwick. Marred somewhat by wheelie bins and advertising boards, it boasts some fine buildings. The red building with the arched windows is known as The Beehive and until recently was the local council offices; whilst the North Berwick Fry is obviously one of NB's fine dining establishments.
Whilst blocking out a large sketch of a sweet pea in pastel yesterday (a favourite flower - the scent!) I found that a bulldog seemed to have emerged. Also I'm working on another 'wonky' pen & ink view of Quality Street, just planning it out at the moment. On dull days working in black and white is easier than colour.
The yellow boat Barry B has gone to a new home away from North Berwick now, but he was always one of my favourites. I painted a tiny version of this some time ago.
...or rather, rippling. The texture and colour of the water in the harbour is quite fascinating - almost like a textile pattern in this case. It's not until I really started paying attention that I realised it never looks the same. I started this on Friday at the NB Art Group drop-in session. We have two hours on a Friday morning (and a longer four hour stint once a month) in a local hall to work on whatever we like. A nice friendly group - painting, chat and coffee. There is quite a bit of work to be done in the water, with a very small brush. Next work will need to be done with a large one, for a bit of a contrast! Time to give the boats a wee break now I think...
For some unknown reason I had put this painting aside since November. Finished today, big pink rocks and ropes and all.
...are not conducive to painting. I have barely turned the lights off for the last three or four weeks, and although daylight bulbs (with a colour temperature of around 6000K) are very good, nothing really replaces a bright day for working. Hence the slow progress this month so far! However I feel this painting is now finished, and will leave it now until I get a good look at it on a brighter day.
SInce Barry B has headed to waters new I haven't painted a yellow boat, but LH20 is a cracking colour, especially against the pinky/red/brown tones of the harbour wall. It always strikes me just how large some of the blocks of stone are, and how heavy they must be. Would have been fascinating to have seen the harbour's construction.
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